about the slept-in Impala

something about "The Trial of Henry Kissinger" by Christopher Hitchens

British-American author, intellectual, and journalist Christopher Hitchens spent most of his political life on the left, but spent much of his later years defending neoconservatives. Ideologically he seemed to move from socialist to constitutional republican with Marxist sympathies. Despite this shift, Hitchens consistently attacked abuses of power. One great abuser, in Hitchens' view, was Henry Kissinger.

Kissinger served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. For Hitchens, Kissinger's Realpolitik approach to foreign policy led him eventually to violate international human rights law, the law of armed conflict, international criminal law, and US domestic law. In The Trial of Henry Kissinger, Hitchens seeks an indictment; in fact, he expects it.

Hitchens organizes his case against Kissinger neatly, addressing each crime separately, giving crisp narratives describing the immediate contexts, characters, and instances of moral failings for which Kissinger should be held accountable. Kissinger's six worst crimes as detailed by Hitchens: mass killings in Indochina (Vietnam and places nearby), killings and assassination in Bangladesh, coup and killings in Chile, coup and violence in Cyprus, genocide in East Timor, plotting to kidnap and/or kill a journalist in DC. Hitchens thinks Kissinger guilty of all this (and more) via his complicity or direct responsibility, depending on the case and how much we feel comfortable deducing from the evidence.

Before reaching a verdict about Kissinger's guilt, I'd argue a jurist would need at least two things: (1) an understanding of Realpolitik in light of American foreign policy, and (2) a briefing on the broader Cold War context in which much of these events occurred. But Hitchens doesn't give us this context; for him, this has nothing to do with either. This a time to exact punishment on a man who acted out of pure, cold ambition.

This is a short, fast read, and Hitchens' style goes down smoothly. A good read for a quick primer on some very dirty politics.

(or posts) Kreator, "Stream Of Consciousness"

There is no difference between death and life
Just a circle to be closed by time
Creatures comforts in this earthly plane
Have become more hallowed than wisdom today

In the stream of consciousness, we cannot see the truth
Play your role so perfectly no matter which life we choose

Emotional terror confusing our minds
Love and hate keeping us blind
Pretend death is the end of the line
Expect reward in paradise

In the stream of consciousness, we cannot see the truth
Play your role so perfectly no matter which life we choose

Living in an ice age, emotions gone numb
The truth once so near, but now so far away
So turn another page, get our daily work done
All the nightmares are clear and happening today

Mindless fools obey all rules
Lost all worth, born to serve

Emotional terror confusing our minds
Hate and love is keeping us blind
Creature comforts in this earthly plane
Have become more hallowed than wisdom today

There is no difference between death and life
Just a circle to be closed by time
Pretend death is the end of the line
Expect reward in paradise

In the stream of consciousness, we cannot see the truth
Play your role so perfectly no matter which life we choose

Rocky Balboa and baptism under fire

In the film "Rocky Balboa" (aka, "Rocky VI"), our protagonist, Rocky, is now a retired former heavyweight champ almost two decades past his prime; the reigning heavyweight champ is Mason Dixon. But pundits say the current roster of boxers lacks true champs, leaving Dixon plagued by doubts about his legacy and legitimacy. The implied message here is that his fighting Rocky would give him credibility and, unofficially, it would harken a new boxing era. At one point in the film, Dixon's trainer delivers this: 

Martin: You got everything money can buy, except what it can't. Its pride. Pride is what got your ass out here, and losing is what brought ya back. But people like you?, they need to be tested. They need a challenge. 

Dixon: But you know that ain't never gonna happen. There ain't anybody out there, Martin. 

Martin: There's always somebody out there. Always. And when that time comes and you find something standing in front of you, something that ain't running and ain't backing up and is hitting on you and you're too damn tired to breathe; you find that situation on you--that's good. 'Cause that's baptism under fire! Oh, you get through that and you find the only kind of respect that matters in this damn world: self-respect.

Alan Parsons Project lyric

The sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing.