MONEY TALKS

Twenty years ago a Paraguayan colonel told me that there were two Gods in the Universe. I was shocked and utterly confused and I immediately requested an explanation. He stated with no hesitation: "There is a God in Heaven and another one on Earth". Once again I asked: What do you mean? He explained that the one on Earth is called: “The Almighty Dollar”. Through the years, I continue to question the colonel’s theory.

Today, I think that it is fair to say: The colonel was absolutely correct.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world went to war against Saddam under the pretext of morality. Nevertheless, the Royal Kuwaitis in Egypt at that time were living the high life, driving their ostentatious limousines, boasted to the world that they had sufficient money to be able to pay off officials to liberate their country.

President Chávez of Venezuela is well known to be against everything that the United States stands for. He is against Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). However, everyone knows that in Fort Tiuna in Caracas there are more US Dollars and Bolivares in cash than in the Central Bank, which in the end that is what really counts. Also, Venezuela has managed to sign major contracts with European and American Petroleum companies. In order to carry out such a huge operation, equipment such as one hundred helicopters, have already begun to arrive in Venezuela. And that is what matters. We are doing business.

President Castro has been in Cuba for the past 44 years controlling a population of more than twelve million souls. It does not matter what the Cuban exiles have done. Their efforts in lobbying and promoting in the mass media, in the United States and around the world have gone unheard, regardless of the key and important positions in the government they may hold. Nevertheless, in the island nothing has changed. People still fry eggs with water, still brush their teeth with salt and water, and women still sell themselves to survive, while the world watches uncaringly and cold heartedly. At the same time, Canada, major countries of Europe, and even the United States have been signing commercial deals with Cuba. Because in the end "Business is Business"

After the Vietnam War ended, we thought it would have taken a long time for the United States to establish diplomatic relations with that part of the world, since an experience of that nature had left a profound impact on the American psyche. However, soon after, some European companies started to make contact with the communists in the new Vietnam. If seen from a trade point of view, this meant millions of consumers (or millions of dollars, as you prefer to look at it). Also the American corporations began to pursue an establishment there, so that the Market was not left solely for the Europeans, even though the law in the United States prohibited any relation with this Asian country. In the mid nineties, President Clinton signed a bill to reestablish relations with Vietnam.

President Aristide is a tyrant who has destroyed a country of eight million people, and is still in power. The mass media and top officials of the United States government have reported that 15% of the drugs that enter the United States come through Haiti. The most wanted drug trafficker of Haiti, Jacques Ketant, was arrested in June 2003 by the DEA. He admitted openly that Jean Bertrand Aristide was his employer. Surprisingly, the poorest country of the Americas has the third most influential lobby in Washington. According to the press, some US politicians, some leaders of the O.A.S., and CARICOM have received "Contributions" from the government of Haiti to keep the present’s leaders in power. Money Talks.

This takes us to a worrisome situation, because we are sending a very clear message: It does not matter if the governments and their countries are in obvious disagreement with the democratic principles professed by the United States, European countries, and Latin America, just as long as there is business and money, one can follow any doctrine.

And even more worrisome is that the message also entails as an example of life to the youth. We are telling them that:

1. It does not matter how you make the money, as long as you make it.
2. Make sure you have enough of it.
3. If they catch you, just get a good, expensive lawyer (perhaps a thousand dollars an hour or more). He will defend you one way or another; he will solve your problem. And it does not matter how much it costs or how many people he must buy.

As they say: "MONEY TALKS"