As someone who’s now spent several years in this country, let me say that Panama has everything it takes to develop a truly love-hate relationship with it. And someday, soon, I’m gonna write all about it. But this piece below, produced by AL JAZEERA of all media outlets, accentuates what is wrong with this country, with both a micro and macro view. It is an exceptional piece of journalism.
Panama is one of those countries that likes to hype itself up on all kinds of “smoke and mirror” tactics that it has at its disposal to exploit. The country’s global cheerleaders (who are many, the US included) are quick to tout unverifiable and bogus numbers about its economic growth, GDP, and so on. They are also quick to quell any notion that Panama is anything but a thriving democracy. A “democracy” that in no way harbors and/or supports much of the world’s narco-trafficking activities. Once you cut through that shitscreen, however, the realities are stark, sad, and sobering.
Take the 25 minutes and watch this. And Kudos to Al Jazeera, for doing something that the US and other world news media can’t ever seem to do. Just tell it like it is when it comes to Panama.
The Tide is Turning…
The upcoming Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will most likely be a pivotal moment in the history of the western hemisphere. For the first time ever, several Latin American leaders will speak in favor of ending the pointless “Drug War”. My only hope is that they knock some sense into President Obama and get him to see the light on this, and soon.
The Observer…
Watershed summit will admit that prohibition has failed, and call for more nuanced and liberalised tactics
A historic meeting of Latin America’s leaders, to be attended by Barack Obama, will hear serving heads of state admit that the war on drugs has been a failure and that alternatives to prohibition must now be found.
The Summit of the Americas, to be held in Cartagena, Colombia is being seen by foreign policy experts as a watershed moment in the redrafting of global drugs policy in favour of a more nuanced and liberalised approach.
Otto Pérez Molina, the president of Guatemala, who as former head of his country’s military intelligence service experienced the power of drug cartels at close hand, is pushing his fellow Latin American leaders to use the summit to endorse a new regional security plan that would see an end to prohibition. In the Observer, Pérez Molina writes: “The prohibition paradigm that inspires mainstream global drug policy today is based on a false premise: that global drug markets can be eradicated.”
Pérez Molina concedes that moving beyond prohibition is problematic. “To suggest liberalisation – allowing consumption, production and trafficking of drugs without any restriction whatsoever – would be, in my opinion, profoundly irresponsible. Even more, it is an absurd proposition. If we accept regulations for alcoholic drinks and tobacco consumption and production, why should we allow drugs to be consumed and produced without any restrictions?” READ MORE