Cartoons vs. security policy
This would be funny if it weren’t so ridiculous:
But even such tight control could not always filter out the bizarre world inside the [Green Zone] barricades. At one point, [three visiting members of Congress] were trying to discuss the state of Iraqi security forces with Iraq’s national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, but the large, flat-panel television set facing the official proved to be a distraction. Rubaie was watching children’s cartoons.
When Moran asked him to turn it off, Rubaie protested with a laugh and said, “But this is my favorite television show,” Moran recalled.
[Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.)] confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.
“I don’t disagree it was an odd moment, but I did take a deep breath and say, ‘Wait a minute, at least they are using the latest technology, and they are monitoring the world,’ ” Porter said. “But, yes, it was pretty annoying.”
In other words, during an official meeting with U.S. lawmakers, the man responsible for coordinating Iraqi intelligence would rather watch a cartoon than discuss national security policy. And the Republican lawmaker in the room doesn’t see anything wrong with that.
frist?
Frankly, I see nothing wrong with that. If the whole Congress can't fix the situation in Iraq here in Washington D.C., what can some officials meeting over there for a few hours could accomplish? Hellooooo!
the Iraqi was not going to pretend to be responsible when all the condescending amurkkkans want to have a pretend conversation on security. I don't blame him one bit. He's obviously been seeing parade after parade of these 'fact-finding' moron shows.
If he's seen any of the piped-in fux noise, then he knows that amurkkkans blame the Iraqis for everything they possibly can, so there is NO UPSIDE to cooperating. Every visitor is planning to come back with "the surge is working" on their lips and when they visitors are gone, the amurkkkan military will once again do as they phukkking please and blackwater can and does kill anyone they want with impunity and THAT is NEVER REPORTED.
So why should 'SpongeBob SquarePants' be interrupted to converse with people who don't really give a phukkk about Iraq or especially Iraqis?
Yeah, but I want to know which childrens's cartoon it was. This is significant.
That is positively Apocalypse Now-esque.
Gawd, this reminds me of chimpy talking about carving up some pig instead of answering a serious question. al-Rubaie is too busy to run chimpy's war.
It's all so sad. And a big joke. I wouldn't believe him if his tongue was gold.
chimpy's puppets are as simple-minded as he.
"... at least they're using the latest technology, and they are monitoring the world."
What part of the world, fricking TOONTOWN?
This demonstrates both how screwed-up the Iraqi security apparatus is, and how clueless we are if Porter can spin this as a good thing.
Oh, yeah ... so they have electricity. The rest of the country doesn't, pal. Oooooh, progress! The desperation to put a happy face on this train wreck is absolutely astounding.
He was watching a cartoon over the blah-blah-blah of some republican moron talking out the side of his neck? I think that is cool. I'd wager that Rubaie was thinking in arabic, "I wish this fool would shut the hell up." Furthermore I feel there is a fair amount of irony that is missed with this story. The children of Iraq could be watching cartoons but their utilities are decimated, or, on a more somber note the bushies have out and out murdered generations of them with a sardonic grin while exclaiming, "she won't be waching sponge bob again, woop-woop!"
I guess he figured it was better watching fictional cartoons than dealing with real ones.
BaScOmBe @ 3:
This is so true. One analyst described Iraq faction as taking a hammer and hitting a ball of mercury. There are several factions in Iraq. chimpy's explanation is too simplistic.
mariposa @ 4:
I agree. This is the major question here. We already know that Rubaie wouldn't be interested in what the Congresscritters had to say unless they were delivering a satchel full of graft cash. Old News.
But the cartoon - "Spongebob Squarepants" is of course a first guess. But it could also be "South Park."
Or , god forbid, "Lil Bush".
And not to mention that, hmm, government weasels have wide-screen TVs, and the average Iraqi has ...? Where's the money going, again?
I think the gentleman was giving the congressmen's pretense of concern for Iraqi security the attention it deserved.
hey, give the man a break it was his favorite television show!
[Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.)] confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity.]
Unintentional honesty from a Rupublinut. He almost admited that most of Iraq is without the electricity it takes to power "Family Guy".
Why shouldn't he watch anime after all Iraq is a sad commentary in the world of a comedy of errors brought to you by the the biggest clown of them all George W. Bush.
Shadowgm @ 7:
chimpy is try to treat his unjust war on terror as if it were us against them. He can't win a war on terror and he can't win a war on hurricanes. Both are ridiculous.
Of course the republican in the room didn't have a problem with the person in charge not doing anything, it reminds them of the time they were in charge of Congress and they did nothing, so it's a nostalgia kind of thing
Jamieson @ 14:
You think he was watching the Aqua-Teen Hunger-Force?
Well since The Leader fancy My Pet Goat all his followers are LOVING all things connected with childrens cartoons. Its mandatory reading/viewing.
What kind of wise crack is "at least they have electricity." Is he as dimwitted as chimpy and his puppets?
Of course the Iraqi war czar had electricity for the photo-op. Remember NO had electricity for chimpy's photo-op.
Maybe its been a long time since al-Rubaie viewed his fav cartoon. Cartoon-catch-up is more important than a fake war.
repugs are idiots
In fairness...I think that cartoon program was doing a version of MY PET GOAT! So leave the guy alone...perhaps he's NOT the reader our dear leader is!
My guess is it's probably no different than being in bush's office at any given time.
WELL, that's just creepy...hadn't read other posts and to think there is someone else thinking as I do...YEGODS!!!
mariposa @ 4:
fox news, maybe?
Dancer @ 22:
HAHAHAHA
When are people going to wake up and see that this thing is hopeless..??
It won't be long beafore both sides decide they want to watch cartoons, albeit different ones, then there will be an initial skirmish over the remote, followed by a resolution and finally an invasion.
Mug @ 27:
Jamieson @ 14:
Good point
It's senseless too.
Dahgrostab'ph-r-i @ 19:
If you make out here, I will cut your lips and tongue from your head with a...
Linoleum knife!
Maybe the guy was trying to make a point.
Republicans going over there to be briefed is cartoon politics anyways.
I don't know how "jamieson @ 14 got into the convo. My comment @ 29 is referring to mug @ 27 post only.
--------------------------
Know thy enemy.
I believe we know them all too well. I know it every time a lying repug is selective or elected (cough...cough.) Repugs are self-destructing without the dems' help.
It's the law of nature.
repugs are self-destructing.
And it's not pretty.
Can you get a clip of the pitiful Meloncamp on RT /w Bill M?
Talk about being dizzy as hell.
Talk to Republican Rubberstampers or watch cartoons?
Sounds to me like the guy has his priorities straight.
Iraq's National Security Advisor may have the right idea. What exactly is he to advise people on anyway? The Americans are calling the shots when it comes to security (I.E. the surge) and they can not control Iraq. What makes these Congressmen think that a under equiped, split down sectarian lines Iraqi forces can do it? Besides, the Republican military strategies are pretty much right out of a comicbook land anyway so he might as well watch cartoons like G.I. Joe for example. After all, that seems to the be cartoon that the Republicans learn from since they have zero military experience to fall back on.
If they had the latest technology, he'd have TiVo'd the show and could have stopped it to talk with the cardboard cutouts who pass for congressmen these days.
Uh...guys...the congresspeople were purposefully being disrespected because they were Democrats and for the things they had said in the past against the war. Didn't you all read that?
The culture there shows disrespect to a visitor by not paying complete attention to that visitor and paying attention to something that is obviously not important. That's how they do disrespect there guys.
Also the man sat in his chair with his legs crossed with his ankle on his knee showing the bottom of his shoe. Get that? That is BIG disrepect in that culture guys.
How did ya'all miss these clues?
Not much different than Bush, who seems to have a constant cartoon running in his tiny brain.
Why would he see anything wrong in it? It's the same method of reviewing national security policy as in the White House isn't it?
Iraqis are being killed every day. American soldiers are killed if not every day then almost every day. The cartoons we are distracted by have different names:
Britney the Little Shaver
Craig's Fist
Double Boo's Katrina Vacation
Diana Cadaver
And most of us are not even being seduced by wide flat screen tv's.
I betcha our soldiers would rather be home watching cartoons with their kids.
Miller Smith @ 37:
Um..."[Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.)] confirmed the incident, although he tried to paint the scene in the best light, noting that at least they had electricity."
Actually, when I see little hope for my future or that of my country, I find myself watching cartoons as well.
They're my favorite shows!
He was watching L'il Bush or the Chimpy and Scratchy Show.
-GSD
I'm so happy to see that our brave President has the country - as Karl Rove pointed out - "on a war footing."
And what the FUCK does "at least he's using the latest technology" supposed to mean? could someone decipher that?
Hasn't the television been around since the 50s? and what if he *did* use the latest technology . . . to watch cartoons? In what possible way could that be a comfort to anyone?
chuck @ 46:
It means, to put it bluntly, "Let them eat cake."
Ever notice how Wile E. Coyote was always "making good progress" in capturing the Road Runner?
Latest technology AND electricity.
Sounds like progress to me!
XuYu @ 48:
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoites defends Constitution @ 50:
Thats a good one there! lol Then again, the Iraqi National Security Advisor could be watching a cartoon with Yosemite Sam in it and saying, "Thats just like American foreign policy. Tough talk at the beginning but always gets his butt kicked in the end by Bugs Bunny, the wascally wabbit."
Miller Smith @ 37:
Porter is a Republican.
And I doubt these guys give a shit about 'Democrat' or 'Republican' ... as the old story goes, a reporter is covering a story in a country where a brutal dictator has just been overthrown. He comes to a village, and finds one resident who shrugs off the whole thing as unimportant.
"But ... you're free! The dictator has been overthrown!" the reporter points out.
"The Dictator ... his men come and steal my chickens," the old man says. "The Rebels ... they come to town and steal my chickens. Nothing ever changes - only the name of the man who steals my chickens."
Seeing as we've brought chaos, disorder, corruption, military occupation, and -wow- democracy to Iraq, do you honestly think we're deserving of their respect? 'Hey, Saddam's gone, you're free! You have a vote!'
They also have no electricity, undrinkable water provided courtesy of KBR, a police academy with shit dripping from the ceiling, revenge squads conducting ethnic cleansing under our noses, and rampant corruption even in the new, improved 'police' and 'army'.
So, who's to blame? The Democrats who said, no, we were wrong to come here without a plan? Or the Republicans who insist that everything will be fine in 'six more months'? How about both parties, who were so swept up in patriotic fervor that they gave Mr. Bush carte blanche to pursue a war in their front yard?
Or maybe the lack of respect is because our President keeps yammering about the 'Author of Liberty' and 'freedom is a gift from God' ... terms that make sense to our 'Christian nation,' but are probably an affront to Muslims. (Lord knows we have politicians here who get all wiggy if you say 'Allah' or bring the Koran within ten yards of 'em.)
And you expect that our Congressional representatives deserve automatic respect because they come in and pretend to 'understand' the situation? What a laugh.
I seems he doesn't give a damn about the congress pests that constantly visit. He knows they have their own agenda which will not change no matter what he tells them. He also knows Congress is impotent.
Its one way of saying, you're here, you got your exposure, good for you, so now stop wasting my time and leave.
Why should that bother a RepubliCON? The same thing happens when the go to visit Chimpy in the White House.
I guess this is the same as when Richard Clarke was trying to tell the President and his toadies that Iraq was not the target and to focus on Afghanistan while the President was watching his favorite episode of Sponge Bob-Jeff Gannon-Square Pants and he told Clarke to buzz off until "Patrick and Sponge Bob" finish work at Crabby Patties......we are sooooo screwed by these ignorant, venal mass murderers....it is time we Inaugurated our REAL Elected President-Al Gore and clean house.
He was glued to Clutch Cargo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFnLirXjjto
As a professional cartoonist, and a raging Progressive, I'm having a bit of "cognitive dissonance" with this story..
:>
And in other news:
The head of the British army during the Iraq invasion has said US post-war policy was "intellectually bankrupt".
...
Sir Mike's criticisms were backed by Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Conservative foreign secretary and defence secretary.
Sir Malcolm told the BBC: "I think one of the most fundamental criticisms is not just that Rumsfeld was incompetent - which he was - but it was actually his boss, George Bush, who actually made the extraordinary decision to put the Pentagon and Rumsfeld in control of political nation-building after the actual war ended."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6973618.stm
Lippy @ 57:
Maybe you should get into animation, then. It seems that movin' pictures can be pretty captivatin'.
Imo, the Iraqis elected this government. It certainly is not up to us to judge them, considering the government we ourselves have to live with, for at least another year and one half. This is just propaganda to get this country in line for the coming coup d'etat, when Maliki, a democratically elected president (like him or not), is replaced with our puppet, Allawi. I'm just thankful it won't be Chalabi. (The gods are good.)
That's the problem with out plugged in culture. People would rather watch animated cartoons than listen to real clowns.
Several years ago, I was working for a large entertainment company, and we had gone to visit a Texas-based technology firm in order to negotiate a very important deal.
In the tech. company's meeting room was an old pinball machine. While the rest of us were quietly preparing for the arrival of the tech company's senior management, one of our business development guys got up and proceeded to play the VERY noisy pinball machine.
The other company's management showed up, ready to do business, and our guy KEPT PLAYING!!!
So our SVP of Technology "asked" him to sit down and join us. The biz-dev guy said something to the effect of, "just a few more minutes". So our SVP said, "We can certainly arrange for you to have all the time you like to play pinball if you don't make the decision to join us this instant."
One of our managers couldn't help himself and said, "Yeah, sit the fvck down."
There sure are a lot of useless jackasses in the world, and sometimes you have to let loose with the smackdown to put 'em in their place. You certainly don't defend their ridiculous actions.
Several years ago, I was working for a large entertainment company, and we had gone to visit a Texas-based technology firm in order to negotiate a very important deal.
In the tech. company's meeting room was an old pinball machine. While the rest of us were quietly preparing for the arrival of the tech company's senior management, one of our business development guys got up and proceeded to play the VERY noisy pinball machine.
The other company's management showed up, ready to do business, and our guy KEPT PLAYING!!!
So our SVP of Technology "asked" him to sit down and join us. The biz-dev guy said something to the effect of, "just a few more minutes". So our SVP said, "We can certainly arrange for you to have all the time you like to play pinball if you don't make the decision to join us this instant."
One of our managers couldn't help himself and said, "Yeah, sit the fvck down."
There sure are a lot of useless jackasses in the world, and sometimes you have to let loose with the smackdown to put 'em in their place. You certainly don't defend their ridiculous actions.
SevenString @ 63:
So after the meeting did everyone agree on the cornflower blue icons?
Oh crap...let me guess, Bush convinced him that if went along, he could play Deputy Dawg and use his cut of some of the missing 88 Billion U.S taxpayer dollars to buy all of the big flat-screen TVs he wants, and he gets to guard the 'simmon patch from that rascally Musky!
Jeff @ 30:
Very nice. I hope he was watching AquaTeen... anything but spongebob, really. Once we get the fuck out of there, and leave them alone, they will probably start to actually work, and everything will come together a lot faster than these past blood-soaked years.
Shame on that man for not prostrating himself before his mostly absent Not Boss!
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