Friday, August 26, 2005

Cabbies Who Kill Too Much Charles Taylor, the murderous ex-ruler of Liberia (now in exile in Nigeria), used to drive a cab in Boston. Think about that the next time you complain about going the long way. I’m sure there have been other cabbies who went on to big things – although I drove for 5 years in San Francisco, and I don’t remember seeing anyone famous behind the wheel. Still, it would be after leaving the trade that that notoriety would arrive, so I suppose that stands to reason. Almost everyone I knew drove in those days (the ‘80s); none of them have come close to a presidency, although a couple of Maoists I knew back then are still trying. Anyway, I was thinking about Taylor, murder in Africa, and John LeCarre’s wonderful book, The Constant Gardener. It’s been made into a film, and since I overslept and missed the preview, I can only say that a few years ago I curled up with the book after a reckless month in Mexico. The misery LeCarre chronicles was a perfect fit for the four days of misery I experienced while reading it. I was getting normal or whatever it is that happens when the shooting stops. Along the same lines (Africa, not Mexico), there’s another great book, published more recently. Imperial Reckoning: The untold story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya, was written by a Harvard prof named Caroline Elkins. It uncovers the brutal truth behind Great Britain’s savage attacks on the Kikuyu people, whose freedom fighters were demonized as “Mau Mau’s.” The campaign bordered on genocide – 32 white settlers were killed in the years after WWII, while tens of thousands of Kenyan’s were murdered. So much for the UK version of civilization. posted by TommyT @ 5:44 pm | Permanent link