Vladimir Voinovitch, who penned the brilliant satire, Moskva 2042, as well as the Svejk knock off yet classic in its own right, The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin, has long been a great favorite of mine. (Feeling bad you forgot my birthday? Send me another book by VV and all will be forgiven.) In my limited universe of Russian writers, Chonkin could probably not have been written had Alexander Solzhenitzyn not first offered up the story of Ivan Denisovich more than a decade prior - how could anyone dare to satirize the insanity of the soviet system before first having a thorough slog through its dark, gulag-muzzled side? In my late teens and early 20s, poured through all the Solzhenitzyn i could find - no minor task (referring here to the reading, not the finding) - an education in the mentalities of the coerced and the coercers, the nature of totalitarianism, blahblahblah in sum they had a strong effect on me simultaneous to being enmeshed in a world of collectivist ideals. So we're sorry to see the writer pass on, but we remember him for his passion and the skill to use it in ways that unquestionably benefitted both the world of literature and the thinkers of freedom. My vodka glass goes belly up in a toast to the greatest of Russia's literary bulldogs.
How creepy to also read today that Berlusconi is putting soldiers on the streets of Rome. The creepiness is not only in the shades of tyranny this implies, but because part of the PM's stated rationale is to protect the Italians from those nasty, no-good immigrants, apparently creeping onto Italy's shores with godzilla-like intentions. Actually, right now the stated problem is not so much those coming by sea, but the overland-travelling Roma, (seen far and wide as the scourge of Europe - yes, still) in spite of thousands of these Roma holding Italian citizenship. The Minister of Defense "dismissed claims that the soldiers would scare tourists or residents, saying the troops could help address citizens' concerns about security." Personally, i don't think tourists are all that likely to ask soldiers with machine guns whether a particular gelaterria presents a clear and present danger, but maybe i'm too jilted when it comes to interacting with so-called security forces. The rounding up of "undesirables" and creation of fear among minority populations - including political minorities - under any circumstance, is one of the things Solzhenitzyn explored in excruciating detail. The message always seemed clear enough to me: it is the shades of grey that put the T into state tyranny.
When Berlucsoni indicated that other cities were also going to have soldiers decorating their sidewalks, a Sicilian mayor asked, "Have we all gone mad?" Evidently his town hasn't had a murder since the 1960's, which is noteworthy given that island's history. Wanna bet that with soldiers on the streets and the carbinieri free to do other interesting things, this bit of statistical reverie might soon be broken? i've yet to attend a demonstration where the rioting wasn't started by the cops, and i can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would believe that expanding the reach of the il-Duce death eaters now with military backup, would bring Italians more peace, or peace of mind. Ok, at least he isn't hiring Blackwater to do the job.... Alas, another day in the life of 21st century Europe. In yet other uplifting news, we're told that nearly half the world's primates are facing extinction. Do we think the fascists are in the soon-to-be-extinct or the not-yet-pegged-for-extinction half? What role does free will play in extinction, anyway?
How creepy to also read today that Berlusconi is putting soldiers on the streets of Rome. The creepiness is not only in the shades of tyranny this implies, but because part of the PM's stated rationale is to protect the Italians from those nasty, no-good immigrants, apparently creeping onto Italy's shores with godzilla-like intentions. Actually, right now the stated problem is not so much those coming by sea, but the overland-travelling Roma, (seen far and wide as the scourge of Europe - yes, still) in spite of thousands of these Roma holding Italian citizenship. The Minister of Defense "dismissed claims that the soldiers would scare tourists or residents, saying the troops could help address citizens' concerns about security." Personally, i don't think tourists are all that likely to ask soldiers with machine guns whether a particular gelaterria presents a clear and present danger, but maybe i'm too jilted when it comes to interacting with so-called security forces. The rounding up of "undesirables" and creation of fear among minority populations - including political minorities - under any circumstance, is one of the things Solzhenitzyn explored in excruciating detail. The message always seemed clear enough to me: it is the shades of grey that put the T into state tyranny.
When Berlucsoni indicated that other cities were also going to have soldiers decorating their sidewalks, a Sicilian mayor asked, "Have we all gone mad?" Evidently his town hasn't had a murder since the 1960's, which is noteworthy given that island's history. Wanna bet that with soldiers on the streets and the carbinieri free to do other interesting things, this bit of statistical reverie might soon be broken? i've yet to attend a demonstration where the rioting wasn't started by the cops, and i can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would believe that expanding the reach of the il-Duce death eaters now with military backup, would bring Italians more peace, or peace of mind. Ok, at least he isn't hiring Blackwater to do the job.... Alas, another day in the life of 21st century Europe. In yet other uplifting news, we're told that nearly half the world's primates are facing extinction. Do we think the fascists are in the soon-to-be-extinct or the not-yet-pegged-for-extinction half? What role does free will play in extinction, anyway?
No comments:
Post a Comment