Radical Avenue

If 15th century Inca emperor Pachacuti and his wife Mama Anawarkhi were alive today I wonder what they would say to the forty busloads of visitors checking out their mountaintop retreat at Machu Picchu every morning. Perhaps “If you replaced the roofs on the buildings, the area would stay cooler and you wouldn’t need to carry all that water around in those colorful little bottles.” Or maybe “Whatever happened to the corn fields we planted here a few hundred years ago?”

Life hasn’t changed much in the past half millennium or so for some residents of Machu Picchu. Andean swallows still dart in and out of the ruins all day munching on the insects that follow hot blooded animals around. They like to build their nests in gaps between the stone walls outside the Temple of the Condor. Llamas still graze on vegetation along the rugged mountainside trails, just as they have for the past five centuries. And lizards still sneak around in the bushes.

The Andean mountains of Peru are perfect for travelers who prefer to spend extra time soaking up the ambiance of local communities. Cusco is surrounded by archaeological wonders. Traditional songs and dances highlight the town’s many festivals. Cusco also has a number of places to shop for scarves, sweaters and other wool clothes. The cuisine is varied, affordable and exquisite. I enjoyed the pisco sours, avocado salads, alpaca steaks and ceviche. Muy bien.

The quaint little town of Ollantaytambo is worth an extended visit, as are the hot springs at Aguas Calientes and the Baños del Inca at Cajamarca. Every day is a new adventure in Peru.

It takes some effort to get the governments of Nicaragua, Venezuela and the United States all on the same page, but perpetrators of the June 28 coup in Honduras managed to accomplish just that. Their forcible removal of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has drawn condemnations from every nation in the Organization of American States, and scorn from the people of Honduras.

The self anointed interim leader of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, wants to stay in charge through national elections scheduled for November. But since the Micheletti regime has shown no respect for the will of the people, there’s no reason for Hondurans to accept the legitimacy of any upcoming election staged by his followers. President Zelaya should be immediately re-instated as president and allowed to serve out his term.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has attempted to broker a power sharing agreement, to no avail. A protracted confrontation between political groups in Honduras will scare away investors and hurt regional economies.

As I stood next to the Cristo Blanco statue overlooking Cusco, Peru last week, I could hear workers on strike marching through the streets down below. I paused there and listened to the beating drums, the shrill whistles and the angry chants for about twenty minutes. I witnessed the parade. Yet even though I was relatively close to the action, the struggle seemed far away.

If you ask ten different Peruvians why the workers have gone on strike so often this year, you’ll get ten different answers. But the theme is always the same. It all boils down to a sense of local injustice. Tourists flock to Cusco every year to see Machu Picchu and the other archeological wonders surrounding the city. Many of these visitors stay in opulent hotels, sleep on fine linens and dine in pricy restaurants. However very little of the income generated by this tourism goes into the funding of public services.

Kids rule the streets of Cusco. They want to shine your shoes or sell you a postcard, anything to make a little extra money for the family. These children should be in school preparing for the future. Their parents should have access to basic health care. Grinding poverty shouldn’t be the norm in such a magnificent place.

In much of Latin America, a few people enjoy great wealth while everyone else struggles to survive. Peru is no exception. It’s difficult to determine how or when the income disparity gap will close in Peru. But the current structure is unsustainable.

Breakfast cereal used to feature grains, nuts and dried fruit. But those ingredients are only highlighted on TV commercials these days. Now breakfast food sold in the US comes loaded down with sugar, fat and salt. These additives have almost no nutritional value, but cause physiological reactions in people causing them to crave more.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
This highly concentrated sugar is cheap to produce because the corn industry enjoys massive federal subsidies in the US. High fructose corn syrup is in virtually every processed food on the shelves of many grocery stores.

Whey
It’s hard to understand why cereal manufacturers dump milk fat all over food that is typically served with milk. Apparently food processors need to counteract the use of skim milk by dieters looking for “healthy” alternatives.

Sodium
Salt is used extensively as a preservative in processed foods. This allows food companies to ship all of their products out from one large manufacturing facility.

Find out more about home grown food at the Earthly Garden or get the latest recipes at Coaching Cooking.

Apology: After weeks of soul searching and frank discussions with my friends and family, I have decided to come forward and speak with you in the media today. I still believe in the sanctity of marriage and family values. However I have always been completely honest with all of you and I must therefore report that a relationship which started quite innocently grew completely out of control and has begun to cause turmoil in my marriage. I have been unfaithful to my wife.
Translation: Those sneaky reporters caught me with my pants down at the airport.

Apology: I want to first apologize to my wife Judy, who has always been by my side through thick and thin. I know that I must work hard to regain your trust.
Translation: My wife has offered to surgically remove my cajones.

Apology: I must also apologize to my three wonderful children; Jeremy, age 11, who loves to play soccer in the back yard, Jimmy, age 7, who gets taller every day, and of course, little Jessica, age 3.
Translation: My kids think I’m a jerk.

Apology: I plan on continuing to serve the good people of this state to the best of my abilities.
Translation: I need to serve out my term in order to collect a full pension.

Apology: I would also like to apologize to my dog Sparky.
Translation: ???

Tired of politics? Go here for the latest on professional wrestling or here for Pop Culture Buzz.

Iran has now devolved into a brutally repressive regime like Burma and Zimbabwe. The country’s sadistic rulers are holding on to power with intimidation and brute force. This is leadership through the barrel of a gun. It’s sad to see.

History shows that totalitarian governments have a limited life span. Ayatollah Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to demonstrate that they will do whatever it takes to hold on to power and have therefore lost all credibility with the Iranian people. But many Iranians will survive the regime’s current killing spree. And those survivors will remember how their families were treated in the summer of 2009.

Police officers have families too. It’s difficult to imagine how these men can beat up unarmed women all day, and then go home at night to kiss their wives and children. Blood stains don’t wash off easily.

Mexico needs to send the Iranian ambassador to their country packing. Every representative of Khamenei’s regime shares responsibility for the ongoing murder of innocent Iranians.

Governments ignore the will of the Iranian people at their own peril. The Shah and his supporters in the US found that out in the 1970s. Now “Supreme” leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his acolyte, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are learning about Iranian will power first hand. Many people have made miscalculations over the past few weeks.

Ayatollah Khamenei
Men of God don’t order their henchmen to gun down unarmed women on the streets of Tehran. Khamenei displayed tremendous cowardice by refusing to accept responsibility for his own actions. He says others are to blame for the bloodshed, but he is the one who ordered his paramilitary forces to shoot innocent Iranian civilians.

Neda is the name of the beautiful young woman killed in cold blood by Khamenei’s thugs. Her blood is on his hands.

John McCain
During last year’s US presidential election, McCain thought it was funny to sing “Bomb, bomb, bomb; Bomb, bomb Iran.” Bombs kill people. McCain’s pathetic attempt at humor was grotesque, but he never apologized. McCain seems completely oblivious to the fact that Iranians despise him.

McCain wants President Obama to inject the US government into the uprising, claiming the Iranian people need “inspiration”. But, of course, this would play right into the hands of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, who are constantly whining about American interventionism.

The Iranian people see McCain’s words for what they really are; a crass attempt to score political points at their expense. McCain and his cronies have disgraced themselves once again. As President Obama has correctly pointed out, it is up to the Iranian people to choose their leaders, not the US government. What little credibility old man McCain had on the international stage is now diminished even further.

Russia
The Iranian people won’t forget the Russian government’s embrace of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just after Ahmadinejad stole the presidential election. Ahmadinejad is an arrogant man and millions of Iranians have grown tired of his inept leadership. The Russians bet on the wrong horse.

No one knows who started critical mass. Thousands of bicycle riders just began showing up and taking over the streets of crowded cities every Friday afternoon. Drivers hate critical mass and complain to the police about it. The police want to question the leaders of the movement, but critical mass has no leaders. That’s the whole the point. Arresting a few dozen foot soldiers changes nothing.

Supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi are using critical mass techniques to get their message out. Modern communications technologies allow demonstrators to mobilize quickly and this has baffled security forces aligned with President Ahmadinejad. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s henchmen apparently can’t prevent thousands of Mousavi followers from jamming up the streets of Tehran every day. Iranian voters are finding strength in numbers.

Unlike the Friday afternoon bike riders, Iranian voters have chosen a leader. Mr. Mousavi wants a new presidential election. And he wants all of his supporters released from custody. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to a limited recount of the presidential votes, there is no reason to believe that such a recount will make any difference. Ayatollah Khamenei has given every indication that he is firmly in Mr. Ahmadinejad’s camp. Real political change in Iran may require a shakeup in the country’s religious leadership.

It is very difficult to predict the outcome of the standoff in Iran. While Mr. Ahmadinejad still holds the reins of power, Mr. Mousavi seems to have more than a little influence amongst the ruling clerics.

Funny thing about elections, they sometimes yield unexpected results. The ruling mullahs in Iran are finding out that when you give citizens a voice, they’ll use it. Iranian voters clearly indicated last week that millions of them prefer to have former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi speak for them, rather than current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Vote counting in the Iranian presidential election was obviously fraudulent. The results were announced within a few hours after the polls closed. It takes much longer than that to count millions of hand written ballots.

The Iranian election commission also announced the results without waiting three days, as required by their own rules, further indicating that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Now the clerics leading the government of Iran find themselves in a bind. They encouraged Iranians to vote. And voters responded, only to find out that the results were fixed. It was an insult to the intelligence of Iranians around the world.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a review of the election results based on Mr. Mousavi’s allegations of fraud. This announcement was followed by a massive pro-Mousavi rally in Tehran’s freedom square.

While the Iranian government has done all it can to prevent coverage of the civil unrest, words and pictures have been poring out of the country. Many of these images show violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations. Some Iranians have begun to burn buildings and vandalize government offices. It’s hard to believe that Iran’s rulers had this in mind when they urged Iranians to vote. Hopefully Mr. Mousavi will continue to oppose Mr. Ahmadinejad’s authoritarian leadership.

Those heavenly homes overlooking the Aegean Sea on the island of Santorini, Greece make amateur photography easy. To get a good picture, just point and click. Local architects chose the correct shade for staying cool in the blazing summer sun. Dark colors capture heat. Light colors reflect heat.

Amazingly, US Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu created a controversy recently by proposing more white surfaces in hot climate zones around the world. The ancient Greeks figured this out in the days of Hera and Zeus. Our distant ancestors may not have considered how white surfaces mitigate the effects of global warming, but climate change wasn’t much of an issue back then.

Many large urban areas like Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona have predominantly dark colored roofs, roads and parking lots. These clustered dark surfaces produce urban heat islands which can increase air temperatures by 5-10%. A ninety degree day in the countryside is over one hundred degrees in the city.

Heat islands trap carbon dioxide and other pollutants which contribute to global warming. And urban homes and businesses combat the oppressive heat by cranking up their energy draining air conditioners.

Some state and local governments have seen the light. California building standards now require light colors on flat roofs of new buildings. The city of Phoenix, Arizona invested a portion of its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding in white paint for the roof of a public housing complex.

Dr. Chu deserves recognition for championing white surfaces. Communities save energy and protect the environment for the price of new paint.

Welcome back to the Organization of American States, Cuba! Quite a lot has happened over the past forty years. In particular, the OAS has taken the following positive steps toward accomplishing our key objectives:
1) agreed to maintain an ongoing dialogue about issues of vital importance to the region;
2) drafted several memoranda outlining plans for mutually beneficial investments;
3) met regularly to review past understandings and enjoy fruity tropical drinks;
4) engaged in shouting matches, usually pitting the US against everyone else or the US and Canada against everyone else;
5) fought wars with each other in central America, and
6) moderately prepared ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead.

Pushing Democracy
We’ve seen several peaceful transfers of power from one political party to another in Latin America over the past few years. Cuban citizens will hear about vibrant democracies in OAS nations like El Salvador, Bolivia and Paraguay and wonder why they can’t similarly participate in their own government. And the Castro’s will find it increasingly difficult to blame the US for all of Cuba’s shortcomings.

Harleys in Havana
Thousands of Harley Davidson motorcycles were sold in Cuba during the Batista years and the bikes are still quite popular on the streets of Havana. However Cuban Harley enthusiasts can’t buy spare parts directly from the manufacturer. The trade embargo with Cuba deprives Harley Davidson and other US companies of a potentially lucrative source of revenue. Lifting the embargo would boost both the US and Cuban economies.

The US and Cuba have many differences, but the trade embargo no longer makes any sense. The Cold War is over and Cuba’s government hasn’t changed. But while the US trades extensively with socialist China, it still shuns socialist Cuba.

Burmese military leaders should stand trial for hijacking their country’s government and terrorizing innocent Burmese civilians. Instead, the ruling junta has placed Aung San Suu Kyi on trial for violating the terms of her imprisonment.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial is a farce, and her confinement is illegitimate. She faces an additional five years of isolation if convicted, but the Burmese military leaders have given no indication that they intend to free her under any circumstances.

Burma’s rich natural resources have attracted foreign investors for decades and politicians around the world are protecting those investments. The Burmese military continues to enjoy the tacit support of its powerful neighbors. As India celebrates another election in their country, the Indian government says nothing about the ongoing repression of democracy in Burma.

Humanitarian organizations will have their hands full this summer.

Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan army triumphed in their war on the insurgent Tamil Tigers, but winning the peace may be more difficult. The war displaced thousands of Tamil families and Sri Lankan officials have denied relief organizations access to the refugees.

According to numerous accounts, villages in northern Sri Lanka have been devastated by the fighting. It’s still not clear how the government will integrate the refugees back into peaceful society.

Somalia
Somalia’s government has been unstable for decades. Recently, fighting between government forces and rebel factions has intensified and forced around 67,000 people from their homes in Mogadishu. The refugees mostly live in squalor outside the war zones.

Pakistan
As the Pakistani army steps up its offensive against Taliban forces in the Swat valley, refugees are steaming south towards Islamabad. Military officials in Pakistan have made it clear that the war will continue in the coming months, with Pakistani forces driving north towards the Russian border.

2.4 million Pakistani’s have already been displaced this year, with thousands more fleeing the battles every day.

President Obama understands the virtues of centrist policies. On a couple of occasions last week, the president showed that he’s open to all points of view when it comes to protecting national security. His deliberative approach stands in stark contrast to the “my way or the highway” postures of his predecessor. And Mr. Obama has had the perfect foil in Dick Cheney, a man not known for taking advice from anyone.

Despite promises of transparency and accountability in his administration, President Obama will continue to oppose the release of photographs of alleged detainee abuse during the Bush years. The pictures are the subject of a Freedom of Information lawsuit dating back to 2003, and may be released to the public later anyway. Until then, Mr. Obama will follow the advice of his generals, something else he promised to do during the campaign.

Last Saturday, President Obama appointed John Huntsman, the Republican Governor of Utah, as his ambassador to China. Appointing a popular GOP politician to such an important post indicates that Obama takes diplomacy seriously. Huntsman is no Obama crony, and won’t sugarcoat his reports to the president in order to curry political favors.

In the meantime, former Vice President Cheney seems hell bent on defending the efficacy of institutionalized torture. Of course Cheney is the also the guy who had no doubt that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction in 2002, which was the reason given for the US invasion of Iraq. Dick Cheney’s history of recklessness on issues of national security makes the current administration look prudent by comparison.

The budding military alliance between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US against Taliban forces should come as no surprise to anyone following events of the past eight years. The US has supported Afghan and Pakistani efforts to defeat the Taliban for nearly a decade. And Taliban fighters have shown no inclination to lay down their arms and make peace.

Now, Pakistani military officers are working directly with US officers in the deployment of a devastating new weapon. Aerial drones guided by pilots at a base in Afghanistan have given the allies a close up view of Taliban movements in the Swat region of Pakistan.

Knowing where to find enemy fighters gives the Pakistani military an obvious advantage. Once a drone identifies a Taliban fighter, it can track that fighter for days without being detected. One Taliban soldier leads the drones to other soldiers. This allows Pakistani forces to know exactly where and when to attack. Pakistani officers won’t even need to use the drones for firing on enemy forces. Pakistani soldiers on the ground can handle that, thanks to their tactical superiority.

In the past, residents of mountainous northern Pakistan held a natural advantage in battles against invading armies because they knew the terrain so well. But in 2009, Taliban fighters are up against well trained, fully equipped Pakistani soldiers who are already acclimated to the conditions.

According to reports, Pakistan is planning to take the fight directly to Taliban strongholds in Waziristan. If true, it indicates that the Pakistani army intends to completely neutralize the Taliban, rather than just drive them out of the Swat valley.