The Dreamer Goes To Peru…Without Her Mao Bag.

Boo, The Diva and The Dancer

Mao Man Bag (for diapers) I asked the woman why she wanted to work for us.

“The Terrorists are trying to kill me.”

I knew this was not to be an ordinary job interview.

Charmaine and I were hiring a housekeeper in the early 90’s, and Mrs. C was referred to us, because she was well qualified. She used to own a day-care business.

In Peru.

And her husband was a manager for a manufacturer for a US based company. The rebel communists, the Sendero Luminoso — or Shining Path — had picked up the local company organization chart and began picking off the managers in quick order.

A well executed plan.

Like a good org chart shaped like a pyramid, the terrorists started at the bottom and were working their way up the corporate ladder fast.

The hierarchy of the career path was easy to follow for the Shining Path. The communists are nothing if not consistent. Just as they were in Stalin’s day, the communist’s were executing the managers, killing their way up the org chart.

Mr. C thoughtfully decided to leave the company, wanting to spend more time with the family…in another country.

So Mrs. C packed up her two girls and hubby and moved to America and was given earned asylum. I admired her resilience. Her ingenuity. Her gumption.

Her green card.

Filled with compassion, as is my nature, I hired her and her valid status.

We learned a bit about Peru and the kind of terrorism that kills immediately and immediate family. The terrorists, with the accent on the last syllable. We learned that the people of Peru loved freedom, hated communism.

with Mao bag in PeruSo we were surprised that the well-briefed commie babe Cameron Diaz would go to Machu Picchu, Peru with her trendy, yet practical, Mao Bag with bold Red Star and well-placed slogan Serve the People in the ever- popular military drab olive green.

Peruvians did not appreciate her “style.”

The nation of Peru is still healing from the almost 70,000 murdered by the Shining Path. Not quite the head count of Stalin or Mao, but still a not-too-shabby benchmark in the Commie Accounting.

Cameron Diaz did apologize for her thoughtlessness.

But it is not just the thoughtless commies in Hollywood who are insulting the people of Peru. Our very own (elected) commies Democrats in Congress are insulting Peru.

Democrats are insulting the government of Peru by modifying trade deals. Not content with attempting to run our lives here in the States, the Dems are micro-managing in Peru. And are screwing up a good trade deal.

But Your Business Blogger wants to assure our friends in Peru that the American People are not represented (so to say) by the Democrats in our Congress. That our government really wants free trade and free people to do business.

So we put The Dreamer, our first born, on Copa Airlines this morning out of Dulles Airport with a suitcase full of new shoes for children in Lima.

The Peruvians fought communism and are now fighting Democrats, the least we can do is support these freedom fighters.

The Dreamer, being brighter than Cameron Diaz, did not take her Mao bag to Peru. She is taking our good will and a big heart and a suitcase full of shoes.

To make a difference one child to one child.

The Penta-Posse minus The Dreamer

farm team for the Houston Astros.

Thank you (foot)notes:

The Dreamer blogs at A Different Kind of Drama. Visit for another shot of the Mao bag.

Last year, when our church went to share Jesus with the people of Peru, they found many children arriving to Bible studies in bare feet. . . this year, our group from McLean Bible Church will arrive with over 500 pairs of shoes so that they can practice “Feet-First” evangelism.

Your Business Blogger bought the Mao bag on a trip to China. It was, I believe the only item in the entire country that was not violating American intellectual property.

Bob Novak writes,

Ignoring pleas from outraged South American governments, Democratic House leaders were adamant this week about Congress going into its August recess without taking promised action on free-trade agreements with Peru and Panama. Instead, two senior House Democrats appear determined to visit those two rare Latin American friends of the United States to hector them into passing domestic legislation as a prerequisite for congressional approval of already-negotiated trade pacts.

From the White House,

Monday, July 2, 2007

FREE TRADE WITH PERU: BRIEF SUMMARY OF U.S.-PERU TRADE PROMOTION AGREEMENT

WASHINGTON, July 2 — The White House’s Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued the following fact sheet:

* New Market Access for U.S. Consumer and Industrial Products: Eight percent of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial products to Peru will become duty-free immediately, with remaining tariffs phased out over 10 years. Key U.S. exports will gain immediate duty-free access to Peru. Peru has agreed to allow trade in remanufactured goods, and will join the WTO Information Technology Agreement.

New Opportunities for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers: More than two-thirds of current U.S. farm exports will become duty-free immediately. Tariffs on most U.S. farm products will be phased out within 15 years (many immediately or within 5 years), with all tariffs eliminated in 17 years. In addition, Peru agreed to eliminate its price band system on trade with the United States, and the United States and Peru resolved a number of significant sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical standards issues that had impeded or blocked U.S. exports of beef, pork, poultry, and rice.

Textiles and Apparel: Promoting Cooperation and Benefits: Textiles and apparel will be duty-free and quota-free immediately if the products meet the Agreement’s rule of origin, promoting new opportunities for U.S. and Peruvian fiber, yarn, fabric and apparel manufacturing.

Strong Protections for U.S. Investors: The Agreement establishes a secure, predictable legal framework for U.S. investors operating in Peru. All forms of investment are protected under the Agreement. U.S. investors will enjoy in almost all circumstances the right to establish, acquire and operate investments in Peru on an equal footing with local investors…