(Swans - May 5, 2014) It's an old tradition, the White House Correspondents Association's dinner in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, Washington D.C. It was the 100th anniversary of that cozy affair. Over 2,000 celebrities and politicians mixed together at what is supposedly $275 a plate to have fun listening to the president (Obama) and a comedian (this year, Joel McHale) making jokes about everybody, including themselves. Only porn is verboten. It took place on May 3, 2014. The who's who of the entire beltway (and Hollywood) was assembled. The script is immutable -- never changes. It starts with the master of ceremony giving kudos to the journalists and correspondents who are the pillar of our free press. Gracious words are directed to the president and Mrs. Obama. They in turn show their appreciation with a smile and a slight head movement up and down. The Royals have spoken without muttering a word. Royals need not speak. They are royals. We admire, idolize, venerate them. Now it is time to give a few grants to up-and-coming youngsters. They are indeed young, black, white, Asian, female, male, perhaps gay (but this too is verboten). They come one by one, a big smile illuminating their cherubim faces. They walk along the dais, hand-shaking or kissing the notables till they reach the president and his gorgeous wife. What else can one hope for? To their grandchildren they'll say: "One day I met the president and the first lady. It was a memorable day." Time to move to on. "Mr. President, it's your turn." Here he is, walking to the podium, with the most fantastic smile we'll all remember, including the grandchildren. He recites joke after joke. We all laugh and applaud. Ever note his gorgeous smile? Did he mutter anything of import or fun? Only the gallery matters. A few years back, George W. Bush had a great joke. He looked under and at the sides of the podium asking where are those WMDs? Applause, laughter. One million dead, four million displaced, a country totally devastated. Great joke. Time to move to the comedian -- what's his name? j'ai la mémoire qui flanche... ah, yeah, Joel McHale... He goes on and on. I yawn. Time to go to bed.
Slowly falling asleep, my mind wandered 6,100 miles or 9,900 kilometers away to a country that is not really a country and the calls for war originating in Washington. Another great joke, supposedly, though it was not part of the fun script. With good reason: it is not entertaining. There is a real war boiling over thanks to the U.S. and its Ukrainian and its E.U. puppets. Russia keeps being vilipended. It's as if Washington cannot wait to see a Russian military move. Putin, our latest Hitler, keeps his mouth shut for the most part. He sees Russians being killed, but lets his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, do the talking. He stays mum. If I were Obama I would be careful when the bear awakens. Just a sentiment... The bear will awaken.
What's so dispiriting and saddening is to observe a long-time former contributor, the moderator of marxmail.org, join forces with The New York Times and the US government to belittle Russia. And he called himself an unrepentant Marxist. I feel ashamed.
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Gilles d'Aymery on Swans -- with bio. He is Swans' publisher and co-editor. (back)