As you may have heard, or even watched (that's okay, don't be embarrassed, many people did), the bash President Donald J. Trump (R) specially wrapped into a self-love-fest known as the Academy Awards simpered for four hours Sunday night.  Attired in outfits that cost more than a month's salary for the average citizen – and that's just the men – while surrounded and protected by guards (some even with guns) and other protective barriers, (sort of like, um, walls), several of the presenters, the winners, and the host, Jimmy Kimmel, threw in digs at the president while proclaiming their own superiority and love.  Yeah, that smugness will pack the 48% of the people who voted for Trump into the theaters. 

Even an aging Warren Beatty, who did more than grab his you-know-what (I can't really tell you, as this is a blog suitable for family reading) in his prime, did manage to squeeze in a few clichés of love and peace and getting along with everyone, which proved handy when he mistakenly announced the wrong winner of the best film at the finale.  And so, quite suitably,  the messy program ended as it began.  And the lo-o-o-ng in-between wasn't much better.

Of course, the foreigners (or should I say non-citizens?) got in on the self-righteous act.  Graciously nominated for best foreign-language film, the nominees released a puffy, self-righteous statement two days before the big event, knocking the host country, the U.S., while:

... condemning "the climate of fanaticism and nationalism" in the U.S. and other countries.

They dedicated the Oscar, no matter which film wins, to those working toward unity.

They directors [sic] symbolically rejected the borders that define their category's nominees, saying, "We believe there is no best country, best gender, best religion or best color. We want this award to stand as a symbol of the unity between nations and the freedom of the arts."

The statement does not name President Trump but points in his direction, referring to an unhealthy climate stoked by parts of the population, "including leading politicians." ...

On Friday, Farhadi joined with the other directors – Martin Zandvliet, Land of Mine (Denmark); Hannes Holm, A Man Called Ove (Sweden); Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann (Germany) and Marin Butler and Bentley Dean, Tanna (Australia) – to decry division and dedicate themselves to using the power of film to bring people together.

The statement opens with a condemnation of the political mood: "On behalf of all nominees, we would like to express our unanimous and emphatic disapproval of the climate of fanaticism and nationalism we see today in the U.S. and in so many other countries, in parts of the population and, most unfortunately of all, among leading politicians."

The directors then spoke against division by gender, race, religion and other categories.

"The fear generated by dividing us into genders, colors, religions and sexualities as a means to justify violence destroys the things that we depend on – not only as artists but as humans: the diversity of cultures, the chance to be enriched by something seemingly 'foreign' and the belief that human encounters can change us for the better. These divisive walls prevent people from experiencing something simple but fundamental: from discovering that we are all not so different," they write. ...

"Although we don't want to overestimate the power of movies, we do believe that no other medium can offer such deep insight into other people's circumstances and transform feelings of unfamiliarity into curiosity, empathy and compassion – even for those we have been told are our enemies."

They concluded the statement with a plea on behalf of respecting human rights and dedicated the Oscar to those working for unity and human dignity.

The Oscar went to an Iranian, Asghar Farhadi, for this film The Salesman.  He did not attend the ceremony as a protest against the Obama-Trump ban on citizens from chaotic and terrorist countries entering the U.S. 

"I am sorry I am not with you tonight. My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S. Dividing the world into the 'Us' and 'Our Enemies' categories creates fear, a deceitful justification for aggression and war."

Not so surprisingly, Farhadi has remained silent about Iran's division of the world into the "'US' and 'Our Enemies'" categories that are doing more that creating, but are applying "fear" and "a deceitful justification for aggression and war." 

A recent video posted this week shows Islamic Republic strategist Hassan Abbassi discussing the destructive potential of Iran's hidden army within the U.S.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Abbassi admitted to having terror cells situated and ready to strike in the United States.

Abbassi: I'll be brief. We have two million Iranians there. Be certain that I will raise a guerilla army from amongst them against you. You know this well. Look how vulnerable you were on 9-11 when four Arabs who don't know how to fight managed to endanger your foundations.

#KhomeiniistRegime #IRGCcommander , #HassanAbbassi admits 2 having #terror #cells situated & ready 2 strike i #US

— Banafsheh Zand (@BanPourZan) February 26, 2017

Iran is also slaughtering civilians in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon – for them, women, children, and the elderly are all the enemy, but this doesn't bother Oscar winner Farhadi.  Iranian generals proudly boast of having and planning to use missiles capable of destroying Israel, inscribed in Hebrew with "Death of Israel."

And still silence from Oscar nominee and now Oscar winner Farhadi because of "of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S."  In other words, he is for fear and hate and war.

So, Asghar Farhadi, cuddle up with your Oscar in your inhumane, barbaric, war-mongering country of Iran.  

And Warren Beatty, don't feel bad; you didn't make the greatest mistake in Academy Awards history.  Those five foreign filmmakers, who condemned the wrong country while praising the wrong country, did.  In so doing they condemned hundreds of thousands to more horror.