So, why is it Romanians have different reactions to the two interesting cases being tried in public lately? Both of which involve a man dying, but the reaction is different. In first case, Romanians are furious about the death and outraged by the injustice of the accused being let off the hook. In the second case, the Romanians are surprised and sad about the death but seem to be fighting tooth and nail to defend the perpetrator.

What gives? Perhaps the devil is in the details.

In the first case, there was a nasty car accident in Bucureşti during the late hours of the night. A famous Romanian rock star named Teo Peter, who has substantial popularity throughout the nation both as a musician and as an all-around nice guy, was head home as a passenger in a taxi which was driven by a very experienced Bucureşti taxi driver.

Coming from a different direction was the vehicle of one Christopher VanGoethem, a Marine Staff Sergeant assigned as guard of the US Embassy (you know, the place where spies operate on secret affairs of state) and general American bad-ass.

The generally accepted facts are that Chris apparently decided to race down the streets of Bucureşti after guzzling down an estimated five beers while cheating on his wife yet again — seems he’s got a history — with an embassy secretary he’d supposedly been sleeping with this time around.

After running three stop signs, VanGoethem’s drunk driving spree ended when he slammed his SUV into the side of a small taxi, crushing it like an aluminum can and sending it literally airborne until it leaned sideways against a lightpole!

The car was so thrashed that emergency rescue personnel literally had to tear the car apart just to get to Teo Peter out of the vehicle and take him to a hospital. Meanwhile, police on the scene administered a breathalyzer test and VanGoethem registered positive for 0.09 blood alcohol level. Hours later, when Chris was released from police custody, embassy itself administered a separate breath test and again he still registered positive despite the time difference.

Driving after drinking anything is illegal in Romania. Period. Full stop. This dude had been here for well over a year as part of an official embassy detachment where they are well instructed on local laws before being turned loose on the streets. Education on local laws is standard operating procedure and any failure to do so would result in a higher level supervisor being terminated for malfeasance.

What is the big picture? Story basically sounds as though he was out banging the secretary and chugging down a few beers, then non-chalantly plops into his 4×4 gas-hog, runs some stops signs, and plows right into a taxi — killing its passenger, Teo Peter.

Now, understand that embassy personnel enjoy some immunity protection. However, it is not uncommon for people involved in drunk driving cases to have their immunity revoked by the issuing government. It’s in the interest of fairness.

In fact, when a diplomat from the country of Georgia killed someone in a drunk driving accident, the United States was up in arms, quite despite itself, demanding his immunity be revoked and that he stand trial in the US. That request was granted by Georgia. The drunk driver was tried and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Americans rightfully felt justice had been done.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, eh? Nu pentru tine, mic roman.

In this case, the US Embassy immediately airlifted Christopher VanGoethem to the Quantico marine base to get him out of dodge and proceeded to host a comical little show trial.

National secrets were potentially at stake. While VanGoethem may not have been privvy to much in the way of important information, it is possible he might have been. More likely the secretary he was galavanting around with probably did have access to more sensitive plans involving the US military plans for Middle East contingencies (read: wars).

So, if you are the Marines, you’ve got limit your losses here and obviously you view the little country of Romania as nothing more than a toad stool for your ambitious empire expansion. Get that soldier out!

In an anemic attempt to placate the frustrated Romanian public, you put on a little show trial. The prosecutor fumbles his pencil a lot and mumbles a few ambiguous sentences, never bothering to make a decent case. Somebody somewhere decides to persuade the taxi driver to change his mind about testifying at the trial (probably not too hard to scare or bribe a lowly, poor, uneducated Romanian taxi driver). Someone else declares it is too expensive to fly other witnesses, such as the police and emergency workers, all the way to America for something as trivial as death. No one at all seems to bother with the concept of video conferencing over the internet because not only is it cost effective but it might actually harm the marine who killed a rock star.

But the defense? Wow, talk about organized! Get a career major and a couple of assistants who bark loudly about the absurd notion that “no one present in the court room saw Teo Peter in the taxi” and therefore he was not killed. Oh, he’s dead? Well, that is a completely unrelated fact. Oh, some Romanian police and rescue workers can testify that they had to cut the car open to get the corpse? Too bad they aren’t here to say anything. What do you mean there must have been some embassy staff on the scene who saw it also? Don’t ask, don’t tell.

And no one can ignore the danger of some cheap bimbo who was supposedly rubbing him down at night. It would never help the military keep secrets if her reputation were impuned and she lost her job. She might become a security risk and have to experience Romanian rendition.

While the defense had nothing to talk about, they kept up the chatter anyway. They called up some of their own witnesses. Like, a few Marine buddies of Christopher VanGoethem who were never in Romania with him. Or his sister who begged them not to punish him. And let’s not forget his wife, the one who is in denial (or otherwise unconcerned) about his continuing infidelities and told the judges about her need for an incoming-earning husband to pay for their small daughter. Not one was there or knew any facts about the killing. Quality witnesses, indeed.

You see where this is going. The show trial was over pretty quickly. Predictably, they acquitted him of manslaughter and adultery. The guy got off the hook with hardly even a stern look from the judges. He was given a letter of reprimand. A letter! Then he was reassigned to carry out his service elsewhere.

Romanians are flabbergasted and stunned.

The whole thing is incredibly ridiculous. But it gets better.

Most likely, you’ve never even heard of this flap. The American media pretty much completely whitewashed it. It got no play on radio, tv or even the internet really. It was not an important event. It might add more fuel to the legitimate criticism that American foreign policy is often a highly unethical endeavour. And the nation is too busy being instructed to wave flags and clap, right now. ADD levels are too high to be able to mix messages. The people might get the wrong idea.

But after the trial, the family of VanGoethem really gave everyone cause to blow chunks into an already full airsickness bag. As only a deranged maniac could be capable, the mother had the incredibly bad taste… the nerve… the gall… to start yapping at the press about her joy at the end of the show trial. She was gushing with relief that her son’s “suffering” is over. And ranted in unbelievable colors about how their family had endured just as much pain as the family of Teo Peter. As if.

It’s no shock that Chris’ family might think he’s a more-or-less decent fellow and did not want to see him spend 10 years in the clink. But there are limits to sanity and these hicks don’t seem to know it. Your boy was drunk driving after creeping outside the marriage when he careened into a taxi and killed someone. I’m sure he feels bad about it and is embarrased, but it’s hardly comparable to the tragedy endured by the other family. Particularly when the whole thing was a little show trial that ended with a piece of paper. Frankly, if I may be so bold, y’all make me sick.

I am probably the last blogger to talk about this incident. I avoided ranting about it earlier precisely because its been a media circus here in Romania. Its all over the TV, magazines, and newspapers. There have been protests. People want the United States to act responsibly. People want justice.

While the noise level has been starting to quiet down a little, the Romanians are still pissed off about it all. They cannot understand why the US government abandons them.

Afterall, they have troops as part of the so-called Coalition in Iraq. They have agreed to host new, key bases for the US military here in Romanian which will significantly boost the US Army’s ability to launch new campaigns (read: wars) in the middle east. It is widely understood that Romania military intelligence (particularly under the PSD influence) have helped the United States in its kidnapping and possible torturing of people labelled as ‘potential terrorists.’ Romania walks a tight line between being a European ally to the US while working like the dickens to get into the EU without upsetting France or Germany. And, frankly, the typical Romanian is largely enamored with the entire American Mythology of freedom and entrepreneurship (although the average Romanian has no appreciation for how much those two ideas are increasingly a thing of the past).

For all it’s loyalty, what does Romania get? A slap in the face. Someone should remember that.

And, then there’s the other case… which is bizarre in its own right.

Perhaps, you’ve heard about the dog problem in Romania. You see, a couple decades ago, the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu did not believe people should be able to have their own houses. He removed them from their homes and ordered them into small apartments. So, the great unwashed masses suddenly had no room for their beloved Fidos. They began to uncollar the pets and send them out into the wild where they might at least live.

It worked. Too well. Dogs have roamed the streets in packs for years to the point of literally terrorizing the citizenry and the people slowly came to regret their short-sighted decision. Recently, there have been efforts to minimize the problem. Dogs have been captured and adopted. Others have been killed.

Yes, there are still dogs who wander the streets, but they’ve got the fear of god put back into them for the most part. It is a bit annoying to see them scurrying about in greater numbers than one might find stateside. However, the stray dogs tend to steer clear of humans and it is a mostly peaceable arrangement. But every once in a while, some pup gets out of hand as dogs do in any country.

This time, it seems a dog in Bucureşti attacked a fairly important Japanese business man just outside government headquarters, near his residence. Hajime Hori had been a financial consultant for a number of different Japanese businesses operating in Romania. Official reports say he bled to death as a result of being bitten in a artery on thigh.

The squabble seems to be over whether or not the dog actually killed the man by biting him. Apparently, there is some investigation as to whether the man died of a heart attack after being scared by the biting dog.

The distinction is taking on significant legal importance as a growing body of vocal people are clamoring for the dog’s life to be spared and demanding he be release into adoptive custody. As part of the effort to humanize his situation, the dog has been named Boschito. Near as I can figure, the word boschet related to trees, so I haven’t quite understood the connection.

Anyway, yes! Boschito is on the TV and in the newspapers. The Dog Trial mania is sweeping the capital!

One Romania’s top lawyers is adding to her fame by stepping up to defend the dog vociferously. She may actually win the case and save the dog. According to reports from witnesses to the attack, Hajime pretty much died almost immediately after being bitten and that seems to give way to the heart attack theory.

Complicating matters more, some witnesses report that the stray dog on trial was not the offender. Instead, people report that it was actually another dog on a leash held by his owner who subsequently fled the scene. These reports may not be credible, however.

While the majority of people have been asking politicians to take action on the stray dog problem for some time, the budget was not always available. Now, this embarrassing incident gives leaders a publicity wave to ride as they shove one another to be first in proposing a solution. But the media is having a field day focusing on the animal rights activists who are legally defending the dog from all but certain death.

And Boschito fever is starting to catch on. Larger numbers of people are stepping forward to share their opinion that Boschito is either not guilty or should not be killed if he is found guilty at the trial. Meanwhile, the judges furrow their brows in hearing legal arguments fly back and forth over international treaties on animal and human rights as applied to the case in question.

It seems like the general consensus is starting to form: dogs are still a problem that need a prompt and effective solution, but don’t kill Boschito!

Of course, where I am from the dog would already have been put to sleep. No need for lots of drama in the media. If several people saw the dog attack a human, down he goes. End of story. It’s irrelevant if he popped the artery or chewed the guys leg off or just said BOO! in a dark alley. He would be put to sleep for attacking a human… and I still support this policy.

Where is the sympathy for the victim in all this? No one seems to care about the Japanese man who died as a result of this ordeal. People either side with Boschito, proclaim his innocence, or, at best, talk about the damage stray dogs do to the reputation of Romania! I see little discussion over the grief of Hajime’s family or what kind of official apology and restitution might be in order.

I hope the people defending Boschito were not outraged over the killing of Teo Peter. That would be hypocrisy on a level where words start to fail me.

Ye, maybe in the end it’s not really all that hypocritical. It could be relativity. In both cases, the Romanian public (by newspaper account) seem to defend their own people… er, living creatures… against their relationship to foreign nationals.

Funny; reminds me of America. And Japan. And most any other country where the native majority instantly jumps to its to defend fellow citizens from those who are (perceived) different than themselves.

Why? Because imaginary lines still separate us all, I suppose.

Yeehaw, campers! Six guns a-blazin’ n more serious than a cowboy’s tombstone, iffin ya know whut I mean, there.

Deveni launched American localization services in Romania. The aim is to help Romanian firms who want to sell to Americans (or other English-speakers international business) by getting the grammar straight, the context right, and cultural lingo down pat.

The reality is Romanian companies do have something to offer Americans. There is a deep pool of human talent here and most of the time Romania can provide significant cost savings to boot. But it’s hard to be accepted as a peer by an American business when you aren’t American yourself. In fact, if you aren’t able to effectively communicate in the international language of business (read: American English) then companies from the European Union and the rest of the world won’t take you seriously.

Think of Deveni as the one who combs your hair, buttons your coat, and ties your shoelaces before you go running off to make that sales presentation. Ce zici? Localizarea Americana şi traduceri Engleza. Acum intelegi mai bine.

Romania needs this kind of professional-level service at prices they can afford. In fact, so do some other neighboring countries. Stay tuned, kids!

Thanks to the mysterious American in Belgrade, whom I probably found via Expat Anchor, I’ve managed to make my own addition to the Tocaniţa recipe which is none other than celery root.

Mmmm…. just chop about half or a third of that puppy into little cubes and toss it right in with the other veggies. The way I figure: it’s gotta add different vitamins to the mix and it doesn’t taste half bad. Giddyap.

Congratulations to my good friends The Teague’s on the birth of their first daughter!

There’s no doubt that her equally-proud big brother will keep a watchful eye out to protect her. Congratulations on your little sister, Cucaracha!

Someday, she’ll regard the world as veritable fools in a madhouse. “Every day now lays bare the cowardice and vindictiveness of these maniacs, and the stupid populace hurrahs for their crazy measures.”

But, you’ve got a loving family and that won’t change. So, Madison… have a wonderful time being a kid for as long as you can!

Translated into Romaneşte, brrreeeport would be brrraaaporte or possibly a brrreeelatare. Localizing the whimsical social experiments of the blogosfera could have interesting and new results for the trivially inclined.