The other thing the Adamescu saga reminds me of is the movie Crash (2004), which is a meditation on race issues in LA and perception vs realpolitik – click the pic for the opening scene.
In the linked video clip, two black guys walk in a nice neighbourhood and talk about racism. Anthony, on the left, sees racism everywhere while Peter, on the right, attempts to keep his sanity and positivity by playing the devil’s (read: white man’s) advocate.
- Peter: We didn't get any coffee that you didn't want and I didn't order, and this is evidence of racial discrimination? Did you happen to notice our waitress was black?
- Anthony: And black women don't think in stereotypes? When's the last time you met one who didn't think she knew everything about your lazy ass before you even opened your mouth? That waitress sized us up in two seconds. We're black, and black people don't tip, so she wasn't gonna waste her time! Someone like that, there's nothing you can do to change their mind.
- Peter: So, uh, how much did you leave her?
- Anthony: You expect me to pay for that kind of service? [Peter laughs] What? What the fuck is you laughing at, man? (wq-crash)
Amazing movie, though the aforementioned scene is often misunderstood and people tend to interpret it through the filters of their own prejudice.
And yet, despite all that talk, a lady ends up on the ground, much like Adriana Constantinescu had claimed.
The Romanian authorities are demanding his extradition as part of a wider case against Mr Adamescu’s father Dan, a businessman and proprietor of the opposition newspaper Romania Libera, which has long been a thorn in the side of the Government.
Mrs Constantinescu described the attack on her by two masked men in March last year as “terrifying”.
She said: “They were both wearing bandanas and gloves. They drove a Mini cooper with fake number plates – as I was later told by the police. And they didn’t steal anything despite the fact that I was wearing diamond earrings, and had my car keys in my hand.
“When they approached me, I threw myself on the ground, and fought with them until a neighbour heard my screaming and came running out to me. At the same time, a cab driver with a passenger in the back seat pulled over next to me and called the police. That was the moment I was saved. The two men ran to their car and quickly drove away. I was lucky.”
Mrs Constantinescu added: “Although the kidnappers didn’t speak, I knew they had been engaged by the Romanians because they specifically targeted me and did not have any intent to rob me. We are a normal family in London and don’t show off at all. You don’t go to kidnap somebody randomly in front of a nursery where two toddlers have been dropped off.
“It is the typical Romanian neo-Communist fashion to go after the entire family, wife, children, babies, when you want to destroy a person.”
Scotland Yard said the incident was still subject to an ongoing investigation, but that no arrests had been made and there had been few leads to pursue.
Riiight. Not showing off means different things to different people; some might not travel by their private jet using first class, while other would wear silver instead of diamonds, gold or platinum.
But regardless, HotNews, a Romanian news outfit, did what I would have liked to do but never had the time: they called Scotland Yard and checked on the Telegraph reporting.
Guess what they’ve found out? The following press release was first translated in Romanian before being translated back to English with Google Translate.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Carlton Hill, NW8, an apparent attempted robbery took place. A 32 year old woman was approached by two black men when she was about to board her car. The men grabbed her and the victim dropped her car keys while fighting. The men then fled in a car, which was later found to be using fake registration plates. The attack was similar to a number of robberies committed in that period. In spite of Westminster detectives investigations there have been no arrests.
Which brings me to my joke.
In Soviet Russia, a People’s Commissar approaches Ivan, a popular guy, and accuses him of being an American spy. Back then, that could be the prelude to a show trial and being “purged”, unless the accusation was real, in which case the person would be kept alive for a possible future spy exchange.
Ivan denies, and asks to be tested. So they start drinking vodka, and Ivan outdrinks everybody. But the Commissar is not convinced, so they try what was next on the menu and they start dancing kazaciok. Ivan is the only one who keeps going the whole night, long after the others have passed out with cramps.
A new commissar is sent to investigate, as the old one is judged too weak and sent for “re-education”. This one wants Ivan to engage in Russian parkour, which he does, while all the other top competitors are left behind, shaking and crying in fetal position, a shadow of their former selves. A bit shaken in his conviction, the Commissar goes back to HQs for new orders.
And yet, Ivan is arrested and executed.
Why? Ivan was black.
This whole situation and the way it’s presented by the British press should bring up a few other questions. Take Berezovsky, for instance: was he Putin’s victim, or a similarly corrupt, unethical oligarch to spent his money wisely in London on pen mercenaries, to create the appearance of dissidence, in order to avoid prosecution back home?
Sources / More info: hn-polond, imdb-crash