I don't want to sound cynical or anything, but after watching a wide variety
of videos of Kosovo refugees on MS-NBC and CNN, I'd like to call attention to
the following:
(1) Why are all the women and children wearing sparkly-clean unwrinkled
designer-label clothing? Even the old grannies, most of them dressed as if
they had unlimited credit at Macy's or even Nieman Marcus. Look very
carefully. Little kids are wearing Nikes!
Hey, I'm moving to war-torn Yugoslavia too! Must have a higher standard of
living there.
(2) Why are so many of the children --not just the little ones, but the ones
about 8 or older-- smiling and laughing, like this is FUN? Why are many of
the women likewise grinning? No one seems to be really suffering, or even
that disturbed. Compare THESE
refugees with miles of Rwandans with protruding bellies and flies on their
eyes. Maybe it's just hard to maintain one's composure when told to "look
despairing" at TV cameras
broadcasting your image worldwide to wealthy people who'll throw rock
concerts for you.
(3) How come nobody really looks dirty or tired in the shots of refugees
trekking along the road? Isn't a "mass exodus" of refugees a bit wearing?
Oh, I forgot -- it's only about 50 miles from Kosovo to Albania or
Montenegro. Not bad if you've got a good bicycle.
Remember, all of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, is about the size of the state
of Ohio.
Try to imagine a tear-jerking flood of refugees, driven out of Cleveland into
Columbus
Even the Hebrews leaving Pharaoh's oppression had to travel at least as far
as Philly.
