There’s angst aplenty in Costa Rica, as the first of the estimated 7,000 U.S. Marines load themselves into the landing craft for their ‘invasion’ of the Central American nation, which just happens to be home to half the online bookmakers in the western hemisphere. The move is supposedly intended to help combat drug trafficking (but do enjoy this list of alternate theories – our favorite is “to provide a boost to lagging sex tourism”).
Meanwhile, opposition parties are protesting what they regard as their government’s unprecedented and unnecessary surrender of sovereignty. The head of one opposition party said the legislative approval given to the Marines was like handing over a “blank check.” That’s a dangerous thing to hand the Americans, given that their national debt is now over 13 trillion dollars. Read more.
