July 27, 2001

11:20 AM

Colin Powell in cabaret performance in Viet Nam. "As Powell acted out his death throes at the end of the song, [Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko] Tanaka - in traditional Vietnamese dress - flung her arms around his prostrate body and kissed him on the cheek." Apparently these kinds of performances are regular occurences at these things.
posted by donkeymon (16 comments total)

There was video of this on the news this morning. As a singer, he makes a great secretary of state...
posted by owillis at 11:28 AM on July 27, 2001

Oh God, my side. Thanks for that image. I needed to laugh. Oh, if only we could get him to take this on tour.
posted by Ezrael at 11:37 AM on July 27, 2001

Last week he said he wouldn't do it. Wonder why he changed his mind.
posted by mudbug at 11:56 AM on July 27, 2001

Pictures.
posted by mudbug at 12:03 PM on July 27, 2001

I heard he refused to sing. I'm so glad he changed his mind. I have respect again for Powell. It's a goofy tradition, but I think that more world leaders and ministers should have to show thier human side while negotiating with each other, if only to remind themselves how they all share a bond.
posted by captaincursor at 12:12 PM on July 27, 2001

About 3/4's of the way down on the left side is a link to video of the whole thing.
posted by internal at 12:15 PM on July 27, 2001

Wow. As much as we may be surprised that Powell did this, I'm even more surprised that Makiko Tanaka participated. In her country, she's known as a complete hardass.
posted by dogmatic at 12:22 PM on July 27, 2001

The Russian delegation staged an elaborate show with Czarist-era costumes and a version of "Yellow Submarine".

Every time I think of that it gets funnier. You can't follow that with anything.
posted by Sellersburg/Speed at 12:25 PM on July 27, 2001

I'm not a big Bush supporter, but I love Colin Powell. He doesn't do anything but kick ass.
posted by keithl at 12:26 PM on July 27, 2001

So, how many people in the Bush administration have to fall ill for him to become acting president?
posted by mrbula at 1:00 PM on July 27, 2001

This year's acts included a Beach Boys cover by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, complete with surfboard, an ASEAN version of "Hotel California" by the Indian delegation, and a song by Thailand's foreign minister accompanied by the minister from military-ruled Myanmar on an electric keyboard.

This article came from another dimension right?
posted by skallas at 1:18 PM on July 27, 2001

mrbula: Dubya. Dick. Trent Lott. Bob Byrd. In that order.

(If it were still Strom instead of Bob, I'd put my money on Strom to run out the term.)
posted by dhartung at 1:35 PM on July 27, 2001

This is a brilliant tradition.
posted by aramaic at 2:08 PM on July 27, 2001

now hes runnin for prezdent.
posted by clavdivs at 2:39 PM on July 27, 2001

The foreign ministry is the, how shall I say it, funkiest of all cabinet posts, and always has been. It's less prey to partisan politics, less beholden to purely domestic interests, and demands a certain sort of political outlook, more suited to the Grand Prix circuit (or even the catwalk) than Capitol Hill or Westminster. That's why Robin Cook was reportedly crestfallen to lose the job in favour of Jack Straw, who is completely unsuited to the diplomatic environment.

(I really wanted to be a diplomat as a kid. Don't have the languages, alas.)

And Powell would make a fine President, I think.
posted by holgate at 5:14 PM on July 27, 2001

Holgate, I don't think you are right about partisan politics or domestic interests.

certainly to a point it is less so than other positions, but not much less.

Very constrained are we, very constrained...

BUt perhaps the constraint is from lack of imagination rather than outside forces--perhaps the lack of domestic control allows atrophy and un-intelligent orthodoxy to set in--I don't know

--I change my mind, you are right, but you ought not underestimate the contribution of domestic interests, esp. if the Foreign Policy portfolio is politicized for electoral reasons, which it often is.

Re: Robin Cook...no, that is too easy to jab at. I'll just leave it be. Lecher.
posted by indigo at 10:21 PM on July 27, 2001