Are Brazilians smarter than Torrijos?

Ever been to Brazil? Economically, it's not that different from Panama. GNP per capita is in the same league. Income disparity is as bad there as it is here.

But why then, is it that we have buses that fall apart, buses that blow up in Via España or crash in demolition derbies on the Transistmica while in for example the Brazilian city of Curitiba - roughly the same size as Panama City - they have one of the most advanced public transport systems in the world? Can you explain that? In other words, who in your government - and the previous ones - of robber barons and Noriega drinking buddies isn't doing his job? And why is Bimbin only now talking about a metro after ignoring the problems for ten years?

Another question. Here's an interesting statistic for you. Panama has 500 policemen per 100,000 citizens. That is MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE AMERICAS. Costa Rica is a good second with 465 cops/100,000, and the US is fourth with 326. I found that in the 2007 UN report "Crime and Development in Central America". So here's the question: Why do we need more police? Aren't these figures a clear indication that if we have a crime and security problem in Panama, Mirones, Delgado Diamante and the other chieftains aren't doing their jobs? It can't be that they're short on manpower.

In just the last year, we've seen more violence and death related to protest and discontent than in the last decade. Workers shot and killed. Battles in the streets. Remember the social security protests? We vividly remember how Telemetro quickly switched away from a shot showing a policeman pointing his gun at the crowd and firing.

In Panama, contrary to many other Latin American countries, there is no organized left, as it has been hijacked by either the PRD or fragmented sectarian groups. Together with the second-highest difference between rich and poor of the continent, high poverty rates and increasing prices, this makes for an explosive combination. What we've witnessed so far is just the beginning.

This author has long predicted that political and social protest will merge with violent crime in Panama. Last Friday, a police station in Rio Abajo was attacked with stones, sticks and guns by a group of youngsters who took revenge for the arrest of their comrades for drinking alcohol on Good Friday. Case in point.

Everybody please go out and buy canned food and milk powder for at least two weeks. War is imminent, actually, it has already begun. No, we didn't know that either but luckily Daniel Delgado Diamante informs us today in La Prensa. Where would we be without him. At least SOMEBODY picks up the phone at Las Garzas at 3 AM.

How do we win this war? Simple. We merge the police and the PTJ. Then we merge the air force and the border force. Then we merge those with the police. And before you know it, we have an army again! That is modern strategic thinking, explains Delgado Diamante. A true visionary. What can we do with this army? All sorts of fun things, but preferably go to war with criminals. Use the tactics of warfare against drug trafficking. Last time he was involved in such an effort it was a big success, everybody got rich and the army heroically defended the country against foreign invaders. Let's do it again!

INSTANT UPDATE: Our fearless terrorist Assembly president is duly doing his part in the war effort and has ordered guns, bullet proof vests, boots and pepper spray to protect the country's biggest tax-free car dealership against, errr, terrorists?

Remember La Terraza, that sleazy cockroach and rat infested shithole on Via Veneto? Right, where Colombian working girls and Washington lobbyist whores hang out when they're not being banged by McCain. Well. Mike from Texas, the owner, has left the building, or so we hear, and it's not because his tourist visa expired. Something with legal problems in the US. Something with financial crimes. They say he's now in Venezuela, no doubt looking for donations from Chavez to start a socialist fugitive bar owners union. Neat, huh? And guess who promoted him? Yep, ANOTHER one!