The Spook & the Helmet

Just loved that picture on the front page of yesterday's New York Times, Bush. Russian President Vladimir Putin and your Rice. The Spook and the Helmet. The Spook head-on, across the desk from his visitor, one hand on the table, glowering. No doubt about his anger. His whole body speaks it, coiled, ready to spring. If he were still in the KGB he'd be saying: "Get rid of this woman. Down to the basement with her." But thankfully he's President, now. He knows he can no longer say such things and get away with it. Instead, his eyes shoot poison. They say, "Just keep your skinny ass out of my backyard, Missy." And the Helmet? You can't see her face, just the shoulders of her immaculate little red suit and the back of her head in the foreground, upright, righteous, unyielding. You don't need words for this picture, Bush. It's all right there, unspoken, in the image. As the ad says: priceless.

So I read in the paper today that it's all about Belarus. It's all about spreading your democracy there. It's time for a change, your Rice announces, from "Europe's last dictatorship." She has a friendly meeting with the Belarussian opposition at the NATO conference in Lithuania--a clear gesture of support. (Will the opposition soon morph into "freedom fighters"?) The Russian Foreign Minister counters, in a separate statement, that Russia is unambiguously "not in favor of regime change." And Nikolai Cherginets, chair of the Belurussian Commission on International Affairs and National Security (some title, that, Bush: quite a range of responsibilties!) chimes in dismissively: "A woman euphoric with power is a dangerous creature, but we should not overrate her." Ouch! Such outrageously old-fashioned male chauvinism, Bush! But I couldn't help but chuckle just a wee bit. I mean, there's a dreadful little part of me that tends to agree with him. Until I remember the proprieties, of course. Then I wipe the smile off my face.

Anyway, by one of those questionable coincidences that seem not quite like a coincidence, I read a very disturbing op-ed piece, also in today's NYT, about the "invasive species" that get transported from one part of the globe to another in the ballast water that unladen cargo ships take on board to increase stability at their point of origin, and empty out in the waters of their destination port. Another example of our stepping dangerously into the ecological unknown, and risking untold damage, even untold disaster at some point in the future. Another thing to scare the bejesus out of us on Earth Day. But it occurred to me also that this was a rather nice metaphor for your insistence on the exportation of democracy, Bush. It's not always a welcome guest on foreign soil, and may perhaps not always be a beneficial presence in cultures other than our own. It may have unintended consequences.

Just a thought, Bush. Something to chew on. Hope you're busy doing good things for our planet on this Earth Day Have a happy one….