Kesher Talk

Mary Robinson avoids opportunity to do t'shuvah. Balloon Juice catches up with the feckless Mary Robinson, who is now scolding the world about anti-semitism. (As one commenter put it: "Mary Robinson would lecture you on how to wipe you're arse if given half a chance. Her hectoring, droning nanny knows best tone had me reaching for the button during seven long years as Irish president.")

BJ's post is aptly titled "Irony Alert" - Mary Robinson repeatedly ignored and avoided confronting blatant expressions of anti-semitism on her watch as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. I notice that nowhere in her IHT editorial does she acknowledge her own part in contributing to the resurgence of anti-semitism by being a coward: a "good German" who kept silent when she had an explicit responsibility to be a leader.

If she had any guts, she could turn this editorial into a powerful testimony by describing how and why she was intimidated by the Muslim contingent of the conference, and the lessons she has since learned. She could describe how her remorse fuels her desire to right this wrong. But I doubt she has admitted to herself how badly she handled the conference; if she does feel any remorse, she is apparently not willing to be public about it. So her editorial comes off as just one more dutiful recitation of facts and figures. What a shame.

posted by Judith @ 6/20/2003 03:08:07 PM