not laughing

In yoga this morning, the teacher said, in a most un-yogaish way,while we were doing camel or something, "And how about John Howard saying that Osama Bin Laden will be pleased if Barack Obama wins the presidency? Isn't that shocking?"

That was the first I'd heard of it and I was shocked and appalled. I came home and looked it up on the Web (of course) and saw that over on LP, the witticisms are flying. But I'm finding it hard to laugh at this. It angers me on so many levels:

• that Howard feels entitled to involve himself in US domestic politics (and thus gives tacit permission for American rightwingers to involve themselves here)
• that he is perilously close to a racist conflation of the names 'Osama' and 'Obama' - or at least he is playing on that association in his usual manipulative way
• that he conflates Iraq with Osama bin Laden
• that he implies that all Muslims support (pray for) terrorism to succeed
• that he explicitly links a Palestinian settlement to the war in Iraq

Good for Barack Obama, who's called Howard's bluff and told him to put up or shut up.

I can't imagine many Australians, even those who voted for him, feeling pleased that Howard's put his foot in it like this.

Comments

[Damian]

I also came across this in a rondabout kind of way and share your feelings about it all. In fact, I reckon it's bloody disgraceful and just demonstrates - for those who had not noticed yet - what an arrogant little so-and-so our PM is. He has to go.

[Jacinta]

He is such a creature! I was having a quick coffee this afternoon, in an inner suburban "blue ribbon" area of Brisbane and overheard four women in their fifties hooting with laughter talking about it. Someone was being very rude about The Creature and they all found it funny. A good sign for change maybe?
Speaking with Red Kerry tonight, Howard refused to acknowledge that whether withdrawl was sooner or later, the result would be similar. Howard said he was 'optimistic'that the situation in Iraq could improve! RK didnt ask on what facts he based this view.
I'm looking forward to Cheney's visit!

[Vanessa]

I missed this whole exchange, probably because I get most my information through newspapers and none from the television. However I know the nasties over here have been making much about how Obama's middle name is Hussein. A couple of the more unethical newssources were even calling him by his full name for a while.