4,000 Trapped In The Ocean As Wildfire Approaches Australian Coastal Town

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/more-than-4000-people-trapped-on-a-beach-are-ordered-to-shelter-in-the-ocean-as-bushfires-close-in-and-turn-the-sky-red-after-blaze-destroys-multiple-homes-and-leaves-four-people-missing/ar-BBYthbo?ocid=sf

The Curious Case Of Carlos Ghosn's Escape From Japan

Then came the bizarre story of Carlos Ghosn. To my Brasilian readers, he is a Brasilian who made good on a grand scale. If you are curious, here is his life story:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ghosn

        Carlos ended up in Japan as CEO of Nissan. If the Japanese authorities are to be believed, he literally used Nissan bank accounts as his personal ATM. He allegedly lived a grand lifestyle at the expense of Nissan shareholders. He also failed to report his massive income and pay taxes on it in Japan.

         Carlos was arrested and stayed in a Japanese jail for a while. He used his public relations apparatus to gain sympathy for him around the world. Bail is not a right in Japan. Finally the Japanese authorities allowed him to post bail of roughly $13,800,000 US. He had to surrender all passports (French, Lebanese and Brasilian). He had to stay in his apartment under electronic monitoring wearing an ankle bracelet. He was guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by agents from the prosecutor's office, Tokyo Metropolitan Police, and an elite private security agency.

        If Carlos is to be believed, he outwitted the electronic monitoring. He evaded three law enforcement agencies and made his way to some private airport where he flew out of Japan in a corporate jet that took him to Lebanon after one or two refueling stops. Japanese can be rigid and bureaucratic. On the other hand, their equivalent of the US Federal Aviation Administration is very efficient. Any flight by a corporate jet would have received scrutiny. If he had made it to some jet aircraft and lifted off, Japanese jet fighters would have been scrambled. If this failed, his course would have been plotted. Airports where he stopped for refueling would be asked to detain the plane and him.

     Those of you who know me well know that I am quite familiar with matters relating to international escapes. In 1984 I made legal history both in the US and Australia. I accomplished something that had not been accomplished in 140 years.

          The first problem with this escape story is that a number of people would be needed to help him including staff at the Lebanese Embassy in Tokyo. In the process of putting together such a daring and well-funded plan, someone would slip-up on social media or with a close person in their life and say something about the plan. If by some miracle this did not happen, the second major problem is the electronic monitoring device. The minute someone tampers with it, an alarm goes off. (Forget all the television shows where crooks outwit electronic monitoring.) Did he bribe Japanese officials to escape? I doubt it.

      A more plausible explanation is that the Japanese authorities tired of the case. A financial settlement was made including payment of all back taxes. (Elena believes that large financial penalties are a better solution to white collar crime, as opposed to massive prison sentences given in the US and Britain.) Then, as the saying goes, Japanese authorities "looked the other way" while Ghosn made his getaway.

Seven-Eleven Has Been A Japansese Company Since 1991

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/7-eleven-japan-work.html

In Praise Of General David H. Berger, Commandant Of The US Marine Corps

       I am so proud of the fact that a graduate of Tulane, General David H. Berger, is now Commandant of the US Marine Corps. He is the commanding officer of some 186,000 active-duty marines and another 38,500 marine corps reservists.

        Anna long ago I introduced you to "Jack's 2% Rule." In simple language only 2% make it to the top in their profession.

        General Berger passed a 4-year training program to become a US Navy officer while at Tulane. When he decided to be a US Marine officer, he was sent to Marine Corps OCS at Quantico, Virginia. It is rougher than US Marine Corps boot camp and with a high failure rate.

         Once he graduated, he became a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. He ended up getting combat tours in the first Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. Statistically some 5% of marines are killed or seriously wounded in combat. He survived this. Much to the surprise of many, far more marines die or are severely injured in helicopter or aircraft crashes, training accidents, etc. General Berger survived this also.

        As a career marine officer, it is possible to earn the rank of Lt. Colonel or Colonel. Only 2% of officers at this level advance to general. The stereotype of a general is someone who is cigar-smoking, hard-drinking, vile-mouthed, and a right-wing extremist. In reality, a general is someone who is a great conceptual thinker and has extraordinary leadership capabilities. Once one makes 2-star general, it gets very competitive to get a third star or the fourth star of the Commandant of the US Marine Corps. General Berger passed through all these filters to make it to the top.

My Incredible Cousin Robert N. Bruce, Jr, PhD

My cousin Robert Bruce used to be professor of civil engineering at Tulane. His former students include:

1)    General David Berger, Commandant of the USMC and the highest- ranking officer ever to graduate from Tulane (E-’81).

2)    John Dane III E-’72 and E-’75; Olympic sailor.

3)    Doug Hurley, astronaut E-‘88.

4)    Katherine Raymond   E-‘99 and E-‘07, Tulane biomedical engineer.

5)    Robert S. Boh, E-‘80 and ‘81 prominent New Orleans businessman active in Carnival.

The Humane Way That Greeks Often Treat Migrant Children

THE HOME PROJECT

Saving Thursday’s Child

ATHENS – In 2016, 15-year-old Asma from Afghanistan boarded one of the thousands of dinghies leaving the Turkish shores for Greece.

She was six months pregnant.

Asma’s family fled Afghanistan for Iran out of fear for their lives, and could only afford to send one person even further, to Europe: They sent Asma.

“What we did was very difficult,” Asma recalled of the journey from Iran to Greece with Hamid, also 15, the son of another refugee family and the father of her child. “But we had to do this.”

Arriving on the island of Lesbos, Asma was one of the millions of people from Africa, the Middle East and Asia to cross borders into Europe during the continent’s so-called Refugee Crisis in 2015 and 2016. Sixty percent of the new arrivals entered through Greece.

The numbers have dwindled in the years since. Even so, migration flows are on the rise once again, with a 35 percent spike in arrivals over 2018 to reach 120,000 this year, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency.

And thousands of those – more than 63,000 in 2015-2016 – are children who arrive alone.

Due to her pregnancy, Asma and Hamid were both immediately sent by the National Center for Social Solidarity, in charge of assigning shelter spots to unaccompanied minors, to the HOME Project, a nonprofit in Greece serving these children.

The nonprofit was created after the leadership of the social responsibility program of the Libra Group – an international conglomerate operating in numerous sectors, including aviation and energy – noticed how three-quarters of these unaccompanied children ended up in detention centers and refugee camps, or on the streets.

The organization wanted to help.

ATHENS, GREECE – Maria Kaldani, a social worker with the Home Project, works with refugee children like Asma who have arrived in Greece alone.

At the HOME Project, they gave children a bed, but also access to legal, health and social services and assistance with enrollment in school. The aim is to either support these children until they reunify with their families living in other EU counties or integrate them into Greek society.

Out of 5,200 unaccompanied minors in Greece today, Asma is one of the luckier ones.

That’s because in Greece, living conditions for refugees are appalling, and that doesn’t exclude children.

A report from the European Court of Auditors last month described the conditions in a refugee camp on Samos island: “The capacity of each container was for 8 to 10 boys, but 16 were staying in each, and even sleeping on the ground.” The report also notes how 78 children were sleeping in tents or in abandoned, derelict houses outside the camp even during winter, and nine girls were sleeping on the floor in a 100-square-foot container next to the police station, with no bathroom or shower.

“This country needs to turn a page on how this (refugee) movement is handled,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who visited Greece last month.

Even with decent care, these children face big obstacles.

For example, about 80 percent of those at the HOME Project shelters don’t have asylum yet – they’re either waiting anxiously for the decision or have been rejected already.

At the same time, the conservative government of the New Democracy party, elected in July, has recently tightened the country’s asylum laws. Now, all unaccompanied minors over 15 arriving from countries deemed “safe” – such as Pakistan; parts of Afghanistan; Bangladesh and Egypt – won’t be considered vulnerable and are subject to deportation.

The new provision will affect the status of the majority of unaccompanied minors in Greece today as they hail from countries deemed “safe” and 93 percent of them are now over 15.

“The fact that a country might not have a war doesn’t mean it’s safe (for these children),” said Maria Kaldani, a social worker at the HOME Project who works with Asma. “But we’re still waiting to see how the new law will be implemented.”

Meanwhile, Greece remains overwhelmed with processing the newcomers. Most refugees applying for legal status now receive their first appointments in 2022 or even in 2023. That’s impacting the children.

“Staying in Greece for three years in transit, children often end up living eight years of their lives as a refugee,” said Kaldani. “That’s just not healthy for any minor or adult.”

As a result of the uncertainty, some children feel they can’t move ahead or plan for the future. Many run away before they turn 18 in the hopes of getting asylum in another EU country.

Meanwhile, the government has also banned all asylum seekers from access to primary healthcare. The staff at the HOME Project spends a large portion of their budget getting the children medical care.

“Many of the children arriving in Greece suffer from chronic conditions like scoliosis or kidney disease,” said Kaldani. “At the same time, most of the children that have had traumatic experiences in their home countries or even spent six months in refugee camps in Greece may need expensive psychiatric drugs.”

ATHENS, GREECE – Vassilis Michailidis, chief of staff of the Home Project, is working with one of the refugee children that arrived in Greece alone.

The lack of access to public healthcare prevents many of these children from enrolling in school because they lack the documents proving they have had the required vaccines.

“We’ve spent money from our budget and also work with other NGOs to get our children vaccinated,” said Fotis Parthenides, a social worker who oversees all HOME Project shelters.

Some vaccines, though, cost as much as 400 euros.

Also, the lack of teachers available to offer prep classes is hindering refugee children from effective learning. During the last school year, substitute teachers were hired six months after classes started, leaving refugee students who spoke no Greek unsupported.

As a result of that and the lack of documents proving vaccinations, just a quarter of all refugee children went to class in the last school year. This year, even fewer schools have prep classes.

“From the 14 different public schools our children attend, only two have prep classes for the kids that don’t speak Greek,” said Parthenides.

Meanwhile, the anti-immigrant sentiment that has risen in Greece over the past few years is having an effect, he added.

“There are teachers in the public school that don’t want refugee children in their class and threaten to kick them out of school with the excuse that their Greek is bad,” he said.

For Asma, however, because of the HOME Project and other aid, life has some regularity.

She takes the subway to the American Community Schools (ACS), a private international school in Athens, where she works toward getting an American high school diploma, courtesy of a scholarship by the Massachusetts-based Shapiro Foundation.

She’s changed, say those who know her.

“Asma has grown and is now a confident, strong, young woman,” said Julia Tokatlidou, director of ACS’s social integration program. “Now, she walks with her head high.”

“The HOME Project has a great holistic approach to dealing with children, is well-organized, and we’ve been working with them since their beginning in 2016,” she added.

Tokatlidou says if Asma continues to go to school, she will graduate in three years.

Even then, she and others reaching the age of maturity can still receive care from the HOME Project: Since the organization doesn’t depend on public funding, it doesn’t have to force those who turn 18 to leave.

“Three of our former kids are now working inside the shelter,” said Vassilis Michailidis, chief of staff at the HOME Project. “Another 30 have found jobs through our contacts.”

Back at the shelter, Parthenides is playing with Asma’s toddler as Asma looks into the future.

“I’d like to study math,” said Asma, who is now 17. “When I’m 18, I need to find a job and make some money for my baby. Maybe I’ll find a job here at the Home Project.”

Parthenides turns to her and says, “We’re keeping you here, Asma, with your baby.”

Reporter: Nikolia Apostolou
Editor: Jabeen Bhatti

Editor’s note: Asma and Hamid’s names have been changed and certain details about them withheld to protect their identity because they are minors.

My Christmas Story For 2019

     After surviving over seven decades over seven decades, it is good to stop and reflect on what one has learned. We all have had people who broke our hearts, took advantage of us, betrayed us, etc. It is best to reflect on the lessons learned. It is not good to be hateful or bitter toward these people. What one should always treasure are the memories of people who were kind to you when you were helpless and in bad circumstances.

      My mind goes back 36 years. It is Christmas, 1983. I was living in the small town of Albany, West Australia. I had lost my wife Maria. I was facing a huge legal battle with the full power of the US government (By the way, I won that battle in 1984 and went into the legal history books in two countries.) I was broke and friendless.

     I went to a small church in the town. Two of my fellow worshippers were Len and Eve Lees. They knew how sad and lonely I was. They invited me to spend Christmas with them in their humble cottage.  We ate a very traditional British Christmas dinner. They gave me the one Christmas gift that I got that year. In British English it was “a tin of biscuits.” In American English, it was a metal box containing simple cookies. I was so touched by their kindness. I have never forgotten it.

    Len worked at a small printing company and did not have much money. He did have a fascinating story in life that I will now share with you. Len and Eve were from Britain. They met and married in the late 1930’s. When World War II came in 1939, Len enlisted in the British Army. He became a humble foot soldier in the infantry. Len fought with General Montgomery in North Africa.

    His next assignment was the invasion of Sicily. The US Army did something brilliant here. They filled the ranks of the invading troops with Italian Americans of Sicilian ancestry. When these troops came ashore, they met up with relatives. They were greeted with heaping plates of pasta and great Italian wine.

    After this easy assignment, Len was part of the US and British forces who invaded Italy. They came face to face with a brilliant German general named Albert Kesselring. This general made life “hell on earth” for the allies right until the end of World War II.

    Len became separated from his unit during a ferocious battle. He ran out of ammunition and food. He was sleeping on the cold ground. Someone awakened him from his sleep early one morning. When he opened his eyes, he saw a German army officer standing over him. Refexively Len raised his Sten gun and pointed it at the German officer.

     What happened next was a huge surprise to Len. The German officer spoke to Len in perfect British English with these words: “You’re not fooling anyone. We both know that you’re out of ammunition. You might as well face it old chap, the war is over for you.”

   Len surrendered and talked to the German officer. He found out that the man had been an exchange student in England in the 1930’s. Len soon realized that he was the luckiest man in the world. Any other German soldier would have shot him right on the spot when he pointed his weapon at them.

   Len was released from the prisoner of war camp in early 1945. He came home to Eve. They decided to emigrate to Australia. They ended up in the small town of Albany, West Australia.

   Small acts of kindness have a wonderful impact of the lives of others. When possible, be kind and generous.