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Most, but not all, eyes are
looking north this time

Story idea

A story idea: With many Americans retiring in Panama and keeping their cash in Panamanian banks, there is a lot of confusion as to the "insurance" many banks say they have to guarantee all depositors' funds. (I deal with Banco Universal in David who claims I have nothing to worry about.)

Could you do an article shedding some light on this?

Editor's note: There is no deposit insurance in Panama and, worse yet, if a bank goes belly-up Panamanian depositors get priority over foreigners. Back in the 90s, when a plane owned by the politically well connected president of BANAICO got busted in the USA with cocaine aboard, the bank's Colombian depositors rushed to withdraw their money and in the face of that run banking authorities shut the bank down. Panamanian depositors got a fraction of their deposits back, a few second tier and lower bank officials got prison sentences and the foreigners who didn't get their funds out in time lost their deposits.

Response to bloggers misrepresenting information

Eric,

If you had a blog this is what I would post

Article in reference:                                                       http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_14/issue_19/economy_01.html

Article Eric quotes:                                                             http://primapanama.blogs.com/_panama_residential_devel/2008/10/
the-sunny-side.html

One of the hardest aspects of doing business in Panama for both new and current market participants is the sourcing of true, unbiased information. In this article written by Eric I was quoted as being a "cheerleader" of sorts. I actually complimented Eric on the article as I found it to be in relative accordance with my views and well rounded. It is beyond me as to why, or how he misconstrued my point. In my opinion if you are going to quote someone it is unprofessional to cut the quote short in order to mold it better to an argument being made. In this case I can't see why Eric decided to cut the quote short as it in its essence it supports his underlying thesis. Instead of cutting the quote to "potentially decent spreads could be made buying from the eager US sellers one day and flipping to the relocating Venezuelans the next" and saying "but before the sentence was over he hedged that bit of advice," he should have just put the full quote being "potentially decent spreads could be made buying from the eager US sellers one day and flipping to the relocating Venezuelans the next (a higher than risky proposition, especially in these times)! A more sane approach; if you have liquidity, and you believe in the long-term viability of Panama, keep an eye on the banks foreclosure lists, and an open ear at the normal expatriate watering holes, because there will be some incredible buying opportunities in the near future." It is the manipulation of information such as this, and the laziness, and or lack of professionalism of many bloggers in Panama to contact/verify the sources they quote, or in this case misquote that makes doing business in Panama that much riskier. It is of no consequence to me whether or not Eric, a man I have never met, agrees with me or not, but it does bother me to be misrepresented, especially when misrepresentation of information is one of the greatest problems here in Panama. To summarize, I am actually in agreement with a lot of what Eric says here as evidenced by the article I wrote being quoted in this piece:
http://primapanama.blogs.com/_panama_residential_devel/2008/10/
the-sunny-side.html.

So Eric, thanks for the new nickname, but next time, either make a phone call to confer with someone you want to quote to ensure you have a clear understanding of their material or simply don't cut quotes short in order to better adapt them to fit a piece. Additionally it is always a good idea to link back to a person or article you are quoting so readers can view works being cited.

I for one am not an advocate of the Panamanian condo market, nor have I ever been involved with it and or advised clients to invest in the sector. That being said for sophisticated investors I strongly feel that there will be a way to capitalize, when the product being offered becomes increasingly distressed.

The people I have ccd on this email do a very good job of referencing sources, take note

Warm regards

Cheer squad captain

Editor's note: Indeed, do read the Archer Group's website, which I did before concluding that it was that sort of real estate hype that I consider "cheerleading."

As in "Three years of operational experience has enabled the group to acquire first-hand insight into the cultural and business nuances inherent in the country...." "AGI is uniquely positioned to cater to the international investment community...." "The groundwork has been laid for a long-term economic surge in Pedasi...." "It is true that the indigenous people are unable to stem the tide of progress or to protect their culture and way of life indefinitely. They are being forced to cater to the tourism and consumer market being generated by the foreigners demand. Farming the land, raising cattle, and fishing, no longer provides enough income. The only way for these individuals to generate wages comparable to the rising costs is to cater to the market being generated by the foreigner, however they do this with a smile and open arms...." "Although prices have risen there is still tremendous investment opportunities. The lifecycle of Casco Viejo’s gentrification is still in its infancy. It is going to take another 5 to 8 years before the area is completely renovated and gentrified...." "Regardless of what transpires in the real estate market in the city center, Casco will continue to blossom. It is a safe-haven both culturally and aesthetically...."

And do note that this was cc'd to Don Winner, whose "good job of referencing sources" includes his backing for Mark Boswell alias Rex Freeman, the convicted felon "patriot" militia shill with a Costa Rican warrant for his arrest who's plugging an unregistered investment fund that claims a 26 percent per month return on investment.

I stand by my story.

Can any of you readers help with this?

You know Panama City exceptionally well, tell me, if I wanted to learn some of the Latin dances, where can I go?

I read The Panama News. All your readers are fortunate that you are passionate about getting the story so we can read and understand.

Editor's note: I know there are a bunch of places that teach Panamanian and other Latin American dances, but don't know enough to make a recommendation. Can any of you readers out there lend a hand here?

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot: step-by-step voter checklist

If you ordered your ballot and it has not yet arrived, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is a back-up ballot that you can vote TODAY. If you subsequently receive your state ballot, vote that, too. The FWAB is only counted if your state ballot is not received by your state by the ballot return deadline.

Get the FWAB: Go to http://www.VoteFromAbroad.org. Simply answer the six screens of questions and download and print the nine page document. You will receive (1) Instructions (where you will find the address to send the FWAB), (2) Electronic Transmission Sheet and Federal Postcard Application which you do NOT need; (3) The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot which includes a Voter’s Declaration/Affirmation, the Ballot and Instructions.

Sign and Date the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation: When you use VoteFromAbroad.org, the Voter's Declaration/Affirmation will be filled in based upon your voting state's requirements and the information you provided. You just need to review the information, sign and date it.

Check the following list to see if you need a witness or additional documentation:

- Alabama: 2 witnesses OR Notary (must be over the age of 18)

- Alaska: 1 witness (dated and signed)

- Arizona: Proof of Citizenship (copy of passport or birth certificate)

- Louisiana: 2 witnesses (must sign security envelope)

- North Carolina: 2 witnesses (must be over 18 sign and include address)

- South Carolina: 1 witness --- No signature necessary

- Virginia: 1 witness --- No signature necessary

- Wisconsin: 1 witness (include date of birth of witness --- must be a US citizen)

Vote the FWAB: You can either write in the candidate's name or the word Democrat. (It is unlikely that you will need the second page of the ballot).

Seal the Ballot Envelope: Put your voted FWAB ONLY in a plain white envelope and seal it. Write on the outside of the envelope “Security Envelope.”

In the Mailing Envelope: Put the sealed “Security Envelope” and the Signed and Dated Voter's Declaration/Affirmation in a mailing envelope.

Enter Return Address: Write your name and current mailing address in the upper left hand corner of the mailing envelope.

Address the Envelope: Write the address of your Local Election Office on the mailing envelope.

Double Check: Double check that you have completed everything.

Ensure evidence of mailing from outside the USA:

- Foreign Postmark: Affix the appropriate postage. All states will accept a foreign postmark as evidence of submission from outside the USA.

- Commercial Courier: Some states will also accept a commercial courier service waybill as evidence of submission from outside the USA. Using a courier service should be a last resort. Alabama explicitly refuses to accept materials sent to them by commercial couriers, such as Federal Express and DHL. If using a courier, please staple a copy of the air waybill to the ballot envelope prior to sealing the courier envelope.

Seal the addressed envelope --- and mail your FWAB today!

For questions: help@votefromabroad.org

Sarah Palin

I just had to comment on your incredulity over John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as VP. You call her a lightweight, yet it is beyond dispute that she has vastly more executive experience than Obama, who is at the top of the ticket!

When questioned about his experience, Obama stated that he has run a campaign for 11 months, that is his sole qualification. It is amazing that the term "gravitas" hasn't passed through the lips of any of the Mainstream Media covering the campaign. They couldn't get enough of the term in 2000.

I never thought I would quote Hillary, but she said it best when she said that all he has as a qualification is a speech in 2004!

If Obama goes on to win, there will be a massive case of buyers remorse in the US and rejoicing in the streets of Caracas, Havana, Tehran and Pyongyang.

My 2 cents worth, God Bless!

Help plant the seeds of change

At the Democratic National Convention this August, I was fortunate to spend a day of service planting trees alongside several Democrats Abroad members. The long journeys to Denver made by these dedicated individuals reminded me of your genuine spirit of service and love for this country. It is with that sentiment that I write to you today. I know that the membership of Democrats Abroad is working hard to elect Democratic Congressional candidates and Senator Barack Obama this fall, and with the nation's economic crisis and failed foreign policy it is imperative that all of us do our best.

We need every American to vote, and to vote Democratic. Please take an hour, or whatever you can give, and make an effort to reach out to Americans living abroad. Pick up the phone and tell them about http://www.VoteFromAbroad.org, which will guide them through the voter registration and absentee ballot request process. Deadlines are fast approaching, so please do so without delay.

It is truly an honor to serve as the Honorary Chair of Democrats Abroad, and with great appreciation, I ask for your help.

President Jimmy Carter

Vote pro-life in the USA

Contrary to the world’s political pundits the most important issue facing humanity in the upcoming US election is the fundamental "right to life" of every human being.

It is here that Senator Barack Obama’s core beliefs and record fundamentally disagrees with the nation’s founding principles that are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and which states that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Obama is governed by the Marxist belief that "the end justifies the means." As a result he vigorously supports the systematic murdering of innocent children through abortion and embryonic stem cell research as if such people were a sub-class of human beings. In 2002, as an Illinois legislator, he supported infanticide by vetoing the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which would have protected babies who were accidentally born alive during attempts to abort them. An estimated 1.3 million innocent children are murdered each year in the United States through the Obama adopted policy of abortion. Without the right to life no other human right makes sense.

Obama also fully supports contraceptives and homosexuality which thwarts the natural generation of life and which is the anti-thesis of the family. Rather than favoring prayer in schools, he advocates the distribution of condoms. He will bring to the US Constitution same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by gay couples.

Obama is a false prophet who preaches "change" and "hope" while pursuing a culture of death. Though the slogan "change" is usually invoked to signify something positive, in this case it hides a different agenda --- one which is very dangerous for America and the world.

Looking back at SDS faction leaders

Eric, I just read your superb editorial about Ayers and Obama and the campaign. Thank you for so much sanity.

I also want to tell you that in those days I was already a single mom teaching at Brooklyn College. Jeff Gordon, one of my students, asked me to be faculty advisor to the W.E.B. Dubois Club, the closest I got to revolutionary excess. Jeff later asked me to be a founding member of the Progressive Labor Party. My memory of the occasion is: we were having a beer when, his glass half-way to his mouth, I mentioned that I was a lesbian. There was no faltering, his hand simply looped down. He set his glass on the table as he rose and said he had to go. Jeff later was a ring leader of the group that put on the show that laughed HUAC off the stage of history (as we used to talk.) They came to the hearing dressed in revolutionary army uniforms. Maybe you remember? In 1959, my husband was called before that dreadful body. What a memorable time it was. I suspect we are approaching such a time again.

Karen

About the last issue's "disappointed conservative"

You're doing a "great" job!! This guy is a "whiner"!! I don't agree with all your political prognoses, but you're entitled to your opinions and are probably the hardest driving editor of any online news in the world.

Keep er up!!

Police assault Iraq vets at presidential debate

On October 15 Veterans For Peace Long Island was privileged to march in solidarity with the Iraq Veterans Against the War to the front gates of Hofstra University. The peaceful march to express concerns to the presidential candidates was meet with unprovoked violence and brutality by the Nassau County Police.

Following a mounted police assault in which we all peaceably moved back from the front gate of Hofstra, the Police abusively sought out and arrested members of IVAW. Three veterans were injured in the assault and taken to local hospitals. In all fifteen demonstrators were arrested, twelve of them Iraq War veterans.

The Hempstead 15 will be arraigned on November 10 and VFPLI will be there to stand in solidarity with those who continue to sacrifice so much for our country. Please remember them and join us to support our courageous brothers and sisters and to demonstrate to our representatives that such police brutality will not be tolerated on Long Island.

Peace and justice for the Hempstead 15.

The photo above is of Nick Morgan, IVAW member, after the above described police assault targeting Iraq veterans exercising their rights to freedom of speech and assembly. His injury is a result of being trampled by one of the police horses. He suffered a broken cheekbone. The one below is of the police who assaulted the veterans.They were taken by Vietnam Veterans Against the War member Bill Perry.

Witness Against Torture applauds Guantanamo decision

In a courtroom packed with anti-torture activists and members of the Uigher community, US District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina struck a landmark blow against the Bush administration and its policy of indefinite detention at Guantanamo in Washington, DC.

The case involved seventeen Uighers, ethnic Chinese Muslim detainees held at Guantanamo despite having been deemed unthreatening and cleared for released. The United States has continued to hold them, arguing they would face persecution if repatriated to China. Judge Urbina called their continued detention "illegal," and ruled that the government has to "release them here" in the United States.

When the government argued that bringing the men to the United States might result in their apprehension by the Department of Homeland Security, Judge Urbina grew angry and frustrated, saying "these Uighers will not be touched until I see them in this court… The petitioners must be brought to me on Friday [October 10th] and nothing will happen to these people before then." The government is expected to appeal the ruling, postponing what would be the first time in nearly seven years that prisoners at Guantanamo would appear before a US court of law.

The Uighers, who are members of a repressed minority within China, have been held without judicial oversight for nearly seven years. Fleeing a Chinese crackdown, they were arrested by security personnel in Pakistan soon after September 11, 2001 and were transferred to US military custody in exchange for bounties of $5,000 a piece. After being subjected to torture in Pakistan, the men have languished in legal limbo at Guantanamo. A smaller group of Uighers was released from Guantanamo in 2006 and granted entry into Albania.

Members of Witness Against Torture, a grassroots movement to shut down Guantanamo, were present at the hearing and heartened by Urbina's ruling. "Once again the courts are ruling in favor of justice," said Matthew W. Daloisio, of New York City, one of the group's organizers. "Judge Urbina is opening the doors of the United States to these innocent victims of the White House's war on terror."

"This is a good step," comments Helen Schietinger, a Washington, DC resident and another organizer with Witness Against Torture. "And in the context of a presidential race in which both major candidates have called for the closure of Guantanamo," she continues, "this ruling could be the beginning of freedom for many of the more than 200 men who remain imprisoned at the US naval base there: but we have to make it happen. In the coming weeks and months, we have a historic opportunity to reverse the disastrous policies of the last seven years."

Witness Against Torture has launched a campaign to close the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and end torture by the United States within the first 100 days of the new President's administration. Joined by the Center for Constitutional Rights, United for Peace and Justice, the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International, War Resisters League, the School of the Americas Watch and other groups, Witness Against Torture will begin a nine-day fast on January 11, 2009, which marks seven years since the opening of the prison at Guantanamo.

The campaign to Shut Down Guantanamo will begin formally on January 20, the inauguration of the next President. The campaign brings together a coalition of groups and individuals who will take part in demonstrations, educate Congress and the public, and engage in nonviolent direct action. Witness Against Torture will maintain a physical presence at the White House and organize activities --- from film screenings to lectures and community meetings --- in Washington, DC, and across the country.

Found on the Wonderful World of Weirdness

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened." --- Winston Churchill

Censored News Stories Highlighted by Academic Research Group

Media Accountability Day, October 1, is the annual release of the news stories that were not covered by the corporate-mainstream media in the United States. The list, just announced by Project Censored at Sonoma State University in California, includes the twenty-five most important uncovered news stories of the year selected by over 200 academics.

Stories about the Iraq occupation lead the list. Unreported in the US corporate media is how over one million Iraqis have met violent deaths resulting from the 2003 US led invasion. According to a study conducted by the British polling group Opinion Research Business the human toll exceeded 900,000 as of August 2007. In addition, a United Nations Refugee Agency study found that five million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country.

Also ignored by mainstream media was the report of how three hundred Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans came forward in March of 2008 to recount the brutal impact of the ongoing occupations. The Winter Soldier hearings in Silver Spring, Maryland, organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, presented multiple testimonies by veterans who witnessed or participated in atrocities against Iraqis or Afghans.

Independent media reported that the United States Federal Reserve shipped $12 billion in US currency to Iraq at the beginning of the war of which at least $9 billion went missing, but this story never saw the light of day in the US mainstream.

Additionally, many anti-war activists will be surprised to learn that President Bush has signed two executive orders that would allow the US Treasury Department to seize the property of any person perceived to, directly or indirectly, pose a threat to US operations in the Middle East.

Also not reported in the US news is how the leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico have been secretly meeting to expand the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to form a militarized tri-national Homeland Security force and how more than 23,000 representatives of US private industry are working with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collect information on fellow Americans.

Coverage of how massive new US-backed military funding threatens peace and democracy in Latin America and that NATO officials are considering a first strike nuclear option was also missing from the corporate press.

Unreported news also includes the stories that the Justice Department believes it is legal for the president to secretly ignore previous executive orders anytime he wants, and the FDA is complicit in allowing drug companies to make false, unsubstantiated, and misleading advertising claims.

Censored news stories also included why the No Child Left Behind program is a huge success for corporate profits, but have had little positive impact on public education. Children in juvenile detention centers in the US face conditions that involve sexual and physical abuse, and even death. And radioactive materials from nuclear weapons production sites are being dumped into public landfills, and being used as recycled metals.

Untold news includes CARE announcing last year that it was turning down $45 million in food aid from the United States government because the procedures the US demands for handling the food actually increases starvation instead of relieving it.

Rounding out the Project Censored list is the news that the guest worker program in the United States victimizes immigrant workers and creates a new form of indentured servitude and that twenty-seven million slaves exist in the world today.

Censorship is a harsh term, but the shocking fact is that the corporate-mainstream media in the US was so busy entertaining us that these and many other important news stories became lost in a news system run amuck.

On behalf of Darfur, please add your voice

The next administration can help bring an end to the violence in Darfur, if we make sure that Darfur is a Day One priority.

I just became a voice for Darfur --- please add your voices too by clicking on the link below.

In unity there is strength.

Investment Bank of the Living Dead?

A low cost way of restoring world-wide confidence in our banking system is to resurrect Lehman Brothers, buying it out of its bankruptcy.

A bankruptcy that would not have been allowed to occur by the government’s new stance had it occurred only three weeks later.

By resurrecting Lehman Brothers, the government acknowledges a mistake and corrects such a mistake, for the good will of a major financial entity is always intertwined with the good will being enjoyed by our entire banking system, thus such an entity as Lehman Brothers cannot be allowed to go bankrupt and to cease to exist without some government intervention.

Stockholders may get little, if anything, but the entity must continue, under the government at least. Government runs such entities until able to slowly sell off some of their parts and perhaps liquidate some other parts, but the entity’s good will must continue to sustain the confidence and the good will of investors around the world who would appreciate lucid government intervention in our financial markets.

So bring back Lehman Brothers, disentangle it from bankruptcy and try to make it whole again, and most importantly, restore its ties to the financial community by making it operational once again. So that Lehman Brothers can live again, even if stockholders and even bond holders suffer, it would be less than from a bankruptcy.

So bring it back to life and make Lehman Brothers an ongoing institution once again simply to show the world our commitment to provide government support to sustain high levels of confidence in our banking system.

Therefore, a new, much more explicit dictum ought to be recognized, that banks and major financial institutions are not allowed to fail, to go bankrupt and thus in any way damage the level of confidence in all of our financial institutions.

Confidence in our financial institutions must always be sustained and using different solutions including government takeover, which ought to be used only as a last resort, so that the public has confidence in having assets in our banking system.

If one looks at the numbers that would be involved in resurrecting Lehman Brothers as a viable entity, it certainly would not take a large bite out of the three quarters of a trillion dollars that will be floating around trying to do some good.

So, bring back Lehman Brothers from the dead, that would be impressive and a really cheap way, in the long run, of restoring confidence, correcting an error, for Lehman Brothers ought not to have been permitted to fail as it did and ought to be brought back as an ongoing entity.