India Uncut
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Friday, June 16, 2006
Shashi Tharoor, Shaukat Aziz and Angelina Jolie
The first is India's candidate for the post of UN secretary general, and the second might be Pakistan's. This whole issue is taking nationalistic undertones, with Navtej Sarna, the spokesman for India's ministry of external affairs, saying "It's a matter of pride if a son of India and son of Asia becomes United Nations Secretary-General."
Why?
It would be a bit of a cop-out for me to take pride in Shashi Tharoor becoming whatever. I find it silly and escapist to take pride in anything but my own achievements, and joy in those of my near and dear ones. Whether Tharoor or Aziz or Angelina Jolie become secretary general of the UN should hardly affect my pride, unless I'm the father of one of them, or something similar.
Sadly, Angelina does not call me Daddy. And I have little to be proud of when it comes to myself, except perhaps my talent at a rather contrived self-deprecation. But I'm working on it.
Why?
It would be a bit of a cop-out for me to take pride in Shashi Tharoor becoming whatever. I find it silly and escapist to take pride in anything but my own achievements, and joy in those of my near and dear ones. Whether Tharoor or Aziz or Angelina Jolie become secretary general of the UN should hardly affect my pride, unless I'm the father of one of them, or something similar.
Sadly, Angelina does not call me Daddy. And I have little to be proud of when it comes to myself, except perhaps my talent at a rather contrived self-deprecation. But I'm working on it.
