by Runaway Slave | Jun 14, 2006 | Costa Rica, Essays & Articles, Human Interest, Libertarian Curmudgeon
Against long odds, tiny Costa Rica has a team playing in the Copa Mundial, soccer's World Cup. Twenty-five or thirty of us had gathered at "The Friendship Institute" to watch the opening game. We all wore red soccer jerseys and big smiles. The excitement...
by Runaway Slave | Apr 26, 2006 | Costa Rica, Essays & Articles, Health, Law, Libertarian Curmudgeon
Shortly after I turned 50 I had a medical checkup in Key West. I remember only one specific piece of information the doctor gave me during that exam. He said, “There is no reason anyone should ever die of colon cancer.” An annual preventive colonoscopy would detect...
by Runaway Slave | Apr 17, 2006 | Costa Rica, Economics, Essays & Articles, Libertarian Curmudgeon, Politics, Socialism
“Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other” — Oscar Ameringer “Gap Grows Between Rich, Poor” hollered the headline from last week’s Tico Times. It could have said "Costa...
by Runaway Slave | Apr 5, 2006 | Costa Rica, Education, Essays & Articles, Libertarian Curmudgeon, Politics, Socialism, Taxes
There are two distinct classes of men…those who pay taxes and those who receive and live upon taxes. — Thomas Paine Living in a shamelessly socialist country I am occasionally surprised by the candor of members of the local tax consuming class even if they do fall far...
by Runaway Slave | Mar 27, 2006 | Costa Rica, Essays & Articles, Guns & Gun Control, Libertarian Curmudgeon, Politics
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." — Thomas Jefferson Costa Rica has no military. Private firearms are registered and strictly controlled,...
by Runaway Slave | Mar 27, 2006 | Costa Rica, Human Interest, Libertarian Curmudgeon
We met the inventor of the game called Machi in the park. We battled to a tie. I think he was setting me up.
by Runaway Slave | Mar 22, 2006 | Costa Rica, Essays & Articles, Income Tax, Libertarian Curmudgeon, Taxes
One copy of Costa Rica's new tax law. As a newcomer I’m having some trouble distinguishing between the political parties here in Costa Rica. Although there are many more of them than there are in the States, there are just two that matter. Just like in the States...
by Runaway Slave | Mar 7, 2006 | Costa Rica, Essays & Articles, Human Interest, Libertarian Curmudgeon
With an hour to kill, I slid my ample gringo butt onto the low stone wall. The stone was polished smooth by thousands of butts before mine. There were benches too. People sat on them alone or in pairs, and on the walls. Massive trees cast a thick shade. I was at the...
