During a long good life, I have had the opportunity to study and observe many cultures, societies and single individuals. Studying anthropology, I am familiar with many cultures and societies. In the best of them, not always the ones we deem civilized, my colleagues and I observed that their most perfect leaders behaved with great dignity and equanimity. In societies, experiencing a power collapse of the ruling class, we noted that decorum and civility deteriorated.
The most remarkable incident of such deterioration, was witnessed after Stalin’s death, when different factions fought internally for power in the Soviet Union. To the amazement and shock of the entire United Nations Plenary General Assembly in New York in 1960, the President of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, removed his shoe and pounded his desk in protest of a speech given by Lorenzo Semuolang of the Philippines. Since then, many faux pas and ill behaviors have been observed. But nothing has risen until today to the infantile, ill-tempered, scandalous and disgraceful behavior of Nancy Pelosi—Speaker of the House—during the President’s State of the Union address.
From the moment the President strode to the podium, Nancy’s body-language did not bode well. It got worse. This woman, I cannot call her lady, like a childish child, grimaced, fidgeted, and acted out. Her act of destroying a document belonging to the American people, and for that, will be restored, was the final act of a demented person whose hate for this president has now driven her over the edge, into a chasm from which she cannot return. She left the decent members of her party behind, joining with the progressive, socialist ilk, with whom she sees her future. Good Luck Nancy!