2.9.07

Ecos e ciclos da História

Governando um país miserável, repleto de pessoas famintas, e assassinando metodicamente os seus opositores, o ditador Idil Amin, do Uganda, criou, nos anos 70, uma publicity stunt, que consistia em oferecer ajuda humanitária ao Reino Unido. Cito a BBC:

"Amin also had a fondness for stunts designed to wind up the British government, such as declaring himself the king of Scotland and taking to wearing a kilt. Britain's growing economic crisis presented such an opportunity - so he urgently penned telegrams to London.
In the telegram he wrote: "In the past months the people of Uganda have been following with sorrow the alarming economic crisis befalling on Britain.
"The sad fact is that it is the ordinary British citizen who is suffering most. I am today appealing to all the people of Uganda who have all along been traditional friends of the British people to come forward and help their former colonial masters."
Amin declared he had started a Save Britain Fund with 10,000 Ugandan Shillings (not as much as it sounds). A month later he declared the response from ordinary folk had been overwhelming.
Amin said Ugandans were willing to send food aid to Britain, even though this was not actually needed. "
Dizia Amin, com distinta lata: "The people of Kigezi District donated one lorry load of vegetables and wheat - send an aircraft to collect this donation urgently before it goes bad".

Tem piada ler esta história ao ler uma outra, sobre Hugo Chávez:
"Os moradores de Londres com baixo rendimento podem pedir, a partir desta semana, um cartão que dá desconto de 50% nas tarifas de autocarro da capital britânica, graças a um acordo entre o presidente da câmara da cidade e o presidente da Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.
O acordo prevê que a empresa estatal venezuelana de petróleo, PDVSA, atribua 32 milhões de dólares ao longo de um ano para subsidiar o transporte para pobres em Londres em troca de ajuda técnica da autarquia da cidade para melhorar o sistema de transporte da capital venezuelana, Caracas".