Thomas Sowell, one of my favorite economists, recently declared that “markets readjust themselves for a reason. That reason is that people pay a price for their misjudgments and mistakes”. I think that argument goes a long way when trying to describe what’s going on in American politics in 2008. Strange things are happening. The Democratic presidential candidate will be either a woman or a black man. White people from both parties are voting for the black man in droves. Rudy Giuliani’s September 11th chest pounding earned him an early exit from the race. John McCain, a very liberal republican any way you cut it, has still managed to become his party’s main candidate. Could that signal a major change in republican values? Strange things are indeed happening.

Major political market corrections only happen every few decades. The 60’s brought JFK, Reagan brought us the 80’s, and Obama is the leading indicator to watch in this 2008 correction. Never have the president and congress had such pathetic approval numbers, 30% and 22% respectively. This is akin to buying stocks at $100 and watching them fall to $30 and $22. It’s time to cut losses and invest elsewhere with our votes.

You’re a gringo and talk a lot of smack about the DR. What gives you the right? How would you like it if I (a Dominican) started a blog and trashed the States? If it’s so bad why don’t you leave?- Rafael in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Rafael,

I can’t turn on a TV, radio, computer or watch smoke-signals without catching criticism of my country. So, your blog wouldn’t make much of a difference. Sorry.

I’m a firm believer in peoples’ right to bitch about anything they want. As for my criticism of the DR, I believe I have 100% earned the right to criticize the Dominican Republic however I wish. I’ve lived, taught high school, worked for a division of the Supreme Court, done charity work, and paid taxes here for almost 6 years. In addition, my wife is Dominican and I have already started the process to become a naturalized Dominican citizen. If that’s not good enough for you then stop reading. I won’t be offended.

As for me leaving the island, I guess I could do that. But then my blogging would be almost exclusively about American politics and Americans would be asking me “if the U.S. is so bad why don’t you just leave?” So, for right now, the warm, tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and cold beer are winning. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Keep those questions coming. You can reach us through the Contact Page. Cheers.

RHM

The President of the United States (POTUS) is the most protected person on earth (although up to this point Osama Bin Laden is doing pretty well too). His layered security extends from his very own personal space to a radius of several miles. Everything and everyone that even has a chance of getting near POTUS is checked and checked again by overlapping agencies – no stone is left unturned. For example, while POTUS is traveling, several hotels are completely emptied and cleared by cooperating agency professionals led by the U.S. Secret Service. Each building is then swept for bombs, hazardous materials and electronic surveillance devices. The actual hotel to be used is announced at the last possible minute. The same is done for presidential motorcades. Several routes are planned and secured in advance and the actual route is chosen at the last minute. Very little is predictable and this superior level of protection is in place no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

The President is the Most Protected Person on Earth

In spite of this, journalists keep unnecessarily raising the issue of protecting a hypothetical President Obama; implying that being black would make him an attractive target for would-be assassins. This is ridiculous. There are approximately 6 billion people in the world. I bet at any given time there are millions who would kill POTUS (regardless of who it is) if given the chance. The Secret Service knows this and plans accordingly. As a consequence, POTUS is the most protected person on earth.

As an example: a typical presidential motorcade consists of 20 to 30 vehicles. Have you ever wondered what’s inside all of those SUVs? The video below will give you a glimpse. Afterwards, I think you’ll agree that no matter whom the next president is – even if they’re the first woman or first African American – they can sleep well at night.

In Part I of Who is Che Guevara and Why is he Famous?, I explained just how popular Ernesto “Che” Guevara is around the world and especially in Latin America. Unfortunately, most of his followers’ knowledge does not extend beyond knowing his name and recognizing his image. Let me lay out the ugly truth now.

After Castro’s forces toppled the Batista regime there were plenty of people who had to be dealt with. This responsibility fell primarily on Che’s shoulders. Historians differ on the exact number, but to say that he was personally responsible for hundreds of summary executions would not likely evoke disagreement. The “trials” that preceded these executions were flawed to say the least, often with Che serving in the capacity of judge, jury and, yes, even executioner. The guilty parties, in one way or another, had committed the ultimate sin – they were “anti-revolucionarios” and such people could not be kept around. In addition, multiple sources document the anger and frustration that Che showed when the Cuban Missile Crisis had been defused peacefully. Che wanted nuclear war and said he would have launched the first strike on American cities.

So, why all the t-shirts for a medical doctor from Argentina famous for interfering with the affairs of other states and most well-known for personally signing the death warrants of hundreds of people without due process? Well, for the same reason Castro is so loved not only by Hollywood moonbats, but all over Latin America. Their crimes against their own people are pardoned as long as they are primarily and outspokenly anti-gringo. That’s how much resentment there is out there; people support Castro and Che for their Anti-Americanism no matter what the costs are to their own people. That says something about perception of the U.S., doesn’t it? It doesn’t make much sense, but that is the reality.

PS: Che is seen by many as a Latin American martyr, unsurprisingly killed by the CIA in Bolivia. And it was almost a guaranteed reaction when you see the Christ-like way the authorities broadcasted his death.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.

UPDATED: Don’t forget to read Part III of Who is Charles Sumner!

In Part I, I explained briefly who Charles Sumner was and how his actions impacted the Dominican Republic (that’s him in the picture getting caned in congress). Basically, he kept the island out of the U.S. and, depending on your perspective, either did Dominicans a great favor or a great disservice. My high school political science club students debated this point. These were the major arguments presented by each side and a quick word about each.

Charles Sumner is a hero because:

1. Without him we would not be the sovereign, self-determining nation-state that we are today.
2. He helped us preserve our Dominican culture instead of being swallowed by an imperialist power and having it slowly eroded.
3. The U.S. has a lot of enemies and critics around the world. That does not reflect on us as a separate country.

The basic thrust of their argument was that “American” doesn’t always equate with “Better” and that there are things more important than per capita incomes – nationalism, pride, and freedom (to name a few).

In part III, I’ll highlight the major arguments of the other side and give a general wrap-up.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.

UPDATED: If you’re looking for a fantastic book about Che Guevara, I highly recommend Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life.

Pictures of a flag bearing the image of Che Guevara were recently taken in a Texas office of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Needless to say it caused a stir. Few images evoke such a wide range of emotions as Che’s; this post explains why.

Not many names are as easily recognizable around the world as Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. What, you’ve never heard of him? That’s because some people only need one name, for example, Prince, Madonna, and Carrot-Head. Ok, Carrot-Head is technically two words…how about Oprah? Anyway, the guy I’m talking about is simply known as Che and according to Time Magazine (1999) he is not only a hero to many, but undeniably one of the most influential people of the 20th Century.

In addition, his image is one of the most well-known around the world; an image whose creator, photographer Alberto “Korda” Gutierrez , has never made a nickel off. “No matter,” he says, “that’s the way Che would have wanted it”. Korda snapped that famous photo in Habana during March of 1960. A Belgian vessel exploded in the harbor and killed over 100 people and, according to witnesses, Che spent hours personally giving first-aid to the wounded. The famous picture was taken at a memorial for the fallen, hosted by Fidel Castro. For many, Che is a symbol of Latin American nationalism and pride and, to a certain extent, it’s understandable. But, unfortunately, for many others his image brings back memories of brutal pain and suffering. You see, Che was an executioner.

In Part II of Who is Che Guevara and Why is he Famous, I’ll highlight the dark, not very well-known side of Che that most of his t-shirt wearing minions are either oblivious to or just don’t care about.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, is filled with streets named after famous political leaders from around the world. Latin American patrons Juan Pablo Duarte, Simon Bolivar, and Rómulo Betancourt share intersections with streets named after Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Massachusetts’ own John F. Kennedy. But there is another Massachusetts politician with a street named after him whose personal actions shaped the destiny of the Dominican Republic more than any other American. His name was Charles Sumner and he kept President Ulysses S. Grant from annexing the island.

In a nutshell, Sumner was a bit of a crackpot. And I mean that in the nicest way. If ever there was a radical, it was him. In the mid 1800’s it wasn’t exactly cool to be anti-slavery, anti-expansionist and an advocate for equal rights. He was all three, made no bones about it, and once received a beating in the house chamber at the hands of another politician as a result. The caning (literally, he was beaten with a cane) left Sumner incapacitated for months. In short, he really knew how to piss people off.

My students (and proud members of the political science club) recently produced a debate which aroused equal passion amongst its Dominican participants (but nobody got caned). You see, if it wasn’t for Sumner, the Dominican Republic would have been a part of the U.S. now for over 150 years. How did that change the destiny of the country? Are we better or worse off because of his actions? Was Charles Sumner a hero or a villain?

I’ll let you know what they decided in part II tomorrow.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.

I had graduated high school just a few weeks earlier and headed off to Europe with a buddy and two backpacks; seeing this video shocked me and was not part of our vacation plan. That feeling was reinforced the next day as we walked up onto the street from the Tube to see smoke coming from our hotel. An Arab National, traveling on a French passport, was fiddling with a bomb in his room when he accidentally detonated it. These two events motivated me to study terrorism long before Al Qaeda, jihad, and dirty bomb became household words.

Terrorism has been around in one way, shape, or form for as long as people have. It’s a very real, very ugly reality. That’s why I get so heated whenever I see people calling themselves the 9/11 “truth” movement deny these facts and instead feed their own fantasies with garbage about government cover-ups and other completely illogical explanations for events. Most politicians, regardless of party affiliation, can’t make any sort of public appearances these days without at least a few of these morons showing up.

Ok, they are not all morons and that is where the problem lies. There are otherwise educated and reasonable people who buy into these theories. Why? I’m glad you asked.

This well-written and researched article by Phil Mole for the Skeptic Society explains how otherwise educated and likable people can be sucked into the “truth” movement. This should be required reading for anyone that smells a conspiracy.

If you don’t want to do the reading, below is a more entertaining rebuttal from fellow Skeptics Penn and Teller. WARNING: There is some strong language in this video and may offend some (as Penn and Teller often do).

After reading that article and/or watching the video, you can rest well at night knowing that what you suspected before is still true – conspiracy theorists are idiots.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.

Actually, this stuff works both ways. The video below is not new. If you’ve seen it before, try to watch it again through the eyes of a young, educated Persian (of which there are many in a country with 60% of its population under the age of 35). This is one of our presidential candidates singing “Bomb, bomb, Iran” to the tune of the Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann” when asked what he would do about the current rift over Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Seriously, this is tacky and just a little too casual for me when we’re dealing with the subject of nukes.

Why didn’t he just chant “Death to Iran! Death to the Persians!”? I’ll bet that’s exactly how it was presented to the general population by the regime in Tehran. Nice job, John.

To book me for a lecture or debate go here.