Friends, I'm sure you joining me in sending condolences to the family of legendary actor Gene Hackman, who died yesterday at his home in New Mexico. He was 95. Based on the circumstances, one would suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. Personally, I remember Hackman mainly for his role in various Superman movies. He was an exquisite villain. Which of his many roles made the biggest impression on you?
Dr. Waddy from Jack: I really liked his portrayal of tough cop Popeye Doyle in The French Connection.The summary intolerance of criminals Hackman's character described is the attitude most justly effective against criminals. And of course his character's ultimate betrayal by those NY style apologists for thugs was accurate and even more so in a present day NY which is an officially protected haven for the unlawful.
ReplyDeleteRAY TO DR. WADDY
ReplyDelete"Prime Cut" with Lee Marvin and Sissy Spacek.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Wow, I saw the dust up between Zelensky and DJT together with JD. It was fascinating in some ways. We are living in a new era of American domestic and foreign politics!
ReplyDeleteAt first I felt for Zelensky and I do anyway with the harrowing ordeal he courageously lives every day. DJT and JD made him very uncomfortable. But then I considered: I really don't know anything about how Zelensky is to negotiate with and our boys' admonishment of ingratitude to him may well have been justified (?) DJT's testy remark to Zelensky that he was "risking WWIII" was strong and very on point but then, Ukraine has been living through neoWWII already .
So the rare earth deal which we have advanced as affording Ukraine a de facto security fell through for now. But I think all this is part of the "art of the deal" and that it will be consummated presently.
Apparently Zelensky still hopes for the actual presence of foreign forces in Ukraine to deter Russia. Only very recently he offered to resign in exchange for Nato membership. That is of course utterly and sadly impossible due to Russia's understandable intransigence . But PM Starmer said the UK is willing! Again, I cannot imagine Russia tolerating a hard fighting force like the Brits esconsed in their very historical backyard even it has a declared non Nato cast. Again , let lilliputian UN forces ( eg. Guatemala , Monaco, Tanzania etc), enact the "trip wire" which, after all, did work for the Allied Berlin garrisons.Again,let it be made clear that a future Russian envelopment of Ukraine would be regarded very seriously by Nato as an unacceptable advance to its border ( we could make a credible argument that we regard Ukraine as a buffer much as Russia does, among its many other compelling relationships with Ukraine). Again, its all part of the "deal" which I am confident will be made with our great President as the catalyst.
Gents, I am showing a Gene Hackman film in one of my classes this week: "The Package", a Cold War yarn which doesn't make anyone's list of his best movies, and yet is very good indeed! I haven't seen "Prime Cut" end to end, alas, but I will rectify that.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right, Jack, that the deal-making on Ukraine will continue despite the recent dustup(s!) between Trump and Zelensky. Zelensky actually seems to be trying to torpedo any and all drives towards peace. In the final analysis, I think that line isn't even acceptable to the Europeans, who would rather wind up this debacle, albeit not on the same terms as DJT might find acceptable. But I agree: Russia won't countenance any Western European forces in Ukraine, and you can see why!