Peru’s right-wing cry-babies

It’s obvious a country is not a fee democracy when a movies star, Cameron Diaz gets flack from locals about a purse like bag she carried over her shoulder. It had a read star and in Chinese it said “To serve the people.” The red star reminded many reactionaries of communism and the slogan was a favourite of Mao Zedong.
Such items are fashion statements in less fascistic countries, but Peru has been a dictatorship for most of it’s history and one of it’s last president took over in a coup and ran the country as a dictator until he was run out.
Locals also complain about the so called “Shining Path” (the press nickname for the Communist Party of Peru), which has waged an intense guerrilla war on behalf of peasants and slum dwellers in the cities. Since Diaz was travelling with members of the government and other big time rich VIPs, it’s not surprising that she got so much flack for a handbag.
Last night on nightline they went to a store that sells Mao shirts and other communist inspired clothing and found a girl working there who thought kids wore that stuff to be “creepy.” Between her and the announcer they could see no reason anyone would want to be associated with communism and yet my friends list is full of revolutionaries and people who admire both Che Guevara and Mao and know fully well who they are supporting and why.


According to the Associated Press:

Cameron Diaz's bag emblazoned with Maoist slogan raises eyebrows in Peru AGUAS CALIENTES, Peru (AP) -- Actress Cameron Diaz appears to have committed a major fashion faux pas in Peru. The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated "Shrek" films may have inadvertently offended Peruvians who suffered decades of violence from a Maoist guerrilla insurgency by touring here Friday with a bag emblazoned with one of Mao Zedong's favorite political slogans. While explored the Inca city of Machu Picchu high in Peru's Andes, Diaz wore over her shoulder an olive green messenger bag emblazoned with a red star and the words "Serve the People" printed in Chinese on the flap, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao's most famous political slogan. While the bags are marketed as trendy fashion accessories in some world capitals, the phrase has particular resonance in Peru, where the Maoist Shining Path insurgency brought Peru to edge of chaos in the 1980s and early 1990s with a campaign of massacres, assassinations and bombings. Nearly 70,000 people were killed during the insurgency.


And common sense tells us that there would be no insurgency if there were no people in Peru who felt neglected and badly treated by their government.

Also the article said:
A prominent Peruvian human rights activist said the star of "There's Something About Mary" should have been a little more aware of local sensitivities when picking her accessories. "It alludes to a concept that did so much damage to Peru, that brought about so many victims," said Pablo Rojas about the bag's slogan. "I don't think she should have used that bag where the followers of that ideology" did so much damage.

Or on the other hand, many countries have gone through civil wars and insurgencies and if the Peruvian right are such Cry Babies, maybe they don’t need celebrities for western countries touring their country.