Despicable! Shocking! Look! LOOK!
A few years ago a friend of mine (The Vestryman) remarked upon a phenomenon he had observed in movies, news reporting, and even in conversation. Someone might criticize a mutual acquaintance for having told a particularly crude or inappropriate joke. And then, just to make sure you got the point, repeat the joke. The occasion of our conversation may well have been the Nicholas Cage film "8MM" about the investigation of the making of a snuff film. Get it? That way, we can all feel righteous, or at least remote, while titilated by the very thing we're condemning. Pretty slick.
It most certainly IS NOT a picture of Saddam Hussein in his tidy whities. It's a picture of a guy LOOKING AT A PICTURE (of Saddam Hussein in his tidy whities).
And that's not the same thing at all.
As everyone in the universe surely knows by now, the London tabloid "The Sun" acquired and printed pictures of Saddam Hussein in his skivvies. Of course, no respectable news journal would print such things. But as their publication itself is news, reporting that is a whole 'nother thing.
So in today's Washington Post, on page A13, right alongside a long story headlined "U.S. Officials Condemn Hussein Photos," you will find this photograph:
It most certainly IS NOT a picture of Saddam Hussein in his tidy whities. It's a picture of a guy LOOKING AT A PICTURE (of Saddam Hussein in his tidy whities).
And that's not the same thing at all.
Presented for your delectation by the Gentleman Farmer at 3:01 PM
Comments on "Despicable! Shocking! Look! LOOK!"
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Frank said ... (3:32 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (3:45 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (4:25 PM) :
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Anonymous said ... (8:41 PM) :
post a commentshame on military officials who let this shot leak.
This is really a inhumane thing to do...America deceives me more and more eveyday.
With respect to WHAT, exactly, has "America" deceived you? Who, in this instance, is "America?" And if you KNOW you've been deceived, then I guess you haven't been deceived. (You're not hearing voices again, are you?)
BTW, Hussein looks pretty comfy to me, folding his trousers in what looks like a hotel room. Far more comfortable than the accommodations he provided, for example, to those young women to whom Uday and Qusay took a shine.
There's publishing Sadaam's pictures. (Boo!) And then there's running a story (complete with pictures) about someone publishing Sadaam's pictures. (Sneer!) And THEN there's something entirely different--posting a critique (complete with pictures) about someone running a story about someone publishing Sadaam's pictures. (H'ray!)
O blogging sinner, where will you stand in that great Day when God's a-going to rain down fire?
I'm SO confused.