_______________NO PLACE TO HIDE BY BRUCE SHAPIRO (10/21/98)
	In Bruce Shapiro's zeal to avenge past wrongs on former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, he overlooks very important practical implications for the future. If there truly is "no place to hide" for brutal dictators, what motivation would any of them have to ever give up their hold on power? Indeed, in this new environment of justice, any dictator considering stepping aside is likely to see the attempted extradition of Pinochet as a clear signal that he should hold on to power as tightly and as long as possible. When any country can arbitrarily declare extra-territorial power to prosecute crimes against humanity, even a graceful transition from power negotiated with important world powers might not be inviolate. If an extradition request for Pinochet from a two-bit country like Spain will be honored, any dictator would need ironclad guarantees from all 200-plus countries on earth in order to truly feel safe relinquishing power. It is emotionally rewarding to think about punishing unsympathetic figures like Pinochet, but creating a climate where states currently in the grip of tyrannical government can transition to freedom and democracy is more important. And of all the countries to be attempting to bring Pinochet to trial, Spain is just about the least likely candidate one can imagine. With its long history as a fascist state, it is pure hypocrisy for them to demand that a foreign dictator be brought to justice. Indeed, even today there have been many allegations of Spanish police death squads and other atrocities in their suppression of the Basque separatist movement. Perhaps Chile should convene a war crimes tribunal and begin demanding the extradition of current and former Spanish officials. Once unleashed, where does this sort of thing stop? Will Sudan demand the extradition of President Clinton for an act of terrorism against their citizens for bombing that pharmaceutical plant? The Nazi Holocaust was a singular event in modern history. The prosecution of former Nazi officials should not be generally used as a model for the future. Instead, we should look to the healing model of South Africa, where the crimes of the past are acknowledged and, if not forgiven, at least brought to some resolution that allows the country to move forward. If any criminal prosecutions are to be brought against former dictators, they should be done so internally by the new democratic government, not by self-aggrandizing prosecutors in outside countries. -- Aaron M. Renn
_______________NOW THEY BELONG TO THE AGES BY STEVE KETTMANN (10/22/98)
	In his article on the Yankees' World Series sweep of the Padres, Steve Kettmann notes that "No true baseball fan could avoid a shiver of excitement watching as Series MVP Scott Brosius scooped up an easy grounder and threw to first to end Game 4 and give the Yankees a clean sweep." Oh, bushwah. I hate to be the one to break it to you, Steve, but there are millions upon millions of people out there who don't like -- even hate -- the Yankees. I doubt that this crowd, of which I am a member, had any trouble at all avoiding a shiver of excitement. Or indeed even a flicker of interest. So, one of the winningest franchises in the history of professional sports does it again. Ho hum. Believe me, I enjoyed it a lot more when the Yankees were on the way to losing 100 games. Talk about your shivers of excitement. When the Cubs -- or, heaven forfend, the Red Sox -- win the World Series, there will be shivers of excitement galore. But the Yankees? Please. -- Douglas O'Morain
_______________RIGHTS OF PASSION BY LEAH KOHLENBERG (10/20/98)
	While I wouldn't dispute Leah Kohlenberg's contention that "girls just wanna have fun" while traveling -- and should, too, if they want, dammit -- she fails to note the implications such recreation has on the female travelers who come after them. I recall another Wanderlust feature some months back, where a young women traveling in Egypt rented a car and driver for a day and ended up having sex with him in an Alexandria hotel room. Neither spoke the other's language. While that's romantic and erotic and makes me swoon, I dare say that that same young suitor of hers was the next day describing the whole tryst in sordid detail over tea and shisha to his pals. Hey, it's what guys do. The problem becomes particularly severe, though, in countries whose sexual mores are conservative (to put it mildly). What single guys can't get from their countrywomen they figure they can get from Western babes. When that supposition proves correct, the stereotype can spin out of control, making it hell for the next bright-eyed backpacker whose agenda of self-discovery may not include a brief encounter with an exotic native. Responsible travel means thinking about how your actions affect the culture. The unfortunate reality, as Kohlenberg writes, is that women taking sexual liberties anywhere are taking risks. What she doesn't recognize is that taking those liberties on the road means contributing to misogynist prejudices that are bound to be felt by the women who follow in her (literal) footsteps. No, it's not fair; it's just the way it is. -- Steve Fennessy Cairo, Egypt SALON | Oct. 26, 1998

R E C E N T L Y+| AN OPEN LETTER TO GORE VIDAL BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

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