Raymond E. Feist
Or: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” From Moulin Rouge
I have often wondered why people in Argentina have such animosity towards the United States. They speak of our country with the same disdain as they do their own miserable political and economic infrastructure, which is basically a huge web of misperceptions and corruption. Nothing there is at it seems, or as it should be. But why blame us for all their ills?
I have come to realize that they believe that we are equally corrupt, only better at it. That is why we are a world power and in their opinion meddling with the rest of the world. They honestly believe that our only mission in life is to take as much from the world and its various countries and peoples as possible, no matter what the price or consequences. That is what the government and all its institutions there, run by the long standing political machine, does to its people every day.
The only way to get ahead in Argentina – that is – to improve your quality of life and stop living in survival mode every day, is to become a politician and take a bite of the apple. Everyone knows that. And everyone works around it. After so many generations of expecting nothing, people have learned to find their own way, and live the best they can.
Yesterday in a major speech Bush 43 said that government cannot solve this economic crisis, but the private sector will. “Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States,” he stated. He could have elaborated – this is how the American Dream is possible. This is why so many people want to be here. And the ones who cannot get in feel they did not want the grapes to begin with, and criticize us from afar, speaking through their provincial prisms.
In Argentina, the executive has taken so much power away form the checks and balances inherent in the government system, which is modeled on our own, that the country is broken, I believe beyond repair. And its people know it. Entrenched powers can no longer be dislodged. The machine devours entrepreneurship, the most basic rights, and hope. It rewards paying to play – we see it in most aspects of people’s life.
So in their assessment of the United States, they apply their own cynical views to what they hear about us on CNN Esapnol and other news feeds into their media and intellectual community. As five of their Supreme Court justices are investigated for corruption, they ask: What do you do when your Supreme Court justices are corrupt? When the five year old American grandchild asks his Argentinian grandpa to pick up his dog’s poop off the street, Grandpa is shocked and cannot understand why the kid is making such a scene on the public sidewalk. When we support Israel’s right to exist they know it’s because the Jews secretly control all our banks. When terrorists down our buildings they know it’s an inside job to further American interests around the globe.
This is what having so much power in the hands of so few can do to a people’s psyche over generations. This also will be the unintended consequence of having a handsome, popular, politically astute President formed in Chicago’s political machine and molded in a church based on the African diaspora school of thought.
President Obama is willing us into the image Argentinians, and many around the world, have of our country. Countries where everyone will take a bribe, from the cop giving you a jaywalking ticket to the multi-national exec asking for the last minute millions to close the deal you’ve been working on for 2 years.
There really is no other country that I know of, with the possible exception of the Netherlands and England, that lives the sanctity of contracts as we do. In our country, laws still mean something and are not seen as suggestions. One can still get ahead by sheer will and by being resourceful. The legal system will protect you, for the most part. When you strike a deal with another business partner, you are doing it in good faith and not trying to figure out how you’ll get screwed.
The unbelievable power grab I see develop so quickly here and on so many levels is beyond frightening. And also very familiar to me. I recently heard someone say we are ceasing to be a nation of contracts, and are becoming a nation of contacts. A place where who you know, dirty money, and no scruples, will get you ahead. A place where people do not know who to trust, what to believe. Where having material things is more important than having a conscience. A people increasingly less educated in our history, where we came from, how we got here, how much was sacrificed by those before us for the freedoms, protections, rights, checks and balances we are losing. Where morality and ethics are relative and the line between right and wrong is blurred beyond recognition.
Where the populace finds solace on distractions that are easily understood — outrageous celebrity scandals, the latest victims of senseless crimes, the silly youtube video, the new electronic game or gadget.
We are becoming Argentina.
Riddle me this one.
Who among you will tell me that a Latina woman, with the wealth of my experience, cannot arrive at a better conclusion than a white man? Who has the cojones to challenge this assertion?
I have to remind my white gringo husband I am always right all the time. So he delivers one of his beloved little nuggets of wisdom: “Honey, it’s better to be kind than right.”
In what universe?
I’m with Sonia 100%. Does that mean I can’t be a judge in this country?
So I was watching Geraldo Rivera’s show this weekend and he had a few guests discussing Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Rosie Perez was almost in tears speaking about what this meant to her as a Latina, as she explained that this highlights the “Plight of the Puerto Ricans”.
Que?
Did I miss a memo? What the heck plight is she talking about? Is she thinking “I like to leeve in Amereeka?” Were we being persecuted or something?
As far as I am concerned, I can tell you Puerto Rico was a great place to grow up. I have extremely fond memories of island life. The food, the music, the beaches, the parrandas, the people, the scenery and history … did I mention the food … what’s there not to like? Yes there is also crime and hardship, but how is that different than anywhere else?
Puerto Rico is one of the best kept Latin secrets. We are American citizens, have American passports and use American dollars, yet we keep Spanish as our main language, our Puerto Rican beauties get to participate in Miss Universe (five so far and counting!), and we get to send our Puerto Rican athletes to the Olympics carrying our Puerto Rican flag.
Oh, and best of all we get money.
Every social welfare program available to the 50 states we also get; including federal funding for all of our government departments. But best of all, we don’t have to pay federal income taxes and we get to work for cash to keep the programs coming. I want whoever negotiated that deal working for me! Genius!
The best is that America believes Puerto Rico to be something akin to a territory. The official United States given title is the “Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”. However, our Spanish official name is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico which translates to “Free Associated State of Puerto Rico”! Is that not great? What does that mean exactly? A free associated state? I bet a lot of states are wondering how they can get the same deal right about now!
Please don’t tell Obama, because he would hit the Jackpot if he started wising up about our little colonial deal we’ve got going here… What Latin country would not take it? We could have The Estado Libre Asociado de Mejico, de Colombia, de Panama. The list goes on and on. You get to keep your own identity but live on the dole!
Every couple of years we islanders get our undies in a bundle about the “status quo”. You see, the two big parties here are the “Popular Democratic Party” which likes things just the way they are and are represented by a red guy in a straw hat and the words – Bread, Land and Liberty. The “New Progressive Party”, which wants the island to become the 51st state, features a blue palm tree with the words Statehood, Security, Progress. We do have a third party, the Puerto Rican Independence Party”, but it never gets more than 5% of the vote and it’s treated as negligible.
So every few years we organize an island-wide vote to vote yes or no for statehood.
First of all — AS IF!
Like we really have any say in the matter. It’s always been no — the 10 odd times I remember the vote happening. I mean, really, who would vote for paying federal income taxes, speaking English, having to learn American history in schools, and not being able to see Miss Puerto Rico represented on the world stage? Can we really bear the thought of having Miss Puerto Rico lose to Miss Arkansas in some runoff to the real thing?
But what if we somehow lose our minds and voted yes? “OK Washington, we’re finally ready! We want to join the union.”
Where would we even put star 51 on the flag? Ay bendito, me duele la cabeza…