In 1936, a church group commissioned a film “to strike fear in the hearts of young people tempted to smoke marijuana.” But it was not until the 1970s that Reefer Madness — billed as “the original classic that was not afraid to make up the truth” due to its grotesque portrayal of the supposed dangers of marijuana — obtained cult status.
Contrary to what international relations types may think, leaders seldom do a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of the results before waging war.
During his attendance at a recent African Union summit, former Brazilian president Lula da Silva critiqued the structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC): “it isn’t possible that Latin America, with its 400 million inhabitants, does not have permanent representation. Five countries decide what to do and how to do it, regardless of the rest of the humans living on this planet.”
Public confidence in the Mexican army and judiciary has declined considerably. Meanwhile, 73 percent of Latin Americans perceive corruption among public officials as a widespread problem.
If education were made more of a priority, Haiti’s future would look much brighter.
Since the catastrophic January 2010 earthquake, Haitians have seen little improvement in their standard of living. More than 500,000 people remain displaced, the cholera epidemic worsens by the day, the living conditions for women and girls in tent camps are increasingly dangerous, there’s been lack of progress on issues of governance and land tenure, and the ineffectiveness of foreign aid have stalled Haiti’s recovery. Haitians are disillusioned with themselves, their government, and the international community.
Congress could vote any day now to strike a new blow against already-battered U.S. workers and the unemployed. Committees in the House and Senate recently marked up the Colombia, Panama, and South Korea Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The Obama administration is urging passage of all three relics of the Bush administration before the summer recess. The full-court press on the FTAs represents a reversal for a president elected on a trade reform platform.
Documents from the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince paint a disturbing picture of American coercion of a struggling Haiti between 2004 and the month following the 2010 earthquake.
If the Shining Path is permitted to reconstitute itself as either a political movement or a drug trafficking outfit, new Peruvian President Ollanta Humala will almost certainly guarantee himself a legacy of failure.
In spite of Venezuela’s President Chavez’s illness, the lack of an obvious successor, along with his support among the poor, make him a formidable opponent in 2012.