How power corrupts and when even the infallible fall for the power

Fredrik Skavlan

Saw this Norwegian-Swedish talk show, Skavlan in Swedish television November 7, 2014. Fredrik Skavlan is a Norwegian  journalist copy-catting the old but successful North-American talk show concept of Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno and others more contemporary ones like Conan O'Brian etc.. The first one to come in was the enigmatic Uma Thurman, talking about her breaks for nursing children in between shooting for the big screen, positive, smiling, very beautiful as usual and very sympathetic. At some point in the interview she implied that she considered becoming a Scandinavian citizen as those northern societies appealed to her. The next one to come in to be interviewed, with Uma Thurman still sitting in, as per Skavlans concept was the newly elected Swedish Foreign minister (FM) Margot Wallström. As soon as she opened her mouth, she addressed Uma with, "do you have the telephone number to George Clooney"?

Wonderful Uma

Uma looked down and replied with a smiling face signalling, "what sort of question was that": do you know that he is married. The female Swedish FM did not reply but put up a stance like: "I don't care, see, in this world women compete for the men". She wasn't really given the chance to reply verbally as Skavlan understood how infected the situation could become, braking in starting the interview with the Swedish FM.

Margot Wallström

Margot Wallström started talking about her life and career and soon touched the subject of how power corrupts people in official positions, not necessarily being the head of state but any position implying some sort of power over others. She even went as far as saying that what she had experienced was that she had seen people at the UN, the European commission and at other governmental bodies ending up with dictatorial behaviors. Somewhere down this interview Skavlan addressed the Swedish FM saying, perhaps you can help Uma becoming a Swedish citizen as she seem interested to live in your country. The Swedish FM replies with a pretty lengthy litany that Uma would have to apply as any other common foreigner and subject herself to lengthy and difficult process to become a citizen of Sweden even adding the she could not guarantee the Uma would be accepted. Why did she do this to Uma?

The Swedish FM did this because of 3 different reasons: Uma is a successful globally renowned and loved actress, a woman and women compete with another woman more fiercely than she would with a man, secondly Uma had embarrassed her when she replied: "you know, George Clooney is married" and for the third and most shameful reason: she was doing this telling Uma, I am a politician and the second minister in command in my country and I am in power to decide over you. Here the Swedish FM is showing that she herself had fallen for how power corrupts.

I felt ashamed for a being a Swedish citizen watching this. A social democrat and people elected official stepping on this wonderful human being as she was trash.

Slash

The whole show was saved for me when Slash of former "Gun's and Roses" came in, Slash one my hard rock guitar heroes. He came in with all his brand attributes: The high hat, that long black curly hair, those dark glasses, the leather pants and his cool, down to earth and laid back attitude. And he sang a nice song for me together with his buddy: Myles Kennedy. They performed an acoustic version of "Bent to fly".