Tonight is the final debate for the US Presidential election. I will get to watch it live, with a choice of commentary in Spanish or English. It remains to be seen if Obama will offer a critique of the additional bank buy-back announced in the past few days. This has given a wake up call even to some conservative observers, as it is a ruthless power grab by the executive branch of government, even more bold than previously.
Commentators have noted that this sets a worrisome precedent, as there is no option for the banks and no recourse should they wish to decline the offer. One observer suggested that the buy in should be challenged in court, to set some sort of due process in place.
Overall, it could not have been predicted with any more alarm than is now unfolding. The Bush Administration, in its last few months, is putting in place actions that will leave long deep scars in the rule of law and the ability for undoing these shenanigans.
They money being thrown around now, and the lack of procedures and oversight to manage it, make the money wasted in the Iraq ´reconstruction´ seem paltry. Even more scary, the Americans can sort of see and perceive what is happening, but seem too clogged up and confused to take real action. As usual, the serious discussion is happening online. Any real world protests rarely make it to the TV screens.
Happily, Paul Krugman has received the Nobel for economics. If the computer where I am staying was working, I might find out more. CNN is unlikely to give me the details I crave.
Rachel´s Environment Weekly, a trusted online info source about environmental matters, notes that the economic crash will be paltry compared to the coming collapse of the global environment. And fish lovers, get ready to say goodbye to your favourite species, as that collapse is coming real soon.
Meanwhile, it has been raining gatos y perros here in Costa Rica, and it is probably time I went home.
I close with another story of power grabbing: the resorts in western Costa Rica, where celebs like Mel Gibson own huge tracts of land, are trying to build acquducts to take the water from small towns for their grand pools and spas. (Probably like the one we staying in recently in Puntarenas.) The locals are protesting.
Somewhere, there is business to be done with all the water here. This picture of a street nearby shows the deep gutters just to move the water away:

Finally, while this small town feels very secure and peaceful, the houses all have strong iron gates. They say it is just a preventative measure, but it certainly gives the impression of determination. Imagine the amount of steel if all the houses in Australia had something similar. It would certainly slow down the house breaking: