Nothing in history approaches the astonishing joy and creativity of the Rio Carnival
Patrice Greanville
Let this be a lesson in humility, which far too many Americans—beginning with American politicians, for whom preaching US exceptionalism is their chief avocation— desperately need.
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]o impartial observer can disagree with this: While our celebrated Mardi Gras is a bicycle, the Rio Carnival is a 747. There's simply no comparison. And yet both owe mother Africa much of their force and inspiration along with their native indigenous cultures. This comparison should remind US chauvinists that their country is not the center of the universe, and that not all—by far—of what we are so proud here can hold a candle to what other nations produce. It's clear that, at least in this field, the production achievements of the Rio Carnival are simply astonishing. But don't take my word for it. Examine the evidence.
Let's begin with Mardi Gras, 2019.
BOURBON STREET MARDI GRAS DAYTIME NEW ORLEANS 2019
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fn-al_XNHpQ
Rio Carnival 2019 [HD] - Floats & Dancers | Brazilian Carnival | The Samba Schools Parade
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqkUu3VMhF0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Things to ponder
While our media prostitutes, many Hollywood celebs, and politicians and opinion shapers make so much noise about the still to be demonstrated damage done by the Russkies to our nonexistent democracy, this is what the sanctimonious US government has done overseas just since the close of World War 2. And this is what we know about. Many other misdeeds are yet to be revealed or documented.
Parting shot—a word from the editors
The Best Definition of Donald Trump We Have Found
In his zeal to prove to his antagonists in the War Party that he is as bloodthirsty as their champion, Hillary Clinton, and more manly than Barack Obama, Trump seems to have gone “play-crazy” — acting like an unpredictable maniac in order to terrorize the Russians into forcing some kind of dramatic concessions from their Syrian allies, or risk Armageddon. However, the “play-crazy” gambit can only work when the leader is, in real life, a disciplined and intelligent actor, who knows precisely what actual boundaries must not be crossed. That ain’t Donald Trump — a pitifully shallow and ill-disciplined man, emotionally handicapped by obscene privilege and cognitively crippled by white American chauvinism. By pushing Trump into a corner and demanding that he display his most bellicose self, or be ceaselessly mocked as a “puppet” and minion of Russia, a lesser power, the War Party and its media and clandestine services have created a perfect storm of mayhem that may consume us all.— Glen Ford, Editor in Chief, Black Agenda Report