The Last Great Seducer?

Volume 2, Issue 34- August 26-September 1, 2011

International Tribune

As the old saying goes, it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks. And some are even more distracted when they see a bitch.  The resistance to play by the rule is so overwhelming – especially the older they become.  Maybe Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) finally learned from his last American lesson.  If not, he has a second trial waiting when he returns back home to France.  

The rape case set in motion by the Sofitel Hotel chambermaid Nafissatou Diallo against the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund - nicknamed the "Great Seducer" - was officially dropped this week by the New York District Attorney’s office.  The charges were dropped for reasons that the plaintiff’s arguments were inconsistent together with her questionable past.  After almost three months of house arrest in his posh Tribeca home, the once front-runner in the 2012 French presidential election to beat President Sarkozy has been set free.  Let us just hope that the lessons have been learned from this case, not only by the man himself, but also across all the self-entitled, self-righteous, and privileged elites.  Your pedigree does not separate you from the rest of the pack.  

Paris was burning with news of the DSK affair for the last 3 months.  Everyone was talking about the ‘great seducer’ and the end of his political career.  How can one allegation tarnish a man’s reputation without a full trial?  DSK is considered one of the smartest men in the French political arena.  He rose to power and won the approval of many after he introduced and helped implement the 35 working hour law in France. One can imagine how the French were furious and shocked to see how one of their comrades was immediately handcuffed and brought to justice the American way. They cried out injustice and barbaric, quelle horreur!

As the Franco-American case heats up this summer, the recrimination by each side went head on.  While most Americans see DSK as the villain, in France he is seen as a victim. Oh la la!  The ‘great seducer’ is a victim of a bigger international conspiracy that is preventing him from running for the presidential election by the powerful bourgeois at home.  On the other hand, it is merely a case of domestic slandering by the pauper maid in a foreign land. 

And it gets even more catty.  After his humiliating ‘perp walk’, the pompous French philosopher and DSK’s long-time friend, Bernard-Henri Lévy called the entire experience “pornographic” and that this is a prime example of "the cannibalization of justice by the sideshow." Unfortunately, this kind of remark is too common in this side of the Atlantic.  But that is because most of the French politicians and the media are in bed together monopolizing every platform.  Whereas American journalist Peter Beinart of the Daily Beast wrote, "whether or not DSK goes free, his case reflects well on American justice. We can hold our heads high. This was a downright inspiring example of equality before the law.”  Indeed, both sides are vocal in their own right, but I prefer equal treatment over innuendos.   

The message echoes an age-old cancer in our society between the well-connected and those who are not. It is a class battle among the rich and poor, in Europe and America- when you have the right inside track, you can surely get away with it.   What must be examined is the deviant behavior of the ‘great seducer’ and the aspiring ones who feel they are untouchable and seemingly above the law that should be stopped. 

May this be his last great seduction.

Voting Circus

Volume 2, Issue 33- August 19-25, 2011

International Tribune

Here we, here we!  The greatest show on earth is about to start.  From France to the United States, Russia and Argentina, the voting frenzy begins!  Citizens of each nation will cast their ballot to vote for their next president in 2012.  Once again, the future of the world is in the voters' hands.  Or at least that is how we perceive elections in democracy to be.  Can your vote truly make a difference?  How will you decide who to vote for next time?

Our great grandparents fought for this civic right (and duty).  Voting has become both a moral institution and a symbol of a free country.   If not upheld, we think twice and berate nations which oftentimes brazenly tamper elections.  We refuse to keep diplomatic relations and engage in treaties with states that deprive their citizens of these sacrosanct rights.  The American and French revolutions were fought so the people could elect the leaders of their newly established republic.  When Fidel Castro became the undisputed dictator of Cuba, the US placed an embargo in 1961 on this tiny Carribean island which has remained since then.  Voting and elections are the uncontestable factors we can use to measure what is a real democracy.  The next question is, does voting really change the outcome?  

Here is a cerebral challenge.  Voting is like believing your horoscope, and partaking in election is like going to a circus.  Do you get the drift?  Scientific case studies by psychologists and political sociologists alike have proven that most people vote because: 1) they are bandwagoning and joining in on the fun; 2) if they do not vote, they think that system will fall apart and the worst prediction would possibly come true.  According to Dr. Kanazawa of Psychology Today, “the reasoning goes that, if everybody thought that voting was irrational and a waste of time, nobody would vote and democracy would collapse.  This is known as magical thinking, and it is a very common fallacy. “   His second argument is that, “the civic duty of democratic citizens simply states that one must vote in an election.  It does not say whether you have to vote Democratic or Republican.  Regardless, you will fulfill your civic duty as a democratic citizen simply by turning up at the polling station and casting your ballot.  It does not matter who you vote for.”  In a giant democracy such as the United States that relies on the Electoral College to narrow down the winner and select the next president, Dr. Kanazawa’s theory is not that far-fetched.  The probability that your vote will make a difference in the outcome is infinitesimally small.  

Maybe the best scene for a truly representative election voted by the people, and for the people, is to have heroes and villains as presidential candidates.  It is easier to rule out the bad guys and once you vote for the good ones.  There is a self-fulfilling aspect at play in this type of scenario and that you feel you have performed your civic obligation.   Moreover, anyone would feel more positive and that they did the right thing voting for the good guy.   Going back a decade ago, statistics have shown that voter turn-out was very high during the Al Gore and George Bush, Jr. presidential election of 2000.  If you calculate in simple math, the winner was Al Gore.  In a sudden twist of fate, Gore was not the declared winner, thanks to the Electoral College process even though popular votes proved that he (Al Gore as the hero) was the sure winner over George Bush, Jr. (the villain).  Yes, this may not be the best example because it involves ‘fuzzy math’.  However, the Gore versus Bush and Electoral College fiasco is representative of Dr. Kanazawa’s theory that voting does not really have a great impact on election outcomes, especially in the United States.    

Is Nicolas Sarkozy really out of the game? Can anyone stop Vladimir Putin this time from heading back to the Kremlin?  Is Cristina Kirchner really the reincarnated Evita of Casa Rosada?   And finally, who will be the Republican warrior who will beat Obama?  Election time is like a circus.  We get to see different performers juggle their special acts.    Candidates of all stripes are now beginning their campaign tour and will showcase the best tricks of their trade.  Some will sing to the tune you want to hear and others will clown around.  And in the last minute, there will likely be some magic tricks that will be pulled out of a hat. Overall, there will be banners and streamers, pins and flags to lure you into the fun. 

Get ready, the presidential circus is coming to your town.     

Rebels without a cause?

Volume 2, Issue 32- August 12-18, 2011

International Tribune

To riot or not to riot, that is the question among young Britons today.  They are smashing windows, burning cars, looting stores and vandalizing properties all across the country.    Youth of different backgrounds have all joined together on a vengeance venting their anger and frustration against Britain’s social establishment in the streets.  Some even say that demonstrators appeared to be as young as twelve years old, who were simply “joining in on the fun” because it has caught so much attention.   Is this genuine social discontent or are they rebels without a cause? 

Angry and frustrated from the killing of a young black man, a father of four, and an alleged gangster by the police, mobsters took advantage of the situation and wreaked havoc that began in the streets of Tottenham in North London.   Prime Minister Cameron’s Tuscan summer holiday was quickly interrupted calling the event ‘sickening’ and has vowed to stop the unrest and gave all law enforcements a full-pledge capacity to quell the violence.   The riots have been tamed down but copycats quickly staged the scene in other parts of England using social networks sites to gather their sympathizers.  

The London riots were described the worst in decades.  Approximately 12,000 people have been arrested within 5 days by the authorities.  The turn of events quickly got out of hand on what started out to be a demonstration by disenfranchised and unemployed youth who were rallying for the government to do something about job opportunities, rising tuition, police corruption, and other issues vital to their day-to-day existence.  With the unchallenged power of social network sites on the internet to quickly assemble its followers, in a matter of hours, the demonstrations became a convulsion of violence spreading all over the city.  Mobsters dressed in hoods came prepared with baseball bats hitting policemen or just about anyone who got in their way.  

Felonious acts of arson took over the psyche of youngsters thereby smashing windows, vandalizing stores, and setting things on fire.   They were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods.  Private citizen also witnessed that when the police did arrive in certain scene, the looters often were able to flee quickly and regroup. It was an opportunistic moment and the delinquents really took advantage of the chaos.   “When we see children as young as 12 and 13 looting and laughing, when we see the disgusting sight of an injured young man with people pretending to help him while they are robbing him, it is clear there are things that are badly wrong in our society.  The riots underscored as much a moral problem as a political one.  There are pockets of our society that are not only broken, but plainly sick,” Cameron said during his interview.

On the other hand, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingston described the events as pent-up resentment over the economy, unemployment and sweeping budget cuts. The budget cuts had starved community centers in poor neighborhoods of cash, forcing them to shut down and leaving unemployed youths with little to do except indulge in drugs, crime and anti-social behaviors.  Can we really blame governments as the cause and effect of such chaos?  Or is this merely a sign of social decay that today’s younger generation places a different value on education and hard work?

Discontents come in every season.  Paris had its ‘banlieu’ riots in the fall of 2005.  And five years later, came the Arab Spring.  Now London experienced its juvenile delinquent summer of 2011 – but this time, they are equipped with Facebook, iPads and iPhones.  Now these days, feeling above the law seems to be a trend.  Peaceful demonstration is no longer chic.  Those days are over.  With all this said, it does not seem far-fetched to say, indeed that the devil wears Prada.

 

Wanted: Notorious Bureaucrats

Volume 2, Issue 31- August 5-11, 2011

International Tribune

It was the return of the wild, wild, west.  The showdown between President Obama and the Republicans on the nation’s budget could have been another big disaster at home and abroad.  As they say, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.   The American economy has a tremendous impact on other countries' economies.   At the eleventh hour, luckily, we averted a potential meltdown in the U.S. credit rating dragging down its economy.

Some pundits will say that Obama did not put a good fight for his plan.  Some will say that he held his gun until the very last moment.   Be it as it may, we have now seen that the nation is plagued with Republican robbers and the corporate crooks they are in cahoots with who are determined to tarnish and ruin Obama’s reputation in every sense.  The loggerhead in Washington was nothing but a political tactic recklessly used by the Republicans who refuse to face reality over the budget, government spending and the country’s biggest deficit. 

Government regulation is not the end of the world.  After the financial collapse in Wall Street, what we can all learn from this lesson is that government intervention, especially in banking, is essential.  This is an ideology that Americans must part with.  We watched corporate greed led by hefty paid CEOs rob the country that ultimately contributed to America’s economic decline and the global recession.  Ironically, at the end of the day, it was the American tax payers that bailed these financial giants and now the government is broke.  If not Uncle Sam, someone has to watch these robber barons and monitor corporate greed. 

Today, it is now the reverse, our government is broke and therefore must raise taxes and why not get it from the richer population.  The tea parties that are taking place today are very different from the Boston Tea Party that took place two centuries ago.  Americans no longer need to fear taxation without representation from the British king.  The colonists already won their independence.  Modern day tea-partiers are stuck in the past. It is impossible to curb down the deficit without increasing taxes.  Today, Uncle Sam desperately needs to raise its revenue somehow.   And why not get it from the richer population of our society when the middle class is already suffering from unemployment and inflation.   

If the US goes into a deeper recession, this will result in a domino effect for other countries.   American bureaucrats must wake up and realize that its heyday is coming to an end unless they get their act together.   The political games must stop.  We are not only hurting ourselves at home but the rest of the world.   

Here comes the (child) bride!

Volume 2, Issue 29- July 22-28, 2011

International Tribune

They are taken away during their sleep in the middle of the night by their own father.  Mothers watch their young daughters leave home without hesitation.  Some girls will go submissively because they know the consequences for their protests.  Others do not part without a fight begging their family for mercy.  Some are gagged or even drugged to make the event as peaceful as possible and not disturb their neighbors during the middle of the night.  The tradition must go on.

Photo by Stephanie Sinclair

This summer weddings will be held all across the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa.   Brides in Afghanistan, India, Yemen, and Nigeria will be between the ages of 5 to 18.  Girls in their late teens are already considered old.  And for the groom, the average age of the marrying chap ranges from 40 to 60 years of age.  They are about the same age as the bride’s father- or even older.  The older, the more experienced he is and can provide financial stability.  Thus, if they are more financially stable, this could possibly be the second or third young bride he will be betrothed to. 

Historically, arranged marriage of child brides with a much older man is part of the custom.  And vice versa, the betrothal of two prepubescent child-couple is not out of the ordinary.  This type of marriage has been an old tradition in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.  Seen through the eyes of such tribes, this is simply a practical way to ensure their clan from financial security and to avoid hunger. Arranging the marriage of their child at a very young age is perceived as means to maintain the family’s prosperity.  It is a way for some families to pay off their debt, and more importantly, to keep the chastity of their daughters.  Marrying a virgin is a matter of honor and a crucial factor to men in Afghanistan, Yemen, and India.  Their pride and dignity are at stake for this milestone in their lives. 

Islamic countries have the highest percentage of child brides in the world today.  Girls are wedded as early as 5 or promised into a marriage as soon as they turn a certain age- and it usually takes place before they hit puberty.  There are interpretations of the Quran where Muhammed married his bride Aisha at the age of 9.  Challenging the Islamic religious order in these theocratic regimes is almost impossible.  In Afghanistan, most child brides find self-immolation as a way out of their misery.  It is not uncommon for a girl to pour kerosene and set herself on fire.  Should she ever attempt to escape and run away, she is subject to extreme punishment by her husband and other male elders from her village.  Bibi Aisha is a 9 year old child bride who suffered enormously beyond one can endure for her age by her own father-in- law and other village clerics when she attempted to run away.  As her punishment, she was taken to an outer village in the Orzugan Province of Afghanistan and was mutilated to death by cutting her ears and nose off.  Bibi’s husband was not only a conspirator but also an accomplice to the savagery by holding her down during the ghastly event.  Afterwards, Bibi was left on the road until a woman’s organization found her and took her away.  Last week, the only suspect to this case was released out of prison because in reality, the laws in Afghanistan are more tolerant over males who committed such crimes.  

Nujood Ali

In 2008, a 10 years old girl of Yemeni descent sparked headlines all over the world as the first divorcee ever granted to a child bride which put her and her family’s lives at risk.  Nujood Ali became the youngest divorcee in the world.  Once again, with the aid of an international women’s organization, necessary exposure rendered by the media and western countries who were willing to help her with legal matters- she was able to free herself from her grim experience.  

Today, there are recent laws that have been applied to ban marriage of underage minors.  Before, the British left India, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was ordained in 1929 and forbade a male or female to marry before the age of 18 years.  It was not until 2005 when a new national plan was enacted to ban child marriage altogether.  With the National Plan of Action for Children in 2005, the government set a goal to eliminate child marriage and little by little, the plan is helping although it is still very difficult to monitor all cases considering that such arranged marriages now take place in utmost secrecy.  Recently, a five year old girl named Rajani from a rural village in India was taken from her sleep by her uncle during the wee hours of the morning to her wedding ceremony.  Neighbors were invited from the village and everyone kept the event a secret.   Despite the laws that forbid such matrimony from taking place, the old tradition continues. 

There are ways to apply laws after the fact but there are certainly no quick solutions to this issue.  Is this another distorted age-old religious interpretation?  Or is it just gender differences in some parts of the world?  Regardless, this is a tradition that must be stopped.  

The Comedy of Errors à la Française

Volume 2, Issue 27- July 8-14, 2011

International Tribune

He is rich.  She is poor.  He is white. She is black.  He is Jewish. She is a Muslim.  So what do they have in common?  Nothing really, except for their murky past.  The saga of the Dominique Strauss Kahn's (DSK) rape trial is turning into a modern-day mayhem version of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.  With the accused as the predator, the victim as the opportunist, we will all find ourselves entertained this summer by this Franco-American scandal from both sides of the Atlantic.  And now, enters a Parisian bourgeois mother and her prized daughter staging the soon-to-be rape trial in the defendant’s hometown.  Just when he thought he can finally go home.   

The world was shocked and the media went into frenzy when the New York City District Attorney announced that Mr. Strauss Kahn will be released from house arrest and that the case may be falling apart because of the plaintiff’s inconsistent testimonies and seemingly questionable past (suspected of money laundering, tax evasion, among other things).  DSK and his loyal wife were jubilant and thought that the nightmare will soon be over.  A couple of days later, Tristane Banon, another alleged rape victim came out in public claiming that she was also a sexually harassed nine years ago by DSK.  Tristane Banon is a famous writer in France and a daughter of another Socialist party member (DSK’s political party in France) who had advised her daughter back in 2002 to keep the incident in silence and not to press charges against Strauss-Kahn.   The Banons thought it was the right decision then in order to save the reputation of the family. 

Today, the French are divided, just like the Americans were when the alleged not-so-immaculate past of the hotel chambermaid came to light.  Tristane Banon is seen not just as a victim but could also be another opportunist, a slanderer against DSK who is staging a second act to the saga.   Why file charges now, after all those years?  And moreover, what is more mind-boggling is how could a mother silence her daughter from such an atrocious violation?  Is this merely an ‘old school’ traditional practice that is still perpetuated by the bourgeois?  Many will see this beyond social or gender issue in conflict.   The public is troubled.

It is a dizzying scenario.  One can get lost with all the actors at play.  The case involves people of all stripes- rich, poor, conservative, liberal, powerful and the weak.  All their lives are suddenly intertwined whether they like it or not.  This will likely spark a debate and alter the social norm in today’s society.  And it all started when an immigrant woman from Harlem decided to cry wolf. 

To be or not to be, that is the question in this case.  Whether you are a liar or a rapist, a slanderer or a victim, it seems like everyone will lose in this case.  It is not easy being judge based on morality.  Little by little, as the case unfolds, the trial is becoming to be one of those court room dramas where the personal characters of each side will both be the evidence and deciding factor that can free or go against the defendant and the victim.  Everybody's credibility is, indeed, at stake.  

New York! New York!

Volume 2, Issue 26- July 1-7, 2011

International Tribune

Once again, it is God’s word against society- or, at least, according to all religious institutions against same-sex marriage.  Same goes for divorce and stem cell research, the bible is misinterpreted in many ways by religious leaders who are in the habit of stomping social and cultural evolutions.  The landmark victory of allowing same-sex union just passed by the New York State has proven that with reason and consensus, there is a way to append the writings on the Holy Scriptures.  So what does the bible really argue against same-sex marriage?

In the Garden of Eden, there was Adam and Eve.  The most revered introductory bride and groom in the bible.  Adam and Eve’s relationship is one of the most defended stories during the time of human creation in which most religious leaders would interpret as a clear sign that marriage is only for men and women.  The truth is, there are no follow up writings about an exchange of rings, or wedding vows with a priest that married Adam and Eve before and/or after they were expelled forever from Paradise. 

And in Genesis, when Yahweh pulled Eve out of Adam’s rib, after the metamorphosis, Adam proclaimed their unity and said “this is the last bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.”  The Jews immediately cried out that this is a solid proof that marriage is only meant to be an institution for men and women defended by the miracle of God.   Frankly, this sounds more like ‘mitosis’ to me, the process in cell division when nucleus divides.    

All the holy books, such as the bible, Torah and the Quran contain a collection of fascinating old stories.  For many centuries, until today, the texts in each scripture have been upheld as the pillars of morality that one must abide to in order to be a good human being living in a virtuous society.   So does the bible have any specific literal opposition against gay marriage?  In fact, there is none.  Even if one rereads each gospel, there is no clear text that explains that the union of a man and a man, or a woman and a woman is unholy. 

Historically, marriage is a social and secular institution.  Since its inception, marital union was a form of business arrangement between two families to unite their tribes or their kingdoms for mutual benefit.  It was the citizens that arranged this, together with their tribal leaders.  Cows, jewel, or land were exchanged.  They even held festive wedding celebrations.  Eventually, when the union did not work out, or at least, it ruined one kingdom over the other- society then gave birth to the concept of divorce. During the Roman Empire, there were many proofs that divorces were issued to purposely end not just the union of the couple, but the quarrels of their respective clans. 

It just gets better.  Overtime, the concept of marriage romantically evolved.  People started marrying because of their feelings for one another.  Contemporary marriages these days take place because of love and no longer a means to enlarge one’s realm or kingdom.  Then centuries passed once again, another concept with regards to marriage developed: the modern and preemptive strategy we call prenuptials.  There are many people who do not dispute this idea.  They even hire very expensive lawyers to draft their 'prenups'.  And these are people belonging to various religious groups- especially amongst wealthy Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and etc…  See, this is very simple. We do not need to let religion interfere with the evolution of matrimony. 

So, let’s start spreading the news.  Because such religious fuzz should leave today.  Let us all be a part of it.  And follow New York.  If same-sex marriage can make it here, it can make it anywhere.  

Marilyn, Forty-Nine Years Later

Volume 2, Issue 25- June 24-30, 2011

International Tribune

She would have celebrated her 85th birthday this month.  If she were still alive, she could have been a spokesperson against nuclear proliferation, anti women’s literacy, among other things of interest in our present world. The Marilyn Monroe that graced the silver screen was an intellectual in her own right, a poet who spoke from her heart, and a realist who just wanted to accept life as it was during the tumultuous era that she lived in.  Did we know that about her? 

It is hard to be a world-famous sex symbol and to be taken seriously in the same vein.  When we look at her, we cannot help but ask if gentlemen do prefer blondes.  From Madonna to Pamela Lee Anderson, they all wanted to replicate the sex symbol that she was.  What we really do not know is that Marilyn, behind closed doors, spent most of her time reading the classic, from Flaubert to Camus, from Hemingway to Steinbeck. She found solace and revelry in the message of each novel.  A far cry from the misconceived and fallacious term "dumb blonde."

The Marilyn that we know perhaps was a woman who married several times.  She reinvented the symbol of the shiny rock and redefined its role in our consumerist society.   Diamonds became the girls’ best friends.  Little do we know that Norma Jean was really a girl just next door who tried mightily to find a family she could call all her own, and a partner whom she can trust and be herself with.  She simply did not want to be alone.

In her time, where women were not encouraged to pursue a higher education, Marilyn self- educated herself.  She found her way to read groundbreaking novels that inspired her war generation to understand more and overcome the darkness of this era.  The Marilyn that we do not really know of was a brave and intellectual one.  She rid of herself from her very young first marriage to pursue her personal ambition which was very rare and admirable for women to do at that age and time.  In reality, her books and her diary became her best friends.  And not the diamonds and fame we all know she enjoyed in front of the camera.  She was inspired of such figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Greta Garbo.  She once said that Greta’s artistic creativity, personal courage and integrity were immeasurable.  Something she wanted to emulate and held very close to her heart.

Blondes certainly have more fun as she had shown us in the big screen but behind the glimmer of Hollywood – the Marilyn that we do not know of was always ready for an intellectual discussion.  Marilyn found time to meet with the famous literary circle of her time, such as Carlson Mc Cullers and the great Danish writer Karen Blixen.  And then eventually, her marriage to Arthur Miller- one of America’s finest writers of his generation. Apart from her mingling with the intellectual mafia, inside her study room, Marilyn wrote about her inner turmoil and how she could better live life.  She pondered about how to use her fame to end world suffering.  She was petrified of the H Bomb.  And the nuclear race between the two superpowers- the United States and the Soviet Union.  A nuclear annihilation would have devastated the world irreparably in a single second.  America was advancing so fast in science and technology that she once said, “We can put a man in the moon, but we still do not spent enough time to heal the human heart.”

It is true that with such fame and stardom, the limelight at times can be blinding.  Love comes and goes and when you are a sex symbol.  But in reality, Marilyn yearned for real genuine love.  She was a brave soul and took the risk.  Marilyn married four times, from a baseball player to a famous writer, and her love affairs even went as far as the White House.  Misery loves company or, who knows, maybe it was her destiny.  The plight of a wondering soul searching for the man she can really love and trust forever.  Marilyn was a sex siren, a goddess that we have all immortalized in our world.  Until her fate took her life.  Is this the price of fame or is it a curse?  

Anyway, happy birthday Marilyn!

Who is T.E.?

Volume 2, Issue 24 - June 17-23, 2011

International Tribune

She was promised a better life in the United States.  She worked seven days a week for only a measly fifty dollars per month for more than ten miserable years.  Her Philippine passport was taken away since arrival at her employee’s residence in Marlboro, Maryland.  In order to keep herself legal in the US, she was forced to fraudulently marry twice and the second one to the employer’s brother who suffered from dementia and diabetes, an additional responsibility to her already back-breaking 12-hour-a-day overwhelming domestic job.   Her life was threatened when she attempted to run away and escape from her servitude.   The nightmare list goes on and on in the United States versus Gloria Edwards and Alfred Edwards, Jr., of Maryland. 

Who is T.E.?  For her own protection, her real identity remains undisclosed.   We only know T.E. as a Filipina domestic servant who was lured by her fellow countrywoman, Gloria Edwards, to work for her and her husband, Alfred Edwards in 1999.  T.E. came from an impoverished family in the Philippines with a husband and eight children to support.  She is illiterate and was desperate for employment.  She risked everything and even paid her employers upfront the sum of $5,000 (a staggering amount in the Philippines) for her working papers to come to America.  With the hope that working in a foreign land away from her family – this is a good chance to lift herself out of poverty in the land of opportunity, a chance that comes knocking at one's door for some desperate Filipinos.

In November 2002, T.E. unsuccessfully escaped from her bondage with the Edwards.  She was eventually brought back by Alfred Edwards who threatened to shoot her and fine her for abandonment in the amount of $20,000 if she ever runs away again.  He also made sure to tell T.E. that he owns a gun at home and is capable of killing her.  To scare her even more, Alfred Edwards took out his frustration by beating his mentally ill brother when the latter talked back with his own fists in front of T.E.  It was his distorted way to assert his superiority over T.E.  Gloria Edwards followed suit by hitting, pinching, and poking T.E. with knives. 

When you think things could have already reached their lowest point, T.E. suffered more from the hands of her oppressors.  The brainwashing continued.  In August 2005, her precious green card was confiscated by the Edwardses.  Once again, she was warned that without possession of this document, she is an illegal alien, pure and simple, in this country.  Therefore, she must continue to be obedient no matter what it takes.  In August 2008, the mentally- and physically-challenged brother of Alfred Edwards died.  T.E. was sexually assaulted by Alfred who occasionally enjoyed fondling T.E.’s buttocks inside her underwear.

In October 2009, T.E. left the residence of the Edwardses.  She was called a shameless son- of- a- bitch, a snake, a cobra, a beast, an idiot and a liar by Gloria Edwards.  Alfred Edwards threatened her life once again, and said that she would be ‘done’ if she refuses to return. 

T.E. fortunately never returned to the evil Edwards residence.  On June 6, 2011, T.E.’s case was taken to the United States District Court of Maryland with the defendants, Gloria and Alfred Edwards, Jr. charged with five criminal counts, including forced labor, documented servitude and harboring domestic worker for financial gains.  T.E. won the court battle to free herself from the atrocious custody of the couple who maliciously conspired to rob T.E.’s self dignity forever. 

The plight of the Filipinos in search of better life in foreign lands is colorful, brave, and oftentimes heroic.  Along my journey in the far corners of the globe, I have met many Filipinos who have successfully immersed themselves in different exotic cultures that are very far from their own. The diaspora is from Filipinos of different backgrounds- nurses, doctors, engineers, construction workers, domestic workers, and etc…  Their stories are beautiful, inspiring, and something to be truly proud of.  It is heartbreaking when you discover stories such as T.E.'s- who was duped by her own fellow Filipina.  This kind of stories must be exposed and brought to light to send a resounding message to future copycats - that there must be an end to exploitation. Not only is this human trafficking but this clearly is a case of modern-day slavery in America.  One would think that this kind of scenario has vanished forever in the land of the free.  

European Disunion

Volume 2, Issue 22- June 3-9, 2011

International Tribune

What a mess!  Chaos seems to loom all over the major capitals of Europe.  From Athens to Lisbon, from Madrid to Berlin, from Dublin to Rome. Europeans are angry and frustrated with the current state of their union.  If not a national financial default, it is the fear of nuclear Armageddon, and now, the latest, a killer cucumber outbreak is sweeping across the continent.  Fraternité is being tested.  Can they find solutions as one union?  I am not sure.  How can they all get along?  

Greece, Portugal and Ireland defaulted last year and required a huge loan and austerity packages from their wealthier neighbors.  The bail-out package started in May 2010 at 110 billion Euros for Greece and followed by 85 billion Euros for Ireland in November.  The domino effect continued and, this year, a rescue package was also provided to Portugal in the amount of 78 billion Euros last month.  The sovereign deficits outweigh chances for prosperity in these countries for the next coming years.  Unemployment is also soaring in double digits, with Spain leading at an incredible 29%.   Maybe Spain is the next one to default and another rescue packages will be required.  So far, the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is still hanging on- by a slim thread - with desperate measures to calm its population down from staging a real revolution.  Spain’s frustrated and angry youth cannot find jobs. There are ominous signs that they are being inspired by the Arab Spring.  And apart from countries defaulting in the EU, the question of keeping the Euro as the continent’s official currency is in serious doubt.   Withdrawing from the use of a single currency is a big political blow.  This is a real bad sign that perhaps a federation of countries may not be the best recipe to a united European continent. 

The European dream to be one united continent started right after World War II.  By 1957, it had its first step when the Treaty of Rome was signed forming the European Economic Community which gave way to the current EU after the Maastricht Treaty was approved in 1993.  In 2002, the Euro became the official currency of its first 12 members- with some exceptions - notably the United Kingdom - which decided to keep their own currency.  Membership is not very easy.   Aspiring nations must meet its stringent criteria of stable economy with sound democratic principles.   Today, there are 27 members and it is continuing to expand.   

The current Euro zone crisis has become a rag-tag dispute between its rich members.  Economic giants such as France and Germany see fraternité in different lights.   France is willing to extend aid to beleaguered member countries.  But Germany is saying no and will even allow some members such as Greece to be dismembered.    The Germans do not see why they should keep lending a helping hand to rescue its members who are financially irresponsible and plagued with rampant corruption.  

We have only just begun.  There are more nightmares worth mentioning.  Germany recently officially declared the phase out of its nuclear power plants after the catastrophe in Fukushima.  This sours Germany’s relationship with its nuclear partner, France.  France leads the world in dependence in nuclear energy with its half-state owned company, Areva.  Areva is in partnership with Siemens with offices scattered all over the Rhineland.  With Germany’s withdrawal as one of its biggest clients and partners, bilateral tension between the two is another issue to debate about.   

It gets juicier.  The sex scandal of former IMF Managing Director, Dominique Strauss Kahn, was a big blow to the reputation of its European leaders, and not just in France.  Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was also on trial for hiring underage prostitutes in his lavish parties.  Not only are their leaders incapable of maintaining a balanced budget but they are also being arrested for rape or sex with minors at home and abroad.  Where are the role models for leadership?

And finally, the attack of the killer cucumbers.  Germany became the first victim with 15 deaths and over 300 infected patients being treated with the E. coli virus.   And now, one death has been recorded in Sweden.  Spain was the first country to be blamed for its poisonous vegetables and as the main source of the killer cucumbers without solid scientific evidence.    Spain retaliated with harsh comments from its Agriculture Minister Rosa Aguilar: "We are disappointed by the way Germany handles the situation. We want Germany to provide, without any delay and distractions, the necessary information of its investigation so that the European Union can know what is causing the E. coli outbreak."  There is a lot of political finger-pointing going on which will surely get worse before it gets better.

The EU was created to prevent further nationalism that has, in the past, ripped the continent.  They still have a long way to go before real unity can be achieved.