[Regulator]

Oscar Arias is an intelligent and dedicated man. It is also well known that Costa Rica has taken a far more intelligent path than the other Latin American countries, most notably by their lack of an army.

But his words will be ignored in Latin America. The Caudillos like Castro, Chavez, Lula da Silva, Calderon and the pathetic Evo Morales will never admit that it was Spaniard culture and custom that destroyed Latin America.

They will go on by stealing what they cannot create: note what Chavez did just yesterday, nationalizing the oil field services companies in Venezuela.

A voice in the wind. Costa Rica will probably continue to prosper, and the rest will simply continue on their path to social oblivion.

[Mack the knife]

The Caudillos like Castro, Chavez, Lula da Silva, Calderon and the pathetic Evo Morales will never admit that it was Spaniard culture and custom that destroyed Latin America.

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I posted this before, but think it is still appropriate: Read “Aztec Blood” and other “Aztec” books by Gary Jennings to see just how the culture of Spanish Corruption was imported into Mexico and other Latin America countries. In short, the King of Spain appointed the Governor of Mexico based on the size of his bribe; there was every expectation that the Governor would become rich by doing the same thing to the next layer of officials, and the process repeated.

When the natives finally revolted, they maintained that culture and became a new set of oppressors.

I became aware of it when my roommate in college had to go back home to Mexico when his father died so he could bribe the officials to keep the family business.

Of course, sometimes (e.g.,when I see the “earmark culture” in Congress) I have doubts that we are that much better than Mexico.