The comment made recently by Donald Trump about how he would be ready as US President to again take control of the Panama canal served as a reminder of how the name of this country is linked to wider issues than just those raised by the Panama Papers. We have heard a lot about the latter for having laid bare so many scandals.
For long decades, Panama as a country was straitjacketed by the Americans. They pushed the territory of the isthmus - through which the canal now passes to link the west and east coasts of the American continents - to secede from Columbia and become an independent state. With Panama independent, the canal which cuts across it ended under American sovereign military control. Finally during the Jimmy Carter presidency, the US ceded this control to the state of Panama under stringent conditions.
A substantial part of the American establishment remained of the view that Panama had to fully respect US interests, or else... Many within that establishment agree fully or will soon come to agree with Trump's "comment". The way by which, under this approach, neighbouring states are considered is hardly different from how Putin's Russia considers its neighbours.
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COMPETITIVITY AND BUREAUCRACY
The political discourse regarding the need for the EU to face up to the challenges of the second quarter of the century, is emphasizing the priorities of improving European economic competitiveness and curtailing bureaucracy. The reports presented last year by ex Italian Prime Ministers Letta and Draghi highlighted these targets.
Still some on the left (I think with reason) are giving great attention to how the relevant issues will be addressed. Improved competitivity can be understood and implemented as an exercise to reduce social protection as defined by current European norms, since it could be seen as a factor that will continue to jack up the operating expenses of enterprises.
There is general agreement about the need to reduce excessive bureaucracy. However some fear, not without reason, that it can be used as an excuse to ramp down protection against among others, abuses of human rights and of minorities in Europe and elsewhere.
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ENCOUNTER MAGAZINE
For those with a long memory, there was something familiar about the information released lately about the OCCRP. It was revealed how this so-called international cooperative of journalists that reports about criminality and corruption is largely financed by the US government and operates under conditions defined by the US.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Encounter was a highly influential international magazine in culture, the arts and literature. Its editor was Stephen Spender a very important poet and writer. No doubt about it, the magazine was of exceptional quality. It had a wide readership and created extended contacts between intellectuals, writers and artists in Europe and beyond.
Then it was revealed that Encounter was hugely subsidised by the CIA. Spender insisted he knew nothing about this and resigned as editor.The magazine collapsed.