Paris Memo

Dear Santa

2011-12-24T16:40:00.004+01:00

Volume 2, Issue 50- December 23-29, 2011

International Tribune

Dear Santa,

Slowly but surely, I am managing through my holiday travels. Thank goodness that there are no public transportation strikes in Paris. Nor are there any terrorist alert in New York. My trip went smoothly with no surprise delays. Christmas is certainly the holiday of perpetual hope.

Santa strutting in New York City. Photo by Lynsey Addario/ AP

I am home for Christmas this year. It has been a long time since I spent the holiday with my family in good ole’ Queens. The last four years have been spent in France with my in-laws. As the song goes: “there’s no home like home for the holidays”. Finally, I can clearly understand all discussions and have good knowledge of the rules of engagement. Team Miranda will be spending quality time with one another: running around the entire city for last minute shopping; jockeying at the usual Filipino buffet line during our Christmas meal; everyone dodging away from the mountainous pile of dishes after the festivities; and the rest of the family evading the scene once my mom and I start to get into our gleeful mood to sing non-stop karaoke Christmas tunes. What a special time of the year.

Santa, the US economy is in deep trouble. I had to pay five dollars to use a luggage cart when I landed at JFK. Quel horreur! Luggage carts are free in Paris – or, for that matter, for the rest of Europe. This is a bad sign. How else can I easily sneak foie gras and cheese out of customs? Maybe 3 years from now US airports will charge ten dollars for a single cart. It is like paying for undeserving road tolls in the tri-state area to cross from one bridge or tunnel after the other. Speaking about roads, please be careful when you land your sleigh on the ground. There are so many ‘dangerous’ pot holes in the five boroughs. In Paris, I watch out for dog poop in the street. In New York, the pot holes on the road can kill you. I really wish that the economic recession in America would be over soon.

It is presidential election frenzy in France and in America. The year 2012 will be a big year for both nations. It is predicted that France will turn left and America will go perilously right. Either way, there will be major changes not necessarily, I fear, for the better. I am just glad that France already rid itself of a perverted presidential hopeful. However, the US still has several blithering nincompoops who want to beat rock-star Obama. One of them cannot even remember his own domestic policies. And the other has been charged with more than one sexual indiscretion that ultimately spelled for all intents and purposes the end of his primary campaign. What is wrong with this picture? Santa, I truly hope that you are checking your list twice and sort out who is naughty or nice.

2012 will be a year of major changes- in both sides of the Atlantic. I will do my best to keep up with both worlds. My memo will be more interesting however the tide of events will be. After all, life is not only about your destination but it is the experience of making you wise upon reaching the terminus of your journey. I just want to thank you for bringing me the best gifts this year - my wonderful family and faithful friends.

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Michele

La Prostitution Française

2011-12-13T16:23:00.001+01:00

Volume 2, Issue 48, December 9-15, 2011

International Tribune

The latest demonstrations outside the French parliament to fight for their industry’s survival are no longer from groups against corporate greed- but from hookers. Sex trade workers have surrounded the Assemblée Nationale. They are angry. They are vigilant. They are in sheer ugly mood. They are fighting not only for their very economic survival but also for the fundamental freedom of choice.


Sex trade workers protesting outside the French Parliament. Photo by AF.

Prostitution, as the saying goes, is the oldest profession in the world. Next to assuming the role of being a king or a queen, studying to be a priest, or training to be a soldier, being a whore in society is a profession of its own. Depending on what type of prostitute one aspires to be, and how far the person wants to advance in his/her ambition, there is a formal training given for this trade. There are historical accounts of highly-trained courtesans and famous geishas. The bible itself has several chapters that depict stories of famous prostitutes starting with the reformed sinner, Mary Magdalene, to the powerful Whore of Babylon. Brothels and self-prostitution are probably the only professions that we can trace to women since the dawn of civilization. Whether it is respected or not, this is an industry that has thrived for hundreds of centuries and it is now fighting for its survival in France.

Thanks to Dominique Strauss Kahn (a.k.a. as DSK), the sex trade sector - at least here in France -has been the latest victim that has been rattled by his personal indiscretions in the past. An old news resurfaced that the former head of the IMF and once widely regarded as a front- runner to be the next president of France was caught soliciting "ladies of the night" in Bois de Boulogne (a park in Paris famous for the business). Apparently, he was caught in 2006 by a local cop but no fine or penalty was imposed against him. If the police could file charges against DSK, certainly it would have never happened because of his power and pedigree. Moreover, another scandal turned up, DSK has been linked to an upper-class prostitution ring at a high-end hotel in Lille.


The Palais Royal hosted special evenings for prostitutes and their clients during the early 19th century. The painting is from an unknown artist and it is part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Prostitution in France is not illegal. In the land known for its adherence to human rights and égalité, both the prostitute and the client cannot be prosecuted. There are simply no laws against them. The authority can only arrest and file charges against facilitators of whorehouses and men who engage in sexual relations with a minor in this country and, for that matter, throughout Western Europe.

Today, sex trade workers are furious for all the double standards, as they allege. First, parliamentarians (usually of bourgeoisie class) have suddenly and perhaps conveniently found this particular subject matter to be of an immense moral issue for themselves and for their country. Second, it is the members of the upper class who have become overly sensitive of the news that has been dug up related to the prostitution ring in the Lille hotel. If it were not for the latest DSK conundrum that has been extricated from the recent past against one of the most hated men in France, no one would probably pay attention to this issue at all. Not especially during a time when the entire Euro-zone particularly France is in deep economic trouble. Clearly, the French have bigger and, therefore, more urgent problems to solve.

There is an estimate of 20,000 sex-trade workers in France. The country's parliament has proposed legislations to fight prostitution by making sex-for-cash a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment. Under these proposed measures, clients could be jailed for six months or fined nearly $4,000. Guy Geoffroy, an MP from the ruling UMP party who sits on the commission, said “France's political parties had reached a consensus on the issue because it was a matter of ‘republican ethics’. "From now on prostitution maybe regarded as violence against women and that is unacceptable to everyone," Mr. Geoffroy added. The commission stated that nine prostitutes out of 10 are victims of human trafficking, but sex workers protesting outside the National Assembly vehemently disagreed. Some sex workers say the law will penalize them but leave pimps and organized crime networks untouched. "We're not all part of those networks," one sex worker said who wants to remain anonymous. "Let them tackle the networks efficiently and to the end, but let go of people like me who for years have paid tax, who were recognized as prostitutes and who now have only 417 Euros in pension pay."

Mata Hari. Photo by Getty Images.

There are many famous prostitutes in history that had certainly advanced themselves in this form of human enterprise. Let us start with Mata Hari, the pen name of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle- a former spy, social climber, or prostitute during World War I. Some say she is a heroine who spied against France for the Germans. On the other hand, many claimed that she was simply a whore and rightfully deserved the guillotine (her cause of death). In the Far East, the Middle Kingdom had Su Xiaoxiao, also known as "Little Su", a famous courtesan and poet from Qiantang city (now Hangzhou) during the Southern Qi Dynasty in 479–502. She was of rare beauty and talent, there is even a special tomb built for Little Su with her poems. In the Wild, Wild, West, there was the fearless ‘Calamity Jane’, born as Martha Jane Cannary Burke (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), an American frontierswoman who courageously fought the native Indians alongside with Wild Bill Hickok. Before that, Calamity Jane worked as a prostitute to fend for herself during her stay at Piedmont, Wyoming. She had no other choice. The A-list of ‘who is who’ in the prostitute hall of fame (or shame) goes on and on.

Not to discount that the sex trade can never be regarded as a true tradecraft, an art form, or maybe even a fun profession. After all, if one is proud of being a whore, how can one philosophically argue or legislate them out of his/her choice of life style? We all have the right to choose our career path. However, I still find it hard for any little girl or boy, for that matter, who will say that one day “when I grow-up, I want to be a whore”. I just do not see that realistically ever happening. Do you?

From Svetlana to Lana

2011-12-03T13:17:00.001+01:00

International Tribune, Volume 2, Issue 47, December 2-8, 2011

Josef Stalin’s youngest daughter Svetlana died as an American in Wisconsin. She was 85.

Svetlana was born into this world with a silver spoon. Or, at least, it was for a good portion of her life. She was the most adorned little girl who grew up under the arms of one of the most feared men in history. A privileged life for Svetlana was not easy. The shadow of her dark past followed her until the day that she died.

Svetlana also known as the "Little Sparrow" with her father. Photo by AP.

Life certainly does not promise anyone a bed of roses no matter what family lineage one comes from. As the only daughter and the youngest child of Josef Stalin from his second wife, Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva lived a life of loneliness, isolation, and fear caused by the "Man of Steel" himself during his long and tumultuous reign in the Kremlin. Svetlana’s life was beleaguered with numerous personal tragedies, failed romances, and including having to succumb to a realization that perhaps leaving her original world behind could bring justice to her loss and bring some sort of normalcy into her life. The life of the most privileged daughter of the most powerful man in the Soviet Union defected and abandoned everything she had to start anew in a small town in Wisconsin.

The Stalin family. From left to right, Vasily Stalin, Andrei, Svetlana, Josef Stalin, Jacob Stalin. Photo by AP.

Tragedy struck the Stalin family one after another. Svetlana lost almost every member of her family at a very young age. The death of her mother, Nadezhda Alliluyeva, was officially ruled as a burst of appendix although other theories came out as the cause of her death. Many say that she committed suicide and others say that she was shot in sheer cold blood by the nefarious dictator himself. Svetlana had two brothers, Vasily and Jacob. Her eldest and half-brother Jacob was captured by the Nazis in 1941. He could have survived but his father traded his life for the sake of one of his war generals. Jacob eventually died in a German concentration camp. On the other hand, Vasily, the middle child, attempted to commit suicide after an argument with his father regarding his Jewish girlfriend. When the bullet missed his head, Stalin was very upset- and not because of his wrongdoings but because Vasily’s inability to kill himself. "He can't even shoot straight," said the shameful father. Vasily lived up to the age of forty and died because of alcohol abuse.

It gets even worse. One can imagine that having a private life as the daughter of a dictator could be a nightmare. Svetlana’s first love was a Jewish filmmaker Alexei Kapler. Her father disapproved of the romance and Kepler was sentenced to ten years in a labor camp in Siberia. A year later, when Svetlana was 17, she fell in love with Grigori Morozov a fellow student at Moscow University. They married and had a son Joseph in 1945 but divorced two years later. She married her second husband, Yuri Zhdanov in 1949, the year she graduated from Moscow University. They had a daughter, Ekaterina in 1950 but also divorced afterwards.

Brajesh Singh. Photo by BBC News India.

Finally, destiny brought the fate of two lonely hearts; Svetlana met Brajesh Singh in Sochi, the biggest resort city of Russia. Brajesh had everything to sweep a woman off her feet. He was handsome, suave, of a royal Indian lineage from Kalakanker- and above all a communist. There were many Indian Communists who studied in the Soviet Union during this era. The two lived for a long time in Sochi even though marriage was out of the question for both. Brajesh was still married back home and divorce was not very easy during those days. Their relationship lasted worthy of the time to make Svetlana his common wife. And so, the unconventional couple lived happily until Brajesh died of emphysema in October 1966. Because of her true love and devotion to Brajesh, Svetlana traveled to India against all odds to scatter his ashes in the Ganges in accordance with his last will. Both the Communist Party and the Indian Government made Svetlana’s trip politically impossible. At the same time, cultural tradition intervened and played an enormous obstacle to the widow of an orthodox Hindu. In Hindi burial ritual, the wife is expected to follow the dead husband. Hindus sometimes burned the widow along to the decease’s next life. Luckily, Svetlana was exempted from this tradition.

India became a nice retreat for the grieving widow- it was a good environment for someone to reflect. The godless Svetlana started to discover religion. Because of this, she decided to extend her time in India with Brajesh’s family in their palace at Kalakanker. Svetlana reinvented herself and found solace in this mystical journey. According to Svetlana, “It was impossible to exist without God in one’s heart.” Not for long, the Communist Party requested her immediate return to the Soviet Union but Svetlana just could not simply go back in the same limited existence at home. Svetlana took a chance and changed the course of her destiny. After India, life will never be the same for the daughter of Stalin.

Svetlana's press conference in New York City. Time & Life Photo.

The story of the great escape could not have been more dramatic. After her time with Brajesh’s family, she was asked to stay at the Soviet embassy where Ambassador Nikolai Benediktov strongly advised her to return home. The pressure surmounted, it seems like she had no other choice but to go back. Pretending that she was going out to finalize her travel arrangements and pack, Svetlana called a taxi and drove straight to the American Embassy. The American Embassy was close when she arrived. Svetlana begged the security officer in duty to let her in- that she is the daughter of the late Josef Stalin and would like to defect to the United States. In panic, the duty officer rang up Ambassador Chester Bowles and told him that he must come to his office right away to deal with a matter that could not be discussed on the phone. Before you know it, Svetlana was escorted by CIA officers to Switzerland, and then to the United States.

Photo by AP

Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva defected and arrived in the United States in April 1967 at the age of forty one. Upon her arrival, Svetlana gave a press conference denouncing her father's regime and the Soviet government. In front of millions of viewers in New York City, according to Svetlana, “I have come here to seek the self-expression that has been denied me for so long in Russia. I had come to doubt that communism I was taught growing up and believed there weren’t capitalists or communists, just good and bad human beings.”

Lana Peters and William Peters. Photo by Alfred Eisens / Time & Life Pictures

Svetlana wrote two books and became best sellers. Eventually, she settled in Wisconsin. As a patron of the arts and intellectual circle, Svetlana met William Wesley Peters, an American architect and an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. Svetlana and William were married in 1970 and had a daughter named Olga. Svetlana was sworn in as a naturalized US citizen and changed her name to Lana Peters. The marriage only lasted for 3 years. Shortly after giving birth to Olga, the couple separated.

Lana and Olga traveled all around the United States and for a couple of years stayed in Great Britain. Evidently, Lana was unable to maintain a long-term commitment anywhere or with

Lana Peters in one of her rare interviews.

anyone. It was a plight of a wondering soul trying to permanently put behind the dark shadow from her tumultuous past. After Britain, Lana decided to return to Tbilisi in 1984 at the age of 58 to introduce her half-American daughter to her relatives. She was also given her Soviet citizenship once again. Their stay in Soviet Georgia was unpleasant, thanks to the feuding relatives, Lana and Olga returned to the US in 1986. And since then, Lana vowed never to return to the Soviet Union ever again.

During her last years, Lana lived in seclusion until her death. Lana Peters died on November 22, 2011 in Richland Center, Wisconsin of colon cancer.

Tragedy of the Commons

2011-11-19T11:30:00.005+01:00

Volume II, Issue # 46- November 18-24, 2011

International Tribune

Simple common sense seems to be sadly missing in the GOP politics nowadays. I have never witnessed a string of ‘oops’ during a presidential campaign. The entire declared Republican contenders make Dan Quayle look like a genius. The GOP’s search for the next man to unseat Obama from the White House has never been this entertaining. From Santorum to Bachman, Perry to Cain, the GOP declared presidential candidates are turning out to be clowns. The circus has, indeed, arrived in town.

Clowns are attention getters and that is why they appear comical, theatrics, and at times, loud- uttering only but non-sense when they have a chance to speak. They will prance around on stage to entertain you as much as they can to make the audience laugh. Sadly, this is not a far reality in the 2012 race for the GOP presidential nomination. Everyone seems to be clowning around. You Tube has had record-breaking hits in its site from the Rick Perry and Herman Cain ‘oops’ videos. One can see this to be funny. However, in reality, it is frightening to think that the Republican line-up is supposed to be the crème de la crème of the Grand Old Party. And yet the Republican Party believes that it is the right party to better lead America today.

GOP 2012 political caricature illustration by Donkey Hotey
from www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey.

When one applies for the position of Commander-in- Chief of the most powerful nation on earth, automatically the job requires not only money and charisma but a stratospheric brain that can vigorously compete in the world stage. Charisma maybe important but it can really just take one to a certain distance. Tons of money can provide for the campaign trails. However, intelligence simply cannot be replaced by good looks or charm. The presidential election is not a Miss Universe pageant. Rick Perry may be the charmer of all the GOP candidates but his lack of knowledge of his own planned domestic policies was downright embarrassing if not alarming. During a recent debate, Perry announced that once he becomes the President, he will immediately abolished three government agencies: “I would do away with Commerce, Education, and what is the third one?” A moment of very awkward silence follows. “Oops, I can’t remember the third one,” blundered Perry. If this does not convince anyone to end his effort, I never will discern the folly of wasting the hard-earned money of Mr. Perry's financial contributors. Perhaps this is a very valid reason why the Department of Education, in the final analysis, must not be abolished. Some people, indeed, need further education.

A couple of days later, another embarrassing video came out on another candidate. While it seems like he was surviving the sexual harassments charges filed against him not by one woman but by several, what could very well be the real killer of his presidential dream is his obvious lack of knowledge in one of the most burning issues in foreign policy today – and not the pending cases against him. It was very painful to watch Herman Cain being interviewed on the subject of Libya by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the video Cain was asked if he agreed with Obama's support for the rebels against Muammar Gaddafi. Cain replied: "I do not agree with the way he handled it, for the following reason." After hesitation and shifting on his chair, he said: "Uh, nope, that's, that's a different one… see, I got to go back, see. Got all this stuff twirling around in my head?" And then Cain even tried to fish out for details from the interviewer. It was obvious that the businessman from Georgia had no clue with what is being asked of him. Or he simply just does not have the basic knowledge of international events and what goes on beyond the confines of his beloved native Atlanta. I wonder how many stamps he has in his passport.

Every GOP contender seems to start their argument that they will do a much better job than President Obama. And they parade around shaking every average Joe’s hands in their campaign trails that they are just like anyone of them. They seem to show how they feel their grief and that they are willing to work for the common good. And that these candidates are here to help solve their fellow Americans' woes. The main problem is that they really have not presented any substantial plan or strategy that can bail out this nation and its citizens from the economic pains that have beset them. Not many would disagree that America’s recession today are brought on by the last Republican president in the White House and the administrations questionable relations with certain big businesses. How can one believe that the average American is their main priority? It only appears this way during the campaign circus. This is the tragedy of pretending to be the commons.

Remembering Armistice

2011-11-11T23:59:00.000+01:00

Volume 2, Issue Number 45- November 11-17, 2011

International Tribune

Almost a century ago, during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in Compiègne, France in 1918, the Allies of World War I and Germany signed a treaty to end the war to end all wars. Fifteen years down the road, with great misfortune, the spirit of the Armistice Day treaty did not last very long in the European continent. The Second World War took place, entangling more nations to the worst global conflict this planet had ever staged. Have we truly learned from this immense catastrophe?

Europe had staged some of the most lethal and engineered warfare since the dawn of time. Whether it is in the name of religion or nationalism, the European continent has been embroiled in unending contentions that test the limits of mankind and the hostilities they have, indeed, imposed on one another. With billions of lives lost over time and unresolved ancient hatreds still looming in the relations of some, it is almost inexplicable how this continent has survived and remains an economic giant.

There is no other place in the world where you can find a never ending list of conflicts since the first Trojan Wars in 1194 BC. Any war historian can get lost remembering them all. First came the religious wars starting with the Crusades (11^th-13^th century), the Reformation that started in Germany (1520-1540), the Eighty Years War (1568-1648), the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598), the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1639-1651), and etc… just to name a few. Second, wars were fought for the glory of conquest, commencing with the Trojan Wars (1194 BC- 1184), War of the Roses, (1455-1487), French Revolutionary War (1792-1802), the two greatest world wars (1915 &1939). And finally came the dark side of nationalistic fervor, beginning with the Post-Communist ethnic genocides that took place in the former Yugoslav Republics and the states of the Former Soviet Union, war has been part of life in this continent.

The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes once said, “The natural condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” And it gets even worse, apart from the order of society, Hobbes also plainly stated that every individual’s “life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” Dark and dreary, Hobbes’s gloomy philosophy could have some practicality to our everyday lives today. This was written four centuries ago and yet is still applicable in some society. Whether you are in a battle field, or not, men’s natural instinct is to outdo one another for one’s self-preservation.

Image from the New York Times

Today, the battle goes on in the European continent, but not necessarily with guns, artilleries, and tanks. Contemporary hostilities are now in the corporate board room, in cyber space, and now in the European Parliament. Disintegration of the European Union is hanging on a thin thread line that can once again, bring down the entire world- at least, economically. The streets of Athens are in flames. Greece is completely bankrupt and might soon leave the EU. Italy is next to default. France is worried to lose its standard credit rating. And Spain is fighting for its survival with one of the worse unemployment rate among all the industrialized countries. I wonder what is next.

The eleventh year of the twenty first century is about to end. Luckily, wars are no longer fought in a global scale. I just hope the genius Einstein can sometimes be wrong. He once predicted, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” Here is to remembering Armistice Day, and let the truce permanently shape relations among nations in the European continent and beyond.

Vote for Santorum?

2011-10-29T11:18:00.002+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 43- October 28- November 3, 2011

International Tribune

Named as one of the “Most Ambitious” American politicians by PoliticsPA.com, a political junky-insider site in 2002, Rick Santorum is not giving up his dream of someday making it to the White House. And just like what he said this time, “he is in it to win.” Let us give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he will.

Who is Rick Santorum?

A true patriot, Santorum wants to defend America no matter what it takes. He supported the war in Iraq and was very sure that weapons of mass destruction were being produced by Saddam’s government. And maybe he still adamantly believes so after a wasteful gargantuan defense spendings that cost American tax-payers billions of dollars and spawned an inevitable graft and corruption that extended from the bank of Euphrates to the shores of America. He introduced the term Islamic Fascism and blamed Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for engaging in a dialogue with Iran and Syria. During his last campaign stop in Greenville, South Carolina this week Santorum also made an announcement for his support of selective assassination of foreign scientists working on nuclear weapons. Santorum was especially forceful regarding countries who pose a nuclear threat advocating for the selective assassination of scientists from countries such as Russia, North Korea and Iran. He has conveniently forgotten that America also has the most extensive nuclear arsenal in the world and employs countless American scientists working on this particular project.

In terms of religion, Santorum is a devout Roman Catholic. He is a son of Italian and Irish immigrants. He was listed at one time by Time magazine as one of the most influential evangelists in the country. During the Boston Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal, Santorum blamed the liberal city of Boston as the cause and effect of the scandal and said: “It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning private moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.”

Rick Santorum is also known as one of the most daring political figures in America today for his ‘in your face’ type of politics. A conservative right-wing Republican presidential runner, Santorum has been perceived as the candidate who speaks the most about social issues that are ailing the nation such as abortion, gays in the military, gay marriage, immigration and many more. His overwhelming stance on such subject is very simple-he is completely against all of them. Santorum has openly stated his strong opposition to amnesty for undocumented immigrants. He supports the construction of a barrier along the U.S.–Mexican border. He promotes healthy, stable, and traditional family therefore, homosexuality and gay-marriage is out of the question. Santorum voted to outlaw abortion for any reason, with the exception when his wife Karen was going to die if her pregnancy was not ended. So, at 20 weeks, one month before what doctors consider ‘viability’, Karen Santorum labor was artificially induced and the infected fetus was delivered. “Abortion in any form is wrong,” said Santorum in 2000, three years after the tragedy.

With the Republican primaries looming on the political horizon and many of its runners are trying to get the social conservative voters to push them forward over other GOP candidates the big question remains, can this eventually help or hinder Santorum's quest for the GOP presidential nomination? For Rick Santorum, it is that time to sing the tune and dance the step whether right or wrong– to remain competitive in the race.

Seriously, will you vote for Santorum?

Let's talk about sex

2011-10-23T14:47:00.000+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 42- October 21-27, 2011

International Tribune

How can you satisfy frustrated conservative French Parliamentarians?

This is a tough one to discuss. The frustration is growing. The scene is becoming dirtier. This time it involves gender and politics.

Since September this year, a new chapter in life science books on gender theory and sexuality sparked a nasty debate between the French conservatives and the Minister of Education, Luc Chattel. About 80 members of the Assemblée Nationale wrote to the Minister of Education to remove the chapter that introduces the subject of gender theory and sexuality in the school curriculum. The conservative majority view this to be of a private matter between the student and his or her family, and not the public school system. French conservatives adamantly called for the withdrawal and see this as another way to mix homosexuality and politics, which has become a thorny issue in France since President Sarkozy opposed the legalization of gay marriage. And what is equally important for the conservative wing is that gender theory is not based in real scientific evidence, and therefore, do not belong in a science text book.

Illustration by Søren Laursen

Where does the frustration lie? Hachette, a publishing giant for French scholars added a new topic in their life science text books for high school students, a chapter of gender theory and human sexuality. In the new book published this year, students will be discussing the topic of, “Becoming Woman or Man”, which introduces the idea that “biological sex identifies us as a male or female”, but is not in itself enough “for us to describe ourselves as masculine or feminine.” The chapter also makes a distinction that, “sexual identity, constructed throughout one’s life, is a constant interaction between biology and the socio-cultural context, yet is decisive in our positioning in relation to others.”

French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir wrote in 1949, “One is not born into a woman, one becomes one.” For an outsider, one would think that the French would be more practical and not oppose such topic. Believe it or not, the subject of gender studies, which has been a regular course in most colleges in America, is just arriving in France. For the first time this year, Science Po, one of France’s top universities in social science, will offer a course on gender studies. The school of thought has been pioneered by American sociologists and feminists such as Judith Butler. But the French have also been involved in shaping the theory with psychoanalysts such as Jacques Lacan. However, it never made the text books in the public schools.

Sex or gender talk, let’s face it, is the most dreaded challenge for every parent to discuss with their children. Why would politicians stick their nose in it? At times, some parents will purposely forget to talk about the ‘birds and the bees’ altogether. Why not let a chapter or two about gender theory to be part of the school curriculum- just like how we have opened the learning and exploration of the sun, the moon, the nine planets, and the stars. Once they read it, it does not mean they will head there.

Be that as it may, this is a sign of progress, whether you live in France or in America. Our society is becoming more sensitive and conscientious about human sexuality and its role in our community as a whole. This is a good path we are heading. We have to start talking to prevent a topic from being a taboo forever. So let’s keep talking.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of challenges ahead for the French conservatives. Not only are they expected to lose the majority in the government next year, but they are also likely to lose the Elysée. How can you help such a frustrated group? I am just glad that the guillotine has long been illegal.

Occupy Paris

2011-10-15T10:33:00.000+02:00

Volume II, Issue No. 41- October 14-20, 2011

International Tribune

Finally! There is a reaction. Wall Street bankers and your cahoots in the Capitol, beware!

They are the real enemies of the state and, for that matter, even of the common people. They knew the ins and outs of what were happening and what could possibly happen. But still, they continue - in an unholy alliance - to deceive a hapless and, oftentimes, helpless nation. It was a gentlemen's club of different and dubious pedigree starting with the banker-thieves with their pin-stripe dark navy suits and the ivy-league economists that they pay to endorse their financial strategies. And equally repugnant of the latter two are the professional politicians who masterminded the heists through their deregulation policies that are now leading to the perilous path of an economic downfall of the United States and a global recession.

Just like what they say, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. Everywhere one goes today, governments are going bankrupt, currencies are depreciating, inflation is soaring, and unemployment skyrocketing. It all began when the tip of the domino fell in Wall Street. The tremors were felt in all parts of the globe. The American dream has turned into a nightmare in Main Street USA. What are the precursors? Let us highlight what is ailing the American economy today.

Source: Anonymous to Occupy Wall Street on September 17th, Expect Us | David DeGraw.

Deregulation was the name of the game. It was the economic strategy of the Republican administration made worse in the George W. Bush years. Wall Street was left unchecked, unregulated, and, at the end, became untouchable. They were gambling with America’s future endorsed by the political elite in Washington. The first killer of the American dream started when China opened its market. Jobs were outsourced in the cheaper labor force in the Far East. The second killer, the housing bubble that burst with a vengeance- housing prices fell, interest rates went up, leaving many a homeowner unable to pay his or her monthly mortgage. Finally, when everything hit the fan, thanks to deregulations, the Dow Jones took some of the wildest swings in its history. The nation is now suffering one of its longest-running economic recessions in its history, and the end of which is still anybody's guess.

For the last couple of years, all you hear in the media are bank bail-outs, threats of government shutdown in America, and insolvent nations all over the European Union. America’s credit rating has been downgraded by Standard and Poor- a grim sign that the US dominance in the international economic and financial stage is seemingly and painfully coming to an end. In today’s geopolitical arena, economic might is everything. A nation can have its aircraft carriers, its nuclear arsenal and modern military technologies, but if it doesn't have the money and investments to run them and a loyal and empowered citizenry, the state is almost next to nothing.

French citizens storming the Bastille during the French Revolution.

In reality, it is the average people that are deeply affected and arguably bear the onerous burden of the financial crises. It is about time there was a reaction to the elite’s conspiracy that could and should have been prevented. On October 13th, for the first time, a group of fed-up French and American expatriates will gather in the historic Bastille to get their voice out and support the Occupy Wall Street movement that started in New York. Let the history of Bastille be a stark and powerful reminder of what took place in the same area more than two centuries ago and how it changed the political landscapes of many freedom-loving republics in the four corners of the world. To paraphrase the words of an eminent philosopher of long ago - if man refuses to heed the lessons of history, then he is bound to suffer from it.

For more information about the global movement, go to: www.occupywallst.org

Deadly Doubled Bags

2011-10-08T00:06:00.003+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 40- October 7-14, 2011

International Tribune

After living in Paris for the last one year, I have gotten accustomed to bringing my own eco-friendly reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. Bringing your own reusable bags is just the norm in Paris and, for that matter, throughout Europe. To my delight, I was happy to discover that my mother has her own eco-friendly reusable bag. And that every grocery and clothing stores are now selling one at an affordable price. This gives me the impression that Americans are now steering away from plastic shopping bags that are polluting the planet. This is great. Go New York!

Why am I writing about this and you are probably wondering why I am beginning to sound like a blog? After my two-week vacation in the Tri-State Area to visit my family, I was shocked! The reusable shopping bags that one can find in every aisle do not serve their purpose. So here I am, back in Paris after my recent sojourn in the United States, I thought this would be a good topic for my next article. To my surprise, my city is not as environmentally conscious as it appears to be. On my third day, I decided to go to the grocery store to do some shopping and cook dinner for my brother’s family. Since I am in the US, I know that I am not going to be charged by using a plastic bag and this is free unlike in France- so I went to the shop without bringing my own. Oh the generosity of American grocery chain, I was given free plastic bags, and not just one but two for each item I bought. My purchases were loaded in double bags. And each double-layered plastic bags, they would put one or two items and then start afresh with the next one. I walked out with a total of ten plastic bags for five items. This is unbelievable.

I decided to do some investigative journalism by testing the field and bravely bringing my own reusable eco-friendly shopping bags in different types of stores within the Tri-State area. I wanted to observe the action and reaction of the people around me. And equally important, I wanted to see how my purchases would be packaged. So here are my findings.

In the big chains of Chinese grocery stores in Queens, I was happy to see that they only use one big plastic bag and not double. This is a good start. At eco-friendly and organic-haven Whole Foods in Manhattan, to my dismay, they were doubling their recycled paper bags for each customer. Keep in mind, recycled papers are more expensive to produce- which probably explains why Whole Foods products are priced higher. And then it gets worse, when I crossed the Hudson River to New Jersey where my brother lives, not only do they double their bags, but they also add a third layer of paper bags at Shop Rite in Carteret. Quelle horreur! Moreover, when I brought my own reusable eco-friendly shopping bags, each sales agent I encountered looked at me as if I came from a different planet bagging my purchase, in my own bag. I even heard some laughter from the other customers behind me.

Map provided by The Pacific Trash Vortex website.

Let us briefly talk about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or otherwise known as the ‘trash vortex’, a huge mass of floating debris that is almost the size of the continental USA circumnavigating the pacific. This is a gyre of marine litter that has been collected overtime in the Pacific Ocean and it mainly consists of plastic goods and other non-biodegradable materials. The trash vortex is not only toxic, it causes a great deal of disturbance to the marine habitat. The floating debris can absorb different types of organic pollutants from seawater including PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls used in car transformers) and DDTs

(also known as pesticides). Some of the plastic wastes end up in the stomachs, wings, mouth or beaks of marine life preventing their free movement from their own ecosystem. You may ask how does this affect us in our everyday lives? Many of the fish we consume from the Pacific have a great probability that they have ingested the toxic chemicals produced by the garbage patch. Overall, the trash vortex is bad news. And unfortunately not one government wants to take complete responsibility for the clean-up because whose fault it is really? This is a gargantuan and expensive project. Thanks to environmental groups such as the Environmental Cleanup Coalition (ECC) and Project Kaisei, they are doing something about the mess. And I wish them the best of luck.

Photo from The Pacific Trash Vortex website.

Back to plastic bags and New York City, the "Big Apple" is the home of hundreds of environmental associations and advocacy groups- big and small. From Environmental Defense Fund, Earth Day New York, from Friends of the Great Swamp and the socially-active Time’s Up, green campaigners are all over the city. Is there something wrong with this picture? With all this advocates of how to be green, why are we not environmentally conscious and up to par with our European neighbors. If the very expensive Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik shoes can be trendy, so can the affordable reusable shopping bags. So what are we missing?

The trash vortex is just one of the environmental degradations I have mentioned. I have not touched upon the topic of the “dishwasher versus hand-washing” dilemma, and how most Americans tend to keep their parked cars running while waiting. And then we complain about expensive gas. Let us save that for another article.

New York City is the cultural hub of the world where it prides itself of openness and daring innovation. If gay marriage can start in the "Big Apple", New Yorkers can start the trend of reusable shopping bags for the rest of the country. After all, there is a good chance that Americans are probably responsible for a good portion of the trash in the Pacific.

Why do we always have to be Right?

2011-09-25T07:02:00.002+02:00

What is wrong with the Left? For Americans, the politics of the left is something way too radical. Because that means you are in favor of shaking the established order. For the French, it is just a part of life. Why should you not question what is being prescribed by those who are giving the orders? And for the rest of the world, it is to become a revolutionary. Either you are battling your former colonists, or following an international movement. So, are you a mover and a shaker or are you OK with the status quo? Which stance do you belong?

When the radical Jacobins or Montagnard (French revolutionary radicals) deputies decided to physically sit in the upper left benches of the Assemblée nationale in Paris back in 1789, the symbolism was established. They huffed and puffed over the current order vindicating how everyone should get a fair share of the pie and rid the republic of the monopoly of the monarchy. And across the hall, seated the Legitimists (also known as the Royalists), they felt compelled that upon entering the auditorium, they were befitting and had bona fide claim of the right section. A proper man in society at that time carried himself with grace and tact. He spoke the proper lingua and held himself well. His noble ranks always bought his ticket in the right place of the room.

Who would have ever thought seating arrangement would change the rest of the world’s political psyche? Is it human nature or is this just binary semantics? Et voila, left wing versus right wing political spectrum was born- another contribution from the rubbles of the French revolution.

For the first time in history, the American President is labeled from the left and the French President is from the right. Sarkozy and Obama campaigned with the slogan that ‘change’ is on the way. From national security, international terrorism, cyber security, a weakening currency, and worsening economy- all the maladies of an ailing state were present. As difficult as it was to inherit all the maladies, their prescription was always not well supported by their legislative houses. Being an agent of change is not easy- wherever you are coming from. In 2012, both will run for their second term hoping to be reelected. And both are also in trouble of being beaten. But each one of their current opponents simply lack the substance nor a solid blue print on how to make things better.

To be a leftist in the other parts of the world has a frightening connotation to it - fortunately and/or unfortunately. Being a leftist can mean being unfairly branded as a terrorist who can wreak havoc in society. The Cold War and leftist terrorism eclipsed the religiously-coded revolutionary movement such as the Khomeini-led Iran upheaval in 1979. And today, either one is a Communist simpatico and a dreamer demagogue such as President Chavez of Venezuela, a separatist movement such as the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka that use illegal means to stage their agenda, your platform upsets the social order. And worse, you can be part of a religious fervor such as the Taliban which uses a holy doctrine in a distorted way to fight off modernization. Overtime, being on the left went hand-in-hand with terror- a destroyer of peace and order.

Following the right or left has a different connotation across the world. So, back to the question, do we always have to be Right? Or do you want to be left behind? I guess choosing which way to go is not that easy. From a revolutionary or a terrorist, from a demagogue follower or a Commander in Chief, left or right, you are always in the hot seat.

Vive les Vacances!

2011-09-09T09:43:00.000+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 35- September 9-15, 2011

International Tribune

The Gallic tribe is returning home. The summer exodus is coming to an inevitable halt. This time-honored pilgrimage in French life usually starts in mid-July or the beginning of August and ends during the first week of September. It is the most sacred and honored tradition in the French culture: the four weeks (minimum) summer vacation.

Everyone is equally entitled, if requested- for their vacation during this time of the year. Hurrah for égalité! And because of this, the roads are jam packed with traffic all over the country. At the airports and train stations, it is virtually a mass hysteria. As an American living in Paris, I promise you, this is a collective movement like no other I have ever seen. French of all background, young and old, rich and poor are synchronized in action and bravely trained to maneuver themselves through the crowd to get to their final destinations. They even have Bison Futé (literal translation: Sharp Buffalo), a government-funded broadcasting company dedicated to monitor all commercial traffic on the ground for its citizens. Observing how Bison Futé works through the summer crowd is the closest that one can experience French camaraderie at its finest hours. Hurrah for fraternité! And finally, for some special case, the road back home was rougher than expected – with a slight twist of fate from a plane ride. Yes, even DSK is now back in his arrondisement after his unexpected ‘perp walk’ in New York. One is never too late to relearn the price of liberté.

Here we are. The summer of 2011 is finally over. It is now part of history. The next massive movement will most likely be cyber traffic - as each holiday albums are posted each second via hundreds per megabytes on Facebook.

You may now be wondering, do the French take their vacation days at the same time? The quick and short answer is, yes. And how many vacation days are they entitled to? Well, this is where the Gallic tribe is far more advanced than the others and takes serious pride with their response. By government regulation, every worker is entitled to four weeks paid vacation. Oh la la! And the longer you stay in a company, the more vacation days are accumulated for your seniority and added to your employment contract. In France, it is considered illegal to grant a worker less than four weeks of paid vacation. This is not a bad national regulation to have, don’t you think so? Why can’t a similar law exist in the United States?

Believe it or not, most advanced countries have a law that protects employees for their time-off except in the United States according to the OECD, an international think tank. The work force in Britain has 20 days guaranteed paid annual vacation. Germany provides 24 paid vacation days. The most generous are Finland and France, with 30 paid vacation days. And on the other side of the Atlantic, Canada offers ten paid vacation days whereas in the United States, it is zero. C’est dommage! Ironically, companies who offer paid vacation packages are already considered generous- even if it is only five paid vacation days (1 week) after toiling for two years. The sad reality is, the US is the only industrialized country whose government does not have any law that supports and dictates how many paid vacation days one should be granted to a worker. And same goes for the health benefits- but that is an entirely different topic for another article.

Figure 1: OECD nations paid time off. Statistics provided by the OECD.

One can argue that labor laws are different for every country. Perhaps, it is probably far-fetched to compare European socialist models versus the American capitalist system in terms of labor rights. However, the United States economy and government is still bigger compared to other countries. There are more American-owned companies that are international in scope than other businesses elsewhere. And when they expand outside their territory, to play by the rules, they have to honor the host country’s labor laws. Technically, perks given by companies overseas exceeds what they provide to their fellow countrymen. Americans have no other choice but to work harder with fewer benefits. How did we let labor rules evolved this way? Or, how did we forget about taking care of the American workforce?

America has become an alien nation when it comes to labor rights. Most Americans are woefully ignorant of how pro-business US policies are compared to other countries. And sadly, they do not really do anything about it. According to Robert Frank, a Cornell University economist, an average American works 62.4 % more hours today than he did during the 1970s. And to go back even farther in time, in the 1950s, in order to make ends meet, an average American worker had to clock-in 42.5 hours. Working conditions improved a little better and it slightly declined to 41.5 hours during the 1970s. Once you do the math, this only means that an average American worker is now toiling more than ever. The quality time that should be spent with family and friends are lessened. A basic thing such as a good night sleep is interrupted. And the idea of spending some leisure to cultivate one's personal interest or hobby has been definitely compromised if not completely relegated to the backburner.

Perhaps it is time Americans took some notes from their French counterparts and learn from their culture of joie de vivre. Now that things are shaking up in the Capitol on the hot issue of employment and/or unemployment, maybe the time is ripe for changes on how to better take care of the hard-working Americans. They certainly deserve more compensation than what they are given today. Enacting a federal labor law as a guideline on paid vacation time will not cost dearly. This clause can actually make the American work force happier and more rested- therefore, it will increase efficiency and productivity. Maybe this is even a good strategy to help boost the ailing economy and the depress work force. If we do not rock the boat now, considering the rate that working hours are increasing according to statistics, Americans might be soon risking their weekends permanently in the near future. Quelle horreur!

Presidential Challenge

2011-09-07T21:58:00.003+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 35- September 2-8, 2011

International Tribune

Last week, one of my favorite columnists at the New York Times apologized to the public that the media must have downplayed the significance of unemployment in the US. At the end of his article, he even challenged President Obama to do something about it. What a coincidence. In his next major speech after Labor Day, President Obama will actually focus on the same exact subject: something must be done with unemployment.

In his bus tour of the Midwest this entire week, the buzz in the heartland is “jobs”! The unemployment rate is at 9.1%- that is nearly 14 million registered unemployed Americans. Not to mention that there are millions of former full-time workers whose job were cut down to half-time employment just to keep them afloat. This statistics is still struggling to find ways to get back into full time employment. History has shown that there has not been any president re-elected for a second term with this high unemployment rate. If Obama does not focus on this issue now, he will also find himself unemployed after next year’s presidential election.

Where did all the jobs go? The truth is, this topic can be a never-ending debate. However, to narrow it down a bit to present my humble argument, there is one major culprit for this loss, and that is out-sourcing. Since technology has advanced us to ways where we can now connect people from one side of the world to another, companies found ways to train and hire a much cheaper labor force overseas. Most corporate executives now claim that it is more cost-effective to operate a call center in New Delhi or Manila than Pittsburgh or Omaha. In fact, this is nothing new and most Americans know about this. What is bothersome is that most policy makers in Capitol Hill have close ties with the big corporations but are still not proactive on finding remedies to this loss. And ironically, the easiest and immediate target to blame is President Obama. It becomes just another excuse to attack the president – twisting the situation as his lack of action to the issue. The magnitude of these job losses hurts so many Americans. It must be placed in the proper perspective.

In 2004 and 2009, IBM outsourced its high-tech jobs to India where there is a big pool of well-educated and less-expensive labor force. India’s G.D.P. (Gross Domestic Products) grew at a very admirable rate of 7.1% which, to a very large degree, resulted from this outsourcing of America's economic activities. In 2006, Eastman Kodak, Co. contracted a Singapore-based electronic company, Flextronics to manufacture and distribute a good portion of its digital cameras. This agreement resulted in job creations not only in Singapore but also to factories in China and Mexico. Not only one country benefited from this outsourcing, but three- to the expense of American workers. Do you know that with outsourcing, companies are taxed less because of their overseas operational expenses? Not only are the jobs given elsewhere, but they are also not paying their taxes at home. Yes, this is a double-edged sword.

Next year’s US Presidential Election will be a very important election in which the very future of this nation will depend. From health care to defense, from national debt to creating jobs, the winner must take America to a better and higher road. All we see now from the Republican runners are non-stop tirade and cheap shots on the current president. They do not have any solid plans and hardly an economic platform to present to the American public. Voters should challenge the candidates to provide them a real blue-print on how to fix America’s crises and not just dwell on the problem. America’s infrastructures in every aspect need reconstructing, revamping and strengthening. The American people have sacrificed too much and have borne the burden too far.

And now, here is my challenge. I know that being the President of America is a tough job. But we all hired him for this very important position. Obama was elected not just for his intelligence and charisma, but because he was a real darn nice guy. President Obama, no more Mr. Nice guy. It is about time to kick some @*# and give those Republicans a real run for their money.

The Last Great Seducer?

2011-08-27T17:03:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 34- August 26-September 1, 2011

International Tribune

As the old saying goes, it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks. And some are even more distracted when they see a bitch. The resistance to play by the rule is so overwhelming – especially the older they become. Maybe Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) finally learned from his last American lesson. If not, he has a second trial waiting when he returns back home to France.

The rape case set in motion by the Sofitel Hotel chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo against the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund - nicknamed the "Great Seducer" - was officially dropped this week by the New York District Attorney’s office. The charges were dropped for reasons that the plaintiff’s arguments were inconsistent together with her questionable past. After almost three months of house arrest in his posh Tribeca home, the once front-runner in the 2012 French presidential election to beat President Sarkozy has been set free. Let us just hope that the lessons have been learned from this case, not only by the man himself, but also across all the self-entitled, self-righteous, and privileged elites. Your pedigree does not separate you from the rest of the pack.

Paris was burning with news of the DSK affair for the last 3 months. Everyone was talking about the ‘great seducer’ and the end of his political career. How can one allegation tarnish a man’s reputation without a full trial? DSK is considered one of the smartest men in the French political arena. He rose to power and won the approval of many after he introduced and helped implement the 35 working hour law in France. One can imagine how the French were furious and shocked to see how one of their comrades was immediately handcuffed and brought to justice the American way. They cried out injustice and barbaric, quelle horreur!

As the Franco-American case heats up this summer, the recrimination by each side went head on. While most Americans see DSK as the villain, in France he is seen as a victim. Oh la la! The ‘great seducer’ is a victim of a bigger international conspiracy that is preventing him from running for the presidential election by the powerful bourgeois at home. On the other hand, it is merely a case of domestic slandering by the pauper maid in a foreign land.

And it gets even more catty. After his humiliating ‘perp walk’, the pompous French philosopher and DSK’s long-time friend, Bernard-Henri Lévy called the entire experience “pornographic” and that this is a prime example of "the cannibalization of justice by the sideshow." Unfortunately, this kind of remark is too common in this side of the Atlantic. But that is because most of the French politicians and the media are in bed together monopolizing every platform. Whereas American journalist Peter Beinart of the Daily Beast wrote, "whether or not DSK goes free, his case reflects well on American justice. We can hold our heads high. This was a downright inspiring example of equality before the law.” Indeed, both sides are vocal in their own right, but I prefer equal treatment over innuendos.

The message echoes an age-old cancer in our society between the well-connected and those who are not. It is a class battle among the rich and poor, in Europe and America- when you have the right inside track, you can surely get away with it. What must be examined is the deviant behavior of the ‘great seducer’ and the aspiring ones who feel they are untouchable and seemingly above the law that should be stopped.

May this be his last great seduction.

Voting Circus

2011-08-27T13:32:00.002+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 33- August 19-25, 2011

International Tribune

Here we, here we! The greatest show on earth is about to start. From France to the United States, Russia and Argentina, the voting frenzy begins! Citizens of each nation will cast their ballot to vote for their next president in 2012. Once again, the future of the world is in the voters' hands. Or at least that is how we perceive elections in democracy to be. Can your vote truly make a difference? How will you decide who to vote for next time?

Our great grandparents fought for this civic right (and duty). Voting has become both a moral institution and a symbol of a free country. If not upheld, we think twice and berate nations which oftentimes brazenly tamper elections. We refuse to keep diplomatic relations and engage in treaties with states that deprive their citizens of these sacrosanct rights. The American and French revolutions were fought so the people could elect the leaders of their newly established republic. When Fidel Castro became the undisputed dictator of Cuba, the US placed an embargo in 1961 on this tiny Carribean island which has remained since then. Voting and elections are the uncontestable factors we can use to measure what is a real democracy. The next question is, does voting really change the outcome?

Here is a cerebral challenge. Voting is like believing your horoscope, and partaking in election is like going to a circus. Do you get the drift? Scientific case studies by psychologists and political sociologists alike have proven that most people vote because: 1) they are bandwagoning and joining in on the fun; 2) if they do not vote, they think that system will fall apart and the worst prediction would possibly come true. According to Dr. Kanazawa of Psychology Today, “the reasoning goes that, if everybody thought that voting was irrational and a waste of time, nobody would vote and democracy would collapse. This is known as magical thinking, and it is a very common fallacy. “ His second argument is that, “the civic duty of democratic citizens simply states that one must vote in an election. It does not say whether you have to vote Democratic or Republican. Regardless, you will fulfill your civic duty as a democratic citizen simply by turning up at the polling station and casting your ballot. It does not matter who you vote for.” In a giant democracy such as the United States that relies on the Electoral College to narrow down the winner and select the next president, Dr. Kanazawa’s theory is not that far-fetched. The probability that your vote will make a difference in the outcome is infinitesimally small.

Maybe the best scene for a truly representative election voted by the people, and for the people, is to have heroes and villains as presidential candidates. It is easier to rule out the bad guys and once you vote for the good ones. There is a self-fulfilling aspect at play in this type of scenario and that you feel you have performed your civic obligation. Moreover, anyone would feel more positive and that they did the right thing voting for the good guy. Going back a decade ago, statistics have shown that voter turn-out was very high during the Al Gore and George Bush, Jr. presidential election of 2000. If you calculate in simple math, the winner was Al Gore. In a sudden twist of fate, Gore was not the declared winner, thanks to the Electoral College process even though popular votes proved that he (Al Gore as the hero) was the sure winner over George Bush, Jr. (the villain). Yes, this may not be the best example because it involves ‘fuzzy math’. However, the Gore versus Bush and Electoral College fiasco is representative of Dr. Kanazawa’s theory that voting does not really have a great impact on election outcomes, especially in the United States.

Is Nicolas Sarkozy really out of the game? Can anyone stop Vladimir Putin this time from heading back to the Kremlin? Is Cristina Kirchner really the reincarnated Evita of Casa Rosada? And finally, who will be the Republican warrior who will beat Obama? Election time is like a circus. We get to see different performers juggle their special acts. Candidates of all stripes are now beginning their campaign tour and will showcase the best tricks of their trade. Some will sing to the tune you want to hear and others will clown around. And in the last minute, there will likely be some magic tricks that will be pulled out of a hat. Overall, there will be banners and streamers, pins and flags to lure you into the fun.

Get ready, the presidential circus is coming to your town.

Rebels without a cause?

2011-08-27T13:18:00.000+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 32- August 12-18, 2011

International Tribune

To riot or not to riot, that is the question among young Britons today. They are smashing windows, burning cars, looting stores and vandalizing properties all across the country. Youth of different backgrounds have all joined together on a vengeance venting their anger and frustration against Britain’s social establishment in the streets. Some even say that demonstrators appeared to be as young as twelve years old, who were simply “joining in on the fun” because it has caught so much attention. Is this genuine social discontent or are they rebels without a cause?

Angry and frustrated from the killing of a young black man, a father of four, and an alleged gangster by the police, mobsters took advantage of the situation and wreaked havoc that began in the streets of Tottenham in North London. Prime Minister Cameron’s Tuscan summer holiday was quickly interrupted calling the event ‘sickening’ and has vowed to stop the unrest and gave all law enforcements a full-pledge capacity to quell the violence. The riots have been tamed down but copycats quickly staged the scene in other parts of England using social networks sites to gather their sympathizers.

The London riots were described the worst in decades. Approximately 12,000 people have been arrested within 5 days by the authorities. The turn of events quickly got out of hand on what started out to be a demonstration by disenfranchised and unemployed youth who were rallying for the government to do something about job opportunities, rising tuition, police corruption, and other issues vital to their day-to-day existence. With the unchallenged power of social network sites on the internet to quickly assemble its followers, in a matter of hours, the demonstrations became a convulsion of violence spreading all over the city. Mobsters dressed in hoods came prepared with baseball bats hitting policemen or just about anyone who got in their way.

Felonious acts of arson took over the psyche of youngsters thereby smashing windows, vandalizing stores, and setting things on fire. They were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods. Private citizen also witnessed that when the police did arrive in certain scene, the looters often were able to flee quickly and regroup. It was an opportunistic moment and the delinquents really took advantage of the chaos. “When we see children as young as 12 and 13 looting and laughing, when we see the disgusting sight of an injured young man with people pretending to help him while they are robbing him, it is clear there are things that are badly wrong in our society. The riots underscored as much a moral problem as a political one. There are pockets of our society that are not only broken, but plainly sick,” Cameron said during his interview.

On the other hand, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingston described the events as pent-up resentment over the economy, unemployment and sweeping budget cuts. The budget cuts had starved community centers in poor neighborhoods of cash, forcing them to shut down and leaving unemployed youths with little to do except indulge in drugs, crime and anti-social behaviors. Can we really blame governments as the cause and effect of such chaos? Or is this merely a sign of social decay that today’s younger generation places a different value on education and hard work?

Discontents come in every season. Paris had its ‘banlieu’ riots in the fall of 2005. And five years later, came the Arab Spring. Now London experienced its juvenile delinquent summer of 2011 – but this time, they are equipped with Facebook, iPads and iPhones. Now these days, feeling above the law seems to be a trend. Peaceful demonstration is no longer chic. Those days are over. With all this said, it does not seem far-fetched to say, indeed that the devil wears Prada.

Wanted: Notorious Bureaucrats

2011-08-27T13:01:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 31- August 5-11, 2011

International Tribune

It was the return of the wild, wild, west. The showdown between President Obama and the Republicans on the nation’s budget could have been another big disaster at home and abroad. As they say, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. The American economy has a tremendous impact on other countries' economies. At the eleventh hour, luckily, we averted a potential meltdown in the U.S. credit rating dragging down its economy.

Some pundits will say that Obama did not put a good fight for his plan. Some will say that he held his gun until the very last moment. Be it as it may, we have now seen that the nation is plagued with Republican robbers and the corporate crooks they are in cahoots with who are determined to tarnish and ruin Obama’s reputation in every sense. The loggerhead in Washington was nothing but a political tactic recklessly used by the Republicans who refuse to face reality over the budget, government spending and the country’s biggest deficit.

Government regulation is not the end of the world. After the financial collapse in Wall Street, what we can all learn from this lesson is that government intervention, especially in banking, is essential. This is an ideology that Americans must part with. We watched corporate greed led by hefty paid CEOs rob the country that ultimately contributed to America’s economic decline and the global recession. Ironically, at the end of the day, it was the American tax payers that bailed these financial giants and now the government is broke. If not Uncle Sam, someone has to watch these robber barons and monitor corporate greed.

Today, it is now the reverse, our government is broke and therefore must raise taxes and why not get it from the richer population. The tea parties that are taking place today are very different from the Boston Tea Party that took place two centuries ago. Americans no longer need to fear taxation without representation from the British king. The colonists already won their independence. Modern day tea-partiers are stuck in the past. It is impossible to curb down the deficit without increasing taxes. Today, Uncle Sam desperately needs to raise its revenue somehow. And why not get it from the richer population of our society when the middle class is already suffering from unemployment and inflation.

If the US goes into a deeper recession, this will result in a domino effect for other countries. American bureaucrats must wake up and realize that its heyday is coming to an end unless they get their act together. The political games must stop. We are not only hurting ourselves at home but the rest of the world.

Here comes the (child) bride!

2011-08-27T12:44:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 29- July 22-28, 2011

International Tribune

They are taken away during their sleep in the middle of the night by their own father. Mothers watch their young daughters leave home without hesitation. Some girls will go submissively because they know the consequences for their protests. Others do not part without a fight begging their family for mercy. Some are gagged or even drugged to make the event as peaceful as possible and not disturb their neighbors during the middle of the night. The tradition must go on.

Photo by Stephanie Sinclair

This summer weddings will be held all across the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa. Brides in Afghanistan, India, Yemen, and Nigeria will be between the ages of 5 to 18. Girls in their late teens are already considered old. And for the groom, the average age of the marrying chap ranges from 40 to 60 years of age. They are about the same age as the bride’s father- or even older. The older, the more experienced he is and can provide financial stability. Thus, if they are more financially stable, this could possibly be the second or third young bride he will be betrothed to.

Historically, arranged marriage of child brides with a much older man is part of the custom. And vice versa, the betrothal of two prepubescent child-couple is not out of the ordinary. This type of marriage has been an old tradition in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Seen through the eyes of such tribes, this is simply a practical way to ensure their clan from financial security and to avoid hunger. Arranging the marriage of their child at a very young age is perceived as means to maintain the family’s prosperity. It is a way for some families to pay off their debt, and more importantly, to keep the chastity of their daughters. Marrying a virgin is a matter of honor and a crucial factor to men in Afghanistan, Yemen, and India. Their pride and dignity are at stake for this milestone in their lives.

Islamic countries have the highest percentage of child brides in the world today. Girls are wedded as early as 5 or promised into a marriage as soon as they turn a certain age- and it usually takes place before they hit puberty. There are interpretations of the Quran where Muhammed married his bride Aisha at the age of 9. Challenging the Islamic religious order in these theocratic regimes is almost impossible. In Afghanistan, most child brides find self-immolation as a way out of their misery. It is not uncommon for a girl to pour kerosene and set herself on fire. Should she ever attempt to escape and run away, she is subject to extreme punishment by her husband and other male elders from her village. Bibi Aisha is a 9 year old child bride who suffered enormously beyond one can endure for her age by her own father-in- law and other village clerics when she attempted to run away. As her punishment, she was taken to an outer village in the Orzugan Province of Afghanistan and was mutilated to death by cutting her ears and nose off. Bibi’s husband was not only a conspirator but also an accomplice to the savagery by holding her down during the ghastly event. Afterwards, Bibi was left on the road until a woman’s organization found her and took her away. Last week, the only suspect to this case was released out of prison because in reality, the laws in Afghanistan are more tolerant over males who committed such crimes.

Nujood Ali

In 2008, a 10 years old girl of Yemeni descent sparked headlines all over the world as the first divorcee ever granted to a child bride which put her and her family’s lives at risk. Nujood Ali became the youngest divorcee in the world. Once again, with the aid of an international women’s organization, necessary exposure rendered by the media and western countries who were willing to help her with legal matters- she was able to free herself from her grim experience.

Today, there are recent laws that have been applied to ban marriage of underage minors. Before, the British left India, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was ordained in 1929 and forbade a male or female to marry before the age of 18 years. It was not until 2005 when a new national plan was enacted to ban child marriage altogether. With the National Plan of Action for Children in 2005, the government set a goal to eliminate child marriage and little by little, the plan is helping although it is still very difficult to monitor all cases considering that such arranged marriages now take place in utmost secrecy. Recently, a five year old girl named Rajani from a rural village in India was taken from her sleep by her uncle during the wee hours of the morning to her wedding ceremony. Neighbors were invited from the village and everyone kept the event a secret. Despite the laws that forbid such matrimony from taking place, the old tradition continues.

There are ways to apply laws after the fact but there are certainly no quick solutions to this issue. Is this another distorted age-old religious interpretation? Or is it just gender differences in some parts of the world? Regardless, this is a tradition that must be stopped.

The Comedy of Errors à la Française

2011-08-27T12:05:00.000+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 27- July 8-14, 2011

International Tribune

He is rich. She is poor. He is white. She is black. He is Jewish. She is a Muslim. So what do they have in common? Nothing really, except for their murky past. The saga of the Dominique Strauss Kahn's (DSK) rape trial is turning into a modern-day mayhem version of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. With the accused as the predator, the victim as the opportunist, we will all find ourselves entertained this summer by this Franco-American scandal from both sides of the Atlantic. And now, enters a Parisian bourgeois mother and her prized daughter staging the soon-to-be rape trial in the defendant’s hometown. Just when he thought he can finally go home.

The world was shocked and the media went into frenzy when the New York City District Attorney announced that Mr. Strauss Kahn will be released from house arrest and that the case may be falling apart because of the plaintiff’s inconsistent testimonies and seemingly questionable past (suspected of money laundering, tax evasion, among other things). DSK and his loyal wife were jubilant and thought that the nightmare will soon be over. A couple of days later, Tristane Banon, another alleged rape victim came out in public claiming that she was also a sexually harassed nine years ago by DSK. Tristane Banon is a famous writer in France and a daughter of another Socialist party member (DSK’s political party in France) who had advised her daughter back in 2002 to keep the incident in silence and not to press charges against Strauss-Kahn. The Banons thought it was the right decision then in order to save the reputation of the family.

Today, the French are divided, just like the Americans were when the alleged not-so-immaculate past of the hotel chambermaid came to light. Tristane Banon is seen not just as a victim but could also be another opportunist, a slanderer against DSK who is staging a second act to the saga. Why file charges now, after all those years? And moreover, what is more mind-boggling is how could a mother silence her daughter from such an atrocious violation? Is this merely an ‘old school’ traditional practice that is still perpetuated by the bourgeois? Many will see this beyond social or gender issue in conflict. The public is troubled.

It is a dizzying scenario. One can get lost with all the actors at play. The case involves people of all stripes- rich, poor, conservative, liberal, powerful and the weak. All their lives are suddenly intertwined whether they like it or not. This will likely spark a debate and alter the social norm in today’s society. And it all started when an immigrant woman from Harlem decided to cry wolf.

To be or not to be, that is the question in this case. Whether you are a liar or a rapist, a slanderer or a victim, it seems like everyone will lose in this case. It is not easy being judge based on morality. Little by little, as the case unfolds, the trial is becoming to be one of those court room dramas where the personal characters of each side will both be the evidence and deciding factor that can free or go against the defendant and the victim. Everybody's credibility is, indeed, at stake.

New York! New York!

2011-08-27T11:49:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 26- July 1-7, 2011

International Tribune

Once again, it is God’s word against society- or, at least, according to all religious institutions against same-sex marriage. Same goes for divorce and stem cell research, the bible is misinterpreted in many ways by religious leaders who are in the habit of stomping social and cultural evolutions. The landmark victory of allowing same-sex union just passed by the New York State has proven that with reason and consensus, there is a way to append the writings on the Holy Scriptures. So what does the bible really argue against same-sex marriage?

In the Garden of Eden, there was Adam and Eve. The most revered introductory bride and groom in the bible. Adam and Eve’s relationship is one of the most defended stories during the time of human creation in which most religious leaders would interpret as a clear sign that marriage is only for men and women. The truth is, there are no follow up writings about an exchange of rings, or wedding vows with a priest that married Adam and Eve before and/or after they were expelled forever from Paradise.

And in Genesis, when Yahweh pulled Eve out of Adam’s rib, after the metamorphosis, Adam proclaimed their unity and said “this is the last bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” The Jews immediately cried out that this is a solid proof that marriage is only meant to be an institution for men and women defended by the miracle of God. Frankly, this sounds more like ‘mitosis’ to me, the process in cell division when nucleus divides.

All the holy books, such as the bible, Torah and the Quran contain a collection of fascinating old stories. For many centuries, until today, the texts in each scripture have been upheld as the pillars of morality that one must abide to in order to be a good human being living in a virtuous society. So does the bible have any specific literal opposition against gay marriage? In fact, there is none. Even if one rereads each gospel, there is no clear text that explains that the union of a man and a man, or a woman and a woman is unholy.

Historically, marriage is a social and secular institution. Since its inception, marital union was a form of business arrangement between two families to unite their tribes or their kingdoms for mutual benefit. It was the citizens that arranged this, together with their tribal leaders. Cows, jewel, or land were exchanged. They even held festive wedding celebrations. Eventually, when the union did not work out, or at least, it ruined one kingdom over the other- society then gave birth to the concept of divorce. During the Roman Empire, there were many proofs that divorces were issued to purposely end not just the union of the couple, but the quarrels of their respective clans.

It just gets better. Overtime, the concept of marriage romantically evolved. People started marrying because of their feelings for one another. Contemporary marriages these days take place because of love and no longer a means to enlarge one’s realm or kingdom. Then centuries passed once again, another concept with regards to marriage developed: the modern and preemptive strategy we call prenuptials. There are many people who do not dispute this idea. They even hire very expensive lawyers to draft their 'prenups'. And these are people belonging to various religious groups- especially amongst wealthy Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and etc… See, this is very simple. We do not need to let religion interfere with the evolution of matrimony.

So, let’s start spreading the news. Because such religious fuzz should leave today. Let us all be a part of it. And follow New York. If same-sex marriage can make it here, it can make it anywhere.

Marilyn, Forty-Nine Years Later

2011-08-27T11:43:00.004+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 25- June 24-30, 2011

International Tribune

She would have celebrated her 85th birthday this month. If she were still alive, she could have been a spokesperson against nuclear proliferation, anti women’s literacy, among other things of interest in our present world. The Marilyn Monroe that graced the silver screen was an intellectual in her own right, a poet who spoke from her heart, and a realist who just wanted to accept life as it was during the tumultuous era that she lived in. Did we know that about her?

It is hard to be a world-famous sex symbol and to be taken seriously in the same vein. When we look at her, we cannot help but ask if gentlemen do prefer blondes. From Madonna to Pamela Lee Anderson, they all wanted to replicate the sex symbol that she was. What we really do not know is that Marilyn, behind closed doors, spent most of her time reading the classic, from Flaubert to Camus, from Hemingway to Steinbeck. She found solace and revelry in the message of each novel. A far cry from the misconceived and fallacious term "dumb blonde."

The Marilyn that we know perhaps was a woman who married several times. She reinvented the symbol of the shiny rock and redefined its role in our consumerist society. Diamonds became the girls’ best friends. Little do we know that Norma Jean was really a girl just next door who tried mightily to find a family she could call all her own, and a partner whom she can trust and be herself with. She simply did not want to be alone.

In her time, where women were not encouraged to pursue a higher education, Marilyn self- educated herself. She found her way to read groundbreaking novels that inspired her war generation to understand more and overcome the darkness of this era. The Marilyn that we do not really know of was a brave and intellectual one. She rid of herself from her very young first marriage to pursue her personal ambition which was very rare and admirable for women to do at that age and time. In reality, her books and her diary became her best friends. And not the diamonds and fame we all know she enjoyed in front of the camera. She was inspired of such figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Greta Garbo. She once said that Greta’s artistic creativity, personal courage and integrity were immeasurable. Something she wanted to emulate and held very close to her heart.

Blondes certainly have more fun as she had shown us in the big screen but behind the glimmer of Hollywood – the Marilyn that we do not know of was always ready for an intellectual discussion. Marilyn found time to meet with the famous literary circle of her time, such as Carlson Mc Cullers and the great Danish writer Karen Blixen. And then eventually, her marriage to Arthur Miller- one of America’s finest writers of his generation. Apart from her mingling with the intellectual mafia, inside her study room, Marilyn wrote about her inner turmoil and how she could better live life. She pondered about how to use her fame to end world suffering. She was petrified of the H Bomb. And the nuclear race between the two superpowers- the United States and the Soviet Union. A nuclear annihilation would have devastated the world irreparably in a single second. America was advancing so fast in science and technology that she once said, “We can put a man in the moon, but we still do not spent enough time to heal the human heart.”

It is true that with such fame and stardom, the limelight at times can be blinding. Love comes and goes and when you are a sex symbol. But in reality, Marilyn yearned for real genuine love. She was a brave soul and took the risk. Marilyn married four times, from a baseball player to a famous writer, and her love affairs even went as far as the White House. Misery loves company or, who knows, maybe it was her destiny. The plight of a wondering soul searching for the man she can really love and trust forever. Marilyn was a sex siren, a goddess that we have all immortalized in our world. Until her fate took her life. Is this the price of fame or is it a curse?

Anyway, happy birthday Marilyn!

Who is T.E.?

2011-08-27T01:28:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 24 - June 17-23, 2011

International Tribune

She was promised a better life in the United States. She worked seven days a week for only a measly fifty dollars per month for more than ten miserable years. Her Philippine passport was taken away since arrival at her employee’s residence in Marlboro, Maryland. In order to keep herself legal in the US, she was forced to fraudulently marry twice and the second one to the employer’s brother who suffered from dementia and diabetes, an additional responsibility to her already back-breaking 12-hour-a-day overwhelming domestic job. Her life was threatened when she attempted to run away and escape from her servitude. The nightmare list goes on and on in the United States versus Gloria Edwards and Alfred Edwards, Jr., of Maryland.

Who is T.E.? For her own protection, her real identity remains undisclosed. We only know T.E. as a Filipina domestic servant who was lured by her fellow countrywoman, Gloria Edwards, to work for her and her husband, Alfred Edwards in 1999. T.E. came from an impoverished family in the Philippines with a husband and eight children to support. She is illiterate and was desperate for employment. She risked everything and even paid her employers upfront the sum of $5,000 (a staggering amount in the Philippines) for her working papers to come to America. With the hope that working in a foreign land away from her family – this is a good chance to lift herself out of poverty in the land of opportunity, a chance that comes knocking at one's door for some desperate Filipinos.

In November 2002, T.E. unsuccessfully escaped from her bondage with the Edwards. She was eventually brought back by Alfred Edwards who threatened to shoot her and fine her for abandonment in the amount of $20,000 if she ever runs away again. He also made sure to tell T.E. that he owns a gun at home and is capable of killing her. To scare her even more, Alfred Edwards took out his frustration by beating his mentally ill brother when the latter talked back with his own fists in front of T.E. It was his distorted way to assert his superiority over T.E. Gloria Edwards followed suit by hitting, pinching, and poking T.E. with knives.

When you think things could have already reached their lowest point, T.E. suffered more from the hands of her oppressors. The brainwashing continued. In August 2005, her precious green card was confiscated by the Edwardses. Once again, she was warned that without possession of this document, she is an illegal alien, pure and simple, in this country. Therefore, she must continue to be obedient no matter what it takes. In August 2008, the mentally- and physically-challenged brother of Alfred Edwards died. T.E. was sexually assaulted by Alfred who occasionally enjoyed fondling T.E.’s buttocks inside her underwear.

In October 2009, T.E. left the residence of the Edwardses. She was called a shameless son- of- a- bitch, a snake, a cobra, a beast, an idiot and a liar by Gloria Edwards. Alfred Edwards threatened her life once again, and said that she would be ‘done’ if she refuses to return.

T.E. fortunately never returned to the evil Edwards residence. On June 6, 2011, T.E.’s case was taken to the United States District Court of Maryland with the defendants, Gloria and Alfred Edwards, Jr. charged with five criminal counts, including forced labor, documented servitude and harboring domestic worker for financial gains. T.E. won the court battle to free herself from the atrocious custody of the couple who maliciously conspired to rob T.E.’s self dignity forever.

The plight of the Filipinos in search of better life in foreign lands is colorful, brave, and oftentimes heroic. Along my journey in the far corners of the globe, I have met many Filipinos who have successfully immersed themselves in different exotic cultures that are very far from their own. The diaspora is from Filipinos of different backgrounds- nurses, doctors, engineers, construction workers, domestic workers, and etc… Their stories are beautiful, inspiring, and something to be truly proud of. It is heartbreaking when you discover stories such as T.E.'s- who was duped by her own fellow Filipina. This kind of stories must be exposed and brought to light to send a resounding message to future copycats - that there must be an end to exploitation. Not only is this human trafficking but this clearly is a case of modern-day slavery in America. One would think that this kind of scenario has vanished forever in the land of the free.

European Disunion

2011-08-26T20:33:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 22- June 3-9, 2011

International Tribune

What a mess! Chaos seems to loom all over the major capitals of Europe. From Athens to Lisbon, from Madrid to Berlin, from Dublin to Rome. Europeans are angry and frustrated with the current state of their union. If not a national financial default, it is the fear of nuclear Armageddon, and now, the latest, a killer cucumber outbreak is sweeping across the continent. Fraternité is being tested. Can they find solutions as one union? I am not sure. How can they all get along?

Greece, Portugal and Ireland defaulted last year and required a huge loan and austerity packages from their wealthier neighbors. The bail-out package started in May 2010 at 110 billion Euros for Greece and followed by 85 billion Euros for Ireland in November. The domino effect continued and, this year, a rescue package was also provided to Portugal in the amount of 78 billion Euros last month. The sovereign deficits outweigh chances for prosperity in these countries for the next coming years. Unemployment is also soaring in double digits, with Spain leading at an incredible 29%. Maybe Spain is the next one to default and another rescue packages will be required. So far, the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is still hanging on- by a slim thread - with desperate measures to calm its population down from staging a real revolution. Spain’s frustrated and angry youth cannot find jobs. There are ominous signs that they are being inspired by the Arab Spring. And apart from countries defaulting in the EU, the question of keeping the Euro as the continent’s official currency is in serious doubt. Withdrawing from the use of a single currency is a big political blow. This is a real bad sign that perhaps a federation of countries may not be the best recipe to a united European continent.

The European dream to be one united continent started right after World War II. By 1957, it had its first step when the Treaty of Rome was signed forming the European Economic Community which gave way to the current EU after the Maastricht Treaty was approved in 1993. In 2002, the Euro became the official currency of its first 12 members- with some exceptions - notably the United Kingdom - which decided to keep their own currency. Membership is not very easy. Aspiring nations must meet its stringent criteria of stable economy with sound democratic principles. Today, there are 27 members and it is continuing to expand.

The current Euro zone crisis has become a rag-tag dispute between its rich members. Economic giants such as France and Germany see fraternité in different lights. France is willing to extend aid to beleaguered member countries. But Germany is saying no and will even allow some members such as Greece to be dismembered. The Germans do not see why they should keep lending a helping hand to rescue its members who are financially irresponsible and plagued with rampant corruption.

We have only just begun. There are more nightmares worth mentioning. Germany recently officially declared the phase out of its nuclear power plants after the catastrophe in Fukushima. This sours Germany’s relationship with its nuclear partner, France. France leads the world in dependence in nuclear energy with its half-state owned company, Areva. Areva is in partnership with Siemens with offices scattered all over the Rhineland. With Germany’s withdrawal as one of its biggest clients and partners, bilateral tension between the two is another issue to debate about.

It gets juicier. The sex scandal of former IMF Managing Director, Dominique Strauss Kahn, was a big blow to the reputation of its European leaders, and not just in France. Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was also on trial for hiring underage prostitutes in his lavish parties. Not only are their leaders incapable of maintaining a balanced budget but they are also being arrested for rape or sex with minors at home and abroad. Where are the role models for leadership?

And finally, the attack of the killer cucumbers. Germany became the first victim with 15 deaths and over 300 infected patients being treated with the E. coli virus. And now, one death has been recorded in Sweden. Spain was the first country to be blamed for its poisonous vegetables and as the main source of the killer cucumbers without solid scientific evidence. Spain retaliated with harsh comments from its Agriculture Minister Rosa Aguilar: "We are disappointed by the way Germany handles the situation. We want Germany to provide, without any delay and distractions, the necessary information of its investigation so that the European Union can know what is causing the E. coli outbreak." There is a lot of political finger-pointing going on which will surely get worse before it gets better.

The EU was created to prevent further nationalism that has, in the past, ripped the continent. They still have a long way to go before real unity can be achieved.

Stand by your man?

2011-08-26T19:47:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 23
International Tribune

She does not have to. She can just walk away. She has nothing to lose as she has her own career, wealth, and more importantly, the love and support of her family and friends. For any woman, these are all enough if not the most important elements to move on, to start fresh, and forget all the nightmares behind. But what makes her stay and endure the ordeal brought on by her philandering husband? And worse, sometimes a public scandal is attached that could possibly taint her reputation forever.

From Jackie Kennedy, to Hillary Clinton, Princess Diana, and now to Anne Sinclair, these women are all international icons of their time. They are intelligent and beautiful. Any man would love to be the partner by their side. They come from well-to-do families, if not rich, but of a good hard working middle class. They can certainly do well without their 'man'. A life on their own, or with a new partner can be as happy and colorful after their no good ex. But what makes her stay?

For some, love truly conquers all. No one can ever really know what goes on inside the marriage behind closed doors. Jackie knew that JFK was having an affair with Marilyn. There were plenty of books written to prove that the Prince of Camelot's mistress was the blond bombshell. Not too long ago, the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton during his last year of presidency must have been traumatizing for Hillary. The scar will be there forever but Hillary moved on and a few years later, she became a presidential candidate, and then the next U.S. Secretary of State. After all, Hillary’s marriage with Bill is worth saving- even after America's biggest White House scandal. And now, Anne Sinclair (Mrs. Dominique Strauss Kahn) is definitely standing by her man even when he is locked up behind bars in Rikers Island for attempted rape. Having a mistress is one thing, but being charged for rape- for me, that is the most vicious violation one can commit against women. Despite of it all, Anne has gone publicly and renounced all allegations of her husband's crime. The sad reality is, this is not the first or second time he has been accused of sexual harassment. This is just the first case he was sent to prison. In this case, Anne is definitely standing by her man.

The divorce of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles rocked the House of Windsor. The world pitied the poor princess who was in a loveless marriage. Although, this is nothing shocking amongst royal marriages but we all fell in love with the 'fairy tale' romance that we thought they had. On July 15, 1996, Diana and Charles filed for divorce without the blessing of the queen. Dianna readily renounced all her rights as the future Queen of England and received 33 million pounds in settlement. She leaves the court without a title but with dignity.

Who are we to really judge? There are some who will take their marital vows until death will keep them apart. Whether you are French or American, conservative or liberal, a marital vow is a promise to keep. A perfect 'happily-ever-after' marriage is an illusion. There is no such thing. Every now and then, something will arise that will test the strength of the bond. How you work together as a couple to find cure to growing pains, at the end of the day, is the only thing that matters. Life is not meant to live in a bed of roses. Not all the time.

Perhaps it is true, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. We are very different creatures. Food for thought; it is always wiser to give the Venusians time and space to think things through. Because if you deny her of this, like what they say, hell has no fury to a woman scorned. Venusians are trained to handle the heat which most Martians can barely survive. And when the storm is over, this is the moment when she can then decide and calculate every move that she will have to take. For her, the sky is the limit.

Are women the real decision makers? History has shown that it could just very well be. Jackie, Hillary, and Anne decided to stand by their man against all odds. That is admirable. On the other hand, Diana decided to give up the crown. But who wants to stay in a loveless marriage. Her decision was indeed very brave and noble. Freud once said, "The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is what a woman want?” What a typical puzzle from a Martian. Well Dr. Freud, you may now close this case. Whatever a woman wants, is usually what she gets.

On Sexual Indiscrétion à la Française

2011-08-26T19:17:00.001+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 20- May 20-26, 2011

International Tribune

Finally, it is about time that he got caught! The International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director, Dominique Straus Kahn, was arrested in New York City for sexual misconduct against a hotel chamber maid this week. It is not his first or second sexual harassment complaint. There were many more in the past. The right actions finally took place, thanks to the NYPD. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a Frenchman and 62 years of age, heralded as one of the most powerful politicians in the world and in his country is sitting at Rikers Island today. He was one of the biggest contenders who could beat incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy in the next presidential election in France. We are probably seeing the end of Strauss-Kahn’s public career. And I am glad of it.

Infidelity and abuse of power from men (rich, middle, or poor) are the buzz in the cafés of Paris today. For the first time, the French circle is actually discussing this subject with apprehension and I am shocked. This is not the norm. After the impeachment trials of President Clinton, the French were the first to criticize America for being too puritanical. “Leave the poor man alone”, exclaimed the French when Clinton was being tried for staining an intern’s blue dress in the Oval office. C’est la vie! One can only discern that probably the French’s approach to sexual scandals or infidelity, in general, is that it is just a part of life. But who am I to judge?

Today, a national discussion has opened up. And it is not about the role of powerful men, it is whether French women in general are more tolerant and accepting when it comes to infidelity of their philandering partners. As an accidental observer of French society who happens to be living and working in Paris, I am beginning to believe that perhaps infidelity is probably just part of the French joie de vivre. How did I arrive to this conclusion? For starters, the reputation of the French men and their approach to romance and l’amour historically has the reputation known as "la galanterie Française," it just comes with the package. Indeed, we cannot account every Frenchman to be this way but there is something very true about their self perception and entitlement that flirtation and engaging in seductive play is a never-ending game. And for the French women, this is almost the same but with a different twist. Competition with other French fatale is also almost a natural pastime, they are raised to be weary of this and to be able to pre-empt should a situation arise. In other words, learn from Madame Bovary and use your sexual prowess and collect as many lovers. Or the typical female territorial approach, of hold on tightly to your man. French sisterhood is almost non-existent, it is all about competition (to keep your man, look sexy, stay thin, etc.).

From Moliere to Zola, Truffaut to Godard, there is always something scandalous happening behind closed doors. In almost every French literature and cinema, both from the classics to the contemporary, there is always a love triangle or an illicit affair taking place. When former President Mitterrand’s love child was discovered by the public, the society did not really care much about it. And when Mitterrand died, both the mistress (Anne Pingeot) and the former First Lady Danielle Mitterrand sat very close from one another during his funeral. It was not seen as a big deal. Moreover, the discovery of the love child (Mazarine Pingeot) was hot news for one day, and the next day, regular business as usual. It was not the same media circus compared to how American society treated and reacted to Bill, Hillary, and Monica. Even Mrs. Anne Sinclair (Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s wife) in 2006 said during an interview, “My husband is a politician; he needs to be a good seducer.”

Believe it or not, French society remains to be very conservative, exclusive, and traditional in practice. Women stay at home to raise the family, and men are the bread winners and go to work to bring home the ‘baguette’. Women remain as mid-level professionals or assistants and men are the executives. With all that said, women cannot help but to maintain their family and lifestyle intact. In order to save their reputation and to avoid the inconvenience of changes, traditional roles still is the most common approach. Indeed, it is a totally ironic world.

Oh la la! What can you do, the French seems to be happy with the status quo. Change is something too risky for some people or certain society. This is definitely a very peculiar notion for my Asian-American values and upbringing from New York City. Bottom line is I was raised never to settle. Perhaps, settling is not difficult for some. But then again, who am I to judge?

Chinatown Enterprise

2011-08-26T18:51:00.002+02:00

Volume 2, Issue 17- April 29- May 5, 2011

International Tribune

Africa is fast becoming China’s next frontier. Within the last decade, Chinese businesses have flourished all over the once-forgotten continent outnumbering - and even out-maneuvering -European and American investors. Nowadays, one will find more Chinese businessmen traveling to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and South Africa, just to name a few countries where Chinese investments are being sunk in. They are ready to invest in oil, agriculture, construction- you name it. In a continent plagued with never-ending internal strife, wars, genocides, and rampant corruption, the Africans could not be any happier than to find a more adventurous and pragmatic financial partners. Africa has struck luck and found new riches coming from the East.

Chinese men are coming with bags of cash, ready and willing to spend and start their business in rough and tumble fashion. They dream of new a life in this money-deprived but infinitely resource-rich region. Making connection with the right person is the key. Bribery is not surprisingly the name of the game. Businesses jump start in different ways- they do not have to be necessarily on the books. It is a business world of fast pace, back-room deals, the kind of financial mergers where it does not have to be necessarily all jotted down. Keeping transactions off the records are not a problem. This corporate culture has found its way through around Africa’s biggest cities. Chinatown enterprise is becoming the business culture in the continent.

The Heritage Foundation, an American think tank reported that 14% of China’s investment found its way to Sub-Saharan Africa. And China has given more loans to Africa than any other region according to the World Bank. Africa now supplies 35% of China’s oil. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that China-Africa trade is at $100- billion level in 2010. And this is just the beginning. It is expected that 2011 will be a banner year for Sino-African trade relations.

Africa has become the proverbial "greener pasture" for Chinese businessmen. On the other side of the river, African merchants are catching up with the off-set posed by the competition brought by the investors from the East. Local business owners and entrepreneurs are beginning to see that this is not good for their business in the long run. The cheap goods provided by the Chinese exporters are killing the local competition. And moreover, the infrastructures built by the Chinese are beginning to show faulty cracks along the way.

Protectionist sentiments are rising to thwart the economic ambitions of investors from China that have been threatening the local businessmen. If this is not economic invasion, then what will it be? A foreign economic intrusion will always smell as rotten as any. It seems like the oasis is drying up. Let us see how long this relationship will last.