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When
the film "Casablanca" premiered more than 60 years ago,
Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) became perhaps the most
well known American expatriate saloon keeper in the
world. His murkey past included fighting for liberal
causes and siding with the underdog. He maintained neutrality
in his bar in Casablanca, between the customers in transit
waiting for exit visas to escape to America and the
representatives of the Vichy government who governed
Morocco as a protectorate. His tough exterior did not
conceal modesty and sensitivity. In the end he sacrificed
his relationship with Ilsa (Ingrid Bergmann) sending
her and her freedom-fighting husband Victor Lazlo (Paul
Henreid) on the "flight to Lisbon" and leaving Casablanca
himself to join a Free French |
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garrison in Brazzaville. He had to take a stand, and
as Victor said to him at the airport, "Welcome back
to the fight, this time I know our side will win. " What would Rick Blaine have to say about the smear campaign
the Bush administration has condoned against John Kerry?
What would he think of the activities of the Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth? He might have an opinion or two.
The links between the Bush family and their operatives
to the SBVT have been documented.The lies and fabrications
of the SBVT have been exposed by the officer in the
boat alongside that of John Kerry, and of a gunner on
another boat. They collaborate the official records,
and the recollections of John Kerry's crew. Obviously
this is a ploy to distract the voters' attention from
the important issues - the deficit, loss of jobs, a
mess in Iraq, and a Middle East Policy that has been
given fleeting attention. Rick would look at the Bush
administration's behavior with a cynical eye - after
all a group who has deflected the war on terrorism away
from Al Qaida to a war and occupation in Iraq, who has
conducted a foreign policy based on arrogance and hubris
and who has |
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damaged relations with old allies couldn't be expected
to behave differently.In
the film Rick rhetorically asks, "If it's 10am in Casablanca
what time is it in New York? They're sleeping in New
York, they're asleep all over America." Then and today
Rick had hope that people in America would wake up and
realize that THEIR passivity permits actions based on
deceit, lies, arrogance and insensitivity
to others. Rick was at times a cynic. He even said, "Your business
is politics, mine is running a saloon." In the end idealism
and sacrifice won out. If he were here today, I think
he'd throw his fedora in with Kerry/Edwards. He'd probably
do what he could in his bar in Casablanca to make sure
that happened. And undoubtedly he'd hear again the voice
of Victor Lazlo - "Welcome back to the fight. This time
we know our side will win." For Americans in Morocco
you're welcome to Rick's Café the evening of September
12. We can make a difference in this election and it's
important to exercise our right to vote. Let's put George
Bush's name on a "Letter of Transit" back to Crawford.
For more information please contact kathy@rickscafe.ma…and
as Rick would say - Here's Looking at You, Kids .
Kathy
Kriger
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