By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 30
-- At two UN
receptions
Monday night,
there were
lamb chops and
diplomats,
talks of
France's
censorship on
Africa, but
they could not
have been more
different.
At
Australia's
end of
Security
Council
presidency
reception,
there was
tremendous
indigenous
wooden horn
music and
views south to
Williamsburg.
Tweeted
photo here.
There was
French
Permanent
Representative
Araud in a
rare
appearance,
and the the
fourth French
head of UN
Peacekeeping
in a row,
Herve
Ladsous,
regaling supine
scribes
with his, you
know, bonne
humeur.
Araud's
new
deputy was to
be found seven
blocks south
at a bigger
reception at
China's
Mission to the
UN. There,
even arriving
late, Inner
City Press
witnessed and
greeted the
Permanent
Representatives
of North Korea
and Sweden
leaving, along
with UN
Political
Affairs chief
Jeffrey
Feltman and a
slew of
Permanent
Representatives,
from
Bangladesh to
Bolivia,
Afghanistan to
Turkey. Tweeted
photo here.
There
it was learned
that Araud,
after his
mission played
trump to block
coverage of
the Security
Council's trip
to the Great
Lakes, won't
himself be
going. Morocco
was brought in
at the end to
save face. Reuters
will be
spewing
propaganda
on France's
Genocide
Joyride. And
other
Permanent
Representatives
say they knew
nothing about
it. Is this
any way to run
an
organization,
other than one
headed the way
of the League
of Nations?
But
there were
excellent lamb
chops -- at
China's
Mission, with
cumin -- and
shrimp and
chicken and
mushrooms,
there was an
open feeling,
a country not
so scared it
had to limit
coverage to
those who
already agree
with it. The
perception is
that France is
for free
speech and
press. But the
reality
is different.
And lamb chops
with cumin are
better than
without.
Footnote:
in fairness to
Australia, not
only was Gary
Quinlan
gracious and
accessible in
September, his
staff
explained not
only the horn
but also
Aussie
governance,
and policing
in South
Sudan. Hats
off. They will
be back in
November 2014
- watch this
site.
, 
