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Aww consider it charity. I don’t give to official charities in the States simply because that SHOULD be a function of the state, not the church or other private citizens. We pay a lot of taxes and the government SHOULD be using that money to help less fortunate citizens rather than spend it dropping bombs on people elsewhere.
But every once in a while, when asked by a homeless person on the street, I will “contribute”. The Costa Rican policeman really make lousy money and I don;t see how they survive. I know that paying bribes is not a way to promote a healthy government, but what else can one do for these cops?

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If you committed no infraction., you did the right thing. If I were to be pulled over for an infraction I know I committed, I would probably pay the fellow. They don’t make much at all and as long as they were not asking for more than $30, I would consider it a contribution and possible time saving action avoiding a court appearance.

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Man, like petty thievery and other negatives, it MUST have something to do with high concentrations of North Americans. Of course Jaco qualifies.
I have been “radar-ed” on each of my last two visits in San Ramon, upon coming into town. The officer was friendly immediately stating that he was “jus shecking” and curious as to my business there which I was only too happy to relate to him. I told him I was a tourist taking care of a few details on my property. We had a nice little chat about how pretty the little town near the land was and, with a smile, he sent me on my way. I later was told that they were ticketing cell phone users who were driving while using the cell phone. That doesn’t explain why they pulled me over but I’ll accept the officer’s explanation. It actually was a positive experience to see ANY policemen.

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I am definitely not paralyzed by desperation. I am moving to CR. I am not using any limited energy to transform the place I live now. That would be butting my head against a brick wall. Animals, when confronted with adversarial conditions, will either fight or take flight…whichever is the most advantageous to their situation. I am able to flee and that is my plan of action for dealing with the coming S*** storm. It coincides nicely with retirement age…and I am not under any illusion as to CR or the people there. It is just that there is a definite higher sense of contentment in the air in Costa Rica that is absent here. For all its ills, the Ticos aren’t scrambling over top one another for a bigger piece of the pie.

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Rebaregon,
Our inherited genetic traits and personal experiences define all of us. Your own world view will color your opinions of others just as mine does. I am not whining nor watching with any glee the crap coming down now. I am just observing. There is no way that I or anyone else can change himself by virtue of will. We are what we are. We only reacting to the world based on our nature.
When those reactions are done en mass, we change the environment. Individuals do not make a difference except as part of a large group. I observe that there seem to be fewer good people today. I am not sure why that would be. Maybe it is just the jaded view that comes to many people after a certain time on the planet. In Costa Rica, I see a different and more positive attitude among the people tan I do here.

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I stand corrected. However, Eisenhower’s motive and circumstances for this action were much different than Roosevelt’s. Was this the same Eisenhower who warned the american public about the military industrial complex? Did he make that warning before or after he initiated the infrastructure build up in support of this same military industrial complex?

The 50’s began the upswing in conservative politics in my country, I believe. Progressive movements have had a back seat since then. If we were looking at a graph chart, America’s morality and a sense of a balanced place in the world begins to downtrend just as immorality and american dominance of the world economy rises.

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I employ a caretaker to watch just a piece of land I own. I have no home built there yet and when I do build, I will BE THERE nearly 100% of the time and when I leave for any period of time lasting more than a day, I will have this gentleman stay at the house or at least check on it daily.
My attorney drew up a short contract with a trusted local man to do this work. The contract spelled out exactly what his duties were in grooming the property…no trees to be cut, etc., and his “salary” was listed. I have spent some time talking to this guy and visiting his home. I drop in every time I visit the country. I cannot imagine doing this any other way and I am not in san Jose or any neighborhood. I am in a farming community near san Ramon.
I am reading of all kinds of thefts and armed entries in Escazu and other gated communities where american wealth concentrates. Those are not places I would choose to live for that reason alone.

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Idealism is a young man’s game. Go at it. It will not accomplish what you hope, but it will nourish your spirits. The world is made up of cycles. IT IS NATURAL. Empires rise and fall and are replaced. Pruning an old and dying tree is OK and that is about all you do-gooders will accomplish..you will have a well pruned tree…ready to fall. And fall it will.

I can’t site one single example of left wing conspiracy in the history of my country. Progressive thinkers have been the ONLY catalyst for positive change. The conservatives drag their feet and hold on to their wealth and the status quo. It has been a back and forth struggle and as long as the progressive left had a slight edge, the U.S. had a chance and grew. For a long while now, the right wing has held power and this is what will eventually drag the whole shebang down. The last 8 years is a good example. We will now get a short reprieve with a less conservative government, but the damage of decades has been done. It won’t be easily undone.

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Of course a public works project makes too much sense for americans to take seriously. The last time this was done, and successfully, I might add, was by President Roosevelt. It was done to help take us out of the great depression. What self respecting, populace hating, corporate butt smooching republican would want to emulate Roosevelt?

I am not enjoying watching the meltdown because I am not yet on the side lines. I am one of the millions who will get bloodied. And so I am not ready to butt my head against a brick wall trying to change the way Americans think and behave.

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Yeeesh! Another poll. Who is asking the questions and who is answering them? Most of the questions betray a self centered, nationalistic, flag waving, immigrant hating, religious fanatic right wing..and I would add “fringe” to the right wing name except most americans now seem to follow that dead end philosophy and will continue to follow it right into the ground. I once read a poll which stated over 85% of Americans still believe in angels manifesting on earth and performing miracles. Unless and until the population decides to pull its collective head out of its collective rear end, the country is doomed.

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Alfred, you are insightful and I agree with just about every point you make. The place our paths diverge is at the point where your enthusiasm and hope spurs you to advise action in order to save a failing empire. I believe it is a lost cause to do so. It is akin to trying to save an old, old tree whose time has come to fall onto the forest floor and begin the decay process. Other life will suck the remaining nutrients from the decaying trunk and so things continue. This analogy where things continue after the fall is about as hopeful as my 58 years of life will permit. The U.S. as a dominating culture is over. The party may well be over for everybody if something is not done to ward off the ecological damage consumerism is causing.

On a side note, I don’t give a rat’s behind which of the republican or democratic candidates is nominated or elected. Not one of them represents the kind of radical change required to stave off a looming disaster coming at us on many fronts, ecological as well as economical. They are all a mild reflection of the American people who have reached a complete state of apathy and self centered myopic focus. There aren’t enough “good” citizens left to make any difference. There is a solid 25% ofd the population which will always be around to support the politics of George Bush and his kind. These people aren’t going away.

Edited on Jan 29, 2008 06:04

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Yeah, I’m not holding my breath for any utopias either. I would just like to get out of the way of this big derailing train. Costa Rica looks like a relatively quiet place for shelter. Some of the crap is bound to spill over everywhere and I am lately wondering how things will have changed in Costa Rica in 5 years time.
I hope this empire has a soft crash landing…you know, no wars over oil or rioting in the streets after several years of a debilitating depression. I keep warding off all these predictions of doom and gloom such as one of Mr. Oliver’s recent posts because I still think the main events are many years off….but sometimes, I think maybe he is right. We are certainly living in interesting times and this is from someone who directly experienced the turmoils of the 60’s. I was gassed by police from helicopters and chased around by bayonet wielding national guard during the Ohio State and Kent State riots.
One thing which makes me pessimistic is a recent and more profound understanding of human nature…especially American human nature. The American voting public is manipulated by a government which is in turn manipulated by corporations and everybody dances to the tune being played on Wall Street.The stock market is manipulated not by corporations or analysts but by professional traders who have huge funds behind them. And they are able to do this because fear is a bottomless pit whereas enthusiasm and hope have limits. I am half way up the slope looking up and down and I suspect we may slide some more before our masters are done taking there profits.

Edited on Jan 28, 2008 05:16

Edited on Jan 28, 2008 05:18

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I think our collective goose is cooked. Like climate change, some things reach a point of no return. The only remaining question for me is the schedule as to when each catastrophic event will come to pass. I also have to question the judgment of anyone who still believes capitalism is the best system on the planet after so much harm has been done and is being done by that system of greed and exploitation. Even Bill Gates is starting to talk about the dangers of unbridled capitalism.
In the end, people get the government and economy they deserve. There are enough stupid and greedy americans to continue this disaster along its way. After all, Bush was elected not once, but twice.

Edited on Jan 27, 2008 16:14

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The more interesting aspect to this reaction to the recession is that it is hopeful and not pessimistic. Rather than hunkering down and looking for defensive ways to protect the country’s economic interests, this government is making an aggressive and what some might consider risky way of spending precious resources. Costa Rica is not the only country which is moving forward. If all you are listening to and reading here in the States is our media, you might think we were sliding down to the end of the world.

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Thank you again. There are a lot of people under the same erroneous impression I had. I understand permits are always a requirement. But are the services of an architect always required even for smaller dwellings?

Edited on Jan 23, 2008 08:22

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