www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Getting the thread back on track. Agree with the above statement. My question is how low on the evolutionary scale you have to be to attack a Red Cross crew? And you wonder why I stay in my penthouse room most of the time?

PS - Steve and Cujo please get a room.

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Hit them fast, Hit them hard and NEXT!
A good chica is like a good carpenter - No wood gets wasted!!!

Steven, seriously. Must every one of your posts contain an ad hominem arguement? While wikis are often less than stellar, this one works for now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

By attacking the group, you are coming across as nearly as elitist as those you critique (monied Tico and western society). And as to your wonderful claims about how informative your posts are- we are impressed. Mainly, your political commentary is nearly as bad as the near jerk right wing manafestos that are often put out here- sophomoric, polemic, trite, and naive.

The sad thing, is that I actually am far closer to your political views than to those of many others here-you just come across as a jerk most of the time by attacking others-totally ineffective, if what you are really trying to do is educate. Bueno, y antes to decir que no tengo experiencias real en America Latina, la verdad es que he trabajado por muchos anos en Centro America, y conozco las vidas de la gente tan bueno....

Saludos,

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I said hey baby, take a walk on the wild side.
Lou Reed

This is like something out of a Mad Max Movie.

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Wow...my favorita lives in that neighborhood (Tirrases de Curridabet), and I was there with her on my last trip, in May. Perhaps I should think twice about visiting there again

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

From my experience, the foreigners who are most often blamed for increased crime are Nicaraguans and Columbians. The only scientific evidence on the topic of which I am aware is the Encuesta Nacional de Seguridad Ciudadana (National Survey of Public Security) 2006. The statistics indicate that Costa Ricans themselves are responsible for their own increased rates of violent crime.

No one who is failing (in this case the nation is failing to control crime, particularly violent crime) likes to accept responsibility. Shifting blame on to others is so easy. Until the electorate starts holding elected officials accountable, nothing will change. This culture is not prone to hold people accountable nor does it put must importantance in the Rule of Law.

That points up a structural deficiency of governance: elected officials can serve only four years and then they are out of office for at least four years before they can run again. So they are never held to account for their decisions.

In addition to that, the elected representatives are not representatives at all. In other words, members of the assembly are elected as a group from each province not as an individual representative from a specifically defined district. When everyone is responsible, NO one is responsible.

The campaigns failed to focus on important issues in an attempt to hold the opposition accountable:

o Chinchilla led the effort last year to “reform” public safety which resulting in a series of fluff, nothing of substance, no meaningful changes

o Chinchilla initiated the effort to curtail hours at casinos costing numerous jobs

o Chinchilla led the effort a few years ago to “reform” juvenile laws which effectively coddled youthful criminals leading to a spike in juvenile violence

Those issues were not hammered in the campaign. She was allowed to walk away from her screw ups. The electorate failed to demand answers!

The Sheep and the Shepherd: Ever been to a national bank? The lines are long and people patiently wait for hours just for the privilege of putting their money in the bank. Americans are bouncing off the walls if we have to wait for more than five minutes.

My point is the culture here is okay with waiting and ignoring inconveniences and they are okay with never holding anyone accountable for public policy decisions. Just make sure there is no interference with the next futbol game.