Bono’s Last Call

Bono, the lead singer of the band U2 is famous throughout the entertainment industry for being more than just a little self-righteous.

While playing a U2 concert in Glasgow, Scotland, Bono asked the audience for total silence, and to light the small candle each concert goer was given at the gate.

In that outdoor venue, illuminated by the soft, gentle and flickering light of tens of thousands small candles and in total silence, Bono slowly started to clap his hands.

Every few seconds, Bono would clap his hands.

As the large audience listened in total silence, Bono put his lips to the microphone and whispered breathlessly: “Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies.”

From the silence, emerged a strong and steady, if somewhat somewhat tipsy voice, with a broad Scottish accent that bellowed:

“Well then, quit clapping your hands, you bleedin’ idiot!”

The Sanity Squad And Meatless Jihad

The latest Sanity Squad podcast is up.

Neo-neocon, Shrinkwrapped, Dr Sanity and your three favorite dead and thickly German accented pundits opine on Australian mufti Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali’s now infamous (and incredibly stupid) remarks, as well as the rumblings of charges of voter fraud in the upcoming elections.

This particular podcast is particularly insightful and relevant, because we address issues that have ’struck a chord’ with many Muslims and non Muslims. In addition, we are seeing the kind of response to the mufti’s remarks that we have not seen before. In the past, western cultures and societies have been in shock at the expressions of Muslim ‘rage’ and umbrage at insults, perceived and otherwise- and shock almost always leads to inertia. Now, we are seeing fear- and fear always leads to action- the ‘fight or flight’ response. We are now seeing a ‘fight’ response.

As for the upcoming elections and allegations of voter fraud, the Sanity Squad’s remarks are particularly provocative.

The Sanity Squad. We’ve brought you to the water.

John Kerry And The Mufti

The Australian mufti that stuck his foot in his mouth (see this and this, too) has a lot in common with John Kerry. They both said what they really believe and got caught at it. They both refused to apologize and they both desperately hoped to find a way to blame George Bush for their problems so that they might deflect the attention away from their own moral and ethical failures.

Surrounded by ‘yes men,’ ideologues that care only bashing their opponents and imposing their beliefs on others, both Kerry and the Mufti did not initially realize the extent of damage they had caused. They both managed to dig a deeper hole for themselves.

As has been reported, like the mufti, John Kerry, has taken the stand that it was he, and not the object of his derision that has been insulted. In his eyes, American soldiers are the Kaffirs, less than the human and not worthy of his respect (the soldiers of course, must pay the Jirzya tax- a vote for Kerry- and be slapped in the face for the privilege).

La Shawn Barber’s take is different. She says it is clear Kerry’s remarks were a botched joke. SHe may be right of course, but we aren’t so sure. Mr Kerry, in his zeal to be the ‘right candidate’ the hard left will adopt, only reiterated what many leftists believe and say, everyday. Their disdain for the military is no secret. Even if Mr Kerry apologizes, he has ‘proved himself’ to a large and important group of people who’s votes he needs.

When confronted, the mufti called on sympathetic figures to come his defense, hoping that might mitigate some of the damage. His daughter and some supporters demanded that the ‘old man’ be left alone. John Kerry too, refused to apologize and then shamefully paraded disabled war vet Max Cleland out front to take the incoming hits along with a retired female general (the statement she made studiously avoided addressing Kerry’s charges) in the hope they would deflect attention away from Mr Kerry’s remarks.

The Anchoress is no mood for charity

You know what? It doesn’t really matter if he “really meant” President Bush or not. Kerry has just demonstrated that for all of his vaunted “nuance” and supposed intelligence, he’s not really ready for prime time. The guy who spent 20 years in the senate moving no real legislation beyond “special days for special people” might be a smoother speaker than Bush, but he’s got his own deficiencies in the speaking area, and he’s showcasing them.

There is an art to good politics and there is a rule, too – and it’s a really simple one, but so many politicians can’t follow it, particularly if they have delusions of genius. The Rule goes like this: If you screw up, whether because you’re an idiot, or you’re just having a bad day, or a mic was left on – whatever – and you say something deplorable (even if it just sounds deplorable but you meant it well…) you admit it, you make a joke at your own expense and you apologize – even a half-assed apology will usually do.

She says if the Dems fail (we say, ‘when’ because regardless of election results) , Kerry will take the fall. In an earlier post, she implies an inviolate line was crossed’ Of Kerry she notes

In fact, he’s not worthy to shine the shoes of any of the men and women serving honorably in Iraq, regardless of whether they have an ivy league degree, or a simple GED diploma, because the ignorant crap that comes out of his mouth proves he is nothing but a flip-flopping knucklehead who seems to be too stupid, too caught up in his insecurities and his Beacon Hill pretensions, and just plain too dishonorable to even understand what our military men and women are doing…or that it takes some serious smarts to cover men from a crippled chopper and then land it safely (or to fly a fighter jet) and it takes enormous personal courage to put yourself at risk to save your platoon.

What stunning disrespect to our military men and women by a man who clearly has no regard for their service and too much regard (though little self-respect) for himself.

John Kerry is a counter to the argument that “the military instills discipline and makes you grow up.” He’s never managed it. All he is, is one more boomer who is nothing but a perpetual, petulant adolescent.

There are some lines that can’t be crossed. Australian mufti can’t backtrack and claim his remarks were taken ‘out of context’ after referring to women as ‘uncovered meat’ and blaming women for encouraging rape. Mr Kerry does not seem to understand that disparaging members of the armed forces isn’t much different.

While he is free to make the ‘joke,’ others are just as free to be repulsed by his attempt at humor.

In fact, Mr Kerry may have done the Democrats a favor. They finally have an excuse to get rid of him and other candidates cut of the same cloth. Historically, Democrat candidates were ‘of the people.’ Kerry is a pretend blue-blood (living off his wife’s fortune) that has yet to decipher that the Kennedy clan political successes were achived because the Kennedy’s were portrayed as ‘real people,’ despite their wealth and because the Kennedy’s were seen to be icons to which every American could aspire.

There is no long list of anybody wanting to be just like John Kerry.

Inspired by a comment left on our original site, we have some advice for both Mr Kerry and the mufti. In speaking of the mufti’s remarks, Garry K noted that

You know, for every ‘problem,’ there are different ways to look at it. Some Muslims don’t want to look at ‘uncovered’ women because they fear they won’t be able to control their impulses. So they then try to force the women to cover themselves from head to foot.

I have a better solution to that ‘problem’! Have those men who might be offended pluck out both of their own eyes! That way they’ll never see anything that will offend them. If that’s too extreme for some, then just let them wear blindfolds when they go out in public.

And to keep their ‘impulses’ under control, we should castrate each and every one of those SOBs who can’t ‘control’ his ‘urges’!

Mr Kerry isn’t much different than the mufti, really. He got caught making remarks that were unacceptable, and now he doesn’t want to have to face the backlash- or the consequences. Like the mufti, he may be a hero to his supporters, but in the end, he is an ass and the whole world knows it.

We suggest that Mr Kerry ‘come clean’ and admit his revulsion for the military. We suggest that Mr Kerry tell the truth about his military service- that he was misfit. The armed forces have seen plenty of misfits in their ranks, as is every large organization and Mr Kerry is just another in a long line of those fitting that description.

Maxed Out Mama has some salient- and pointed, observations:

Kerry did insult them, and their mothers, and their fathers, and their brothers, and their sisters, and their children, and their cousins, and their friends. There isn’t a draft, and very, very few of these people are in the military just because it’s the best job they can get!!!! What, they’re too stoooooopid to know there’s a war on? Too duuuuuumb and religious to realize they’re likely to be sent overseas? Too apathetic to nobly run to Canada?

Kerry can just go hold hands with Jane Fonda and whine himself off into a well-deserved oblivion about being molested by Limbaugh. What a total jerk. He knows nothing about the armed forces today. NOTHING. He doesn’t know who these people are. They are our best, and they know they are sacrificing a great deal to serve our country…

People are visiting graves. People are visiting hospitals. People are counting down the days until they come home again, and this total jerk had to come out with this?

Mr Kerry claims he is a credible candidate for President- and Commander In Chief. The Australian mufti claims he is a credible spokesperson for Australians Muslims and Muslim values.

By their own words, the mufti and Mr Kerry have made clear what they believe and what they stand for.