Non-Writer Obituaries

Papageno

Papageno

Well-known member
Famous soprano Renata Scotto dies aged 89. She was truly one of the blazing stars of her generation, an incredibly intelligent performer of a unique, beautiful lyric voice. For those who would like to acquaint themselves with her work, I attach here her rendition of the aria Senza mamma (from Puccini's opera Suor Angelica) - the aria is sung by the titular Suor Angelica, a young woman who had been confined to a convent years ago for having born a child out of wedlock. The aria comes just after she learns that her son - her only hope in the sombre life of the convent - has died several years ago without her even knowing it. Scotto's interpretation is bursting with emotions, with the floating final A going straight to heaven.
 
Daniel del Real

Daniel del Real

Moderator
Probably we should add Argentina here, after the atrocious electoral results from Sunday.

This guy is completely crazy and he looks way worse than Bolsonaro; add this to a country doing way worse than Brazil in all senses and I'm absolutely terrified of what can happen.
 
Benny Profane

Benny Profane

Well-known member
Probably a generalised war, Daniel.

The another "crazy guy" and " oil mad dog" (euphemism for genocidal President) from Venezuela wants to invade Guyana (British Guyana) and intends to do pursuit an agreement from Brazil and Colombia to do his "crazy war" based on follies of Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, Milei wants to break all the Diplomatic relationships with Brazil and all "communist" countries such as Mexico, China and Brazil (actually, he wants to have foreign affairs with Bolsonaro in name of Brazil).

I gotta laugh to keep from crying.

Sad!!!
 
Daniel del Real

Daniel del Real

Moderator
Benny Profane said:
Probably a generalised war, Daniel.

The another "crazy guy" and " oil mad dog" (euphemism for genocidal President) from Venezuela wants to invade Guyana (British Guyana) and intends to do pursuit an agreement from Brazil and Colombia to do his "crazy war" based on follies of Vladimir Putin.
On the other hand, Milei wants to break all the Diplomatic relationships with Brazil and all "communist" countries such as Mexico, China and Brazil (actually, he wants to have foreign affairs with Bolsonaro in name of Brazil).

I gotta laugh to keep from crying.

Sad!!!
Click to expand...
He wants to privatize health services and education. That's just beyond horrible!
 
Benny Profane

Benny Profane

Well-known member
Daniel del Real said:
He wants to privatize health services and education. That's just beyond horrible!
Click to expand...
Not only to do this. He wants to smash the Federal Reserve from Argentina, wants to do a "legal market" for buying and selling human organs, wants to break all the relationships with "communist countries", etc.
I wouldn't want to do an ableist joke here but I'm sorry to share this: Milei seems to be an autistic guy or a person with serious problems of mental disorders.

Unfortunately, "nosostros hermanos argentinos" voted for a bad meme.
 
Last edited:
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Benny Profane said:
Not only to do this. He wants to smash the Federal Reserve from Argentina, wants to do a "legal market" for buying and selling human organs, wants to break all the relationships with "communist countries", etc.
I wouldn't want to do an ableist joke here but I'm sorry to share this: Milei seems to be an autistic guy or a person with serious problems of mental disorders.

Unfortunately, "nosostros hermanos argentinos" voted for a bad meme.
Click to expand...
The question is:why are so many people who vote for candidatrs that make it
absolutely clear beforehand, that they will be absolutely unable to govern their country?
 
Leseratte

Leseratte

Well-known member
Benny Profane said:
I'd say that memes' culture and empowerment speeches from influencers on social media are smashing democracy around the world.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have to agree with you that we are more and more being governed by what top politicians and their close followers say and show about themselves than by what they actually do.?
 
Benny Profane

Benny Profane

Well-known member
Diplomacy's controversial figure, brilliant scholar and former American secretary of state who won the Nobel Prize for Peace, Henry Kissinger passed away today.

www.theguardian.com

Henry Kissinger obituary

US secretary of state with peerless diplomatic skills, tireless energy and a ruthless desire to protect his country’s interests
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

His most important works are Diplomacy and A World Restored.

In my humble opinion, he was one of the most brilliant minds of 20th century despite I recognize that he was a war criminal person who contributes to inumerous coup d'état in South America countries and the destruction in Vietnam.
 
Last edited:
tiganeasca

tiganeasca

Moderator
I will offer a somewhat different take from Benny: good riddance. A perfect illustration of Lord Acton's dictum that power corrupts.

P.S. For those who may be interested, there is a detailed "Guest Essay" in today's New York Times by Ben Rhodes (a former deputy national security adviser himself) entitled "Henry Kissinger, the Hypocrite." It provides some of the many, many reasons why I wrote what I did above. For anyone who is interested but unable to access the essay, send me a private message. I will be happy to send along the text.

P.P.S. It is, perhaps, indicative of "received opinion" that even the NYT's official obituary is slanted this way, remarking that Kissinger "used cunning, ambition and intellect to remake American power relationships with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, sometimes trampling on democratic values to do so...."
 
Last edited:
Benny Profane

Benny Profane

Well-known member
nagisa said:
Why?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't want to involve myself in controversial discussions, but yeah, he was a brilliant mind, for better or for worse. ;)
I was polite above because I don't want to disrespect the forum's rules, but I recognize his works' relevance and I disagree about his controversial decisions when he worked as diplomat.

To emphasize, in my opinion, as a scholar, he was brilliant. As a diplomat, he was abominable.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top