Monday, November 28, 2022
Saturday, November 26, 2022
GUESS WHO IS COMING FOR DINNER
So Trump, always the master of good taste, hosted a dinner for Mr. West and Nick Fuentes, the fine fleur of anti-Semitism and other known transgressions. Mar-a-Lago looks like some prop out of Scarface. It is becoming more sinister since its owner appears more paranoid than ever.
That a former president openly touts his suspicious guest list is ominous. That the losers who still cling to his madness don't notice, is frankly hard to swallow. Surrounded as we are by tragedy all over, this fool continues to entertain his hubris with everybody who still bows for a free meal in some whorish setting.
I wonder if Netanjahu will still continue to play the fool for this mad ruler? Well, the world looks like it has largely been overtaken by the crazies, the cynical and the greedy.
The only light left comes from the place where it is struggling to survive: Ukraine.
HISTOIRE BELGE
La Belgique se traine comme les Diables Rouges. Le spectacle est navrant. Les joueurs ne semblent plus à mème d'arriver à une stratégie partagée. Certes le gouvernement comme et les joueurs peuvent retrouver un second souffle.
Le pays surtout se porte mal. Le Premier Ministre reste apprécié mais apparemment il ne se trouve pas aux commandes. Son gouvernement repose sur une accumulation d'ambiguités. Il est sauvé par le frisson qui gagne la majorité dès qu'apparait le spectre d'une élection.
Il est inutile de répéter combien le système qui a été imposé au pays (jamais consulté) est absurde et couteux. Avec les Verts le fruit était dans le fruit dès le début de cette léguslature. Non contents de créer la zizanie dans les villes, les transports et le commerce ils se montrent incapables de résoudre la question énergétique. Leur psychose nucléaire devient un bloccage en mal de thérapeutes. On peut ne pas partager le syndrome du casseur du MR mais devant l'obstination d'un partenaire dogmatique, la tentation de chercher une alternative pour sortir de l'impasse devient compréhensible.
Une semaine de grèves empoisonnera une nouvelle fois l'atmosphère. L'opposition au contat de livraison de matériel nucléaire de Herstal au Royaume-Uni ne fera que rappeller aux Anglais que depuis l'affaire des obus (lors de la guerre en Irak) , rien n' a changé . La situation des immigrés campant dans la rue est indigne d'une démocratie. Le procès des attentats de Bruxelles apparait déjà bancal avant mème d'être commencé. Les nuages s'accumulent et le budget est le dindon de la farce, mème après Thanksgiving.
Ce gouvernement repose désormais plus sur la résignation que sur la conviction. Au demeurant rien ne va plus en Europe ou la strangulation de l'UE par Poutine est une réalité. Ce gouvernement, comme d'autres, ne peut rien y changer.
De toute façon il s'agit moins de considérer un "face lift"pour le gouvernement De Croo que de générer un sursaut. S'il faut poor celà lester les Verts, souvent infréquentables coté cour comme coté jardin, so be it . Qu'ils rangent steps,vélos et plans de circulation bien intentionnés et que l'on retoune enfin vers le rationnel.
Que le MR fasse une avance en direction du NVA sur le dossier nucléaire, soit. Ce dernier est le loup dans la bergerie...mais on a compté trop de moutons pour continuer sur cette voie.
Il faut éviter que la Belgique -substantif- ne redevienne l'adjectif de la case départ.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
THE HYBRIDS ADVANCE
Once upon a time two great forward thinking intellectuals suggested opposite views regarding the future. Francis Fukuyama suggested that history had finally reached the end and that everything would converge towards a neo-liberal, globalized outcome. Samuel P. Huntington predicted that conflicts between civilizations would override convergence.
Today we witness the ominous truth. Not only are the fault lines multiplying, there is a further nefarious development: the rise of the hybrid.
Qatar is the perfect example of the absolute corruption of all things under the sun, including the trivial. FIFA should make the West blush or better, run. This feast of greed over morals on the back of sport and the gullible should put the West to shame and award Qatar with an Oscar for hypocrisy. This plutocratic takeover with no heroes other than the ones who are not mentioned since they are hidden from view or under the sand is a pure example of a cynical merger between self- aggrandizement and bribes.
It is one of the numerous manifestations of the rule of the hybrid. Sharm el-Sheik is, likewise, a depressing manifestation of the sunset of enlightened collegial thinking. Climate was expected to create a shared sense of imminent danger but the conference chose the accountant over the scientific.
The illusion that countries lost in the delta of their trivial oppositions would find a shared riverbed is dead. Even formerly solid groupings with noble aspirations no longer inspire since they show rot at the core.
Prejudice, cultural inconveniences, strategic undercurrents, historical amnesia contribute to undermine any form of cohesion. Hence, we look into a broken mirror. Russia tried on new clothes but the wolf still felt snubbed and unwelcome. Hence he returned in search of another prey. The EU has become as inspiring as a nunnery. The Arabs just want to cash in on their wealth with the support of any plutocrat under the sun. The Latinos compete for macho dreams on the back of the US which they still loath as much as they envy it. Sub-Saharan Africa is a ticking time-bomb. Australia is too big for its own good and for China's delight. China plays the aloof lover but is considered a poor performer in bed. S.E. Asia has decided to specialize in resorts and Bali Hai fantasies: a goldmine for the elderly and the horny. America will provide yet again another Barnum/Trump show to entertain the masses who are hooked on dubious political slapstick.
The result is that nobody likes anybody and that the hybrid wins on points. Many feel cheated. In Europe, where Ukraine, victim to a hybrid war that doesn't say it's name, has to clean up a total disaster zone created by an enemy that goes almost unpunished. This scandal in the midst of Europe goes on while the aggressor hardly suffers the sanctions other than the loss of his VIP entrance card (to what?) Soon the G20 will have to beg countries to attend. India or China can do without table cards.
Self-made groupings are overtaking the former structured Anglo-Saxon model. They are mostly pragmatic and adverse to political theology. They slowly infiltrate existing bastions of resistance and have a flimsy sort of sex appeal, unlike the chorus lines of the EU and NATO. The trend feels irreversible. The West can no longer claim the mantle of the rule of law after January 6 in Washington or the Ukraine tragedy without end. It had better concentrate on getting its own house in order first and review its antiquated strategy. Sometimes it is better to cut the brush before mending the garden.
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
KMSKA, Antwerpen
La rénovation du Musée des Beaux Arts à Anvers est parfaite. Elle est aussi une prouesse d'architecture créative. La collection était connue, mais elle est mise en valeur. Quelques nouvelles acquisitions sont judicieuses et intelligemment placées dans le parcours.
Anvers s'est ainsi offert le plus beau musée de Belgique.
On peut faire quatre observations :
- Le Ministre président Flamand s'approprie le Musée alors qu'il n'entre en rien dans une décennie de travaux et que son profil 'culturel' est nul.
-Le musée a un côté 'bling bling' qui peut paraitre ci et là envahissant.
-La communication est excellente mais on voit mal pour quelle raison elle se limite au néerlandais et à l'anglais et ignore le français. Celà peut paraitre mesquin et en contradiction avec une réalisation aussi ambitieuse que réussie.
-Il faut espérer qu'à l'instar d'autres grands musées, Anvers voudra bien recevoir des expositions temporaires de haut niveau international et belge.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
HET "VLAAMSE" CANON
Terwijl elders alle aandacht gaat naar de vele existentiele en militaire dreigingen die op de wereld afkomen heeft de Vlaamse regering de handen vol met het aangekondigde Vlaamse Canon.
Deze Trumpiaanse poging om Vlaanderen te confronteren met zijn "roots" is het epos van Ben Weyts § Co. met zoals verwacht Homans (zonder vod) en Demir (zonder "Ventilus") als kariatides. Wedden dat David Van Reyboeck, Bart Van Loo en meeste Vlaamse intellectuelen dit met ongeloof opvolgen.
De Jambon ploeg is een triestig verhaal met een verloren koorknaap ( Bejamin Dalle). Dat Bart De Wever die troep laat begaan is toch eigenaardig, rekening houdend met zijn onbetwisbaar intellect. De traditionele Belgenmop loopt de kans nu te worden voorbijgestreefd door een Vlaamse concurrent. Ik hoor nu al het hoongelach in Nederland.
Het is te vroeg om de uiteindelijke uitslag te beoordelen. De geruchten wijzen helaas in de richting van een geschifte oefening in micro management van wat eigenlijk te complex is om het toe te vertrouwen aan regime klokkenluiders.
Dat Borms zaliger opnieuw een deftige rustplaats kreeg is beschaafd. Dat zijn parcours alweer wordt gerelativiseerd is het minder en klinkt beroerd voor wat op ons aankomt.
Het wordt nog interessant te zien wat gebeurt met de vele cratieve franssprekende Vlaamse schrijvers, schilders enzv.
Tom Lanoye, Joel De Ceulaer, Luc Tuymans, AnneTeresa De Keersmaeker, prof. Mark Elchardus en het gross van creatief Vlaanderen zullen zeker geen blad voor de mond houden.
Thursday, November 3, 2022
UKRAINE IS NOT ONLY "THERE" BUT "HERE" TOO !
The falling leaves make for a good song but only aggravate the mood which prevails in this current season of rot. It feels as if everywhere the seams that are supposed to hold the world together are no longer able to stand the stress test.
From the Korean peninsula to Iran shockwaves prevail. Major conflicts metastasize and the formerly normal process of the electoral cycle only leads to almost freakish outcomes. The battle is no longer waged on competing legitimate options. They only focus on power an und fur Sich. Politicians no longer avoid embracing the leper if he can help them to rule, albeit in a most shameless algorithm. Netanjahu is the latest example of the downfall of principle. The mid-term elections in the United States might provide for another unpleasant ride on the wild side of American politics. It becomes all too easy to enumerate the growing number of aberrations which occur daily even in counties that were considered "safe", Italy or the UK, amongst others.
Since the far abroad is no longer, it is becoming impossible not to pay close attention to the happenings in India, Ethiopia or Brazil. China indicates that a leader does not have to move to act. Compared to President Xi, all other leaders appear suffering from some form or other of hyper-ventilation which verges on hysteria.
This brings us to the president of Ukraine. Under tremendous pressure, he shows a self-control for all to admire. He keeps his calm where others look like actors lost in "Measure for measure", doing just enough to support him but cautious not to risk upsetting Russia. Fact is that only a diplomatic solution can bring an end to this hybrid war inflicted on an independent country without any regard for past international and other agreements.
Negotiations generally start when one party is exhausted. The longer the West will remain Ukraine's "timid" suitor, the longer the conflict will continue. Support is probably shaky in Russia, but it already shows cracks in the West. Dr. Kissinger's unorthodox ways were often disreputable but they worked in the end. Putin will have to be forced to negotiate rather than seduced. He must feel the cost of his unethical behavior. While all this misery continues it is urgent to keep a channel of communication open, other than the usual diplomatic outsourcing. Such a most arduous enterprise must not be shy to consider the absurd (the table for the Vietnam peace talks in Paris or the secret Kissinger/ Le Duc Tho pre-talks) and avoid talking over the head of some.
It is going to be an uphill battle to arrive at a formula for negotiations with so many stockholders. An agreement might have to be supported in a Helsinki-type of format. Not since World War II and the Cold War has Europe seen such a slaughter in its midst. The challenge will be to let Ukraine return to normal and to readmit a repenting Russia back in Europe. In the long run the West has no interest in letting a bloc of malcontents and neutrals further undermine globalization.
In reality Ukraine is also a cultural war of the likes that are appearing everywhere and also viciously in the West itself. Ukraine has as much to fear from Russia as from the hordes of conspiracy fools and fake news spreaders in the West. This war is in reality waged on two fronts and that makes it lethal for the aggressed party and so ominous for the shaky bystanders. The time is on neither's side.
existing taboos if they
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