I'm Baaaack.
posted by The Vidiot @ 3:39 PM Permalink
Actually, I've been back for a few weeks, but I had no idea how many i's needed dotting and t's needed crossing after such a long trip. All sorts of things were spiraling out of control, including my credit rating for some odd reason. All of my bills were automatically paid and I'm not overdue on anything. Yet, my credit rating is in the crapper. Once I know why, you'll know why because I suspect it's something so ridiculous it's laughable.
The trip itself was pretty amazing. What we did wasn't for everybody though. We spent one month in Quito, Ecuador studying Spanish. We rented an apartment so I got to actually buy the food I've only ever drooled over in the mercados in Latin America. Dr. Vidiot's Spanish really improved, my Spanish only got a little better. But, in my defense, I only had half the hours a day he did. After Ecuador, we made our way south to Cusco, Peru. Yes, I saw Machu Picchu and boy was it something. And we spent a night with an indigenous family on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. We stayed in hostels for the most part and though the hot water wasn't always reliable (or even existent) it was all pretty cheap. Two months is a long time to be away though and we really missed our dog.
While there, I ended up sending reports every three or four days to family and friends so they wouldn't worry about us. (Close to half of them were worried we'd be kidnapped. I honestly don't know why. We're just not that interesting.) The reports ended up being pretty lengthy and not half bad to read so I'm going to be self publishing them at some point, just as soon as I can decide if I want to illustrate it with with photos or drawings.
Politically, back here in the States, I didn't miss much. I mean, the whole debt ceiling thing was going on and I guess I missed Wiener's wiener. Both issues were ridiculous. Whatever was decided about the debt ceiling was a done deal way before it entered the public discourse and well, a wiener is a wiener. I couldn't be bothered with any of it.
Of course, I returned to the launching of the Republican primary debacle, otherwise known as the "Ignore Ron Paul" road show. WTF is up with that? Jon Stewart's "Ron Paul is the 13th floor of Republican politics" really says it all.
I shall resume some semblance of regular posting. It seems my blogmates have had busy summers as well.
It's good to be back... sorta.
Labels: blogging, south america
Peru
posted by The Vidiot @ 1:49 PM Permalink
You may have caught a glimpse of something in the news recently about indigenous uprisings in Peru. I had read a bit about it, but
here's a good summation of what it is all about. (Hint: Western-style Capitalism's usual bad behavior.)
In early June, Peruvian President Alan García, an ally of US President Barack Obama, ordered armored personnel carriers, helicopter gun-ships and hundreds of heavily armed troops to assault and disperse a peaceful, legal protest organized by members of Peru’s Amazonian indigenous communities protesting the entry of foreign multinational mining companies on their traditional homelands.
Labels: latin america, peru, south america
More on the situation in South America
posted by The Vidiot @ 1:03 PM Permalink
I know, three posts on what’s going on down there. But I find it just so damned interesting.
Here's a good article, from a Venezuelan website that succinctly describes the MSM coverage here in the US.
While some press in the United States question whether Chavez is using this situation as an opportunity to distract Venezuelans from their social problems, this excessive focus on him is in fact distracting people in the US from having a much needed dialogue on their own governments' role in fomenting this so-called "Andean Crisis". As a result, the tough realities and repercussions from the US government's support for a military solution in Colombia are being overlooked.
I know that website is pro-Chavez and all, but there's not much to disagree with in that article.
Labels: south america
More about South America
posted by The Vidiot @ 7:37 AM Permalink
In a
previous post, I wrote about the trouble between Ecuador, Venezuela and Columbia. The more I read, the more it seems like Columbia really is America's Mini Me. A few more articles now are referencing
some laptop that was taken during the raid on the FARC camp that reveals that Chavez had given money to FARC and that FARC was in negotiations to purchase dirty bomb material. How convenient, no? To find a laptop that reveals exactly what you want it to reveal, information that will validate whatever stance you have taken. Hmmmmm, where have I heard that one before....
Oh yeah, now I remember.....
In mid-July, senior American intelligence officials called the leaders of the international atomic inspection agency to the top of a skyscraper overlooking the Danube in Vienna and unveiled the contents of what they said was a stolen Iranian laptop computer.
{snip}
The computer contained studies for crucial features of a nuclear warhead, said European and American officials who had examined the material, including a telltale sphere of detonators to trigger an atomic explosion. The documents specified a blast roughly 2,000 feet above a target - considered a prime altitude for a nuclear detonation.
Classic.
Labels: chavez, latin america, propaganda, south america
My take on the problems down south
posted by The Vidiot @ 12:23 PM Permalink
And by down south, I mean South America,
Chavez, et al.
As we all know, for some time now, the US has been meddling is South American politics, Columbia being the recipient of the most meddling, IMHO. One vile dictator after another has been installed as a leader in that country with the result being that there’s been a civil war raging there for years. FARC is one of the opposition players (revolutionary group if you prefer). It’s hard to find anything written about FARC that isn’t US-centered in it’s POV; FARC is bad, FARC is a narcotrafficker, FARC is Satan's minions. If I had to guess, and I do, I would say that FARC is pretty aggressive with their tactics, maybe even reprehensible to some degree, but they are merely reacting to the power of the Columbian government, power that is supplemented with the steroids of US involvement.
So the recent fracas between Ecuador, Venezuela and Columbia is as follows: Rebels (FARC) held Columbian hostages just inside the border in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government was negotiating with the rebels for the release of the hostages but before they could complete negotiations, the Columbians took matters into their own hands and tried to rescue the hostages. The Ecuadorian government said, in effect, “screw you guys, we’re going home” and then promptly severed ties with Columbia. Venezuela agreed that the Columbians acted like asses and, along with Ecuador, sent troops to the border.
Columbia is like “whoa, chill dudes” while, at the same time, pointing fingers at Ecuador and Venezuela, saying, “But just so you know, they provide financial and material support to FARC, a group that has been trying to overthrow the Columbian government for some time now. I’m just sayin’.” Columbia also said that somebody shot missiles at them, prompting their action, justifying their going into Ecuador to take care of business.
So, though it’s hard to side with FARC what with all the bombings and hostage-takings and all, this latest escapade by the Columbian government has all of Latin America pretty united against Columbia and NOT FARC. Cuba and Venezuela in particular are blaming US imperialism as the root of the problem because Columbia is like the US Government’s Mini-me. And, if you look at how the US tends to act against perceived terrorists, the Columbian Government acted in line with that. To the US government, it don’t matter no-how what you do to git them damn terrorists, you just gotta’ git ‘em any ways that you can.
Bottom line, Columbia bombed and killed within the sovereign borders of another country without asking permission and without warning. If you walk into somebody else’s home uninvited for whatever the reason, you’re in the wrong, plain and simple. By looking at what was done, how it was done, and the obvious repercussions, it’s not a great leap in thought to think that maybe, just maybe, the US was poking a stick at Chavez YET AGAIN.
Labels: latin america, south america, venzuela
