Waiting for a Ceausescu Moment?

In Raleigh, to visit the kids, and put the semi-final touches on a protracted--ugh!--real estate transaction. We spent a lot of time watching old movies--e.g., Fail Safe, the 1964 version--and trash TV from the past and overseas--e.g., a tacky but funny Brit series Benidorm. All the boys refuse to watch any news outlets, and, of course, consider the "election" of Traitor Joe and Cali Ho as the ultimate bad joke. They were even more pessimistic than I about the future; they, after all, along with their children will have to live with the consequences of the Great 2020 Theft much longer than I. That's, perhaps, the major benefit of being old.

We got to talking about solutions for the current crisis. As I noted, they seemed extremely negative, and very down about what could be done in light of the massive censorship and, clearly, the plans for a continued lock-down in the name of "fighting the virus." 

They saw the first and second amendments as, in essence, burnt toast. All three blamed the GOP more than they did the DNC. As one son put it, "The Republicans were supposed to be on our side. We know the Democrats hate us and hate America. The Republicans did nothing to stop the Democrats!" One son swore he would never vote again, "What's the point?"

It was hard to argue against the view that all is bleak. 

One hope, I told them, was for a "Ceausescu moment," something I think could come in the not too-distant future. 

The corrupt, gaga old dictator of Romania and his hideous wife, Elena, who, by the way, insisted on being called "Doctor," stood on the balcony of Communist Party HQS in Bucharest's Piata Palatulul, December 21, 1989, to give a standard Commie end-of-year speech. The video of the event, widely available, is worth watching. It proves fascinating to see the crowd in the plaza begin to turn on Ceausescu, and how, at first, the dictator doesn't absorb what is happening. As the insults from the multitude grow louder, the much more alert Elena realizes the plan has not survived first contact. She frantically tries to quiet the crowd; hubby begins promising raising wages and increasing this and that benefit. Too late. The people won't buy it; the cops refuse to suppress their fellow citizens; the Commie couple flees. Three days later, Nicolae and Elena face a firing squad--also available on video.

Romania was one of the tightest dictatorships in the East Bloc, right up there with the GDR. I remember dealing with the regime's reps in the UN, and they were evil fanatics. In the end, however, not even the Romanian secret police, once a much feared and powerful organization, could defeat the power of the truth and the righteous anger of the people. 

A Ceausescu moment, without the execution. 

Maybe, maybe . . .