| Another strange milestone has passed in
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| | had met a truly great leader when he had
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| my odd, but colorful life. The new
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| | been governor of California and I was
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| president of Argentina, Cristina
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| | simply a teacher in graduate school. More
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| Fernandez-Kirchner, the wife of the
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| | than that, it helped shape a philosophy
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| incumbent and outgoing president, was
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| | of life.
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| elected as expected. And once again, by
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| | More than sixty years ago, I saw first
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| happenstance rather than design, I was
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| | light on the Communist side of East
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| physically in Argentina.
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| | Germany, followed by escapes and
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| I have always been interested in
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| | relocations over the years, both in
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| politics. In a much younger life, I was
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| | Europe and the United States. My father
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| actually going to follow my dream and ego
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| | had already been killed by the
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| and become senior senator from
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| | communists. Fortunately, the rest of my
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| California. That ambition was cut short
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| | small family escaped unhurt.
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| on the realization that a foreigner, lack
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| | That philosophy both gladdened and
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| of funds, and the anathema of being
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| | saddened my experience of election day in
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| played by someone else's strings did not
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| | Argentina.
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| lead to a senate seat.
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| | It gladdened me because the election,
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| Nonetheless, much of my life - such as
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| | though voting is mandated by law instead
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| being in Argentina on a crucial election
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| | of purely voluntary as in the United
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| in its history - was being "in the right
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| | States, was generally honest, with more
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| place" for potential historical events.
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| | than a dozen candidates vying for the
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| I was similarly in Warsaw, Poland, in
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| | spot. It elated me especially since the
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| June, 2003, only a few days before that
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| | country's history has been fraught with
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| country voted to join the European Union.
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| | dictatorial regimes in the
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| At the same time, NATO had chosen to move
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| | not-too-distant past. For many electors,
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| some of its operations to Poland, and
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| | that memory was still etched sharply in
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| President Bush paid an official visit.
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| | their minds. This election saw none of
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| People constantly asked me whether I was
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| | the atrocities of the past.
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| a member of George Bush's team, since he
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| | Yet, the election also saddened me,
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| had arrived just days after my flight.
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| | watching the revelers enjoy themselves
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| Nothing could have been further from the
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| | with not much thought, setting off
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| truth with the beginnings of the war in
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| | firecrackers, hugging, dancing and
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| Iraq just a few months earlier! I
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| | swaying to the rhythms of cacophanous
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| strictly went to Poland that summer to
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| | music. Most congregated in large and
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| relax, teach a few classes, and see
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| | small towns simply for the enjoyment.
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| historic places like Krakow. It ended up
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| | Some may have gyrated in hopes for the
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| being a fascinating election!
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| | future. Few seemed in sober thought for
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| In November, 1992, I was in Little Rock,
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| | the troubles ahead for the future.
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| Arkansas at the Capital Hotel to watch
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| | Inflation, productivity, foreign
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| Bill Clinton and wife Hillary revel in
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| | exchange, crime and corruption are as
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| his victory. Nearly a year earlier, when
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| | real today as they were yesterday. And
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| I had barely moved to the southern town
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| | the seemingly unstoppable selfishness
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| and knew little about Bill Clinton other
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| | punctuating human civilization seems to
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| than that he was a minor governor of a
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| | permeate society, whether in Argentina or
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| minor state, I was outside Arkansas'
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| | Germany, the United States or Iraq or
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| historic state house when the candidate
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| | elsewhere in 2007 as it did in eons past.
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| first made his announcement. Again,
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| | Fortunately, I am only a guest in this
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| seeing, and later meeting the candidate
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| | country. This simple fact precludes me
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| and President were fortunate, but not by
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| | from much more than observing.
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| design. The invitation to the
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| | Nonetheless, it does lead me to reinforce
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| Presidential Ball in Washington after
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| | my thoughts that, while the majority of
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| Clinton's formal Inauguration came about
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| | people may not give more than a
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| through friends both in Arkansas and New
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| | microsecond of thought to the larger
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| York and California.
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| | issues of life facing each an every one
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| I was also in Munich, Germany in
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| | of us in the future, constitutional
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| July,1990 on business. As luck would have
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| | freedom and elections may perhaps spawn
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| it, one of the greatest celebrations was
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| | leadership with results like the United
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| held in Berlin during my sojourn, the
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| | States under Presidents Kennedy, Reagan
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| concert and celebration of the fall of
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| | and Clinton.
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| the Berlin Wall. Although I was far in
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| | Wealth and prosperity for the population
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| the south of Germany and could not take
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| | of Argentina does not have to be an
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| the time to travel to Berlin, the
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| | elusive exercise. Increased education and
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| celebration was transmitted across the
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| | communication, along with a pause to
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| world, and people everywhere joined in
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| | assess the willingness to absorb the
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| the spirit of nearly half a million
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| | tradeoffs required, are not materials for
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| people physically present at Potsdamer
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| | a dime novel.
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| Platz.
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| | Whether people in this age and time are
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| Watching the festivities in Berlin in
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| | willing to make that small adjustment to
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| 1990, and the echo of Ronald Reagan's
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| | change in human nature remains anyone's
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| words of his "Tear Down This Wall" speech
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| | guess.
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| of 1987, brought home once more that I
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