Chile and human rights

Chile becomes the final country in S. America to ratify the Rome Statute. Among other things, this brings Chile in line with the international community on human rights norms involving genocide and crimes against humanity.

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Michael Jackson's Uncensored Obituary

Michael Jackson’s sudden death has drawn the world’s attention all at once onto him likely for the last time. Michael Jackson was unquestionably one of the most famous and admired music icons of the modern world, sharing that pantheon only with a few (e.g. Elvis Presley, The Beatles or Madonna, come to mind). He was a prodigy: a massive-media, pop-culture version of Mozart, only deeply admired worldwide by the rich and the poor alike. And while I understand the fans’ admiration, I myself never was one of his followers. Perhaps because of the objectivity this might confer me, throughout the course of Michael Jackson’s life I couldn’t help the feeling of pity for him. For while Michael Jackson is the prototype of the music idol, whom all the kids and teenagers (and sometimes even a little older ones) imitate and see as the role model, for this very reason he also is an example of the worst abominations of our times. Because he is the pinnacle of modern fame, he also exemplifies in the worst form possible how public attention can corrode a human being.

Michael Jackson was a great pop musician and dancer but he was also a victim of his time. Physically and psychologically Michael Jackson was a freak. He was an eternal child trapped in childish dreams completely unable to understand a world that worshipped him. Now everybody remembers him but only a few days ago he was alone, locked in his Neverland world. In reality, this was not just a bad ending, it was also a bad beginning. Michael Jackson was alone for most of his life incapable of leading a normal life behind the scenes. But this was not the fault of his family and friends. Nor was it his own fault—how could it be, if he never had a choice? Again, Michael Jackson is a product of his times, the result of the unconditional love and admiration of millions who followed him since he was a boy. His case should give us food for thought regarding the values of modern society and the relentless aspiration to fame. Goodbye Michael, may you find peace finally.

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death of the Washington Post

I used to read the Washington Post because of its good coverage of Guantanamo and detainee treatment. But I just heard (been tucked away in a technology-free zone) about its firing of Dan Froomkin and well that spells the death of the WaPost for me.

As usual, Glenn Greenwald has some insightful points to make on a topic he writes about quite often. In short: Froomkin was too much of a real journalist for the Washington Post's editorial board to handle, because according to it, the function of journalism is to cater to the prevailing political masters.

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Yoo civil lawsuit allowed to proceed

See here. Also, see the Washington Post's editorial criticizing the decision. Its argument is summed up by the following:

Moreover, Mr. Yoo provided legal opinions on what he believed the law allowed the executive to do, but he did not make the final policy decisions. Allowing Mr. Padilla's case to proceed could have a chilling effect on the ability of government lawyers to give candid, good-faith advice for fear of being held personally liable.

I've addressed the distinction between advice and policy here. In Yoo's case, that distinction doesn't apply in the usual way, and the Washington Post's editorial is, once again, an utter failure.

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New York, 3rd World State

I have vast experience in 3rd World politics and can testify that the spectacle we have witnessed in the New York State Senate this week easily matches the worst episodes of corruption I have known about in Latin America or Africa. Two Democratic senators were apparently "persuaded" by a tycoon (who is not even part of the senate or any political party but who recently financed some important democratic state campaigns) to defect from the Democratic party allowing Republicans to seize control of the closely divided chamber.

This billionaire patron was indignant at the Democratic majority because of their plan to raise taxes on the rich to compensate the spiraling state deficit. Unable to deter them from going ahead with their plan, he opted for the healthy alternative of inviting a couple of senators with God knows what incentives to move to the opposite party.

In case this is not fishy enough, one of the defecting senators had been drawn to the Democratic side not long ago with promises of power and protection from the countless charges of corruption that he has faced lately. The other defecting senator was recently indicted with charges of having stabbed his companion.

You gotta wonder what the heck is going on in New York. The current governor, David Paterson, replaced the elected governor, Eliot Spitzer, who resigned last year after being linked to a prostitution ring. Like in the worst crooks movies, New York politics seems to be dominated by an underworld of corruption and personal interest. Democrats have taken legal measures against the Republican coup and a judge is set to deliberate on the issue next week. Whatever the outcome of this mess, the situation illustrates the need to clean the sordid political landscape of New York State as soon as possible.

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Boumediene 2: Bush 0

This is what Lakhdar Boumediene's homemade t-shirt reads, as related in his recent interview with ABC News. It refers to his two victories over the morally bankrupt Bush administration who willfully and needlessly kept him at Guantanamo for 7 years. The first victory was SCOTUS's judgment in Boumediene v. Bush which enabled him to get judicial review. The other was U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon's decision to free him upon reviewing the 'thin reed' of evidence the administration had against him.

Boumediene makes the following remarkable statement about the duration of his detainment:

"The first month, okay, no problem, the building, the 11 of September, the people, they are scared, but not 7 years. They can know whose innocent, who's not innocent, who's terrorist, who's not terrorist," he said.

"I give you 2 years, no problem, but not 7 years."

It's remarkably generous to offer 2 years of your life for a gross mistake (assuming that it's just that), especially given the credible charge of being tortured whilst incarcerated. But leaving that aside, Boumediene's point should strike a mortal blow to any proponent of executive privilege who wants to assert that the executive is better qualified than any other branch of government to handle matters of war--a standard talking point for the right. After 7 years, the executive could not (or would not) determine Boumediene's innocence. On the other hand, it took Judge Leon only 5 months after Boumediene v Bush to sift through all the evidence and render his judgment (PDF file). In which institution would you place more trust?

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Berlusconi's Innocent Villa

After Veronica Lario, Belusconi's wife, filed for divorced accusing him of shameless sexual corruption, Italian paparazzi caught the Italian president enjoying an "innocent" afternoon (as he himself referred to the pictures) with some of his friends (here).

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