Columnists

I HAVE been asked to provide my reactions to the elections in America, but to be fair, that is only one of the more noteworthy developments.  For the sake of perspective, let’s look at what has been happening around the world, along with some thoughts on where it all might be going. United States: …

WITHIN the year, there are only two days dedicated to our armed forces — Memorial Day and Veterans Day. On Memorial Day, we honor the military personnel who died serving, whether in battle or due to the wounds sustained in battle. On Veterans Day, we honor and thank all who served honorably in the …

MOST of the ballots have been counted by now, and the writing is on the wall. It is not the outcome that Leila and I hoped for. But it is an outcome we accept. Leila and I congratulate Governor Torres and Senator Sablan, and Lieutenant Governor Palacios and Mayor Apatang for the success of their re…

ELECTION Day reminded me of the apocryphal story involving the musicians on the Titanic who were having a bitter argument about what tune to play while the luxury steamship was sinking.  Unlike the ill-fated passenger liner, however, the CNMI is not bound to “go down” anytime soon. Things may get w…

MUCH has been said about Governor Torres’ last-minute bungled attempt to deliver a State of the Commonwealth Address (SOCA) right before the 2022 general election. The timing was suspect, the costs questionable, and the other branches of government were not consulted. Traditionally, the SOCA is del…

AS observed by President Joe Biden, we appear to be fast approaching an inflection point in world history. Faced with no clear enough future, the Taiwan government needs to systematically make strategic decisions on domestic and foreign policy that advance the core national security interests of th…

LET us return briefly to the second half of the 1800s, about one hundred fifty years ago, to the Whaling Disaster of 1871.  The United States had recently concluded its Civil War and would push ahead as a modern, industrialized nation of immigrants free from the institution of slavery.  Japan had r…

“TRUST is a word that is being thrown around much this election,” Governor Ralph Torres, Marianas Variety November 3, 2022. Governor Torres used the phrase above to preface his list of what he supposedly did as governor of the Commonwealth, all of which he handsomely got paid for and he even took m…

FROM 2010 to 2020, I had the distinct privilege to lead at Kagman High in many capacities.  From teacher leader, to advisor, to coach, to shelter manager, to administrator, I did my best to serve my school and community with compassion and fairness.  Investing in people was part of the continuous i…

“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others. ” ― Jacob M. Braude   THE then-three-year-old CNMI held its second gubernatorial election 41 years ago. It was also the Commonwealth’s first three-way gubernatorial race. …