Category Archives: USA

Random Thoughts (6)

If you read the comments below this article, you get a taste of what’s wrong with Peru. I have never encountered a country that is so bad at dealing with criticism. After my article on Bolivia and the sea, many people … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Cinema, Cold War, Cuba, Food, History, Law, Peru, Politics, Religion, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Christmas Child

Nepomuk was the main attraction of the party, as if he had been the reason for the gathering in the first place. All the ladies’ eyes were on him, while the men’s eyes flickered back and forth between their wives or girlfriends … Continue reading

Posted in Love, USA | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Random Thoughts (5)

When Donald Trump praises his pick for Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, as “the closest thing to General George Patton we have”, does he refer to the mistreatment of soldiers or to Patton’s antisemitism? After my story about the Peruvian girl, … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Brazil, History, Music, Peru, Russia, Syria, Travel, USA, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

How to measure Progress

Apart from the general criticism of the GDP expressed so eloquently here by Robert F Kennedy, I always wonder about the usefulness of international comparisons. I doubt that the GDP numbers for Nigeria are collected/calculated the same way as those for … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, History, Philosophy, USA | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

President Busch is dead

Yes, Bolivia had a President Busch, too. In a strange coincidence, Germán Busch was the 41st and 43rd President of Bolivia, just like George Bush Sr. and Jr. were the 41st and 43rd Presidents of the United States of America. … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Germany, History, Military, Photography, Politics, USA | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Random Thoughts (4)

Donald Trump doesn’t understand the role of the media, asking them to please be nice because it will make things so much easier for him. It reminded me of the film Spotlight in which the Catholic Church asks the Boston … Continue reading

Posted in Albania, Books, Iran, Law, Romania, Sports, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Random Thoughts (3)

Always funny: places that don’t serve Coca Cola or other “capitalist”/”imperialist”/”Western” drinks, but all the staff have Apple phones and computers. The Guardian confirms my numbers on Britons applying for foreign citizenship. Somehow I found the list of US Presidents … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Immigration Law, Law, Music, Religion, Sicily, Terrorism, Travel, UK, USA | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Film Review: Spotlight

Zur deutschen Fassung dieser Filmkritik. The best film of the year – as confirmed by my friend Oscar from Hollywood– is one without explosions, without car chases, without a love story, without superheroes, without perfectly shaped asses in tight dresses, without … Continue reading

Posted in Cinema, Law, Religion, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bernie Sanders would have won? Bullshit.

Of course it didn’t take long for some of Bernie Sander’s supporters to exclaim with certainty that their candidate would have „easily/certainly/absolutely“ won against Donald Trump. That is not only an easy thing to say because it can never be … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, USA | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

First thoughts on the election of Donald Trump

As has become customary on election nights, I have been twittering my initial thoughts all night. Here is a selection of those tweets and some additional comments. Saddest picture of this election so far: people in line staring at their … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, USA | Tagged | 11 Comments