So I owe you, 13 july
a couple of 2 readers' questions hanging
AMB James Smith will discuss changes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 19 July between 5 and 6 pm Eastern. Stationed in Riyadh for five years, AMB Smith’s knowledge of the Crown Prince and Saudi Arabia’s ambition guarantees this will educate all of us. The link is below.
i tell you I want feedback so I want to make sure I respond to your feedback! I intend to make this a monthly response to assure you get involved in our civil discussion. Please chime in.
An eagle-eyed reader (Jo Russell) wondered Tuesday after my photograph of the Central Pike spider whether it could be the feared Lantern Fly, yet another invasive species in our area. Upon comparing my spider (photograph by #thezenoflight)
and online photographs of the Lanturn Fly
(photo from the Smithsonian)
it does not appear the same creature to me. Does anyone else know? If Jo is correct, I am completely sorry I did not disturb him or her! Anybody know????
Another reader (Cliff Krieger) asked about the complexity of culture and immigration resulting from Latin America’s colonial experience.
Spanish and Portuguese colonial experiences are still relevant in some ways for the nations of the region. A fundamental difference between our culture and the generic regional culture—understanding sweeping statements are always risky—is that Latin American solutions to political differences often circumvented the electoral box. Now, we may be embracing the Latin American model as we question election results but we still place more emphasis on process to solve differences than the region.
One of the aspects of the United States fundamentally different from much of the rest of the world is our commitment to law which is more important than our commitment to relationships and the associated expectations. This principle appears eroding as former President Trump and a new generation of politicians have emphasised personal ties with various people than the rock solid, replicable processes of our system.
Latin America was not China where personal relationships, guanxi, invariably outweighs other aspects of society, even in the contemporary period. Latin America began as a state-church driven set of colonies where an arm of the state—the armed population-protected the institutions of governing. The ‘private sector’ played little part through much of the founding history. Latin America never focused on individual rights but on collective societal needs. As a result, the individuals and their needs/desires we so cherish were far less important, and sometimes became casualties when questioning the existing order. The protection of that order reinforced by state-tolerated (if not sponsored) violence was the norm, dispite generations of Latin American elites schooled in various political theories.
Does that mean immigrants come embracing all of our culture? Hardly. But it does mean that the most desperate are aware that the existing conditions of their homelands may extinguish aspirations, if not their lives. The immigrants hungry for opportunity which we still represent, dispite our less than perfect system.
My thoughts, at least. Anyone else?
Stay cool today. Be well. We are so lucky we live here.FIN
Cynthia Watson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Timely Topic: AMB James Smith on Saudi Arabia
Time: Jul 19, 2023 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 876 9828 1093
Passcode: 301611
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