The LuLac Edition #2147, August 4th, 2012

Always flying solo, Israel. 

OLYMPIC HISTORY INCONVENIENT 

The Olympic Games in London are going on and for the most part are a huge success. But people who follow historical events are disappointed that on the 40th anniversary (Sept 5th, 1972)of the Olympic massacre in Munich (Corrected)  by Arab terrorists, not one word or commemoration is being made by the current Olympic committee. In 1972 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed by a terrorist group. Forty years after that terrible event, organizers of this year’s games paid insignificant lip service to the event. Bob Costas barely mentioned it in the coverage of the opening ceremonies. The new world of terror has security ramped up and people afraid of an international incident. Other than not being kidnapped and killed, nothing much has changed for the athletes from Israel. Arab countries have refused to face Israel in preliminary Olympic events. Some have even forfeited matches doing a disservice to their own athletes. Some athletes from Arab countries have refused to use the same pool as the Israeli athletes again in pre Olympic bouts. In soccer, Israel is in the European division, segregated from their own geographic area. Many say that to honor or commemorate the murders would only offend the Arab nations. There was of course a commemorate in 2002 after 911. But not this year. Israel is no bigger than New Hampshire and has a population about the size of Virginia. Founded in 1948, the country has pretty much been taking care of its own business. After the terrorists killed the athletes from Israel, the tiny country’s intelligence service tracked down all of the terrorists and killed them as well as their families within six months. No one lifted a finger to help. Israel is used to going it alone and will most likely commemorate the 40 year anniversary after the Olympics. But it would have been the right thing to do to not erase history. But hey, Jews are used to that because there are still people who say there was no holocaust. Israel was told by the Olympic committee that pretty much their hands were tied on this issue. Just like the way terrorists tied and bound innocent athletes in 1972. And then shot them. The Olympic committee showed what was important to them by this non decision. And it was all about the money.

The late Gore Vidal. (Circa 1960s). 

GORE VIDAL 

I first became aware of Gore Vidal when I watched the remarkable movie “The Best Man” on TV. To this day it remains one of my favorite movies. Nearly fifty years after its release, the play lives on in a Broadway revival. In 1968 when I was glued to coverage of that dramatic political year I saw live on TV the confrontation between William F. Buckley and Vidal on ABC TV. Vidal was no fan of the Kennedys and made that known especially when Cliff Robertson (who played JFK in the movie PT 109) was cast as the villain in the “Best Man”, Senator Joe Cantwell. In the 70s, I enjoyed Vidal’s classic books on Aaron Burr as well as the vastly underrated “1876” released during this country’s Bicentennial celebration. Vidal also wrote a book on Lincoln in 1984 called “Lincoln”. In 1960, at the urging of his friend, Eleanor Roosevelt, (Vidal’s father served in the FDR administration and was one of the founding members of TWA airlines) he ran for Congress in 1960 as a Republican urging more taxes on the rich. He lost but was fond of saying that he got more votes than JFK in the New York 29th. His book “The City and the Pillar” in 1948 was regarded as pornographic but by today’s standards is pretty tame. It is a story about a young southern man coming out in New York City. Vidal was an American master and seemed to be enjoy being the burr in the saddle of American politics. Young people interested in politics should do two things, rent “The Best Man” from 1964 and get a copy of “Burr” at the library. Your life will be enriched.