Thanks for that interesting slice of life, Jurrian! Mike B) --- Jurriaan Bendien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Youssef's brother Redouane visited us tonight, and I > had a conversation with > him in the kitchen, in bad German, telling him about > the financial > accounting for war costs in Iraq was developing > (Redouane has worked for > Moroccan banks implementing digitalised financial > management systems) by > appropriating new private assets in Iraq, > establishing an Iraq futures > market, obtaining contributions from other > countries, and shifting the > financial burden to Western and Iraqi taxpayers. > Redouane agreed, it was a bad business. > "You got a job yet ?", I asked. > "No", he said, "But I might go and sell cars in > Paris, I will do something." > Youssef asked, "have you seen the photo's of > Redouane's two daughters ?". > I said, "No, but I would be interested to see them." > Redouane went to fetch the photo's from Youssef's > room, and show them to me, > two goodlooking, attractive, happy girls, and I said > I was impressed. I > joked a little, by way of doubt, "well at least the > photo's prove, anyway, > that they can look very beautiful if they want to". > Then I said, "But why are you not with them now, I > mean, how could you not > want to be with them ?". > Redouane looked a bit sad, and indicated this wasn't > possible. He had been > separated from his wife for some time now. > "We are living in false times", he said. "Es ist > eine falschen Zeit." > "Why false ?", I asked. "Too many lies, perhaps ?". > "It is just the way the world is", said Redouane. > "Egoism, too much egoism." > I asked him to explain further. Redouane shrugged. > "Take for example Iraq, > they destroyed a museum with exhibits of the > national heritage of the > country", he said. > I explained, that this did not matter so much to the > bourgeoisie anyhow, in > the wider scheme of things, because exhibits in a > museum by definition > cannot usually be traded, and therefore you cannot > accumulate private > capital from them, except through charging for entry > and perceptual access > to the exhibits in the museum, but profitability was > not so high there (and > if the charges were too high, then people would not > visit the museum). Only > if you could loot the museum, then you could > accumulate private capital with > the exhibits perhaps. I knew, that Iraqi's > themselves had also looted on > occasions. > But, I said, "Suppose now that, instead of exhibits > in a museum, you could > exhibit a person, and charge people for perceptual > access to a person, or a > meeting with a person, for example me, what would > you have then ?". > Redouane was silent, and thought about it, but said > nothing. > "Hollywood", I joked. > Redouane had to laugh too, "Yeah, Hollywood", he > said. > On that note, we looked each other in the eye, shook > hands. > Lateron I asked Youssef about Redouane's car > business idea. "Ah, you should > talk to him about it, if you want", he said (because > Redouane was staying > here tonight). So I went to Redouane in Youssef's > room, to check out what > the story was. > "You know", he said, "working for peanuts is all > very fine, but you and I > could start a business, we could buy a BMW in > Germany and sell it in Paris. > Think about that." > I explained that this was legally prohibited by my > father's will, but > promised I would think about his idea. > > Jurriaan
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