Live From Saipan

By Zaldy Dandan

10 hours ago

R.I.P. (human) author

Saipan — In the summer of 2020, amid the Covid-19 global onslaught, the Wall Street Journal reported the rollout of an artificial intelli...

By Zaldy Dandan

Feb 5

Illegalize it!

When literary works are judged according to political viewpoint Saipan — Perhaps one of the best things that could possibly happen to gre...

By Zaldy Dandan

Jan 3

Lend me your ears

Saipan — The CNMI’s new Legislature will be sworn in this month, and, as usual, each of the lawmakers will deliver their inaugural speech...

By Zaldy Dandan

Nov 1, 2020

SCRAM!

Saipan — This month, voters across the U.S., including Guam, the NMI and the other territories, are electing their leaders, lawmakers etc...

By Zaldy Dandan

Oct 3, 2020

The Trust Territory days

Saipan — In “A Reporter in Micronesia,” his 1966 book about the tiny islands administered by the United States, E.J. Kahn Jr. pinpointed ...

Hope! and Change! in the Philippine 48 years ago

By Zaldy Dandan

Sep 20, 2020

Hope! and Change! in the Philippine 48 years ago

Saipan — Sept. 21st marks the 48th anniversary of Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ declaration of martial law which made him the...

‘At the beck and call of every lunatic with a vote in his pocket’

By Zaldy Dandan

Aug 2, 2020

‘At the beck and call of every lunatic with a vote in his pocket’

Saipan — “The best novel about American politics,” according to The New York Times, was published in 1956. The author was Edwin O’Connor...

By Zaldy Dandan

Jul 8, 2020

In the name of fiscal balance

Saipan — Staring into the financial abyss, the Northern Mariana Islands government has enlisted the help of Graduate School USA in “asses...

Why the Philippines couldn’t be a US state

By Zaldy Dandan

Jun 11, 2020

Why the Philippines couldn’t be a US state

Saipan — On June 12th, the Philippines will celebrate the 122nd anniversary of its declaration of independence. But for one of my Filipin...

By Zaldy Dandan

May 3, 2020

He told you so

Saipan — By the time you read this, it is likely that we’re still observing social-distancing rules, and a curfew remains in place. Many ...

By Zaldy Dandan

Apr 18, 2020

See you on the other side, boss

Abed Younis Saipan--They may call themselves Territorial, Popular, Democrat, Republican, Covenant, Reform or Independent, but since the T...

By Zaldy Dandan

Mar 9, 2020

Run. Run for your lives

Saipan — In a book published in 1884, Herbert Spencer wrote that the “mischiefs wrought by uninstructed lawmaking, enormous in their amou...

By Zaldy Dandan

Feb 15, 2020

The continuing past

Saipan — So far, the news headlines here are about the Public School System’s funding woes; unhappy teachers who are on the verge of stag...

By Zaldy Dandan

Jan 7, 2020

Doomsday? Our kind of day!

Saipan— Some of the Northern Marianas’ high school seniors were asked recently if they plan to return to the islands after graduating fro...

By Zaldy Dandan

Dec 23, 2019

And a beeeeeeeeer in a tree

Saipan — The last time I experienced the Christmas holidays in Manila was 26 years ago. Which means that I’ve already lived half of my li...

By Zaldy Dandan

Nov 7, 2019

The world’s second oldest profession

Clearly, democracy is ridiculous and politics is senseless, but there are many people who truly believe that they can make a difference —...

By Zaldy Dandan

Oct 7, 2019

How to be a popular social commentator

Saipan — Say something obvious. Say it because no one in his or her right mind will dispute it. “We should always think about the childre...

By Zaldy Dandan

Sep 5, 2019

‘I read the news today, oh boy’

Saipan — After Typhoon Soudelor battered the island in Aug. 2015, someone complained, on Facebook, that the most horrible thing that had ...

By Zaldy Dandan

Aug 4, 2019

Fat chance

“None of the Robespierres of the world knew how to make a pencil, yet they wanted to remake entire societies.” — Lawrence W. Reed Saipan ...

We are the ones we have been waiting for

By Zaldy Dandan

Jul 7, 2019

We are the ones we have been waiting for

Saipan — When it comes to politics and the government, many us believe that what’s happening now should be the worst thing ever. Not a lo...

By Zaldy Dandan

Jun 4, 2019

The end is near (again)!

Saipan — If all you read (or watch) are news stories, you may wonder why the world has not yet ended. Airplane crashes. Hurricanes/cyclon...

By Zaldy Dandan

May 24, 2019

So what’s new?

Saipan — Worried about your island and/or nation’s state of affairs? Read the news from other islands and/or nations. Do you tend to glor...

By Zaldy Dandan

Apr 7, 2019

At what cost? How much do you have?

Saipan — Some critics of casino legalization ask, usually rhetorically, “At what cost?” Fair enough. In discussing any public policy, it ...

By Zaldy Dandan

Mar 10, 2019

And that’s the way it is

Saipan — Twenty-five years ago, there were at least six newspapers on island: Marianas Variety, Marianas Review, Saipan Tribune (then own...

By Zaldy Dandan

Feb 7, 2019

Meet the people

Saipan — In the last election campaign, certain supporters of certain candidates repeatedly stated — as if putting a hex on us all — that...

Unsolicited advice to newly sworn in lawmakers

By Zaldy Dandan

Jan 4, 2019

Unsolicited advice to newly sworn in lawmakers

Saipan — In terms of lawmaking, you should stick to introducing and passing spending measures, chief of which is the government’s annual ...

By Zaldy Dandan

Dec 15, 2018

Wishcaster

Saipan — Humans, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, can foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year — a...

By Zaldy Dandan

Oct 31, 2018

Drunkmocracy

Saipan — I experienced my first NMI election in 1993. The voters headed to the polling centers on Nov. 6, and I, like most people on isla...

By Zaldy Dandan

Oct 5, 2018

The great debate

Saipan — Somewhere in the Pacific… Moderator: Good evening. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called democracy in act...

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