bunches one on top of the other, Hkernoffiee workers packing an elevator atrnhmchtime, makes for an unforgettablyrnhideous spectacle, something like arnRussian newspaper cartoon from thernJapanese war of 1905 or an illustrationrnfrom some mimeographed brochurernabout the Yellow Menace.rnWhich brings mc back to the Cantonesernon the Reguliersdwhatever, and torndie reasonable suggestion that the countriesrnof Europe, already reduced to thernstatus of imperial cantons, arc not farrnfrom achieving the degree of deracinatedrnuniformih’ allotted them in that collaborationrnof Moscow and Washingtonrnwhich is known as Brussels. Canals andrnbridges will not save their souls as theyrnhave saved the soul of Venice, whose survivalrnhad been preconditioned by the lingeringrndisunitv’ of Italy and made possiblernby the recalcitrant archaism of the region’srnmyriad discordant social institutions.rnThe grandees painted by Rembrandtrnall wore cone-shaped hats, butrnwhen the time came, they all donnedrnbaseball caps; they all said grace beforernsupper, but when the time came, they allrnlit up giant spliffs; they all loved theirrnneighbor, but when the time came, theyrnall got together and sold their countryrndown the river.rnThe grandees of Italy’s regions, who altrnate different food, said grace in differentrnlanguages, and loathed their neighbors,rnwere never in a position to do such a hatrntrick. As a result of this whim of history,rnfor which the topography of Venice isrnperhaps no more than a useful foil and arnbeautiful symbol, I can still cross the Rialtornto the Madonna and eat local softshellrncrabs, which are now in season inrnthe lagoon. For diversity is not listeningrnto rap music in Vienna, or speaking Urdurnwith a taxidriver in Paris, but living inrnVenice like a Venetian. Which is preciselyrnwhat I, chastened by my experiencernof Amsterdam, propose to do untilrnthe Grand Canal becomes a municipalrnparking faeilit)’ and they use the Frari tornwarehouse frozen bananas.rnI am no flibbertigibbet. I would happilyrnlive in Chicago as a Chicagoan. Butrnhow can one?rnAndrei Navrozov is Chronicles’rnEuropean correspondent.rnLetter From Virginiarnby Lynn HopewellrnThe Battle of Richmondrn”Every record has been destroyed orrnfalsified, every hook has been rewritten,rnevery picture has been repainted, everyrnstatue and street and building has beenrnrenamed, every date has been altered. Andrnthe process is continuing day by day andrnminute by minute. History has stopped.rnNothing exists except an endless presentrnin which the Party is always right.”rn-George Orwell, 9MrnThe histor)’ police from Orwell’s “Ministryrnof Truth” are at it again. Robert F.rnLee’s picture, among 30 planned for anrnhistorical display along Richmond’s waterfront,rnwas briefly removed because ofrnprotests by Cit’ Comicilman Sa’ad El-rnAmin. He claims the Confederate generalrnis an offensive figure to African-Americans,rnwho view him as a symbol ofrnslavery. James F. Rogers, president of thernRichmond Flistoric Riverfront Foundation,rnwas one of the cowed officials whornmade the decision to take down the portraitrnof Lee.rnThis and other attacks on the display ofrnConfederate symbols show that the spiritrnof intolerance in Big Brother’s J 984 livesrnon today in campaigns to purify Americanrnhistor}’ and obliterate any symbols ofrnits past that do not pass the test of politicalrncorrectness. The history police goosesteppingrnthrough our culture arc quiternwilling to throw out the baby along withrnthe bath water.rnWlrat is the baby? For African-Americans,rnit is the fantastic accomplishmentsrnof blacks during the days of slavery in thernSouth. Those accomplishments duringrnthat difficult hme shoidd engender nothingrnbut pride in American blacks today.rnYet that satisfaction is systematically andrndeliberately denied to black Americansrnby their so-called leaders. Wliy? Becausernthose leaders have more to gain by fomentingrnracial discord than by harmonizingrnthe many common bonds betweenrnblack and white Virginians.rnConfederate icons are not the first tornbe attacked. This purification campaignrnhas heaped abuse on the discoverer ofrnAmerica. Custer’s name has been removedrnfrom the Little Bighorn battlefield.rnMaryland changed its state mottornfrom “manly deeds, womanly words,” torn”strong deeds, gentle words.”rnBut the special target of black racists isrnthe Confederate nation and any symbolrnor remembrance of it. llins we see campaignsrnall over the South to remove thernConfederate battle flag from public view.rnCadets at the Virginia Military Instituternarc not allowed to continue their long traditionrnof wearing the Confederate emblemrnon their class rings. Wlien CeorgernAllen was a Virginia gubernatorial candidate,rnhe was criticized for having a Confederaternflag in his home. The NAACPrnconceded that it might be okay for him tornkeep it there, but heaven help him if herntook it outside! And of course the effortsrnof media darling Carol Moseley-Braun —rnthe first black woman elected to the U.S.rnSenate (and later defeated)—successfidlyrndenied the United Daughters of the Confederacyrna copyright that had been renewedrnsince 1898. Senator Moseley-rnBraun claimed that the flag was “arnpainful reminder” of slaver)’.rnIn a vivid testimonial to America’s decliningrneducational standards, critics likernCity Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin takernthe erroneous and self-serving view thatrnthe Confederates fought for slavery andrnthe North fought against it. That wouldrnhave been news to both Bluecoats andrnGreybacks. Most Southerners fought becauserntheir homeland was invaded byrnthose who refused to let them depart thernUnion in peace, just as both North andrnSouth had departed from Creat Britainrnunder Ceorge III.rnWhatever attitude Confederates hadrnabout slaves and blacks was widely sharedrnby all Americans. Abraham Ijineoln declaredrnthat “the Negro would never bernthe social equal of the white race.” Lincolnrnsaid in both of his inaugural addressesrnthat he had no intention of tamperingrnwith the institution of slavery: “Irnhave no purpose directly and believe Irnhave no lawful right to do so, and I havernno inclination to do so.”rnFather Abraham’s views are out-offashionrnwith his admirers today, andrnapologetics for Lincoln’s embarrassingrnstatements are a minor academic industry.rnIn a famous letter to publisher FIoraeernGreeley, Lincoln said:rnmy paramount object in this strugglernis to save the Union, and is notrneither to save or destroy slaver)-. If IrnFEBRUARY 2000/37rnrnrn