... like the Berlin wall.
Ah yes... Gorbachev, the man who solved my conflict:
Do I ally with the Commies to dissolve religion ?
Or
Do I ally with the Holly Rollers to dissolve the Commies ?
Gorby solved the problem, he dissolved the Commies *g*
Cuba has already proved more difficult, I think for two reasons only:
1. Cuba is an island, therefore infiltration of agents, (or even casual tourists), becomes far more difficult and easier to control.
2. Castro himself who has proven far smarter than the lot of US presidents that have faced him.
He has lied, deceived, cheated, out-foxed, laughed at, everyone of them... I think Castro was a Catholic boy when he was little. He learned well, who knows, maybe he wanted to be a Bishop, or a pope. *g*
In any event, he is not about to turn now and go away giving up power, so it will either be death, or some incredible revolution that would dethrone him. I think he will die with the boots on. who knows !?
I do not give much credence to either of the laws, (US or Cuban), I just pointed out to illustrate that unless both sides start new, I simply see no easy solution.
I do not see how could Cuba "reimburse" or pay for the nationalized properties of both Cubans and Americans. I am not justifying the taking of property without due compensation, but I am trying to view this from the practical point of attempting to re-establish trade/diplomatic relationship between the two countries....
In that respect, I do not know what would be a fair way to deal with this, yet at the same time how do you make a go of it ? Castro is not going to give up, and at a point the American best interest (in my eyes), is to re-establish relationship with Cuba... so ... How will it be done ?
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On another front...
El Zorro is beginning to disclose his method of how to govern Mexico...
an Interesting article (Spanish) in "Proceso"
proceso.com.mx
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<snip>
Con el apoyo de cinco empresas "buscadoras de talentos" —headhunters—, cuyos nombres son mantenidos en secreto, así como de Ramón Muñoz Gutiérrez, su coordinador de asesores cuando fue gobernador de Guanajuato, Vicente Fox está buscando a los miembros que integrarán su gabinete.Hasta el momento, lo único que ha trascendido es que los miembros del futuro gabinete pertenecerán a todos los partidos políticos, su nombramiento no dependerá de cuestiones de "compadrazgo" o "amiguismo", ya que, según recalca el mismo Fox, serán seleccionados de acuerdo con sus capacidades y honestidad, y mediante "métodos científicos y técnicos".
Encargado de revisar los currículum de los probables miembros del gabinete, y creador del Modelo Estratégico de la Reingeniería del Gobierno del Estado de Guanajuato, cuando Fox fue gobernador, Muñoz Gutiérrez comenta los criterios para seleccionar a los funcionarios que ya han trabajado con Fox:
"Formar un equipo de gobierno es una de las tareas más delicadas y estratégicas de un nuevo gobierno. De la designación del equipo de colaboradores depende en gran parte el éxito de la nueva administración; en este caso se tiene que dejar lo menos posible al azar y a las presiones políticas que, aunque inevitables, no son ni deben ser la razón de la formación de un gabinete."
En su libro Pasión por un buen gobierno, donde detalla el estilo personal de gobernar de Fox, Muñoz Gutiérrez enumera las cuatro cualidades que pide a sus funcionarios el próximo presidente: honesto, competente, visionario y contagiador de entusiasmo.
<snip>
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The general idea of the article says that Mr. Vicente Fox (President elect of Mexico --I personally call him "El Zorro" since Fox means Zorro --who knows, he may proved to be a good legend after all *g*), will take a mindset of the president of a corporation to govern Mexico, rather than the mind of a politician.
It is said that he has hired 5 "headhunter" companies, to point out the potential members of his cabinet. The name of the 5 companies has been kept secret.
They will look across party lines, most importantly, it will not consider "Compadres" (reciprocal godfathers to each other's sons/daughters), or "Amiguisimos" (super-friends) since Mr. Fox intent is to hire people based in his or her best capabilities and honesty. This, using a scientific method of selection.
Don't laugh, in Latin America sometimes it is best to be a good Compadre, to the right politician, than a capable individual with a master's degree in public administration from LSE or Harvard.
It goes on to mention that while governor he used the American technique of "benchmarking" to measure progress and performance, establishing goals as they arrive at the pre-established prior objectives.
Part of said benchmarking is to use government practices used around the world to match them or improve upon them.
This technique won a prize at the JKF School of Government in Public Administration .
This method was first tried in the state of Oregon (USA) during the 80's, According to a web page from that state in the Internet.
Fox goes on stating that he views the "governed" as clients which the government should cater to.
blah, blah, blah.....
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well....
I wish him luck, I believe it when I see it.
Translation of the last paragraph copied in this post --see above):
In his book "Passion for a Good Government", where he details Fox's personal style to govern, Muñoz-Gutierrez lists the four qualities the next president will ask of his functionaries: honest, competent, visionary and a motivator ("enthusiasm injector").
[According to the article, Mr. Muñoz-Gutierrez was the advisors co-ordinator (sor of a "chief of staff"), when he was Governor of Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico].
Well... to me politicians are guilty until proven guilty. *g* So unless I see evidence pointing differently, I will repeat Mencken's definition of a politician and a lawmaker:
"A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar."
"The typical lawmaker of today is a man devoid of principle--a mere counter in a grotesque and knavish game. If the right pressure could be applied to him he would be cheerfully in favor of polygamy, astrology, or cannibalism"
We shall see... |
