Monday, July 12, 2004
Regina
For more than a decade in the 1990's it looked as though only thieves, villains and government cronies were well-off. This is strictly not true of course… but that was the general impression!
During those triple-figure inflation years of UN sanctions, where most people were literally crushed financially and a few became excessively rich, I often remembered a little story I had heard from an old relative.
[Regina was a rich woman of ill-repute who had considerable influence on Iraqi politics and politicians in the 1930's and 40's.]
***
He was a young military-school graduate who was on a visit to a distant relative in one of the provinces. That relative was the proud owner of a newly built mansion. He took the young man on a tour of his home and, at the end of it boastfully asked him "Do you have such grand houses in Baghdad?"
The young man replied "No uncle, in Baghdad only Regina does!"
During those triple-figure inflation years of UN sanctions, where most people were literally crushed financially and a few became excessively rich, I often remembered a little story I had heard from an old relative.
[Regina was a rich woman of ill-repute who had considerable influence on Iraqi politics and politicians in the 1930's and 40's.]
***
He was a young military-school graduate who was on a visit to a distant relative in one of the provinces. That relative was the proud owner of a newly built mansion. He took the young man on a tour of his home and, at the end of it boastfully asked him "Do you have such grand houses in Baghdad?"
The young man replied "No uncle, in Baghdad only Regina does!"
# posted by Abu Khaleel @ 4:06 PM 
