In some places crime doesn’t pay

China has a population of over 1.3 billion. If you could put all of its citizens in a column, six abreast, and march them past a fixed point, the line would never end. Panama has a population of something over 3.2 million although with Carnival only a few weeks away, that will spike later in the year. In China, on the other hand, families are restricted to one child. No problems about advocating birth control there.

The biggest and most populous country in the world, with the fastest growing economy, also has some pretty tough laws with tougher penalties. When six children died from milk laced with melamine, the people responsible, directly, or indirectly were quickly brought to trial. Two have been sentenced to death, and one, a woman, to jail for life.

In Panama, some 150 people (we will never know the true number) died from diethylene glycol poisoning, when they took medicine issued by Social Security.

No one has been brought to trial, no government official or Minister resigned, and after a while the subject, Panama style, disappeared from the headlines. Is anyone’s sleep disturbed by this? With the exception of the relatives, likely no one. As Lenin once wrote, the death of one person is a tragedy, after that it’s a matter of statistics.

The statistics show: China , pop. 1.3 billion. Deaths from melamine poisoning 6. Convictions 3 (more cases pending). Panama , pop 3.2 million. Deaths from diethylene glycol poisoning 150 plus. Convictions 0. No cases pending.

BUS TRAGEDY. The horrific deaths of 18 people in a bus fire, resulted in two men being jailed for four years. No one in authority has been blamed for lax enforcement of laws, no one has stepped down. Buses continue to maim kill and pollute. Just statistics.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Corruption in Panama is small potatoes compared to that in the United States. A few millions here, a few millions there. The latest US scandal involves another ponzi scheme involving $400 million. But the bar was recently raised to $50 billion in the Madoff scam. However there is a big difference in the attitude to white collar crime in the U.S. The perpetrators do get caught, and get long sentences. Age, political connections and ill health do not save them. If they are sick they head to the prison infirmary. They can’t dodge the bullet by complaining to Human Rights Courts.

Dostoevsky , author of Crime and Punishment would understand.

NEST EGG. The Cartier designer glasses of Balbina Herrera, the heart of the people, are already steamed up with all that hugging displayed on billboards across the country. But now she will have to take them off to wipe away the tears of joy at the news of over half a million dollars indemnity her company will be receiving for a concession deal that went awry. Reports say that 28 other businesses involved will get nothing.

TRAFFIC BLUES. A piece in La Estella says it all. Traffic, traffic and more traffic.. the city of Panama, every day, every hour has turned difficult - and in many places – impossible to cross. Something that goes against tourism in a decisive manner, against workers being on time and against time management, which serves as an obstacle to communication, something which is against production, against citizens' comfort, and something which ultimately we can't and shouldn't get used to.

And it isn't only the so-called "rush hours", but something we see every hour. Traffic goes against our economy and the rational use of fuel. It falls upon the government to improve urban viability with the use of more transit police, by fixing roads, and offering alternative roads, and solving once and for all the pending urban transportation nightmare.