[Previous entry: "self"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Egyptian Actor Omar Sharif Opposed to War"]

02/28/2003 Archived Entry: "Lileks on Saddam and Dubya"

LILEKS ON SADDAM AND DUBYA: Good piece by James Lileks today on Dan Rather's interview with Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush's landmark speech in Washington, D.C. the other day on his hopes for the Arab world.

"I don’t fault Dan Rather for going to Baghdad. If someone had interviewed Hitler in ‘39 for three hours, we'd prize the tapes as an invaluable historical document. Every year the History Channel would run them without commercials: Hitler Unplugged. Granted, the interview would consist of one question followed by three hours of spittle-shower ranting, but it would be the sort of up-close-and-personal document we don’t have of Herr Hitler. He’s always on the podium pounding and howling, or smiling as he pats the cheek of some doomed Hitler Youth, or staring off in full Adoph Mode as the Robotmach stomps past in endless parade. We have plenty of Fuhrer, but very little Hitler. To see him in repose out of uniform, dog at his feet, fire crackling behind him, peering over steepled fingers as he takes in the translation of the question - well, it wouldn’t tell us anything new, but it would be fascinating to see him just being unnervingly normal."