That perfect petri dish of capitalism

Almost three years removed from island life, I still try to keep up with the happenings of my old home of Saipan, and when it comes to island political affairs, few people nail it as accurately as my friend Zaldy Dandan, who is an incredibly bright guy and the voice of reason on CNMI politics with his clear-headed, reality based insight into CNMI shenanigans. For someone so on the money about CNMI politics, it's confounding to me that he can be so wrong in political philosophy.

About once a month or so, Z rails about liberalism and touts the virtues of the American Right, a group that is a virtual celebration of stupidity, oligarchy and fear mongering. While I can certainly understand his not being impressed by the Democratic Party, I'm completely confounded that someone as bright as Zaldy aligns himself with anything as moronic as the American Right Wing and its “the jury is still out on evolution” ethos, which is intellectually embarrassing, or should be, to anyone who takes thinking seriously.

In his latest column he comments on the famous, "perfect petri dish of capitalism," notion that the Republican jailbird Tom DeLay boasted about regarding the CNMI, which Zaldy feels is inaccurate. I disagree. Yes while the CNMI is, in part, incompetent government run amok, it is also pure capitalism. When the garment industry owns the government, and corporate control of government fits a definition of fascism, and can pay quasi indentured workers a mere $3.05 per hour to work in sweatshops and dump its waste into the ocean for someone else to clean up with no rules, no oversight and no restraint, that is pure capitalism. Given their druthers, and they've already made advancements by shipping jobs abroad and demonizing labor unions, the American Right would have that type of system everywhere, which is why DeLay spoke in such awe of the CNMI. He, a high ranking leader in the American Right, loved a place where business could do anything and workers had no rights and made meager wages.

The real canard today is that there are so many working class stiffs that just witnessed and are currently feeling the joys of deregulation, of just letting banks and businesses do whatever they want, and yet they still subscribe to this “government is the problem” philosophy and do the bidding of big business, even when their interests are so divergent. Government is the problem because while it is supposed to be the police and put some brakes on corporate excesses, these police are bought and paid for by these criminals through campaign contributions that give them excessive influence. Government is essentially paid not to do its job, paid not to act in the interests of the masses, but of a privileged few. The results is what we've seen from Worldcom, Enron, Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and all these other corporate criminals: hubris, bailouts and profit privatized while loss and risk is transferred to the public.

Big business has no natural predators left. The carcass has been picked clean and there is very little left for the rest of us other than high unemployment, upside down mortgages, stagnant wages, and the cost of gas, medical care and higher education rapidly outpacing inflation. For them, corporate profits aided by their control of the U.S. Treasury continue to soar. For us, it's all backwards. The top 1 percent now owns 25 percent of national income, yet fear of a president with a funny name or of illegal immigrants or of some bogeyman who might take our guns foolishly drives the blue collar into the arms of these Right Wing grifters, who have managed to create silly controversies as a distraction while they are robbing the store.

Some benefit financially from this setup, some don't know better, but Z, you must know the deal. I'm not saying be a Democrat, but how you can be on that team?

Editors Note: Back in the day I used to meet up with a group of divergent Saipan thinkers, including Zaldy, and argue about these types of things over copious alcoholic beverages. How I wish I could do that again.

Looking forward to Arin Greenwood's new novel

Arin Greenwood has a new novel inspired by the Saipan lifestyle coming out called "Tropical Depression," and I am really looking forward to reading it. Arin is a great writer, a versed traveler and, most importantly, a genuinely nice person. I remember back when I was on the island I googled Bali one day and read something she wrote about it. (If you Google her you will find a diverse list of topics expatiated on.) Either the article or the bio tag mentioned she lived in Saipan, and while everyone seems to know everyone in Saipan, I don't think I had met her at the time. I was so happy to see such a raconteur living right on my little island that I emailed her and expressed that I would love to meet her. We got to be friends and had several great conversations over the years. She was one of those people that island people I thought cool like Zaldy Dandan, Mike Ernest and Galvin Guerrero really liked her as well.

As for the subject material, I can relate. Lots of us dream of going off to live on a tropical island. Some of us do it. It's not always what you think, it definitely doesn't suck, and there is usually no shortage of memorable stories and characters. My five years in Saipan are probably the most memorable, pivotal and happiest five years of my life -- despite the many problems there.

A while back Arin did share with me an early partial draft of her novel, which comes out in November, and I know I am looking forward to reading the full treatment. Even though I am not writing about or from Saipan these days, I would like to think this blog is still a valid resource to those interested in life in the CNMI. I still get the occasional email about prospects for living there. Arin's book will include a great take on the various missionaries, mercenaries and misfits that have had Saipan sand in their shoes I'm sure. I will update the Amazon link here as soon as it is available.

The movie theater is re-opening

I just heard from my friend Zaldy Dandan that Hollywood Theater is re-opening on May 26. I'm sure the Marianas Variety will have the details tomorrow. I'm kind of surprised with the price of power going higher, but summer tends to be peak movie season. I don't have to fly to Guam to catch the new Indiana Jones.

Tonight is the Play Buffet finale

Tonight at 7 pm is the finale for the Play Buffet. I've had a good time doing it, and I think it is a pretty good show and well worth the $5 admission. Zaldy Dandan gave us a nice review in his column in the Variety today. I think he captures the spirit of the show pretty well.

"What amazed me about last week’s performance was the abundance of dramatic talents on that tiny stage in that tiny theater on this tiny island. Acting is a difficult art form. It demands too much of the actor who has to be out there, among strangers, as he gets into the character of another persona who doesn’t exist but should be more real than anything else on that stage. Honesty is a good actor’s trait. His art requires that he becomes another living thing. His specialty is to make life, with all its horrid facts and truths, stick out” of himself."

There is nothing, well, artsy fartsy about “Play Buffet.” It doesn’t pretend to be anything that it is not. It is what it’s supposed to be — a celebration of the islands’ multi-talented people. Their passion for one of the oldest and most enduring art forms is commendable, and rewarding to those lucky enough to have seen their production.

Z had this to say about yours truly: "It was a treat to see my buddy Jeff Turbitt rant and rave on stage. His monologue was as passionate and perplexed as our conversations. I don’t think he was acting."

A great weekend full of talking, relaxing and diving

I had a very good weekend. Friday night I put together a group of five hyper-opinionated writers: Brad Ruszala, Zaldy Dandan, Ken Phillips, Angelo Villagomez and Bruce Bateman -- as well as one unabashed and equally opinionated Republican lawyer in Mike Ernest -- for a free wheeling four hour discussion over alcohol on all kinds of world matters from abortion to local politics to sports to Iraq and back again. Bruce pushed his bed time to almost 9. That is indeed p.m. Toward the end of the night there was one funny moment, one of many truly, when we realized that 3/4 of this remaining cabal had been called "racist" by Jane Mack and the fourth, Mike Ernest, had been called "a shit" by her. The overall discussion was open, honest, from all over the political spectrum, most decidedly not just small talk and I think everyone had a good time. I certainly hope and plan to do it again.

On Saturday, I spent the afternoon at the Mandi Spa with my very pregnant wife. We now have less than two months to go in this new baby production, though I really should say she, since Cynthia is most definitely the star of that show. I'm the assistant coach at best I suppose, but I will try to model myself on Winston Wolf and "fix problems." As I mentioned in my Best of Saipan post, Mandi Spa is the nicest, most underutilized location on the island. Drinking white wine in a hot tub with that view for the price I paid is pretty good living. I joined up again with the spa on the teacher's plan, and it has been a joy -- especially since I hadn't been doing any diving yet this year, which leads me to Sunday.

I hopped on the Saipan Aquajet with my buddy Brad Derksen and we dove the Shipwreck and Ice Cream. Conditions on the north side of the island are still a little rough and there are few if any trips available there until April, but this was a nice, easy relaxing morning dive, and one of the great things about living in Saipan. The joys of this kind of morning I tried to capture in this post.

I saw three Eagle Rays and one very active eel roaming around. I also saw a bunch of very large fish, as well as the usual bounty of small and colorful fish. The clearing of my head during these dives gave me two ideas for books I'm interested in writing. That idea circulating in my head may very well be my project for next year, and it will be another thing I've wanted to do for a while, but have put off. This play in two weeks, and the comedy show perhaps a month later being two others. I also even came up with a possible business to put up here. Every year I've been here there has been a big project. The first was just living on a tropical island and getting acquainted. Years two and three were working on my master's and getting married. Years four and five dealt with getting Cynthia's green card, adopting kids and having my own child. Every year has integrated travel, writing and meeting new and interesting people. It was a great day and a great weekend.

The labor bill was not marketed well

I like Cinta Kaipat a lot for all the reasons I described here. I don't agree with her on everything. She did a lousy job convincing the public this bill was helpful, and from what I read of it, it sure doesn't look helpful. I pay attention to local politics pretty closely and the first time I heard about this bill was when Zaldy Dandan tore it to shreds. She, and others, should have been out in front getting her message out before the business community and the opinion makers tore it a new one. She should have gone on Harry's show early on, and she should have convinced the chamber. She didn't. They balked. She staked her re-election on this bill, and it damaged her reputation as a progressive. Worse, it didn't get her re-elected and may have actually damaged her chances -- plus this bill is 1/3 of the way to being bye bye already.

It pains me to see this attributed to her in her final days in office: "The principal sponsor of the bill that is now Commonwealth Employment Act of 2007 says foreign workers who can’t stand the local labor system can leave." I asked her about it, and she says it is inaccurate and she was misquoted. It wasn't a direct quote, so the author might not have captured the meaning quite as she intended. She is putting together a statement, and I will include that here when it is completed. She has long claimed to have her differences with the Variety, and that story was principally her reaction to media coverage of the bill, which has long been critical.

I can understand where Cinta is coming from right now on an empathy standpoint. She takes her integrity very seriously. Thousands of people were out protesting her signature legislation. Her bill has been attacked vociferously. The business community doesn't like it, the guest workers don't like it, and the locals seem mostly indifferent. If it was designed to ward off the feds, it doesn't seem to be working. It also doesn't address the biggest issue: low private sector wages.

Zaldy captured this point and made another good one in his Friday column. "My main argument, however, against the local labor law’s latest, well, reincarnation is its proponents’ claim that it will “allow” more locals to get private sector jobs. As if “loopholes” in the law were the reasons why a local family man doesn’t want to work eight hours a day for $3.55 an hour. Private sector jobs require actual work for low pay. In contrast, CNMI government jobs mean way higher pay with little or no work required. I guess what I’m saying is that the proponents of the new labor law should just come out and say that it’s not really about the “economy” and “self-government,” but about their desire to return to those simpler, guest-worker-free days. It’s more honest and, for me, perfectly understandable."

Moving up the Variety list

Cynthia and I made the Variety list for the third year in a row. Three years ago we were sixty something, then fifty six last year, and now we're in the 30s. I think Cynthia and I can take Pizza Hut and Diet Pepsi out next year.

I'm inspired by the Variety's List, so I'm creating my own list of things I'm thankful for.

Scuba gear - for keeping me sane

Bruce and Olive - for the poki, kelaguen and mojitos at Porkies and for having a personality

Marianas Coffee - we need little luxuries

Kuya Vikes - for everything

Living in a great diving environment -- for making all the other island bs more tolerable

The non-anonymous bloggers and commentators - for having balls

Shelby - for making me smile at least once each day for 12 years now

Katie - for your passion and for giving a damn about the animals

The Republic of Palau -- for being an escape

Zaldy, Harry, Angelo and Tina -- for telling it straight -- even if you all don't see eye to eye I appreciate you all

Dr. Norma Ada - for inspiring confidence in my and my clan's weaker moments

To my dive buddies, especially Marty Dalsaso and Rose Callier -- for looking out for me

Dave Matthew Band -- for so many times

Boni G and Betty M -- For your dedication to the craft that helps me in my darker moments in this job

My students -- those of you who get it especially make it worthwhile

Only 14 months of George Bush left -- the world can start healing

The breakfast at Wild Bill's -- been great for years

Brad Ruszala -- so I can laugh and smile at your charmed existence

Real Time With Bill Maher -- for not talking down to me and making me laugh

The people at BBQ's who don't know me who invite me anyway -- a great thing about this island

Tony Romo - for making the NFL interesting to me again

The Ipod - that I've discovered podcasts has been an upgrade in idle, down moments that make up each day

Cinta - for being a good person who cares

The internet -- for allowing me to explore my own niche interests and not be sucked the empty vacuum of pop culture.

Mom and Dad - for always being there

Cynthia, Alex, Carl and the inevitable Baby Ashley - for giving life a higher purpose

The thinking award, my nominees

Angelo graciously awarded me the thinking award. Thanks Angelo. I have to nominate five people. I'm nominating two famous people, two local bloggers and a newspaper editor.

Noam Chomsky is probably the closest thing to a modern Aristotle that exists. His writing revolutionized how I view the world.

Matt Taibbi is who I would be if I stayed in journalism full time -- at least he's who I would aspire to be like. He hasn't been writing much lately, at least political stuff.

I befriended Zaldy Dandan because I really think he tells it like it is. I know he has his detractors, but I like his stuff and think he definitely inspires thought.

I nominate Harry Blalock's Food For Thought Blog, which does provide that.

While I seldom agree with him, I have to give props to Bruce Bateman for provoking thought and being intellectually consistent.

The rules are here on Angelo's page. I don't expect Noam or Matt to participate, but it would be cool if they did.