"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side.
We will bury you."
That poorly translated threat from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was made in 1960 while in the throes of the Cold War. His impassioned and deliberately provocative speech at the UN went down in history partly due to the way the Western press had translated Khrushchev's decolonization speech ... and partly because he banged on the podium with his shoe to make his point. There are some who say he regretted his zeal the moment he finished speaking and there are others who say he was unrepentant. Either way, it's an infamous moment in history.
That moment is pure story fodder.
The words are timeless as is the sentiment. Regardless of one's political stance, when it comes to writing a scene of self-righteous (and ultimately self-defeating) fervor this snapshot of real-world events begs to be retooled into a fictitious climatic moment. Protagonist or antagonist, either of them could succumb to the flaw for the right reasons. Talk about a great action to demonstrate precise emotion... I mean...wow. I live for these blips of "too crazy to be anything but true." I have rough outlines that reference "Khrushchev moment" or "Bush at Japan Dinner" or "Clinton's Depends on 'Is' is." Politics isn't my only source, naturally. News of the Weird and Clumsy Crooks also offer creative fuel.
Shoe banging head-of-humongous-nation ...
Sounds like a creative writing prompt.
What infamous moment in history has made it into your stories, dear readers?
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