Mao Is My Bag

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go". So said T.S. Eliot.

Do you think ditzy actress Cameron Dias has learned that lesson the hard way now? Seems the world traveling Dias offended her Peruvian hosts in Machu Picchu when she chose to accessorize her fact finding wardrobe with an olive colored bag decorated with the Red Star design and Mao's quote "Serve the People" painted in Chinese. Oops. Cam, there to participate in a tv show celebrating Peru's culture, a Canadian production focusing on young community leaders in the world, evidently didn't do her homework on the filming location. The Peruvians suffered massacres, assassinations and bombings at the hands of insurgent Maoists, known as the Shining Path, back in the 1980 and 1990's. It is estimated that 70,000 were killed.

One of those sorta, kinda apologies was issued on her behalf yesterday via a statement emailed to the Associated Press. "I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have inadvertently offended. The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realize the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it," she said. "I'm sorry for any people's pain and suffering and it was certainly never my intention to reopen what I now know is a painful wound in this country's history and wish for their continued healing," she said.

What a twit. Why is it so hard for public personalities to issue a true apology today? Why didn't she say, "I'm sorry, I had a mistake"? Instead it's all about if people are offended by how they took her accessory as a statement. She makes the people out to be mistaken by such a non-apology. She should have said she's sorry she's so ignorant. Traveling while stupid. She was truly surprised by the reaction of the human rights activists criticizing her.

Seems to me if she is going to travel the world with cameras to document her world culture education, she should at least read up a bit on the history of the culture she is to be observing. Seems like the point of learning about other cultures and the big ole world out there is to have her realize everything is not all about her. Her handlers should have advised her better on wardrobe.

The 'progressives' just don't get it. There is no glamour in Communism or Socialism. Both are systems of oppression and brutality for 'the people' and those very people enamoured with these governments are the ones who would be first to be persecuted. There is no freedom of expression or free speech in these governments.

The New York Times ran an article about the death of Vilma Espin, the wife of acting dictator of Cuba, Raul Castro. She's described as "an idealist socialite who fought alongside Fidel and Raul Castro in the mountains of Cuba and later, as Raul Castro's wife, became a prominent advocate of women's rights and a powerful member of the Cuban Communist Party". Wow. Cuba is not known as a place of any human rights at all and here we are to believe Espin promoted women's rights. Yeah, ok.

I have a suggestion to Cameron Dias, Danny Glover, Cindy Sheehan and all the other Che t-shirt wearing, Cuba vacationing, Chavez supporters: listen to Maria Conchita Alonzo. She's a celeb, they could relate on that level. She's a former Miss Venezuela. Her family escaped Cuba and Castro when she was a child, immigrating to Venezuela. She was the keynote speaker of the Latino Coalition 2007 Summit in D.C. earlier this year. She made headlines for criticizing Chavez for"anti-democratic practices and terrorist-encouraging rhetoric" when such a speech should have been taken for granted. I find it odd that sticking up for democracy and freedom for people is newsworthy in today's America. What does that say about her colleagues in Hollywood and the typical ugly talking celebrity?