One Man's Opinion

India is up in arms over a book that strongly suggests that Gandhi was bisexual, having had a very intimate relationship with a German architect in his youth in South Africa. There are letters by Gandhi that are seen as quite compromising. On the other hand, it's well known that, in his old age, he shared his bed with young girls, both for warmth and as an exercise in maintaining his celibacy. This reminds me of another book published some years ago, in which the author revealed a rather strong relationship between a young Lincoln and his roommate. In this case also, there were letters that showed an affection that bordered on the romantic. Great men are, at bottom, men, with the same passions as the rest of us. Their sex lives need not concern us, except to show how human they really are.

Boy, here in the West, we have the right to a speedy trial, a legal doctrine inspired by the well-known principle that "justice delayed is justice denied." But, it seems that the "new and improved" Afghanistan has an even speedier way of handling criminal matters. Here's how it works. A high-level government official is accused of corruption, and before you can say "Afghanistan", President Hamid Karzai calls his Attorney General on the phone and has the guy released. In the latest - probably, not the last - case, a presidential adviser on financial matters had been detained and the Attorney General had just announced it in a press conference, when Karzai called and ordered him to release the official. As I said, this has happened, at least, once before. So, there you have it: "speedy justice", Afghan style.

Dishonesty is rampant, and the healthcare business is no exception. A study reveals that most physicians who participate in writing the guidelines for treatment of, for example, heart diseases in the U.S. have financial interests in companies that would be affected by those guidelines. Not only are these doctors members of the groups, but they are also their leaders. Some claim that disclosing these conflicts of interests should be enough; others want those conflicts banned. In my view, disclosure is a rather cynical approach to the problem, because it allows the improper situation to continue, as long as people are made aware of it. This is too serious a matter to take such a lenient approach. Doctors who have a vested interest in recommending or rejecting treatments shouldn't have any bearing on supposedly impartial scientific reviews and medical care guidelines.

Little by little, justice is being done in countries such as Argentina and Uruguay, where 30-odd years ago, right-wing dictatorships disappeared, killed and tortured thousands of people, as part of Operation Condor, which also included Brazil, Chile and Paraguay, with, at least, the tacit approval of the U.S. Very cleverly, after the fact, those thugs and their sympathizers managed to pass laws that, in essence, gave them immunity from prosecution, in the name of an ill-conceived "reconciliation." Now, following Argentina's lead in bringing their dictators to justice, the Inter-American Court for Human Rights has condemned Uruguay for the abduction and disappearance of a famous poet's daughter in 1976, serving notice that impunity is over. It's to be expected that many more cases will surface, and that the Uruguayan people will be forced to fully come to terms with that dark period in their history.

A recent U.S. Department of Justice report confirms what many have known all along: the FBI is the equivalent of those secret polices that represented the worst totalitarian regimes around the world. After 2001, especially, rules were put in place that allow the Bureau to, essentially, spy on American citizens on the flimsiest of excuses. Now, ten years later, it's still doing it with impunity, supposedly as part of the fight against terrorism. In typical Madison-Avenue fashion, the FBI calls these investigations "assessments", a rather bland term that doesn't really convey what it entails. Even the Obama Administration, as much as it has tried to portray itself as respectful of civil and human rights, has been unwilling or unable to "change" such a policy. All this goes to show that there isn't all that much difference between "friends and foes", when it comes to fascism in totalitarian or reputedly-democratic societies.

The evidence of the Catholic Church's involvement in pedophilia on a grand scale is overwhelming. As time goes by, there are more and more cases from all over the world. The Jesuits of the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. have just settled a lawsuit for $166 million brought by almost 500 Native Americans who, as very small boys and girls were repeatedly abused sexually by priests and nuns during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The regional Company of Jesus, as it is officially and in a self-aggrandizing way known, has filed for bankruptcy. They've been morally bankrupt for a long time.

Bolivia may take Chile to court, to force it to provide access to the sea. Shame on Chile! Just because 130 years ago, Chile won a war, thus securing a territory that would allow Bolivia access to the sea, that doesn't give it the right to keep Bolivia landlocked. When a plot of land has no access to a road, for instance, the law forces the owner of the land that stands between that plot and the highway, to provide access. If that is the law between private parties, international law can't be different for a country that is subject to an oppressive condition such as this one. Chile earned a lot of good will and support around the world with the rescue efforts for its miners a while back. I hope it sees fit to do justice to the Bolivians, without having to be dragged into court for refusing to do the right thing.