Pope Francis, Bolivia's Morales discuss inequality

Pope Francis, Bolivia's Morales discuss inequality | GlobalPost
A short read on at least one area that Francis and Evo agree: the inequality visited upon the poor simply for being poor. Add me to that list as well. Here in Bolivia we have a front row seat to the daily show. Part of the inequality is right here in our semi-rural neighborhood. The same basic services available in town, just a few kilometers away, that we don't have are

1. Continuous access to potable water. Our community well has an output that is seasonally dry.
2. Sewer system. We have a septic tank. Some of our neighbors just run their waste water into the street.
3. Police service. You can find the police in most of Cochabamba & they will come when called. Here just barely outside the urban zone one never sees the police. [Flip side: if there were a serious crime in this neighborhood they perpetrator would probably get lynched.....]
4. Public transportation. Yes, we have passenger vans. The service does not run the same hours (fewer) here than in the city.
5. Domestic gas. There is a growing network of gas delivery by tubing in the city. Go just outside and "nada."
6. Paved streets, or at least cobblestoned streets. 

One does not have to live in the truly rural zones of the country where there is extreme poverty to get a sense of the stark contrast between urban and rural parts of the country.

States’ Policies on Health Care Exclude Poorest - NYTimes.com

States’ Policies on Health Care Exclude Poorest - NYTimes.com
Where is the outrage? Who is speaking for the poorest of the poor? Are we not instructed by Matt 25:31-46 to look first to the poorest? When we the poorest show up in your ER without insurance, doesn't it cost everyone? While the ER "works" for emergencies, it does little for longer term needs such as dental, eyesight, cancer. My suggestion: reform Obamacare so that everyone is covered.

The Pope tough against the Cult of Money

    We get a bigger dose of Catholic news here especially about Pope Francis as this is a very Catholic country and Argentina is our neighbor (home of Francis). I first saw this story in Spanish from an Argentinian newspaper, Clarin. 

   Good content even though his discourse was directed to Vatican diplomatic corps. My favorite line was Francis quoting St. John Chrysostom: "Not to share one's goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs."  We can see this from a different angle here: the most remote, poorest in Bolivia live way off the beaten track. Non-profits, churches even the government don't get back to the far rural areas to the same extent as the easy-to-reach urban areas. This is "why" we distribute books in northern Potosí of Bolivia.

Here are two links, one in Spanish the other in English about a recent discourse of Pope Francis on "The Cult of Money".

El Papa, duro contra "el culto al dinero"
Pope calls for global, ethical finance reform, end to cult of money

Hispanic HS Graduates Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment

Well folks, here is one more reason to kick 'em out of the USA: with more enrolling in college than those "blancos" they will displace them (eventually) from the better jobs. Or another way of looking at this is like all waves of immigrants in the past, our hispanic sisters and brothers will make a solid contribution. It may take a few generations. But that is what we've seen consistently from immigration over the long haul.
Hispanic HS Graduates Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment

Timelapse: Landsat Satellite Images of Climate Change, via Google Earth Engine

Very cool site show selected places on the Earth via a time progression. Based on nearly 30 years of accumulated satellite images.

Timelapse: Landsat Satellite Images of Climate Change, via Google Earth Engine

Not Speaking at the NRA Convention

The nonsense continues. The "powers that be" are well in control of the situation. Until the rest of us rise up in revolt, we will continue to see innocent people killed. No, not a violent revolt, but a revolt from the ballot box, the editorial pages and in peaceful protest. We are not talking about the non-innocent criminals or enemy combatants. But children and in the case of Sandy Hook the teachers who were mowed down by a crazy guy. It is up to us to speak for them.

Pope Francis: Liberation Theology Priest Sees New Hope For Catholic Church

Pope Francis: Liberation Theology Priest Sees New Hope For Catholic Church
    Well, speak of the (ex) devil himself. Here is Leonardo Boff, the oft-smitten Catholic priest who extolled Liberation Theology and paid the price as the Vatican cracked down over the last 30+ years. He sees hope in the new pope, Francis I. So do I.
    My own perspective is that living, working among the poor brings one to a different conclusion of "what is the purpose of church?" Or in my perspective, "the various churches."
   Just one peek from my perspective in Cochabamba:

1. Where we live is on the outskirts of town in a semi-rural environment. The folks here are predominantly related to agriculture and manual trades. I would not use the term "poor" in that there appears to be enough to eat; ; houses have doors and roofs; I don't see children without clothes here; there is water most of the time; there is fairly reliable electric service; there are clinics and a health post; there is telephone service and for the last 6+ month broadband internet. AND I can tell you that within 1/2 mile of the house there are at least three churches in operation.
2. In the far countryside of really rural Bolivia things are the inverse: I've seen hungry people living in dwellings without proper doors (just a blanket) and thatched roofs: this is how the vinchuga bug gets into your house, bites you and gives you a deadly disease called 'Chagas Disease.'  There is no readily available water supply. A health post may be 2-4 hours hike or longer. No police. Depending on your locale there might be cellular service; forget the internet. If you live within a few kilometers of a road there might be electricity. I've seen children without clothes and certainly without shoes. There are few established churches. OR in the case of my previous employer there were churches in the far rural areas that were essentially abandoned when the Great Recession hit.
3. In town: all of the basic services. While there is a noticeable homeless population, one could say that the problems of the rural and semi-rural areas are not visible. And there are lots of churches. All the way from small house based churches to truly massive structures hundreds of years old. 

   My observation is this: poverty in varying degrees surrounds the cities. What is not visible, not obvious is how the churches in the cities are involved in the rural "poverty infrastructure" combating poverty. If indeed the mantra of Liberation Theology that "God's preference is for the poor" one certainly doesn't see it in the churches that I know. Instead an inward focus on saving one's own soul, good music, good companionship, maybe a good sermon. As someone once upon a time enamored with Liberation Theology what I see is a huge disconnect between the reality of life and the collective response of the Christian churches.
   I hope that Leonardo Boff is right. And I hope that if indeed the Catholic church can recast its vision that the rest of Christianity can follow suit.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Boston Bombing Suspect, Listed On Classified Government Watch List

And it turns out that it was not just one list but several. We can't and won't turn into a police state with Big Brother watching every move. BUT somehow we've got to better use information that is at hand to better protect the public. This was just two goof-balls with limited resources and low tech bombs. What happens when some professionals show up?
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Boston Bombing Suspect, Listed On Classified Government Watch List

Arianna Huffington: The Jobs Crisis: It May Not Be "Breaking News," But It's Definitely "Broken News"

The title says it all. There are millions of us that were displaced, abandoned, thrown out and forced into lives that we never imagined ten years ago. What is even more unimaginable is that the country has not been able to come up with a long term solution. Not talking about endless unemployment checks, but rather retraining, creation of new jobs and conscientization of our collective plight. If it were only a million or so, maybe they could ignore the problem. But it is millions and millions...

Arianna Huffington: The Jobs Crisis: It May Not Be "Breaking News," But It's Definitely "Broken News"

The Slippery Slope

Indeed, indeed. Where do we stop this nonsense? All we need is a goofball to shoot up the Chess Club and we'll have to have armed guards for them too. And don't forget Driver's Ed: you never know when the person in the other car is going to lapse into road rage and start shooting.
   This slippery slope has no bottom to it. And once we start to slide nothing to grab onto.

Where were you 45 years ago today?

MLK, Jr shot Fourty Five Years Ago Today
   As for me, I was on spring break from K-State and had returned home for the holiday. I remember it well. Kansas City had imposed a city wide curfew as there was rioting. I went out to visit a friend in suburban Shawnee Mission (far from the rioting) who had been recently hospitalized and I got caught. Paid a fine, but didn't do no time. Would have been an honor to do time in honor of MLK, Jr.
   As Soren Kierkegaard once said "The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins."
Steve B from Cochabamba

Not quite time to bend over and kiss it good-bye. But its acomin'....

Mario Livio: The Fate of Life on Earth: A Cosmic Perspective

It is not going to be easy.....

Well, it has been a couple of weeks and now we can see a little more clearly what pope Francis is going to be like. Holy Week is (and certainly it was 2000 year ago) a crucible. Some of us see very hopeful signs in Francis' actions. [Note to readers: no, I'm not Catholic (the church) but rather 'catholic' in the sense of recognizing 'the universal body of Christ of all believers.']
In this article The Last Straw for Traditionalists (and there are others commenting on the same reactionary opinions of traditionalists) we see that the self appointed guardians of the faith find fault in Francis. Horrors! This was the topic of discussion at our annual 12 Course meal for Good Friday at a very Catholic home. What do they think of Francis? "A breath of fresh air." "The beginning of change to revitalize the Church."
  It is not going to be easy. Even small changes in ritual / liturgy will be criticized. Try something bigger (you get to pick what that might be) and we'll see how this goes. My own observation is that the Traditionalists that reside in all churches will first react to liturgy knowing full well that the "worst" comes later. Witness the long battle over modern music and instruments in churches across the land that began 40 years ago. And in some congregations still we see this battle.
   As I've said before, "stay tuned" in to the saga of Francis. It is going to be interesting......

The End of Religion As We Know It

Gary Laderman: The Rise of Religious "Nones" Indicates the End of Religion As We Know It

Here is some analysis from a scholar of religion. His basic point is that the five following factors have had the effect of an increasing number of people who say that "none" is their own religion. Not necessarily atheist (that is not really "none") but that their religion is not bounded or aligned with any particular brand. The factors are not new, their interpretation as factors in a persons religion or spirituality is indeed of interest.

1. The aftereffects of the 1960s social revolution.
2. Popular culture as a "replacement" for religion.
3. Consumerism and our cafeteria view of everything: we pick and choose what we want.
4. Changing relation between church and state; what does and does not constitute religion.
5. The end of religion as we have known it for nearly 2000 years.

My take: he and others who are watching this phenomenon are on to something. Whether "religion" will die or more hopefully morph into something useful is yet to be decided.....

Lest we forget

The only thing that I can add to this is maybe "....and the Congress that voted repeatedly to perpetuate the war and also the many millions of citizens who voted for them."

Round Two: How does Liberation Theology affect Francis?

As I noted the other day, there is some ambivalence in Francis' acceptance / non-acceptance of Liberation Theology. Given that LT is not a uniform set of beliefs (depending on one's perspective: latino, black, feminist, etc) it should not be a surprise that Francis is hard to pin down on this from his previous perch in Buenos Aires.
   My guess: he has worked among the poor for most of his life; that's where he's coming from. However as the leader of the Catholic Church it is not very becoming to pronounce in favor of LT (or a variant) as Pope. Stay tuned. I think it will take some time to figure this out. And given that the fellow who put the kaboosh on LT 30 years ago is the Pope Emeritus, maybe it would be better to wait until he is really really cloistered in his new digs at the Vatican.
Is the New Pope More Liberal Than the Last Two? Why It's Hard to Tell - Emily Chertoff - The Atlantic

Hey, pal: can you spare a couple a Trillion dollars? maybe six?

I am a pacifist. War is almost always a waste. The two Bush Wars will cost the US treasury many times more than the trivial pursuit that Congress is talking about now. So when you think you can conjure up an image of  "war is evil" as 100s of thousands of civilians died in Iraq and Afghanistan, you've come up a several hundred million short. The impact in the USA on millions upon millions of students whose education is shortchanged, the millions of potential recipients of medical aid who can't qualify the more stringent requirements because there simple isn't enough money for Medicaid; etc etc etc. Remember what Ike said so many years ago (April, 1953):

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter with a half-million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. . . . This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.

Iraq War Cost U.S. More Than $2 Trillion, Could Grow to $6 Trillion, Says Watson Institute Study

Why the First Latin American Pope Inspires Less Hope Than We Hoped

Below is the link to the TIME article. This is just one perspective. There will be tons of comments, analysis in the days and weeks to come. This article appeared less than 24 hours after the selection. Francis (Bergoglio) has been around for quite a few years and so I am sure  that there will be information and people's comments.
   I myself sit on the fence on the LGBT largely because my social / familial circle doesn't include hardly any one I know. But I don't think it proper to demonize anyone, especially if your words can be used from the pulpit (intentionally or otherwise) to harm another person. Read on....
Why the First Latin American Pope Inspires Less Hope Than We Hoped | TIME.com

Euphoria in S. America

Big news this evening as the new pope was selected. An Argentinian Jesuit. Both firsts. Indeed the first pope from the southern hemisphere, first from the Americas, first from South America. Local news tonight was completely dominated by the coverage from Rome and Buenos Aires. I was more impressed by the fact that Francis I is a Jesuit. If you remember, the Jesuits and the hierarchical Catholic Church came to blows some hundreds of years ago and it was finally patched up. I have a lot of respect for Jesuits.
   On the flip side, early analysis (surely to be confirmed) indicates that Francis I is "against" Liberation Theology. Not sure what that means, but my guess is that one can't be pope if one is a die-hard Liberation Theology believer. Sad. What caught my attention was Presidenta Cristina K. of Argentina was taped shortly after hearing about Francis I's selection and her comment that she hoped that he will exercise "an option for the poor." A catch phrase from Liberation Theology (and other sources as well.)
  Stay tuned, this will be an interesting topic for sure. But in the meantime "Euphoria in S. America!"

Steven Brill’s 26,000-word health-care story, in one sentence

Steven Brill’s 26,000-word health-care story, in one sentence

OK readers, so you couldn't get through the longest Time article in history of 26,000 words? We have here the remedy in one sentence. [Spoiler alert: I'm gonna give the sentence to you and you don't have to click on nuthin.]
"The American health-care system does not use rate-setting." Except for Maryland it turns out, which is living proof that we CAN control costs. In general the rest of the (rational) world sets rates for medication, treatment, hospital stays. In the USA (except Maryland) there is nothing to stop the hospital from charging you $1.50 for a Tylenol, yet you can buy a bottle of 100 for $1.49. Folks, we are being raped financially.

So, if NOW I've got your interest, how about clicking on that full length Time article? 

Whatever you do, don't get sick in the USA

Time Magazine: Why medical bills are killing us.
This is a long article, lots of details, on how and why the medical system is broke. There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle including the worst: the incredible greed of the medical establishment in the USA. I can say with certainty that this is a "USA problem" with the perspective we have in Bolivia. Yes, doctors are relatively well compensated here; yes a good hospital (private) or clinic will cost more than a public facility. But there is no conceivable way that the 10s, 100s of thousands of dollars that one sees in the USA could possibly exist here. And thinking of the millions of dollars that are not that uncommon: impossible.

One of the reasons (other than not having a job or a way to pay for return expenses after being abandoned overseas during the Great Recession.) that we have not moved back to the USA is simply we don't have medical insurance. And at the age we were dumped six years ago (late fifties) and with some no-so-serious-but-impossible-to-hide medical issues, it was impossible to get health insurance.

My solution: universal health care-single payer just like Medicare. Or, if you want to put the greed business out of business: nationalize the entire system. But whatever you do, don't get sick in the USA. You could lose everything.

Asteroids and Meteors and Congress: Oh My!

Glad those folks in Congress had a nice President's Day vacation (and more; like how many days did YOU get off?) Hope that when (if?) sequestration takes place and 10's to 100's of thousands lose their jobs or get furloughed that they will vote accordingly in 2014.

My Opinion of Rich Folks on Cruise Ships

    One does not see too many Bolivians taking a cruise. The biggest problem is probably not money but the fact that the cruises normally originate or have stops in countries where we have problems getting a visa. Trust me, being in a landlocked country is probably an incentive for a cruise.
    The cartoon clipping perfectly captures the huge disparity between the rich and the poor. You get to define 'rich' how you want. To me having enough money to jet off to a port, get a passport, have someone watch your house(a BIG issue in much of the world) is only preliminary to paying for the cruise itself. The caricature   of the poor is a bit misleading: most of the persons living on a few dollars a day (if that much) have clothes, have food, have shelter. But it is inadequate and varies by season. For example it is the rainy season now in Bolivia. A house that may be adequate for 8 months of the year could be uninhabitable for 4 months. Clothes that are fine for summer don't cut it when the temperatures are 20-30 degrees cooler in the winter.
   So please enjoy your cruise. But remember that there are literally billions on the planet that are just making it day to day, month to month, season to season.

Giving up something important for Lent....

Could not resist.....

In Montana, Young, Liberal and Open to Big Government - NYTimes.com

In Montana, Young, Liberal and Open to Big Government
Wow, I didn't know I was so young! My hunch is that many / most of us that have been thoroughly whacked by the Great Recession (loss of jobs, loss of health care, loss of life savings, loss of dignity/self-worth) are also converts to "liberal and open to big government."

Hey, wanna die three years before your time?

Americans Closest to Retirement Were Hardest Hit by Recession - NYTimes.com

Mark Twain wrote: "There are three kinds of misstatements: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics." I wish that the link above was indeed a misstatement, but it is not. In the article by the NY Times is a link to an NBER paper on the statistics of "being laid off at the age of 57-59". Their conclusion: subtract three years from your life expectancy. Those of us that were in this age range (I was 57 when laid off six years ago) and laid off during the Great Recession can expect nothing but bad news. Part time low paying jobs with no benefits; liquidating assets to pay for the basics of life; depression / low self esteem; poorer health as one delays health care until the symptoms are too big to ignore; statistically dying three years before your time.

Revolution Hits the Universities - NYTimes.com

Revolution Hits the Universities - NYTimes.com

Every so often "something" doesn't just 'emerge' from out of thin air but 'erupts.' This phenomenon of MOOC is erupting in a very short period of time. See the article from The New York Times on the topic. Very exciting to me as it has the possibility of completely opening up education to the whole world for a minimal cost compared to sending a student to university. There are hurdles for sure such as internet to remote areas, language (MOOC is largely English at its birth), facilitators to GO to the remote areas, etc. One of the most amazing things to me is that the folks that have more to lose from this (universities) are the ones who are opening the door. 

Study: Americans have shorter, sicker lives

Study: Americans have shorter, sicker lives - CBS News
The title says it all. What the article did not emphasize was that the USA has the highest expenditures in health care per capita. Spending a lot of money and not benefiting from it. Sound familiar?
SB en Bolivia

Martin Luther King, Jr. "A Gift of Love"

One of several MLK pieces today, this one from the HuffingtonPost. 

A quote from one of King's sermons 'A Gift of Love' (below) summarizes the article: A Gift of Love: Understanding King through his sermons

"One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying. A persistent schizophrenia leaves so many of us tragically divided against our- selves. ... How often are our lives characterized by a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds! We talk eloquently about our commitment to the principles of Christianity, and yet our lives are saturated with the practices of paganism. We proclaim our devotion to democracy, but we sadly practice the opposite of the democratic creed. We talk passionately about peace, and at the same time we assiduously prepare for war. We make our fervent pleas for the high road of justice, and then we tread unflinchingly the low road of injustice. This strange dichotomy, this agonizing gulf between the ought and the is, represents the tragic theme of man’s earthly pilgrimage." 

Battery Mod Looms As 787 Grounding Shifts Focus

Battery Mod Looms As 787 Grounding Shifts Focus
The intersection of: energy technology; aviation; arrogance / magical thinking. 
My prediction: the FAA will ban lithium batteries and force older "less efficient" battery technology. [Lithium batteries are more efficient in burning as well as electrical efficiency.] For some years the FAA won't let Li batteries in the cargo hold as accompanied baggage. What does that say??

Western Quinoa Demand Raises Prices In Bolivia

Western Quinoa Demand Raises Prices In Bolivia - Business Insider
The upshot of the demand for quinoa on the larger market is that the price in Bolivia (one of the few countries where it will grow) is higher than the population can afford. What does it mean when we can not afford what is produced here? By the way, quinoa only grows in a certain range of altitude and seasonal moisture; that is why it is limited in its production.
Some time ago I saw a similar effect when other grain prices (wheat, corn) went up partly due to the artificial demand due to mandated consumption of ethanol. When the price of a loaf of bread in the USA goes up 20-30% (even if only temporarily) we shrug our shoulders and buy it. Because the incremental cost increase is still far below what most families can afford. But in developing countries where BREAD is a staple, an increase of that magnitude would take bread off the table.
Blame it on "globalization" "capitalism" or whatever. When the global demand for basic grains, or in this case more exotic grains goes up, there is a limit where the local population simply can't afford it. Bolivia is sometimes criticized for imposing price controls or export controls to maintain prices. Not very market friendly, eh? But without a means to control the cost of basic staples, these foods will literally not be available here.

Dr. Peter Linnerooth, 1970-2013 | Military Mental Health Expert Succumbs to the Wounds of War

Dr. Peter J. N. Linnerooth, 1970-2013 | TIME.com
As I've aged my anti-war sentiments have become more 'militant.' Yes, I know a contradiction....
Here is the story of how the cancer of war / violence eats the very soul. And like most cancers it does not stop until the victim is quite dead.
If I could, I'd require this story to be read, posted, broadcast through every media in the country for just one day. And maybe a year from now another similar story widely promulgated for all of us to realize how very near a "distant war" is to all of us.