larvatus' Journal

national parts
In a recent book review, Niall Ferguson illustrated the lipodermo-phallogocentric take on Henry Kissinger. Its attribution of Kissinger’s constructively ambiguous shenanigans to his role as “a hybrid of the Court Jew and the State Jew — what we might tentatively call the ‘policy Jew’”, echoes a classic Soviet joke dating from the Seventies. It related an exchange between Kissinger and Soviet columnist, commentator, political scientist, and nonpareil raker of Americanist muck, Valentin Zorin. Zorin was an approximate contemporary of Kissinger. They sported the same horn-rimmed spectacles, the same curly hair, the same flap-ears, and the same pudgy chin. They could have passed for twins, but for the fact that, standing the average American male height of five foot nine inches tall, Kissinger dwarfed the diminutive Zorin.

Henry Kissinger

Valentin Zorin

Looking Zorin over, Kissinger inquired: “Are you a Jew?” [«Вы еврей?»] Rearing up, Zorin proudly announced: “I am a Russian!“ [«Я русский!»] Kissinger retorted: “In that case I am an american one.” [«В этом случае я — американский.»] ( Read more... )

Crossposted to

larvatus and

linguaphiles.