.

and our police and military do not use Mexican uniforms.

But those are the type of things that folks assume about life down here. Last night there was a special on TV (first time I'd looked at the tube in ??? long)about hunting Escobar down. Learned things about the "war on drugs" that I did not know, of course much of that took place before I was paying much attention to Colombia myself. The past 20 years have seen a LOT of changes here, to say the least. The whole marxist revolution continues - although up north folks think it's dead and over.

out there, filled with increasingly sophisticated means and awareness. Of which said planetary population, is rapidly gaining parity with the old Colonial Euro-culture powers. In fact, the historical European expansion and dominance - whether in science or ambition or education is pretty much sliding over the top of it's apogee, regarding the generations coming along behind us. Not tomorrow, not real soon, but eventually history will take the turns it has always taken.

We are not yet a modern version of Abyssinian bas-reliefs hung on some conquerors wall, but there is always that vacuum waiting to be filled by newly ascendant former subjects, who eagerly take title to the physical remains of cultures that just collapse from within.

"We" may not be there yet, but our nation has spent it's post-war dominance on poor choices: tactically, culturally, and now -- more and more -- just frivolously. Given the increasing and sophisticated dominance of the narrow interests in communications and entertainment, and their alliance with 'progressive' government elements, I tend to think that a different and unforeseen type of oppressive rule is now gaining momentum, to willing demographic for whom toys and comfort are all.

Just my grumpy late AM opinion, and certainly not a patented truth upon reality.