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The art of political distraction
Saipan — In politics, the opposite of cynicism is delusion. “Idealism” in politics requires high intelligence — or willful...
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- Mar 9
Not bad at all
Saipan — According to a local wag, GUAM stands for “Give Us American Money” while CNMI is short for “Currently Not Making Improvements.”...
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- Feb 4
Mental colony
Saipan — A few months ago, advocates, including representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the other...
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- Jan 7
‘So far so good’
Saipan — It’s been a year since the new administration and legislature were sworn in, and to the surprise of no one (who is not a...
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- Dec 11, 2023
Run on a platform of ‘change’; tax and overspend; blame your predecessor; rinse, repeat
Saipan — Perhaps one of the main reasons why voter turnout remains high in many democracies is that not everyone has the time to compare...
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- Nov 9, 2023
‘Government waste’ is a tautology
Saipan — A lawmaker here has complained about “boxes and boxes of Personal Protective Equipment worth millions of dollars [that] have...
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- Oct 6, 2023
Things that make you go hmmm...
Saipan — Like Babe Ruth calling his shot in game 3 of the 1932 World Series, the U.S. Congress passed a law in 2018 extending the...
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- Sep 11, 2023
‘I see my opportunity and I take it’
Saipan — Since it was sworn in early this year, the new CNMI administration has been complaining about its predecessor’s “highly...
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- Aug 6, 2023
What do you call an honest politician? Unemployed.
Saipan — In 2010, after just eight months in office, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned because — wait for it — he broke a...
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- Jul 3, 2023
Saipan’s first Liberation Day
Saipan — The Fourth of July is celebrated in the Northern Mariana Islands as Liberation Day, marking “the permanent closure on July 4,...
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- Jun 14, 2023
God save us from ‘good intentions’
Saipan — Perhaps the most terrifying phrase in the English language is “good intentions.” Politics and governance are all about “good...
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- May 7, 2023
Square one: Economic diversification in the CNMI
Saipan — Elected officials and concerned citizens say there is a need to “diversify” the tourism-based local economy. How? The proponents...
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