"If we were able to organize the world's youth festival in 1950s I don't see any reason why we could not organize a NATO summit these days." De parca exista termen de comparatie intre cele doua evenimente si intre cele doua epoci... Autorul articolului de mai jos are dreptate: intr-adevar, sa speram ca Basescu a glumit (ca de obicei) si ca, de fapt, intelege diferenta. P.S. Autorul e, bineinteles, complet pe dinafara cand vorbeste de "Ceausescu's attempts to turn Bucharest into 'little Paris'"... Dimpotriva, cizmarul a incercat (si a reusit intr-o oarecare masura) sa transforme "micul Paris" in "micul Phenian". N-a apucat sa distruga complet micul Paris, dar nu e timpul pierdut -- edilii care s-au tot perindat in ultimii 18 ani par sa fi avut ideea fixa de a continua si desavarsi opera de distrugere a orasului inceputa de inaintasul lor... :( ---------------------------- Vali "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." (Carlo Goldoni) "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix) Aboneaza-te la <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ngo_list: o alternativa moderata (un pic) la [ngolist] Please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email? http://skynews8.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/bizarre-lessons.html <http://skynews8.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/bizarre-lessons.html> Bizarre Lessons On Hosting A Summit March 30, 2008
>From Greg Milam, Sky News Europe Correspondent "If we were able to organize the world's youth festival in 1950s I don't see any reason why we could not organize a NATO summit these days." So says the president of Romania, Traian Basescu, ahead of this week's <http://search.sky.com/search/skynews/results/1,,,00.html?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&ST ART=0&NUM=10&CID=30000&search_target=on&QUERY=NATO> NATO summit in Bucharest. You just hope that he WAS joking. Because when Mssrs <http://search.sky.com/search/skynews/results/1,,,00.html?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&ST ART=0&NUM=10&CID=30000&search_target=on&QUERY=Bush> Bush, <http://search.sky.com/search/skynews/results/1,,,00.html?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&ST ART=0&NUM=10&CID=30000&search_target=on&QUERY=Putin> Putin, Brown and forty or so other world leaders roll into town, it might just be a tad bigger than even biggest youth festival. It is a proud moment for the Romanian capital and it has gone to extraordinary and bizarre lengths to make sure it is ready for what is the <http://www.redstate.com/blogs/skanderbeg/2008/mar/27/next_week_ukraine_nato _map_acm_and_the_return_of_the_axis_of_weasels> country's highest profile event ever. Hundreds of city workers have been planting new flower beds, putting up new street signs and painting building facades. More controversially they've also been clearing away one of the city's other familiar attractions - the hundreds of stray dogs. With protests expected, the security operation is staggering. Snipers, divers and chemical warfare teams have been brought in, fighter jets and warships are on stand-by, bins have been removed, sewers sealed off, whole road systems shut down and booze will be banned in some areas. The city's airports will be closed. And EVERYONE is worried that there won't be enough toilet facilities. It all adds a certain extra weirdness to one Europe's, er, most unusual cities. The summit will take place in the city's Parliament Palace. The second biggest building on the planet (after the Pentagon) was the dream of the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu but remained unfinished when he was ousted from power and executed in 1989. When I first went to Bucharest in the summer of 1990 the palace was a focal point for people's anger as chaos and uncertainty reigned and protests filled the streets. It is now a kitsch and extravagant reminder of the Ceausescu years, his attempts to turn Bucharest into 'little Paris' while at the same time trying to rid the country of national debt. That drive left the Romanian people in the dark ages and while the country is still beset by problems you have to admire the efforts it has made to modernise. After all, it is less than 20 years since it emerged from that crushing communist-era rule. The country is hoping the summit will showcase its charms to the world. There'll be 3500 journalists there to spread the word. Pity the Bucharest commuter though. Already one of Europe's most congested cities, it is going to get a whole lot more clogged this week - as pensioner Florica Gheorghe put it: "We won't have any peace until this is over." Written by Sky News, March 30, 2008 (C) Sky News
