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Someone Else's Democracy

Friday, July 4, 2003

• TITLE: " Democracy" In some cultures, Democracy is harder to swallow than in others. In the late 80's I, and my political partner in these things, Maxene Fernstrom, ran around Eastern Europe helping nascent political groups learn how to do politics. For the 50 years before, only the bad guys - the Communists - had been allowed to participate.

  We were in Bucharest, Romania shortly after Ceausescu was removed from power - with extreme prejudice - when I needed to go the American Ambassador's residence.

  I got a cab and we started down one of the enormous, broad boulevards which carried no other cars because no one had any money to buy gas.

  Way up ahead, I could see an old man step off the curb and begin to cross the street. As we got closer, he grew bigger and it became clear to me that the cab and the old man - like Romania and freedom - were on a collision course.

  The cab driver refused to swerve and the old man refused to look up. Just as I expected to see a tragedy, the cab driver cut the wheel and we missed the old guy by inches.

  Under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear over the two-cycle Russian built engine, the driver muttered in very unhappy Romanian-accented English:

  "Democracy."

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  TRAVELOGUE! Kuwait Here. I'll Be Right Back: Here's Chapter 1: A Middle Seat

• "� CIA Factbook �" This is a great link for a quick peek at any country on the planet.

• Mullfoto of the Day:
  
  
  A little Taste of King Street. Right here in Kuwait City.
  
  
  

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  World War II Poster
  

•     Mullings' Catchy Caption of the Day:
  
  ACTUAL CAPTION:
  Frenchman Patrick du Tertre salutes at a grave after laying a rose at the American cemetery of World War ll in Colleville-sur-mer, northern France, in preparation for Independence Day, Thursday, July 3, 2003. Helped by many visitors, the municipality laid 9,000 roses at the 9,000 graves of fallen American soldiers.

  (AP Photo/Michel Euler ) ____________________________________________________________________________________