(A): If I hear that terrible phrase one more time, I will scream.

(B): You mean, " A g g r e s s i o......

(A): Please, please, I have heard enough.

(C): Actually the phrase is serving a purpose. It may not be my idea of mobilizing the public for war, but it is doing its job.

(A): I really don't know. Using grudge and resentment as lubricants to get the public excited is, shall I say, if you don't my pun, pretty explosive. I mean immigrants have always been called names. But this is the first time I have seen perceived slurs as a pretext for blowing up a building as in the student's case.

(C): Think about what immigrants to this country had to go through in the twenties and thirties. Or even nowadays. Just ask any hyphenated American. Polish, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Mexicans. And don't even bother to ask Africans. All have been called names, some more unprintable than others. Yet...

(A): None of the countries the immigrants came from thought of declaring war on the US.

(C): Let's not forget calling names is a two way street. No one has spared the Americans, either. Latin Americans have been calling whites gringos for ages. They have not paid a price for it.

(A): Don't be so sure they won't pay for it in the near future.

(B): What do you mean?

(C): Look, George W Bush may be the next President of the US. You know he's from Texas. And Texas borders Mexico. Texas is called the Lone Star state. If you know Texans they believe they are a Sovereign State. That's why the state flag has only one star.

(A): Very interesting. But what are you driving at?

(B): And if I add one more question. What does this have to do with the student's behavior?

(C): Plenty. You see Texas wants to join the United Nations as the Sovereign State of Texas. It wants to secede from the US. This means it needs to expand to the South, to Mexico. Are You following me so far?

(B): Please continue, it's getting interesting.

(C): You know Texas is running out of productive oil fields. They are becoming increasingly dry. So Big Oil in Texas has had its eyes on the Gulf of Mexico.

(A): OK. I get it. To control Mexico's oil, Texans want to annex Mexico.

(B): And the pretext for annexing Mexico is the fact that Mexicans have been calling Texans Gringos. So George W is about to avenge years of insults, years of humiliation. He wants to get even. He believes, "Aggression Must Not be Rewarded." Not that George W cares a hoot what people call him, he just needed a convenient excuse to grab more land, or water to expand his territory.

(C): I could not have stated it better. Now you see how the two are related.

(A): One more question before we return to the subject of the Hearing. I heard that George W Bush would introduce rice, as in RICE, to the country. Is it true? And how will another serving of Rice help the situation?

(C): I think I know what you are getting at. Now you are getting into McGua's territory. Let me just say this for the record. For me rice is rice, rich in carbohydrates. (For more enlightenment on the issue ask Sal):

(A): Going back to the student's case....

(B): It's about time we do so...

(A): The grudge from the fifty year old deportation case, the story about the alleged smug.

(A): I agree it's simple and efficient provided the area you are annexed is uninhabited, which is not the case here. It's an unusual approach.

(C): And profoundly illegal; also extremely dangerous. Actually a time bomb. In that part of the world no one sits idle when his or her land is taken away. No, sir.

(A): If it's illegal and dangerous why does the student press so hard? I know it's a dumb question, but I thought I had to ask. This whole thing is so confusing.

(C): Look there are no dumb questions. Only dumb answers. But here you don't have to worry about that being the case.

(A): What made the student think he can get acceptance for his illegal methodology?

(C): By making friends in high places, especially Ferenjis. And don't forget deception. He's a master of "bait and switch."

(A): Could you elaborate please?

(C): Initially he convinced his friends that he had no objection to taking a Final Exam. And at some point he even agreed to accept the internationally recognized Syllabus. His friends believed him. At least they behaved like they did.

(A): I am confused if that's what he said, then what was the problem.

(C): He never meant it. He was lying. It was PR to get public sympathy, to pay the way for restitution. His principal objective was to paint the people the people in the villa into a corner. He knew they would not accept the terms the Ferenji had put together.

(A): Did the people in the villa know the Ferenjis didn't.

(C): No one knew the student better than the people in the villa.

(B): I don't understand....

(C): Because they trained him. Actually they put him where he is. Before he met them he was nothing. He would have remained so had it not been for them.

(A): So this is how he returns the favor? By going after the villa? I guess one has to be careful when inviting a stranger to one's home.

(B): The people in the villa are probably wandering that they have created a monster.

(A): A Frankenstein

(C): A friend used a Tigrigna saying to characterize the student's lack of gratitude. He said that the student was kicking the pot he ate from.

(B): My Sicilian grandfather used a similar saying to characterize acts of ingratitude, although I don't remember the exact wording.

(A): I am sure the Ferenjis knew the student was a liar. Or didn't they know he was ungrateful?

(C): I think about the part of being ungrateful they are finding out know. After all they had done for him, he's calling them all sort of ugly names. As for his lies, they had inklings at first, but they did not want to admit it. They were condescending. They just did not have higher expectations.

(B): But supporting a liar is pretty dumb. Did they think that after telling so many lies he would eventually tell the truth?

(C): You are right. Some people, especially Ferenjis, they think they are always right. You can't tell them anything. They knew he was a liar. He lied to them on occasions. But he had protectors among them who explained things away.

(B): His friends must have been totally devoted to him.

(C): They were devoted but I wish they showed half of the devotion to the people. They knew the student was a member of a bad crowd. But it did not seem to matter. Even when they saw bad things happening right under their nose, they kept quiet.

(A): I think you are referring to the deportations?

(C): Yes. Those were awful things happening in full view. Surely the Ferenjis did not approve. In fact they were embarrassed. But they were more interested in protecting the student's reputation. In a way they did not care as much to what happened to the uprooted. Or to those interned.

(A): One would think Ferenjis would be most sensitive to human rights abuses.

(C): Generally yes but not when Africans are doing it to other Africans.

(B): But why were the Ferenjis were more protective of the human rights abusers? You would think a people with a disgraceful record of interning people because of their ethnic heritage would move to stop it. Do you any insight on this.

(A): I will let C answer your question. But I just want to mention something. Someone told me once that a Ferenji kid who defaced a public building in Singapore and was to be whipped as a result raised more hue and cry in North American that the 1500 in internments in the student's home country. It's hypocrisy of the worst kind. Please return to C's question.

(C): It's a complicated question and I don't think I can give you a full answer.

(B): Please try.

(C): One of the things we need to remember is that the student and his group were most coddled. They could get a way practically with anything. They had protectors in high places. The Resident Chief Ferenji, a Rambo in pine strips, was their cheerleader. He was their mentor and chief political advisor. Then they had a blond damsel in the Big House who looked after their interest. It's not clear what she did for them, but she must have helped. It's always helpful to know the gatekeeper. And she was the gatekeeper.

(A): But you are not telling me why they helped the student and his group.

(C): You are asking me to read their mind. That's a tough thing to do. Sometimes one does not know for sure why people do what they do. All I can say is tell you what I think.

(B): That is all you can do. And that's what we are asking.

(C): The protectors did not think the student' house had a sturdy foundation. It was shaky. They knew a slight push would send it tumbling down. I am not discounting personal relationships, but I think the main reason was to make sure the house did not fall a part.

(A): Were these protectors, these Ferenji, worried about the people in the villa.

(C): You have to understand something about the people in the villa. They know their house is fairly secure. They say what they mean and mean what they say. A very independent soul, which sometimes does not endear them to do-gooders who believe it's their mission in life to uplift Africans.

(A): So what's wrong with that? I agree nothing should be any problem. But these guys simply are not good at public relations. It's not in their blood. While the student and his group don't mind being condescended to as long as they get what they want, the people in the villa refused to be condescended regardless what the outcome. They held their ground even under intense pressure.

(B): What you are telling us is that in so doing so they left a wide room for the other side to engage in a massive pubic relations campaign. The villa people were stuck with an intransigence reputation they did not deserve.

(A): Is this why they got the reputation that the student and his group were for peace while the other guys were for war?

(C): That's what happened, at least until September.

(A): What happened since September.

(C): Practically everything the villa people were warning the ferenji and others about the real intentions of the student and his group came to pass.

(B): Did the Ferenjis finally admit that they were had?

(C): You must be kidding. Admitting to Africans? No way, at least not on the record.

(B): But knowing that he had their support the student must have been emboldened to be irresponsible.

(C): Unfortunately, Yes. And that was the problem. The villa people tried their best the student was laying. But the Ferenjis would not concede that their trust in the student was misplaced.

(A): I think you were right what you said early. It's hard to convince Ferenjis that you are right, and they are wrong, especially when you are an African. They think they are better analysts than you. Even about your own situation. I think it's a built in intellectual arrogance, they are probably not aware of.

(B): I understand there's now a rift between the Ferenjis and the student and his group. I know the villa people could say we told you so, but probably they won't. But I think they have every right to say it.

(C): I don't know whether it's a rift. I doubt if there ever will be one. Not on the matter of the villa, anyway. What you have is a sudden realization that the student and his group cannot be trusted.

(A): It's interesting you used the phrase "cannot be trusted." I thought that was one of the stock phrases, verbal barrages if you will, the student and his group had been hurling at the villa people. Now we know who's trustworthy and who's not.

(B): But do you think the Ferenjis will ever get it?

(C): I think they will, except I don't expect them to admit it. These are honorable people; I don't think they will let the student get away with it.

(A): I am most curious why the Ferenjis did not buy into the student's methodology. I don't think the student was prepared for the rejection. I really think he thought they would go along with it. And as always they would put pressure on the other side.

(B): I think what was shocking to the student was that the villa people would call his bluff. I don't think he was prepared for it. Come to think of it, I don't think the Ferenjis were prepared for a yes from the villa dwellers either. I think they are the ones who threw a monkey wrench at the whole thing. They just called everybody's bluff.

(C): Good insight, but I am afraid, we may to all it quits for the night. Remember we still have the recommendation to the School Board.

tekie