"Hu's on FIRST?! No... Xi!" -- Forgive Me, But It All Sounds Like... An Abbott & Costello Routine... And, An Ominous Allegory.

I don't mean to make light of the "internal exile" that former president Hu was apparently very publicly just consigned to -- by Xi, or at least without his opposing it. [Others have tweeted this morning, in ways that tread some of the same punny ground, here.]

But the level of. . . the politically-weird -- in China, is at all time highs, not least of all due to ubiquitous real time streaming over the web, and so. . . old school 35 mm film cannot be pre-edited before release by party regulars, to the world. OTOH, maybe it was intended to be "leaked" -- as a warning, to the masses... to fall in line.

[I would also observe that when we allow political systems to be governed by men only, without the check and balance of. . . the rule of immutable law. . . monstrous things more than occasionally transpire. This man is 79 years old, afterall. WTH?! And yes, I am alluding to MAGA -- and its manifold dangers, to American pluralism, and democracy, itself.]

CNN apparently caught the moment in real time -- the 79 year old former president was suddenly, and very firmly, removed from the dais at the close of the latest party congress. It happened directly behind Xi, as Hu tried to reach for a paper in front of Xi -- he was removed by two large dark suited "minders". . . and Xi did not even flinch. This was just after Xi cleared the way for his own self. . . to remain President -- essentially. . . forever (via rule changes).

If there was ever an actual and recent attempt to remove Xi, this might well signal that Hu was behind it all. . . or at least, that Xi believes he was.

Very strange.

Hu's [not] on first, though. Xi's stealing. . . home. [Rim-shot.]

Wow.

नमस्ते