Monday, August 28, 2006

THE PALESTINIANS' ONGOING STRUGGLE AGAINST REALITY

Over at One Cosmos, Bob and Petey use Monty Python's Life of Brian to demonstrate how life imitates art (or at least comedy when it comes to the Palestinians).
It’s like a bad Monty Python skit. Imagine the brilliant discussion that went into it, probably not dissimilar to the dozen or so leftist revolutionaries in Life of Brian who spend the movie plotting how they are going to overthrow the Roman empire. In one scene, in the interest of diversity, they debate whether a man should be able to call himself Loretta and have babies:

LORETTA: It's every man's right to have babies if he wants them.

REG: But... you can't have babies.

LORETTA: Don't you oppress me.

REG: I'm not oppressing you, Stan. You haven't got a womb! -- Where's the fetus going to gestate?! You going to keep it in a box?!

LORETTA: [crying]

JUDITH: Here! I-- I've got an idea. Suppose you agree that he can't actually have babies, not having a womb, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans', but that he can have the right to have babies.

FRANCIS: Good idea, Judith. We shall fight the oppressors for your right to have babies, brother. Sister. Sorry.

REG: What's the point?

FRANCIS: What?

REG: What's the point of fighting for his right to have babies when he can't have babies?!

FRANCIS: It is symbolic of our struggle against oppression.

REG: Symbolic of his struggle against reality.

****

PALESTINIAN #1: Let’s kidnap some infidel journalists and force them to convert to Islam on video!

PALESTINIAN #2: Why? What's the point?

PALESTINIAN #1: Huh?

PALESTINIAN #2: Oh, I get it. This is brilliant, Hassan. Just brilliant. Once they convert, the journalists can hold themselves hostage, so they can negotiate with themselves for their own release and leave us out of it. Maybe while they're at it they can hold a knife to their own throats unless the infidels vote for Ned Lamont.

PALESTINIAN #1: It is symbolic of our struggle against the Zionist occupation!

PALESTINIAN #2: Yeah, right. Symbolic of your struggle against reality is more like it.


The only problem I find with Bob's analysis is that the existence of "PALESTINIAN #2" is purely hypothetical. Palestinian society doesn't seem to encourage the development of individuals who are able to appreciate any aspect of irony or humor; nor do Palestinians exhibit on any degree of self-reflection or insight.

In fact, they are poster children, symbolic of pretty much the entire muslim world in this regard.

Fortunately, Bob has enough insight and humor for the entire Islamic ummah, and is willing to share.

UPDATE: It seems that most of the psychbloggers are on a roll:

neo-neocon has a post on Hezbollah; SC&A have a lovely piece that discusses his grandparents, war, and change--and the essentials that don't change from generation to generation. And, ShrinkWrapped has some important insights about information and the information war.

If you are up for so much wisdom on a Monday morning, check them out!

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