New Decks of Cards
Yesterday, I read about a new deck of cards depicting American leaders that is being sold in Russia ahead of Bush's visit here. They are very beautiful Russian style cards that remind of the famous Tehran Conference mural in which Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchil, and Chiang Kaishek are depicted hunting down Tojo, Hitler, and Mussolini. (Why doesn't anyone ever talk about Tojo anymore? Perhaps, the Japanese don't want to remember their relationship with the Nazis or their deeds in China?) In sum: Fun Russian kitsch

A new deck also emerges from some leftist French broadsheet. The theme here: Bush and his cronies knew about September 11. Indeed, they helped. It's never said openly, but mentioning, for instance, that Bush was director of an oil company owned by one of Osama's many brothers is the kind of innuendo that pervades this deck. BS. They accuse Warren Buffett of complicity. Come on. Warren Buffett wouldn't risk destabilizing the American economy and major interruption to trading in order to allow Bush to push his tax initiatives or "open markets." Really, someone like Buffett needs markets such as Afghanistan? Moreover, he's a Democrat. Moreover, he was the second richest man of America before 11 September 2001. If I want someone to make serious accusations against the Administration, I'll read Ted Rall, who at least uses reason and checks facts better than R eseau Voltaire. In sum: Good for laughter

ESA(20030926.1)