Entre la alerta y la realidad: Vibrio vulnificus y la salud en RD.

Señores,

Hay mucha desinformación e ingnorancia de "la bacteria comecarne". Vamos a aclarar que el Señor Ministro de Salud de la Nación Dominicana ha dicho que "no existe evidencia de la bacteria Flesh Eating Bacteria o “bacteria carnívora” en el territorio nacional". Mas, recordemos que la "bacteria carnívora", Vibrio vulnificus, SIEMPRE está presente de forma natural en aguas salobres y marinas cálidas dominicanas, pero solo se considera problemática si un desequilibrio en el ecosistéma hace que prospere.

 Las infecciones de vibrio que llevan a la patología que puede ocasionar el deceso humano son síntoma de que esta pasando algo, porque cuando nuestros océanos tienen niveles saludables de Vibrio (la desaparición del microorganismo vibrio del océano fuera una tragedia), el vibrio lo que hace es alimentar especies como el plankton que es, entre otras cosas, la comida de las sardinas del locrio. Es como la candida, en niveles saludables, es necesaria para el buen funcionamiento del cuerpo humano, pero un desequilibrio, como un tratamiento con antibióticos defectuoso, pueden ocasionar que el cuerpo como defensa aumente el nivel de candida y esto puede ocasionar ronchas que dan comezón y es ahi cuando se habla de candidiasis. 

Hay quienes han exhortado a evitar alimentos como hamburguesas de res termino 3/4 y lo veo valido porque la "bacteria comecarne", que no es una bacteria comecarne, es un microorganismo muy valioso y solo ataca al humano feamente cuando hay un desequilibrio gravísimo en el organismo, es verdad que no suele trasmitirse por carne de res mal cocida, pero es posible hay hoy 13 de agosto del 2025 mayor posibilidad de que las mismas condiciones que quizas estan favoreciendo niveles problemáticos de Vibrio en las aguas dominicanas, también esten favoreciendo otras bacterias como salmonela y Ecoli. 

Por ejemplo: temporada alta, muchos turistas en nuestras aguas, locales y extranjeros, afectan el agua con piel muerta y cremas de sol, por igual ha habido mucha lluvia y la lluvia baja la salinidad del agua lo que favorece bacterias (por eso hay piscinas que en vez de cloro, usan sal), si la lluvia es acida encima de bajar la salinidad del agua afecta su Ph, lo cual puede favorecer que crezcá en numero la Vibrio... Entonces, tengamos cuidado, no usemos mal los antibióticos porque si hay muchas bacterias patógenas (Salmonella, E. coli, Vibrio) y la gente abusa de los antibióticos, ocurren varios problemas....El antibiótico es un muy buen recurso, sigue siendo vital en ciertos casos, pero todo en exceso es malo y mas vale herrero que hombre con llave si no la sabe usar...

Es posible que la gente se aleje de restaurantes y balnearios tanto de agua dulce como salada, si la percepción publica es que "anda algo en el ambiente". Estado que tenga eso en mente. Importante mano dura con lavado de manos en lugares públicos antes de comer y después de ir al baño...

El autor es abogado.

Carta Abierta al Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la República de Colombia, Gustavo Petro Urrego

 Carta Abierta al Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la República de Colombia, Gustavo Petro Urrego

Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Miercoles 6 de agosto del año 2025.

Excelentísimo Señor Presidente:

    Reciba usted un cordial saludo nacido desde el vínculo de afinidad y respeto que siento hacia su figura como político exitoso y estadista incipiente. 

    Me dirijo a usted mediante la presente carta abierta con el sincero propósito de expresar mi reconocimiento hacia la gran obra del gobierno que hoy usted encabeza en la hermana República de Colombia. Del mismo, nacen algunas preocupaciones y propuestas respecto al mismo. 

    Como ciudadano latinoamericano, bisnieto de bogotana, comprometido con el bienestar del porvenir de los que sentimos amor y respeto por esta tierra, he seguido con atención algunos desarrollos recientes de su administración, particularmente en lo que respecta a los desafíos que la política con principios representa en Nuestramérica hoy. 

    Quería exhortarle a jamás olvidar que, como podemos decir en lenguaje coloquial, “lo bueno trae veneno”. Preveo que si sigue asi como va hoy, su popularidad seguirá en ascenso y seguirá consolidándose el poder de vuestra coalición hoy devenida en un solo partido unificado. Mas, dicho lo bueno, preveo el veneno: como dicen los americanos angloparlantes, the calm precedes the storm. Me permito, desde la optica transdisciplinaria, informado por los saberes racionalistas de igual manera, compartir que intuyo que habra gente que puede caer en el orgullo que precede a la caída: temo que el vicio de la corrupción puede ser tema si no se establecen mecanismos como disciplina interna en vuestro nuevo partido político. 

    Reconozco que gobernar una nación en circunstancias tan complejas exige valentía, visión y diálogo constante. Por ello, le animo a seguir impulsando medidas siempre en beneficio del pueblo latinoamericano y de la dignidad de todos los sectores sociales. 

    Agradezco de antemano su atención y quedo en la esperanza de que esta misiva contribuya, aunque modestamente, a lo que usted tilde que amerite. Algo me inquieta: veo un paralelo entre vuestra situación hoy y la realidad venezolana entre el 2006-2008. 

    

    El primer revés electoral del Presidente Chavez, y el primer zarpazo de su oposición política (que recuperó espacios políticos claves), parecen obedecer a una circunstancia similar a la colombiana: la fusión de la coalición partidaria en un partido unico, que es nuestro PSUV de hoy. 

    Aprendamos de la gran maestra y escuela forjadora de hombres que es la historia: fusionar coaliciones partidarias en un solo partido centraliza el poder y vemos que en la cosa pública, centralizar mucho puede preceder a una falta de representatividad: en RD está el PLD en el 2016, en la historia ecclesiastica está la bula Unam Sanctum de Su Santidad Bonifacio VIII, de feliz recuerdo, en el Reino de Francia esta SM Luis XVI mudando a toda la familia en el Palacio de Versailles… 

    ¿Está usted centralizando mucho? Todo en exceso es malo, hay líderes que han cosechado buenos fruntos del centralizar más pero porque no perdieron la cercanía necesaria con los sectores necesarios para brindar la representación necesaria. Ejemplos serían el Partido Dominicano, el Partido Comunista Cubano, el Partido Comunista Chino y el NSDAP. 

    Es posible, para fortalecer la democracia y la salvaguarda de la dignidad innata del hombre, aumentar la cuota de poder del Poder Municipal, por ejemplo, y no por ello hay que darle excesiva autonomía porque, vuelvo y traigo a colación, todo en exceso es malo. 

Con la mayor consideración y estima,

Lic. Mario Emilio Nouel Mejía

Abogado.

Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. 

marioenouel@gmail.com

WhatsApp/Telegram: 8096963594

I don't wanna be cloned today!

I don't wanna be cloned today!

    The other day, somebody was really happy with my service at work and said "We need to clone you, we need 5 more yous in the world". I was dying to say, when my inner catholic bioethicist kicked in, "we don't need more mes, we need more people to up their game". I think her comment, more than extremely well-intended, hit a sensitive chord in me!

    A great and very important Book says “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do”. Structural sin is real, and so are social privileges. I was blessed, and praised be the LORD, to have a very good nutrition during my first 3 years of life, as well as amazing pre-natal care.

 These are rights, but at the end of the day, at least in the Dominican Republic, more than 6 out of every 100 children are left behind; this results in cognitive development stuning. When I was born (November, 1992), it is estimated more than double the amount of children were left behind. 

 This results, and this theory I first learned from Dr. Allende, former chilean president, in perpetuating inequity. He said babies without enough Milk were at a disadvantage during a speech in the ‘70s because the developing brain stunts without enough protein. 

Today, we don’t know if cow’s milk gives you cancer (I still eat Ice Cream at some point associated with Israeli War Crimes like Ben & Jerry’s; I’m more worried about smoking e-cigarettes, want to quit). But Allende’s theory has gained mainstream “scientific acceptance”: poor-fed children make for adults less able to fend for themselves and “lifting themselves by their bootstraps” when they enter the workforce or set-up a small-business in a free-market mixed economy such as the United States, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Vietnam and Colombia. 

However, and I don’t want to whitewash nor trivialize states/governments not doing their jobs, businessmen violating the law, unions not doing their job, I still see that individual agency is something vital. It is a most firm conviction I hold that people still have a degree of agency, no matter how harsh the situation is and even Karl Marx would agree: man makes history, though not in conditions of his choosing. 

Injustice is real! Impunity is real, too! But vagrancy, shamelessness, and not doing all one can do is a huge issue, too!

 I hate judging people who can do better and choose not to. Sometimes, the guy who seems to be half-assing life is working twice as hard because others are not playing by the rules. However, at the end of the day, cloning someone who didn’t have to face child stuning due to structural poverty-bred malnutrition isn’t the solution. The solution to the world’s ills is that those who can do more, and they know who they are, have to start doing so!

 If somebody likes the way I do things, I totally understand I’ve had opportunities others have not had. However, why is cloning me a better solution than for people who have had the same, or more, opportunities to get their stuff together?

 And, by the way, if you think you’re productive for ⅓ of your day, on most days, I don’t think you’re the problem. The mere fact that you tally how productive you are makes me think you’re aware idle hands are right next to the Enemy’s hand.

 But if your conscience is stinging you right now, I would totally recommend talking about work and duty and ethics to a trusted spiritual counsellor. And if you don’t have one, goodriddance: go get one! You’re probably right: if you don’t think you’re doing “your part”, and you don’t have a go-to guy for “spiritual wants and needs”, you’re probably not doing your part.

 Agnostics can go get a philosopher, but by the time you can verbalize you’re agnostic, I’m sure you already know a thing or two about ethics, and you probably know like minded people who know philosophy even if they don’t have accredited credentials. 

Es cuanto. 

    Have been thinking about the Lion Fish lately. Its symmetry is considered very beautiful and some think it resembles, like other things in nature, the Fibonacci sequence. It is also poisonous but is considered to attack for self-defense purposes only which is why it is respected: beautiful and dangerous. There is a thing though, we are not sure how the Lion Fish found its way from Asia to the Americas, but it wreaks havoc on local ecosystems...Beautiful, dangerous, but harmless unless provoked when in its natural habitat or, to redount, in a healthy ecosystem, the ecosystem where he belongs... 

    In the Caribbean Basin, it wreaks havoc. If the Lion Fish was human, short-termed thinkers would wonder why return to Asia if they can rule in the Caribbean Basin... And, after all, they never asked to be brought here in the first place...

    The best reason I would posit to persuade? In Asia, the Lion Fish has long-term security. If it remains in the Caribbean Basin, sought after by hunters instead of respected by fishermen, at some point there will no longer be a Caribbean Basin which means, at some point, there won't be good Basins anywhere...

Keto esta caro

Keto esta caro

 Alguien en UberEats de República Dominicana vende un desayuno keto que incluye medio aguacate, 2 tiras de tocino y 2 huevos fritos por 624 pesos. Algunas personas opinaron que ProConsumidor debería intervenir. Un usuario preguntó: “¿Qué opinas?”

    No dejo de darle vueltas a este asunto. Dije, y reitero, que un margen de ganancia de hasta 300% se considera saludable para un restaurante. UberEats, si lo pides por ahí, cobra comisión al restaurante encima del delivery fee al usuario + propina al gig worker. Me parece razonable. 

    Aquí entre nos: soy abogado, 2 huevos prem-fritos en aceite nuevo, 2 tiras razonables de bacon normal (Chef, por ejemplo), medio aguacate criollo normal. Una hora de mano de obra. Yo no hago eso por menos de 740 pesos. Y si es por UberEats, hay que tomar en cuenta su comisión.

    Y reitero, entiendo que una intervención estatal para control de precios no procede.

    Sostengo lo que dije. Yo creo en la necesidad de un ente regulador imparcial velando por precios justos. Pero aquí no veo una industria oligopólica, price gouging, cartelización, etc., sino una MIPYME tratando de sobrevivir en la gig economy con una industria que requiere altos márgenes por ser un mercado de nicho.

    Sin embargo, esto causó tanto revuelo en redes que interpreto que, en el fondo, el pueblo dominicano NO QUIERE un estado omnipotente, que fabrique miseria, por no darle su justo lugar al mercado y nos lleve a la servidumbre involuntaria.

    Y es que, en el fondo, no creo que lo que incomodó sea una MIPYME tratando de sobrevivir o progresar. Creo que lo que incomodó es cómo esta mercancía a ese precio ilustra la privación relativa y la gran inequidad/desigualdad que aún prevalece en RD en detrimento del bienestar común de su posteridad.

    Entonces, me quedé pensando en esa gran discusión de Twitter. Sentía a la gente incómoda; interpreto eso como que la gente no quería hablar de mi pensar sobre control de precios en restaurantes de lujo. Pero creo que es necesario interpretar ese deseo de hablar de los derechos de los consumidores y los desayunos de lujo con high markup como algo que, en el fondo, sí quieren tocar: la justicia redistributiva en nuestro contrato social.

    En español llano, creo que los dominicanos hablando de esto y del control de precios es un síntoma, y yo explicando, o intentando explicar, cuándo procede y cuándo no el intervencionismo estatal. en los precios de los bienes y servicios, no era el problema ni la solución. 

    Fue, a mi juicio, un síntoma de un problema, y yo dando una explicación que podía aliviar la sintomatología, pero no “cortar” el problema/enfermedad de raíz. El problema no es el desayuno keto de lujo a precio exorbitante, ni que el usuario no quiera, como sugirieron algunos tuiteros, “coger pa’ la fritura” a comer barato. El problema es la gran privación relativa en el país más desigual de América Latina, y la solución es consensuar mejor sobre cómo está distribuida la riqueza en la República Dominicana. 

    Porque, como dijo Duarte, el General tras la gesta independentista con respecto a Haití liderado por Boyer, o tiranizado por Boyer ya por los años 1844: “Sed justos lo primero si queréis ser felices.”

¿Por qué el teleoperador dominicano llevó su almuerzo al trabajo?

Porque el subsidio alimenticio era tan “generoso” que solo alcanzaba para mirar el menú.

¿Por qué el teleoperador español NO llevó su almuerzo al trabajo?

Porque esta haciendo ayuno intermitente 16:8 por lo sedentaria de la labor.

Dia Mundial del Perro

 Dia Mundial del Perro

Hoy me levanté pensando mucho en Lolita, una integrante de la familia que partió físicamente el 15 de abril del 2024. Me vino a la mente de manera especialmente vivida. Me pregunté por qué. Me inspiro en la espiritualidad franciscana para compartir una convicción: la muerte física no quiebra el vínculo espiritual, porque toda la creación está unida en Dios. 

Lolita fue un perro excepcional. Me hace mucha falta. Nos hizo muy felices durante las casi dos decadas que formó parte de nuestra familia de manera física. 

No siento a Lolita partida a destiempo. Muchas personas nos presionaron para asistirle a partir, más como familia inmediata de Lolita tomamos la decisión de asistirle en su partida física con una veterinaria, el día que ella escogió pues ya estaba pereciendo de manera natural, de causas naturales, cuando se le asistió. 

    El día que escogio coincidió con el mismo día en que se conmemora a San Telmo, a quien se honra como Patrono de los Marineros. El Bichon, antes de ser adoptado como una compañía ideal para las aristócracias europeas, era también el preferido de los marineros porque eran pequeños, fáciles de cuidar, obedientes y muy astutos; buenos para el control de plagas y hay hasta leyendas sobre bichones que alertaban a los tripulantes de peligros como incendios. 

El padre de los hijos de Lolita, Tobías, ha sido relajado porque una vez le pasó un ratón por enfrente y el perro ni se inmuto porque quería seguir echado cogiendo el fresco de la tarde en un rincón con sombra de la casa. Esto tiene una explicación y es que Tobi es un Bichon Frise, que no es igual al que acompañaba a los marineros pues la aristocracia preferia que el control de plagas no lo hicieran los Bichons. 

    De ahi que, otros Bichones como el Bichon de Tenerife son mas cazadores; se opto via cria selectiva perruna que el Bichon frances iba a ser mas para compañia que para cazería. Mas, creo que uno de los ultimos gestos que Lolita quizo hacer fue honrar sus raíces partiendo el mismo día que el Patrón de los Marineros, visto como sabemos que sus antepasados trabajaban en barcos en vez de ser la compañia para el ocio e intriga de los palacio-habientes. 

Lolita fue un perro que llego en el momento ideal. En adolescencia temprana, confieso que no me entusiasmo mucho su llegada porque habia muchos perros y un perro de interior era mucha responsabilidad. Mas, mas adulto, entiendo porque una de las ancianas de la familia tomo la decisión de enviarnos a Lolita con mucha sabiduría y hoy se lo agradezco con todo el corazón. 

Hoy, tenemos en la familia a la abuela Maritza, a quien cariñosamente y para su beneplacito llamamos Lola. Se le pidió permiso para ponerle Lolita a la cría de Bichón tan especial y singular que nos encargaron custodiar, y a quien se le encargo custodiarnos de igual manera. Mi abuela Maritza cumple años hoy, Día Mundial del Perro para los países hispanoparlantes. ¡Qué coincidencia! Lola cumple años el dia que tambien recordamos en el mundo Hispano a nuestros perros, no me extraña que me levanté pensando en Lolita, a quien decide dedicarle esta breve entrada, hoy, en mi blog. 

Los Estados Unidos y Yo

 Los Estados Unidos y Yo

    The United States and I. Tengo muchos y muy buenos recuerdos de los Estados Unidos y su gente, recuerdos que todavia no dejó de construir. Con gente de todos los colores y clases, razas y religiones y castas. English from now on, of course. I will translate what I said, and continue moving forward in English without getting into the “English only in América” thingy due to the “La Raza” thingy. I said I have a lot of very good memories from the United States, the union of 50 states (more coming?) whose capital is DC, north of Rio Grande, plus Alaska and Hawaii (Canada annexation pending haha, but I think the quebecois are going to need to see some moolah to go for it). Regarding its people too. I think of my land as the spanish speaking lands, or predominantly spanish-speaking lands, south of Rio Grande, south of the border, minus a few american possessions/territories such as Puerto Rico and Amona until otherwise decided after a negotiation. Nonetheless, however, people and land are inextricably linked, as well as animals, but I do like to make a distinction between the two/three. 

    It is not a whites-only thing. Hawaiians, African-americans, asian-americans, latinos from the USA with an American/WashingtonDC-backed citizenship (both hispanic, and non-hispanic) have touched my heart and mind, which is why I can’t help but dispense that population with unspeakable amounts of love as a collective. 

    Some of my heroes are Americans (from now on, when I say americans I am referring to people who live in the USA, in the union of 50 states, who say they are americans). Arnold Schwarnzegger is one of them. Mr. Schwarzenegger, the Governor from California who is german-american, american because he manifested a desire to be “let into the club”, which was granted, and I think he has given back to his society, to his more than important chosen family, if I may posit that, is an interesting hero to me.

    I feel Arnold is one of my weakest heroes. Maybe Alexander the Great had more faults but knew how to hide ‘em better haha. However, some things Arnold has done I totally understand. You can’t be perfect in an imperfect society. Which is one of the reasons he came to America and went to California. Because he thought his society was holding him back. 

    But I see Arnold and I see success. A very American version of success. I wonder if he is happy. Should he have stayed in his native homeland and do as instructed? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the german-speaking migratory influx which came to California. Which brings me to the Pacifica Graduate Institute.

    PGI is an amazing institution that has generously educated me and granted me scholarships only asking for my opinion about the course and commitment to my community in return. That is where I have learned a significant amount of psychoanalysis. It is a Californian institution, and german-speaking migratory influx in California is part of why there is so much psychoanalysis going on in California.

     American intellectuality is also something which has made strides in my thinking. “The Global North” has been accused of manufacturing even the ideas we Latin Americans in the South use to explain that. Nothing new under the sun, a lot of criticism made to Rome during the heydays of the Roman Empire were done with Roman law.

    However, back in the day, “American” was associated with good quality. You wanted good butter in the Dominican Republic? Buy american. Good soap? Buy american. I still enthusiastically use American thinkers and unapologetically so. As a latin american, I’m expected to use latin american thinkers too. And I don’t find that problematic, we do have some very good thinkers like Pope Francis and Juan Bosch. Now, somebody who might struggle with using american thinkers might be resented at american foreign policy which ignores FDR’s “be a good neighbor” clause. But a lot of the people calling it out are americans themselves. There are good people in the USA. Some benefit from the rich in the Global North allying with rich in the Global South to exploit mercilessly the resources of said region, and they know it. But I think it is not realistic to boycott the solution out of corporations and the state. I think it is impossible to, realistically, have a normal day in America without putting cents into the pockets of those in bed with Netanhayu’s regime. But we are all doing our best here, bloodless goods are a luxury of the rich. It seems in most cases we have people with bloodless money who have to buy goods full of blood, or people with pockets full of blood money who can afford bloodless goods

    God told Bush Jr to invade Irak. Won’t judge President Bush. I’m still buying it. However, statistically, most Americans oppose wars against countries they don’t perceive as threats to them. And not all of them go to the protest, the guy with an MA from his small-town community college in Women’s Studies might have some fry-frying to get done at McDonald’s that day, and if it is his day off, I think he and the world are better off with that guy letting his cortisol levels reset before another hard workweek, assuming he has money to go to the protest in Charlotte in the first place. 

    And, talking about God, again America is an empire. America is everywhere. When I call America an empire, I’m not even making a moral judgement, those puritans fled England cause they hated having someone bother them all the time, but we Europeans found a way to come here and bother them here. Little known historical fact: some americans didn’t support the revolutionary war (the loyalists), they were outnumbered by those who wanted Independence from the British crown. Most Americans at the time, nonetheless, didn’t choose any side; they only cared about getting out of the mess alive. 

    And I won’t whitewash, or attempt to whitewash, the “stolen land” issue. Man, at some point, I won’t start placing blame on anybody, but the Puritans tried repeatedly to find a way to stay in England. And the puritans were, to some Indians, or Native Americans, or Original Peoples, or Reds (whatever), a Godsend in fact because before the arrival of the first puritan, Native Americans were suffering because of diseases previous Europeans had brought. However, it all started pretty innocently: reds and whites traded, whites seemed to have a stronger immune system, and yeah, I do admit at some point Greed derailed the project. Which is something I think we have to admit: racial reconciliation requieres good, honest communication; whitewashing isn’t the solution, it only makes the problem worse. If you’re wrong, admit it. It’s in the Bible: treat others like you want to be treated (easier said than done, I find that a difficult commandment because not everyone is a priest, but patience is a virtue; sin brings more sin, virtue brings more virtue in a seemingly compounding phenomena).

    Now, racial reconciliation is definetely a loable, great, huge goal to have. However, if I may posit a perspective as a white man, we whites don’t even get along among ourselves in the first place. Change begins at home, like Bill Gates says clean your room before trying to save the environment (which is, I’m not sure if Bill realizes it, but I think it’s a very poetic statement that is deep and complex as heck; definitely not a neutralizing maneuver to keep wild politically-saavy teens “in check”). Interracial dialogue will be mastered, I think, after intra-racial dialogue is nailed. Irish vs British, Slavs and Germans, Anglos and Francos in Canada, White Latin Americans and WASPs…

    I find diversity beautiful, however one thing is that when we point out differences we get along better if we are willing to respect and compromise. Latinos love mocking drip machine coffee, if it ain’t made in a moka pot, it is sock water. I realized something when I moved to Canada though: I started drinking drip machine coffee. And when my dad, in disbelieve, pointed out he can’t believe I’m drinking that ****, I told him “Dad, when I wake up in winter, my in-door thermometer says it is 57F inside (I liked turning the heater off at night because I like the cold when I’m sleeping), when my 2-person moka pot brews, by the time I take my mug to the couch, it is already cold; Americans like this coffee because since it is weaker you can drink more to heat you up too). 

    Some of my best friends are Americans. No last names: Lucas, Daniel, Zac, Matthew, Sue, Max, José, and if we get the Canadians in the lists grows even longer. And some people hate americans, some people mock americans, but I honestly find myself incapable of doing so because of how important my friends from America are. 

I learned how to dance in New Hampshire (a bunch of american jocks teaching the white dominican how to dance was certainly an interesting sight). My first crushes were American. My first employer-I’m-not-related-to is American.

     My first “wow, you’re a politician, can I take a picture with you!?” was from an american. She is african-american, she touched my heart; I promised her I will do something good for Black America that day in Multicentro Churchill. Chavez, hugely controversial, officially more hated than loved, was a pioneer in the Latin Americans helping Blacks in the United States theory, he helped heat up black homes. Some will call it loyalty buying; I’ll go with an “a politician is a politician is a politician”. 

    The other day, yesterday to be exact, I said I will choose a President Donald J Trump as head of state of the United States any day of the year over an establishment democrat or republican. By American standards, I do lean left on some issues so to speak. However, there is something I like about the USA: states rights, which Donald has supported regarding controversial issues such as being “pro-choice” and gay weddings. And I think that is a beautiful thing because, at the end of the day, a politician acknowledging a community might know how to “do it better” than some bureaucrat in Washington who a second before being asked for an opinion didn’t even know that small town existed before pulling up ChatGPT is very important. Man, a sleek “on the issues” section, made by a professional “political marketing” mercenary, which an aspiring congressman paid for with money donated by special interests groups including Big Oil and Big Porn…I’m not going to say he is a bad guy instead of “pragmatic”.

     I totally get the changing the system from the inside theory some good people, including myself, identify with. But, on the other hand, that guy may actually also just be a bad guy. I’d rather have a Republican with probity than a guy who “hits the spot” when he talks “about the issues”, and doesn’t do **** when elected. Which, again, I supported Trump the morning before some horrible people tried to whack him, and I don’t regret it. I was fully aware Trump, or other Trump supporters, at some point, were going to drive me nuts regarding things like foreign policy and the environement. But I can be wrong, so can other people. We’re not perfect. And sometimes politicians do have to bluff which is why I sometimes choose to not emit an opinion or judge. Because I am not aware of all of the facts, and I trust the American leader will do his best and, by the way, I feel supported when I choose to support latin american politicians which Washington might not want in power (or couldn’t care less, but politics and realpolitik are real, so is pandering, a favour is a favor, etc…). I think that is very respectful. Which again, that is something I really admire about the American people: respect. 

    Some people might have a hard time wrapping their heads around that one, but it is super simple. An activist can be a registered independent and support a good feel the bern Dem in Vermont and a good MAGA Republican in Texas. Is it incoherent? Not really, because I think people in Vermont want a huge welfare state, and people in Texas would rather have low taxes and a waaay more limited government. And also, sometimes, you may not even like the guy, but you work with him because he’s a legit authority, and US Veteran plus presidential candidate John McCain thought me, via example, that “crossing across the aisle” to get good things done for the good people of the republic in a fast, efficient way that will deliver a good, tangible result is good.

    At some point, while maturing, I learned that picking sides and stirring the fight shouldn’t be my default go to. Why? Sometimes praying for peace is better. De-escalation is a necessary asset, it is vital. And if de-escalating gets it accomplished, it may even be better than escalating because war, continuation of politics via other means, is best done when only the minimum amount of resources are used. I’m not a pacifist, I believe in self-defense, but war is a last resource and we should try to avoid it at all costs. War mongering isn’t only sinful, war mongering isn’t even good millitary theory. It may be a good business idea regarding ROIC, no matter how unethical and wrong it is, which is one of the problems in the world today: war for profit instead of self-defense or humanitarian action against a tyrant making innocent people suffer (R2P). 

    So yeah, I always choose sides: whoever is right. Our main allegiance, as humans, should be to God only, and I believe God demands fairness and justice in all of our affairs.

    Some say the USA doesn’t have permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. I don’t believe the American population is a machiavellean sociopath. Now is a time for people who love America to remain steadfast in their friendship to the American people. They are, I think, figuring some stuff out, they’re having a tough time in history, but they say, and this is good news, that it is in tough times when you learn who your real friends are. A collateral benefit of this tough situation. 

    I will share a final piece of something I think I’m justified in calling wisdom: I would love to say America will emerge stronger out of this current situation. But I cannot say that. Because Americans have free will. It is my sincere desire and wish, my utmost wish, that a healthier, wealthier, wiser America emerges. So, you know the drill, Franklinian style, early to bed, early to rise. 

    Es cuanto.