or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
March 06, 2009
Bunking with Bashir
By: Bernard Chazelle
The International Criminal Court has indicted Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for "directing forces who have been murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing large numbers of civilians in Darfur."
The conflict in Darfur has complex shades that Kristof's black-and-white filters can't quite catch, but he's right about this: al-Bashir is every bit the SOB his reputation suggests. Well done, ICC! OK, they apparently forgot Bashir was still in power and free to murder thousands in retaliation but I am being picky now.
Of course, I couldn't shake this nagging suspicion that Bashir was targeted because his nation was a basket case---see how cynical I've become! So I clicked my way into the legal entrails of the ICC web site and found reassurance from this:
One of the fundamental goals of the Statute is to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, which "must not go unpunished."
See? No mention of "non-Caucasians only." Which means that George W Bush, a president known for "directing forces who have been murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing large numbers of civilians in Iraq and elsewhere" will be indicted by the ICC any time now. I believe the Milosevic cell is vacant. Let Bush bunk with Bashir.
— Bernard Chazelle
To get put in a cell "they" gotta be ARRESTED first. I just don't see that happening right now, maybe later. Bashir would be killing those folks anyway, which is why the charges are imposed in the first place. The ICC should have press those charges a while back. Perhaps a large reward for capture may work.
As for Georgie, he's OUR problem. To be world leaders WE (meaning US=OUR legal system=AMERICAN CITIZENS=U&I) need to prosecute Georgie and Dick for their many indescretions. Waiting on the world to clean OUR dirty laundry IS what brought US here. 'Tiz the PRICE of no impeachment, so NOW WE have to pay. Nothing's free, everything gots a price.
No doubt the prosecution of Bush Co. for war crimes is all a part of God-Emperor Obama's super-ultra-secret plan. It's not like the democratic leadership knew about and approved of the Bush administration's torture regime. They're just biding their time. Yeah, that's it.
Posted by: AlanSmithee at March 7, 2009 09:52 AMI like the Pinochet model: promise the dictator amnesty in return for a transfer to civilian power, then arrest him when he leaves the country.
Posted by: SteveB at March 7, 2009 12:24 PMSteveB: Pinochet IS STILL free so that worked out well for everybody, especially Pinochet. (He's still rich and living like a king, too)
Posted by: Mike Meyer at March 7, 2009 01:04 PMRupa Shah: Bashir is STILL free and in office. Maybe he'll get in a car crash like Mugumbe's prime minister.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at March 7, 2009 01:13 PMDamnit Alan, for once I gotta agree with YOU.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at March 7, 2009 01:17 PMMike Meyer:
Yes, Bashir is free. BUT the process has started. I have Sudanese friends with whom I have discussed this issue and the way they have explained it to me, it is more complicated than the MSM are presenting. Of course, that DOES NOT TAKE ANYTHING AWAY from horrible crisis in Darfur and the tragedy of civilians who are caught in between..
I was referring to the empty cell of Milosevic.
And if I may, Pinochet died in Dec 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6167237.stm
What really was shocking was, he had as many supporters as opponents in his country and on BBC, I watched thousands mourning his passing away. The country was really divided.
Posted by: Rupa Shah at March 7, 2009 01:30 PMRupa Shah: I didn't know he had died, but then NOBODY beats the Reaper. (good riddance) Was it old age?
As for YOUR Sudanese Friends, perhaps a lesson may be learned from OUR Iraqi experience. ONE BULLET could have saved a lot of grief and expence. Saddam's kangaroo trial and TV hanging sure didn't help the Iraqi People.
What really was shocking was, [Pinochet] had as many supporters as opponents in his country and on BBC, I watched thousands mourning his passing away. The country was really divided.
Is this really the case, or is it just an example of the media's need to be "fair and balanced" by showing one pro-Pinochet person for every anti-Pinochet person?
I know our own media was running "Nation divided over Iraq war" stories long after the public had made up its mind.
Posted by: SteveB at March 7, 2009 02:47 PMSteveB:
From what I saw on TV the day he died and accounts I have read, this was a 'genuinely' divided population.
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/541/34/
His supporters strongly believed that he had saved their country from "MARXISM"!
ps there are several reports indicating the same, online.
Posted by: Rupa Shah at March 7, 2009 03:21 PMTwo t'ings.
1. Don't believe a word of what the media say about the Sudan. They appear to be promoting someone's agenda and it isn't the Sudanese people's.
2. The empty cell of Milosovic. His former gaoler says "...the climax to his career as prison guard would have been to lock the door on Bush and Blair."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4809532.stm
Posted by: sam_m at March 7, 2009 04:12 PM
