Petrelis Files

Partying Like We're at Peace:
Rummy, Rice + Kissinger

(L-to-R: Jim Baker, Condolezza Rice, Birthday Boy Shultz, Henry Kissinger. Credit: Michael Mustacchi.)

At first I was annoyed reading the San Francisco Chronicle's society reporter's account of a recent fancy celebration, at an disclosed location, for 90-year-old George Shultz, the former Secretary of State and other titles. No political insight whatsoever from the Hearst-owned paper - just the glam and hammy facts.

But upon some reflection, I was grateful for the ultra-soft touch approach to the December 13 soiree with so many of Shultz's rotten pals, a few of whom ought to be sitting in The Hague awaiting war crime trials, because it is the only account of the swellegant evening that I know of, and I'm happy to witness how the GOP elite get down and boogie.

The economy in a ditch? The war for oil in Iraq? American blood continuing to fall on the soil of Afghanistan, pursuing a failed nation-building effort? Taliban rulers comfortably waiting for U.S. forces to depart?

Forget about all that. The guests and society columnist only agenda is having and reporting on a fab-u-lous time, and it disgusts me to see criminals leading their lives without any punishment for the deaths and destruction they have unleashed on the world.

A few excerpts from the Chronicle puffery:

So some 300 family, friends and colleagues turned out at a private club to celebrate him as his wife, resplendent in a red gown, led the troops to dinner with a surprise assist from the 1st Marine Division Band at Camp Pendleton. [...]

Ah, just think. Soon there will be gays and lesbian in that band entertaining at similar events, as if that's the kind of equality a queer peacenik can be proud of, but I digress.

And "Beach Blanket Babylon" producer Jo Schuman Silver dreamed up detailed, toe-tapping, big-hatted musical skits of Shultz's life [...] "With so many politicos here, I was nervous how they'd respond to some of the skits," Schuman admitted. "So it was a relief when I saw (former Secretary of Defense) Donald Rumsfeld laughing his head off."

Good to know Rummy still has his head and can laugh, while hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Afghan civilians, not to mention a few thousand American soldiers, are all dead because of his war mongering lies and deceptions.

Among a razzle-dazzle roster of Republican Party pooh-bahs (and a few good Dems): three former secretaries of state - Kissinger, James Baker, Condoleezza Rice; former Defense Secretary William Perry; former Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady; former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker; former Gov. Pete Wilson and former Sen. Sam Nunn. [...]

All partying as if the reality-based community, alias the real world, were at peace and prospering. These people have no shame.