Columnists

BC Cook DEPENDING on your point of view, Captain James Cook of England (1728-1779) was either the best or the worst person that ever visited the Pacific Ocean.  How can such a bold statement be made?  Over the course of three voyages of exploration he discovered more islands, made contact with more…

BASED on the administration’s pronouncements, what needs to be fixed is not the dismal local economy, but our “mindset.” Apparently, the problem is not the declining economy and the administration’s failure to reverse it. No. The “real problem” is our perception of the CNMI’s financial distress. We…

Ambrose M. Bennett THE Truth is Juneteenth may seem frivolous, but indeed it is more important than ever given Trump is doing his best to take ALL of us back to the days of Reconstruction & Jim Crow Law dismantling our Federal Government. I know there won’t be any Juneteenth Activities or Cerem…

Ambrose M. Bennett THE Truth is WE, the CNMI, is figuratively in genuine need of a Renaissance Movement (New Beginnings) as for TRUE the CNMI is clearly off-course and floundering very near the deadly rocks of economic DOOM. When I told the Governor WE must “Reform the Cannabis Commission” his exac…

BC Cook IT is called the D-Day of the Pacific but does the invasion of Saipan by American forces in June of 1944 really deserve that nickname?  Yes, it does for several reasons.  Let’s look at why the battle of Saipan was a major turning point in the Second World War. Had the battle of Saipan taken…

Carl O. Schuster  THE People’s Liberation Army Navy’s two aircraft carriers, CNS Liaoning (CV-16) and CNS Shandong (CV-17) generated headlines last week by operating near Japan’s famous Iwo Jimo and Liaoning passed the U.S. Navy’s designated “2nd Island Chain.” Although neither carrier is as powerf…

At 82, he continues to lift weights regularly — proof that age is no barrier to strength and discipline. Contributed photos THIS Father’s Day, I take a moment to reflect on my father. His strength continues to inspire me and remains one of my greatest blessings. Allow me to offer a glimpse in…

Ambrose M. Bennett THE Truth is WE, the CNMI, is caught in-between “Taya (nothing & nowhere) & progress” driven by the Republican Conservatism of “not to change” when WE, the CNMI, must CHANGE if WE are to find any resemblance of progress & prosperity — it’s common sense!  While Senate …

ECONOMISTS helped prepare and draft the CNMI’s latest economic report — “Marianas Economic Roadmap” — which is why it offers sensible observations and sage advice such as the following: “The challenges facing the CNMI are significant and well-documented — structural weaknesses in economic governanc…

SAIPAN is one of the most beautiful places on Earth — but let’s be real, beauty alone doesn’t build an economy. If it did, every coconut tree would be paying taxes by now. We’re not just competing with Guam or Palau anymore. We’re up against Bali’s yoga retreats, Thailand’s floating markets, and Ja…