Recently, I have received a beautiful book of pictures and descriptions of Golf courses in the land of Colombia. I was privileged to have this Spanish book explained in English. I noted how beautiful the land was; filled with water in lakes, streams, and rivers; and somewhat mountainous, and green beyond belief! A rich land filled with coffee plantations, mines, and rich with industry. What a place to live! BUT… the guerillas wanted to have what the “rich” people have…by any means…ransom, killing, theft, etc. So the “rich” people paid blackmail to the guerillas not to kidnap, rape and pillage.
Now the government was taken over by the wealth and influence (which was sometimes by torture and death) of the drug cartels. After all a government soldier would rather work for a drug dealer at $2000 per month than his “lousy” government salary of $200 per month. So the “rich” also people paid the government to protect them and their businesses from the drug cartels.
Golf courses located 15 minutes from the major cities were the locations for “money”. Naturally, groups of criminals began to prey on the patrons of golf courses. After all, that’s where the money was! So the government on behalf of the “rich” requested security from the criminals. Soldiers were stationed “out of bounds”, sometimes hidden by trees and landscaping. Of course this was partially paid for by the “rich”.
A person’s wealth was partially demonstrated by the number of private armed guards that either surrounded his place of business or plant or his private residence. No one could safely drive from one area to another in Colombia. The risk of guerillas, armed bands, criminals and the like threatened outright robbery, kidnapping for ransom, rape and more, deterred travel.
So, in my opinion now, Colombia remains a beautiful country without security and in a semi-state of anarchy. Those that know how, live comfortably. This is no place to “just travel”.
Once again, the “rich” want to protect what they have by supporting those that can give them “security”.
In America we have two main parties “the Republicans and The Democrats”. Both sides are supported by the “rich”. The supporters want access to gain security for their “interests”. Perhaps we have not yet reached a complete disregard of “human rights” but what is so different from any place where the “rich” want security and protection from the “guerillas? The “Have-nots” continue to want what the “haves” have any way they can get it…… Has anything changed?
The definition:
The “rich” is anybody who has something to protect and wants “Government” security and protection against unspeakable, personal horrors!
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
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