Radical Avenue

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: ???

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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.

The Pakistani Taliban’s campaign of terror over the past few months in the Swat Valley now threatens Islamabad. With civilians suffering under the iron hand of Taliban fighters, Pakistanis were beginning to wonder if their government would continue to look the other way. Apparently the answer is no.

Taliban militants may have committed a grave mistake by alienating so many Pakistanis. It allows President Zardari to tell the world that he gave the Taliban an opportunity to lay down their arms and live peacefully in the Swat Valley, but they refused. Ordering the army to intervene should improve Mr. Zardari’s standing inside his country.

The US Air Force has deployed a fleet of unmanned aerial drones over the skies of northern Pakistan. These new weapons provide enormous tactical advantages to their owners. The drones can see through clouds in the middle of the night, track enemy fighters for hours at time from two miles in the sky and use heat signatures to identify recently fired weapons. Drone pilots fire on targets inside Pakistan while sitting in front of computer screens on military bases inside the US. The US military also plans to put more boots on the ground in Afghanistan this summer.

Pakistani soldiers will receive intelligence and logistical support from their allies. International humanitarian organizations will provide food and shelter to displaced Pakistanis. The Taliban has far less capacity to withstand a war of attrition. The coming offensive should test Taliban fighters, but they’ve proven to be resilient in the past.

The Mexican government moved decisively last week in response to world wide concerns over spreading of the deadly H1N1 virus. Warnings went out, health professionals were invited in and public events were severely curtailed. Thanks in part to these extraordinary measures; life in Mexico may soon return to normal. Mexico has now earned a reputation as a nation which reacts swiftly and strongly to public health threats.

Apparently a number of countries learned lessons from the lethal SARS epidemic six years ago. Only a few people will seek to blame the Mexican government for the initial H1N1 virus outbreak, but nearly everyone expected a meaningful response once the severity of the threat became known. Mexicans deserve credit for their willingness to tolerate short term economic pain in order to assure the world that Mexico is a safe place.

If H1N1 turns out to be less dangerous than once feared, public health officials across the continent should be commended for their vigilance in containing the virus. Without quick action, the virus could have easily infected many more people than it has so far.

New sidewalks haven’t changed much over the past fifty years or so in the US. Our foot paths always look drab and dreary, like the colors of a rainy day. That’s where Red Shovel Glass Co. comes in. Red Shovel Glass helps the citizens of San Francisco, California recycle broken glass and pottery into landscaping materials.

Municipal governments hire organizations to collect recycled products anyway. By picking out glass or terra cotta and grinding off the rough edges, Red Shovel Glass creates substances that resemble multi-colored sandstones. Landscaping companies then mix the recycled materials in with concrete to liven up patios and walkways. Sculptors use the reflective glass in public art displays. And homeowners can throw a bag of colored stones into a fish pond or rock garden.

The San Francisco recycling program and others like it decrease the cost of government by effectively utilizing currently available resources, trash in this case, to produce income. Everyone benefits from this type of public investment.

An April morning drizzle poses no threat to visitors at the Botanical Gardens. The jungle canopy keeps park benches next to the lily pond warm and cozy. Peaceful interludes get interrupted quickly in Medellin. Groups of inquisitive children in matching polo shirts emblazoned with school colors are everywhere.

Colombian youngsters like to test pink skinned strangers on their mastery of the English language. Hello. What’s your name? How are you? What time is it? I enjoyed the Botanical Garden’s bamboo forest, orchids and butterfly exhibit, but the entire place is a plant lover’s nirvana.

One of the water parks in Medellin is located next to the municipal airport. Parents watch Taca and LAN commuter flights leave while kids dive into the wave pool. Every barrio has a heavily forested block or two, usually fed by a stream cascading down from the Andes. And the birds of these woodlands display their colors proudly. Bright red, yellow and green feathers, even the pigeons look more fluorescent in Colombia.

After hours crowds congregate in the clubs and restaurants of Parque Lleras. Sports lovers watch soccer matches at the new stadium. The local taxis will take you wherever you need to go, but please don’t slam the doors. It is considered highly impolite.

Medellin offers accommodations for all budgets. I recommend the Black Sheep Hostel in Patio Bonito or the InterContinental in El Poblado if you’ve got some extra spending money. You can dine every day on white linen, at KFC or on a folding table in a one room tienda. But don’t leave without trying a glass of freshly squeezed orange and mango juice with a hint of lime. Scintillating.