SCENE: Mitch Berg is picking through a bin of “Priced To Move” CDs at a “Half Price Books” when Avery LIBRELLE notices him, and slowly tiptoes up on him from behind.
BERG: Hey, Avery.
LIBRELLE: Er…OK, Merg, how did you know I was here?
BERG: (not looking up from the CD bin) It’s the same expository plot device Mitch always uses for these bits. Your surprise me at some location where I can’t tactfully get away without dropping a smoke grenade. So – what can I do for you?
LIBRELLE: Donald Trump is sucking up to fascists.
BERG: (Finding a CD of “The River”) What, again? Do tell.
LIBRELLE: He’s invited loose cannon fascist Filipino dictator Rodrigo Duterte to the White House for a meeting
BERG: (Visibly disinterested) So? And he was elected democratically. He’s not a dictator until he suspends Filipino democracy.
LIBRELLE: He’s cozying up to fascists.
BERG: Would you prefer that the Philippines – tens of millions of heavily westernized people, a growing economy, a key military position on the PacRim, and a long time ally of the United States – fall into the Chinese orbit?
LIBRELLE: But Duiterte is an awful man!
BERG: He’s a democratically elected leader. And sometimes you make common cause with awful people to solve more important goals. Like containing China.
LIBRELLE: We can’t condone extremists like Duterte!
BERG: His “extremism” is a matter for the people of his country to ascertain. And containing Chinese expansionism is for us to do.
LIBRELLE: You know who Duterte sounds like?
BERG: Melissa Click?
LIBRELLE: (Stops, stares, puzzled into space, slowly walks away)
BERG: See ya.
And SCENE
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