University of Virginia Library

Propagandism

The appearance of
Yevtugeny Yevtushenko at this
campus brings to mind the old
story of the Russian and the
American who met on a train
in Europe. The Russian
expressed his sympathy that
the American lived in such an
oppressive country. "What do
you mean"? He American said,
incredulously. "In America, I
can stand in front of the White
House and call Richard Nixon
every vile name I can think of,
and nothing will happen to me.
I'll bet you couldn't do that in
your country." The Russian
said: "Of course we can,
Tovarisch." And the American
said: "Like hell you could. I
know about Siberia, and the
mental hospitals, and all that
stuff. You'd be locked up in a
flash." "Oh, no, no indeed,"
the Russian replied, "in truth, I
too can stand in front of the
very Kremlin, and can also call
Richard Nixon every vile name
I can think of!"

If so much human misery
did not underlie the premise of
this story, it might be funny.
Like the Russian on the train,
Yevtushenko is coming to
America to display how free he
and his society are by casting
aspersions at us and our
society. In the half-dozen or so
trips he has made here, he has
never once passed up an
opportunity to discomfit the
host country.

Most recently, he has
castigated the United States for
Kent State; for Bob Hope and
John Wayne; for the Jewish
Defense League's alleged
excesses; and for a host of
social ills that exist, as
everywhere else, in America. I
do not wish to defend all those
things that Yevtushenko
doesn't like about our country:
yet, if anyone should be
entitled to comment upon
them, it should not be the
cultural ambassador of the
greatest slave-pen in human
history.

After all, being accused of
"oppression" by a Russian is
similar to being accused of
wooden-headedness by Charlie
McCarthy: not only is the
charge specious, but the real
talking is being done by the
ventriloquist behind him.

So, should you decide to see
Yevtushenko, keep in mind
that it is entirely possible that
there is a hole in his back, into
which is inserted the hand of
the Kremlin. Sure, his jaw will
move, his eyes will blink, his
head will bob, but think to
yourself: "Who is doing the
talking?"

Remember, Yevtushenko is
one of the few Russians that is
allowed to travel abroad
without a KGB escort. The
reasons for that are precisely
the reasons why he should be
ignored by us.