I didn’t actually watch or read Obama’s Afghanistan speech but I gather it was similar to but less coherent than his campaign speeches about Afghanistan, which I did read, so I feel comfortable commenting on his announced alleged policy.
But you know, screw it. Who cares? This is not my beautiful house. I will mention that Neville Chamberlain—the other Neville Chamberlain, much as Obama on several issues seems to be the other Bush but with someone else’s name—was the instrument for precipitating the second British invasion of Afghanistan, but I will mention it only because I just learned it and thought it was interesting. Beyond that you’re on your own.
What I really want to talk about is the party recently thrown in Rome by the artist formerly known as Kadaffi (now Gadaffi).
That’s Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi. We haven’t heard much about Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi of late. This is apparently because he’s busy recruiting tall Italian women into the army of Islam. Five hundred of them, to quantify, of a height not to fail 5′ 7″, to further quantify, and of modest but pleasing appearance, to objectify.
“Seeking 500 attractive girls between 18 and 35 years old, at least 1.70 meters (5 foot, 7 inches) tall, well-dressed but not in mini-skirts or low cut dresses,” read the ad by the Hostessweb agency and quoted in Italy’s Corriere dell Sera newspaper in its story.
Some 200 women showed up at a Rome villa, having been told they would receive 60 euros ($90) and “some Libyan gifts.” Among them was an undercover reporter for Italian news agency ANSA, who took photos and described the evening’s proceedings.
Most had expected to attend a party, according to ANSA, but instead were invited to wait in a large hall until the arrival of Gaddafi, who gave them a lesson on Libya and the role of women in Islam.
After around two hours the lesson, including questions and answers through an interpreter, concluded with an exhortation by Gaddafi to “convert to Islam” and with each woman given a copy of the Koran and a book of sayings by Gaddafi.
“It was anything but the VIP party we were expecting, they didn’t even give us a glass of water,” one woman told ANSA.
For some reason the story features a photo of Mandy Patinkin and “V” star Morena Baccarin.
This may not end well. If Berlusconi thinks K (or G) is poaching his supply of tall, young Italian women we may again see Italian troops in the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Mars Needs Women
I never had any hopes for Obama on foreign policy – not just because of him, but because I believe that there is a solid bi-partisan elite consensus on the goals of US foreign policy.