Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/02/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]When I lived in Brussels, I noticed an inverse correlation between a country's wealth and degree of democracy and the splendour of its embassy. The Dutch consulate was in a nondescript office building near my office in Auderghem; the Swiss one was housed on some floors of a large office building in the centre. On the other hand, all those shitty African dictatorships that kill and starve their people had beautiful residences in the Avenue Louise area. It is the kind of thing that makes one really sceptical of foreign aid. Nathan Nathan Wajsman Alicante, Spain http://www.frozenlight.eu http://www.greatpix.eu http://www.nathanfoto.com Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0 PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog On Feb 22, 2010, at 8:00 PM, Frank Dernie wrote: > The most OTT palaces around nowadays are those of Robert Mugabe, built > despite his converting the breadbasket of Africa int a grindingly poor > nation. > Desperate. > Frank > > On 22 Feb, 2010, at 15:22, Wendy Thurman wrote: > >> The palaces Saddam Hussein built in Iraq are unbelievable and they cost >> the >> Iraqi economy dearly at the time of their construction due to the >> sanctions >> imposed on the regime. At the very large Victory compound adjacent to >> Baghdad's airport, there are three palaces I know of and possibly >> another- I >> lost track. The man built his grandchildren an entire Flintstones >> village. >> I've been in what's left of Uday Hussein's home on the Tigris in Baghdad >> and >> even in destruction it was awfully impressive (completely demolished due >> to >> construction of the US Embassy, which is an architectural monster >> conceived >> in paranoia). >> >> I stop before I get political :) >> >> Wendy >> >> On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 4:32 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand at >> gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> Ruling elites bankrupting the state in the pursuit of even more grandiose >>> frippery is not new - one of the primary reasons that the Roman Empire >>> collapsed is the import of luxury goods (silk, spices,etc) from the East >>> reached such a crescendo that it literally bankrupted the empire, and the >>> inevitable debasement of the currency was the final nail in the coffin! >>> Cheers >>> Jayanand >>> >>> On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 4:39 PM, Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp at gmx.de> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> The castles on the Rhine are mostly the real thing - knights in armour >>> and >>>> all that - none of your renaissance "My architect can put more twiddly >>> bits >>>> on it than yours" kind of stuff with white & gold-leaf furniture, >>> ridiculous >>>> ormolu clocks and badly silvered mirrors. >>>> >>>> Ludwig of Bavaria nearly bankrupted the state with his love of fairytale >>>> castles - it is rumoured that this was the real reason for him drowning, >>> not >>>> suicide. >>>> >>>> It all boils down to the difference between defending yourself with >>>> walls >>>> and weapons or with a barrage of wealth - I prefer the former style of >>>> castle, >>>> like this one: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DMS/UK/Dales/Swaledale/Richmond_Sunset.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DMS/UK/Dales/Swaledale/Richmond_Castle_Keep.jpg.html >>>> >>>> Never besieged, never a bow drawn nor a cannon fired in anger, but it >>>> certainly let people know who the boss was. >>>> >>>> Cheers >>>> Douglas >>>> >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >