Washington Post > World > Opinion
Excerpt North Korea in the Eyes of Iran
Iran is neither Iraq under Saddam Hussein nor North Korea under Kim Il Song and Kim Jung Il. Iran is a very important geo-political, geo-strategic and geo-economic power regionally and internationally. Iranians do not deserve the humiliation associated with referral to the UN Security Council and being branded as a pariah within the international community.
No! The Iranian government pans out enough humiliation for Iranians the world over. It is not a question of whether or not Iranians deserve more shame but rather a question of saturation. Iraq had only one Saddam Hussein and North Korea only one Kim as dictator at a given moment. Iran has an entire supreme council of zealots pulling the strings of one fanatic president. Surely the barrels of Islamo-nationalist propaganda consumed by Iranians at the hands of these tyrants can only prime public sentiment for hostility against any sort of action or criticism passed by an International body; especially in light of the fact that the Islamic Republic is quick to silence the voices of reason or skepticism towards its policies. Obviously a government bent on power and the cultivation of theocracy, a government that freely violates the civil & humane rights of all its citizens, has a singular agenda for nuclear capabilities. This agenda cannot be for peaceful purpose, but rather for the ability to wield at will friction and conflict on the geo-political, geo-strategic and geo-economic stages. Iran is vying for power on an international field occupied by powers using terror as justification for the spread of their own brands of democracy & capitalism. What better piece for Iran to have than the ability to take hostage terror at will?
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And, today's joke...
A Priest, a Pentecostal Minister and a Rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop. One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear.
One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They
would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it and attempt to convert it.
Seven days later, they're all together to discuss their experiences.
Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches and has
various bandages, goes first.
"Well," he says, "I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I found him, I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation."
Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory heclaimed, "WELL brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I quick DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of The week in Fellowship,
feasting on God's Holy Word, and praising Jesus."
They both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed tubes in and out of him. He was in bad shape. The rabbi , with a look of wise reflection, looks up and says, "Looking back on it,
circumcision may not have been the best way to start."
Posted by: boneman | July 17, 2006 07:24 PM