Category Archives: GLBT Specific

Autumn Update

1 Reply

Well it is finally autumn down here in New Orleans. Unfortunately, my pumpkin rotted and I had to trash it. As the front sweeps away down here, the drama in the air is palpable. On most every front, there is a lot of heady shit going down. For instance, it appears that Halliburton was indeed the culprit behind the Deepwater Horizon disaster. This is the same corporation that has been defrauding American taxpayers for years. Pause for a moment and consider the recent news that GlaxoSmithKlien had been ordered to pay a $750 M fine for selling tainted drugs. The settlement, negotiated with the DOJ, was for civil and criminal penalties. I begin to wonder whether this is just the “cost of doing business,” at least when you are out to poison people anyway. The fine is a landmark, though, and I’ll take it. My mini-course on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) touched upon many of these themes. Were the DOJ to tackle Halliburton, the Federal Govt. could just possibly recover some of the assets sucked up by the Cheney network.

On top of this (already old) news, we’re also in an election season… yay! Luckily I don’t watch much network TV, so I’m spared most of the local ads. What I do see is that a crazed movement, two parts sheer ignorance and one part racism, is out to wreak great havoc. As a soon to be young lawyer, I’m hoping that things don’t go completely off the rails. Did you know that a question on the Massachusetts ballet would reduce revenue thereby necessitating major service cuts on the T? Whatever. The Taxes are Too Damn High! Last stop, Brighton Beach.

But there are also some signs of hope, particularly in California. Now, California has really become a dysfunctional mess of late; however, it’s importance to America necessitates an optimism about the Golden State. California may legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Given the violence and collateral damage of the “war on drugs,” isn’t it time we re-thought or national policies? Geez. Should this pass, I’d like to see what Justice does about it. Perhaps the deeper question here is whether/how we can transition from a military industrial complex to a R&D industrial complex. The U.S. is lagging way behind its peers on these expenditures. We do, however, get royally ripped off by our B.S. healthcare system and our lousy educational system (at least for the poor).

Federalism, a concept most “tea partiers” do not care to understand, allows the states to serve as laboratories of democracy. It also constructs, or concedes, certain functions to the federal government. I’m not so cynical to say that this system can no longer function, but I’m not so blind to see how it has been severely perverted. America has become somewhat perverted. We can’t even change unconscionable, legally deficient policies? Obama’s got to heat back up, because his bi-partisanship has really slowed things to a glacial crawl. Actually, I’ll take that back; the glaciers are probably chipping away at an increased rate these days… again, whatever. Kick in the crotch!

So, let us celebrate that we may (and really must) vote, get dressed up/down for halloween, and eat one too many tootsie rolls. Toast some apple cider, spiced or otherwise, to the possibility that this may be our last best chance.

~WD

Change, 140 Characters or Less

Leave a reply

So many interesting things going on in the world.

First, there have been major protests in Chisinau, Moldova. When I was in Romania, I had a good friend from Uzbekistan who was stationed in Chisinau. I was lucky enough to be able to visit him, and I can tell you that Moldova is not a place that has been going in the right direction as of late. Many, if not most Romanians believe that Moldova is rightly a part of Romania. The official language of Moldova (Moldovan) is nearly identical to Romanian. The interesting part about the protests is that word of them was distributed by cell phone, facebook, twitter and other social networking tools. With all the hype about technology and it is good to see it being used to help individuals come together against oppressive regimes. I wonder if this unrest will continue and the people of Moldova might one day be allowed to join their more forward-thinking neighbors, and perhaps even the EU…

FMI/Video: http://tvr.ro/articol.php?id=60799&c=47

Two interesting stories from the Times.

Gays in Iraq are becoming more visible as the levels of violence abate. The article surveys some young gay males, all of whom have seen many of their friends killed. Interestingly, most of the killings appear to be “honor killings” by family members seeking to redress the shame that these gays have brought upon the family name. I was honestly quite surprised to hear that there were individuals who would dare to be so open in Iraq at all. While there are certainly gays in all cultures, including oppressive ones such as Uzbekistan, most keep their private lives strictly private. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this subculture in Iraq.

The Last Jew in Afghanistan is a touching video op-ed. This man’s fate is like the that of Jews in so many parts of the world. I will never forget the small community of older Jews I met in Romania. Most of them were survivors whose children were pursuing lives either in Israel or the United States. Whether those who stayed did so by choice or necessity, it was an honor to celebrate some of the Sacred Jewish traditions with them. As we approach Passover, I’ll think of them as they gather for a communal feast, a bright moment in what is otherwise a rather lonely existence.