Sheridan FTW
On the last episode of Q&A, Greg Sheridan called bullshit on a claim made by yappy philosopher Slavoj Zizek and Mona Eltahawy, an Arab-American journalist who really likes to swear a lot on television. (Update: Full transcript now available here. The Q and A Transcript is inacurate. Below version is corrected. It was Eltahawy who made the claim about Bush, not Zizek. Watch the video from about 35 mins. ).
Within seconds, the #qanda twitterstream was full of Sheridan-haters pointing to various questionable references as definitive "proof" that he was wrong and piling on Sheridan.
SLAVOJ ZIZEKMONA ELTAHAWY: You talk about the Muslim Brotherhood, let's talk about the Christian Brotherhood of the United States because I always tell my American friends we might have the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt but there is a Christian Brotherhood in the United States and . . . unlike [the] Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, it actually had an impact on foreign policy because George Bush apparently heard God tell him to invade Iraq and in the name of this . . .GREG SHERIDAN: Where did George Bush ever say that? That's ridiculous.
MONA ELTAHAWY: You want me to get that for you from the news conference?
GREG SHERIDAN: Yeah, you show me the quote.
MONA ELTAHAWY: I will. I will. I will email it to you.
GREG SHERIDAN: That is complete rubbish.
MONA ELTAHAWY: I will send it to you by Twitter. No, it’s actually true.
GREG SHERIDAN: George W Bush never said that.
MONA ELTAHAWY: He did. He did.
GREG SHERIDAN: You made it up.
MONA ELTAHAWY: No, I did not make it up.
GREG SHERIDAN: There’s something in your coffee.
MONA ELTAHAWY: No, actually, no. I wish.
TONY JONES: Hang on. Hang on. Jon wants to get in here.
MONA ELTAHAWY: Wait. Wait. Wait. Let me finish. Let me finish.
TONY JONES: On his behalf, I’m going to say, please let Jon come in.
JON RONSON: No, can I just say that, just to support what Mona said, George Bush not only said that, but he had his...
MONA ELTAHAWY: Thank you.
TONY JONES: He had a presidential prayer team who would meet every week and pray for...
MONA ELTAHAWY: Exactly. Thank you. Thank you. And the Christian Brotherhood of the United States...
GREG SHERIDAN: You can mock George W Bush for saying prayers ...
JON RONSON: I’m not. But - no, no. This isn’t mocking.
GREG SHERIDAN: ...but that’s not same as saying...
MONA ELTAHAWY: It’s not about prayers he said - didn't he say, “God told me to liberate Iraq"?
GREG SHERIDAN: ...that God told him to invade Iraq?
JON RONSON: Yeah, this is...
MONA ELTAHAWY: He did. He did. And not just that...
TONY JONES: And this is the...
GREG SHERIDAN: No, he didn't. No. No. No. That's completely crazy. That’s...
@katrin_jane Katrin LongExcept Sheridan was right. (Update: Link corrected.)
@monaeltahawy The extent to which Greg Sheridan argued with you about the validity of the Bush/God/Iraq comment was so embarrassing for him.
The quote was at worst a total fabrication, at best the result of poor translation and second-hand retellings of events by untrustworthy Arab liars. You know, the Palestinian leadership.
Eltahawy's response to The Australian is simply sneering that it's a whiny article. No wonder she follows Antony Loewenstein and vice versa. They both make stupid mistakes and then refuse to correct them, albeit one of them has a job.
I previously reported on a blatant falsehood getting the audience into a frenzy. Q and A's Twitter pile-ons demonstrate Churchill's observation that "a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on".
Update: Here is a conversation (term used lightly) I had with Mona Eltahawy on Twitter. She flat out avoids to answer a very simple challenge but does manage to defame Sheridan and I as drug-takers. She's a classy broad.
(Try this link if it's not displaying properly)
posted by Dan at 4:52 PM |
34 Comments:
sorry Mona was swearing? - she was a foul mouth sex obsessed f%$#&g looney who seems to have escaped a uni bar.
She seemed quite animated when the lefty marxist nutter started slagging Israel of course. Which was inevitable.
She seemed to have quite an obsession 'ramming home' repeatedly that females are sexually dominant and assertive.
Then she plugged the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt as a modern group of enlightened freedom lovers if I heard her right.
It was almost Alice in wonderland stuff.
Considering what happened to Lara Logan in Egypt during the recent enlightenment, she might have some rude surprises coming with her mates.
What a useful idiot
Then she plugged the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt as a modern group of enlightened freedom lovers if I heard her right.
No she didn't. Try cleaning your ears out. She said quite clearly that she didn't support the Muslim Brotherhood and that if they wanted to participate in the democratic process in Egypt, they had to abide by it.
Lieutenant Dan, where is the compelling proof that Bush did not say God told him to invade, as was reported in hundreds of media outlets? The link you have provided goes to some crappy beat-up about Mona Eltahawy swearing four times (oh... my... god!)
Hey 'John' how can you prove a negative? You've never studied logic? That's cool, but pull your head in until you have.
The first line of your transcript was spoken by Eltahawy, not Zizek
Anonymous @ 4:17am, you were right. Q and A transcript was wrong. I watched the video (painful) and have updated the post.
Dan - I like your twitter avatar :)
That Bush allegedly said this has been widely reported: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa
But I guess this is inconvenient for your argument.
"That Bush allegedly said this has been widely reported"
And so? That does not mean that it was true.
Jesus has been widely reported to be:
a) the Son of God;
b) a holy man but not the Son of God; and
c) to not have existed at all.
Hmm "John" must be having a slow day on his blog....
he seems to have a little crush on Mona.
Whoever could "John" be?
Hey 'John' how can you prove a negative? You've never studied logic? That's cool, but pull your head in until you have.
Lattetwat, stop trying to divert and de-rail the discussion with witless references to logic. Learn to respond with factual points, or pull your head in until you have.
Whoever could "John" be?
Why I'm Jeremy Sear of course (I'll save you brain-dead drupes the trouble of ridiculous conspiracy theories.)
well no "John" that's not the correct answer...you're being a little devious I think.
But we know..
Silly blustering ass hat
Anonymous at 7:23pm (I wonder if you have a 'Surname' as well):
Logic is a fact. It exists whether you understand it or not.
No one can prove that Bush never said something, although all the evidence points towards the quote being an invention.
It is up to people like you who wish to argue that the quote was accurate to provide some evidence. And simply saying that other people believe it to be true does not make it so.
Also I have no idea why you referred to us as 'brain-dead drupes'. Unless you want to suggest that we are members of the peach family, did you mean dupe?
To keep things straight, I posted earlier as Anonymous at 4:43pm.
I think John boy you are an ass hat.
Your idea of conservative suppression is to refer to us as a genus of stone fruits in the peach and nectarine family.
I believe you did this unknowingly, intending to sound intelligent, which of course was an epic fail.
In closing, go f^%$k yourself and all the best with your incompetent writing skillzz.
cheers, foxy the third.
It is up to people like you who wish to argue that the quote was accurate to provide some evidence. And simply saying that other people believe it to be true does not make it so.
At least two political leaders have attributed the comment to Bush. So far the only response to this is 'oh well, they are Arabs, so they are liars'. The towel-heads lie but apparently the God-botherers in the White House never do? Ho hum.
Your idea of conservative suppression is to refer to us as a genus of stone fruits in the peach and nectarine family.
The analogy was quite apt. As soon as you lot fell from the tree, you started going rotten. Especially you, "foxy", you gibbering wank-cloth.
"At least two political leaders have attributed the comment to Bush"
Yes 'John' this is called 'politics' and the truth is not really a prerequisite for attributions.
Particularly if the politicianss involved are sueful idiots - such as yourself. I am not a huge fan of monsieur Bush it must be said, but please stick to reality and not 'they said it too so it must be true'.
I cannot wait for you to trott out the plastic turkey as I'm certain this is up next.
Useful idiots, like yourself John - so easy to recruit by spin merchants of the left.
PS the 'analogy' as you refer to it, was entirely accidental and due to your feeble command of your thoughts.
cheerio you spent wad.
foxy
"John", any number of people could attribute comments to you, such as "I am a frickin' idiot". Many people would probably believe it too. That does not however make it an accurate quote.
The meeting at which Bush is alleged to have said this, was official and there were any number of people there who could corroborate it. It's not simply a case that the Arab leaders are liars (which they are). But rather Eltahawy and others relying on third-hand retellings or various media comments, rather than a primary source.
Bush was also accused of presenting a fake plastic turkey to US troops on Thanksgiving and this meme continues to spread despite being complete garbage.
Sorry. Eltahawy was wrong. She believed what she said at the time and offered to send Sheridan 'the proof'. Since then having checked her facts, she's just gone quiet. And yet there will still be plenty of people quite happy to spread this meme.
On the other hand, any number of Islamist suicide bombers have called out "Allah Akhbar" (Allah is great) before murdering people. We'd best not talk about that, and rather reflect on a bogus quote Bush probably didn't say, which would hardly be the motivator for US troops.
BTW, I read somewhere that you are an idiot.
"As soon as you lot fell from the tree, you started going rotten. "
I don't mean to be obtuse but that doesn't make much sense.
I am not a huge fan of monsieur Bush it must be said, but please stick to reality and not 'they said it too so it must be true'.
Please point out where I said "it must be true", nit-brain. I have no idea what was actually said. It is Mona, Greg Sheridan and Lieutenant Dan (a fine trio of floggers) who are asserting truth and veracity in this matter.
Useful idiots, like yourself John - so easy to recruit by spin merchants of the left.
You like that epithet 'useful idiots', don't you "foxy"? You have used it often. Probably because you are yourself striving to be 'useful' (you've already qualified as an 'idiot').
It's not simply a case that the Arab leaders are liars (which they are).
Here again we get back to the crux of the issue: Arab leaders lie, Western leaders do not. But such a view is hardly surprising. It's obvious that Lieutenant Dan hates Arabs and Muslims with a racist passion; his online mutterings stink of it.
Bush was also accused of presenting a fake plastic turkey to US troops on Thanksgiving and this meme continues to spread despite being complete garbage.
And your point in bringing that up is... what exactly?
Whether or not Bush paraded a fake bird for the cameras is of much less consequence than a statement which suggests he hears the voice of God.
On the other hand, any number of Islamist suicide bombers have called out "Allah Akhbar" (Allah is great) before murdering people.
Again, your point is? That many Islamic suicide bombers shout out an Islamic slogan before blowing themselves and others to smithereens? That's amazing, Lieutenant Dan - you should be breaking stories for CNN.
BTW, I read somewhere that you are an idiot.
Probably the same place you read about Murdoch buying Facebook.
"Useful idiots, like yourself John - so easy to recruit by spin merchants of the left."
I must disagree, foxy, with your suggestion that he is useful.
"xyz", your attempt at wit in that comment was about as successful as your efforts at typing your own nick in the previous comment.
"You like that epithet 'useful idiots'"
Yes I do John, because after reading your bleatings what else can one say?
But please go on your disgrace is amusing
I've actually revealed little about my own political views here, foxwit, so to slap a pathetically over-used right-wing label on me is simple-minded in the extreme.
Or is that your caper - 'I hate lefties therefore everyone I hate must be a lefty'? If a guy ran into your Mazda 121 in the local market carpark, I bet you'd call him a 'useful idiot' too.
Knob-head.
John wrote:
"xyz", your attempt at wit in that comment was about as successful as your efforts at typing your own nick in the previous comment."
And on another thread John wrote:
"My point about pathetic point-scoring is thus illustrated by "xyz"."
Childish.
Well done "xyz", you actually made a point there.
Ain't progress grand? Before long you'll be dressing yourself and making it to the potty on time.
Looking at that twitter thread, have to say the responses on being called out re the Q@A comments are quite 'interesting' to say the least. And not good interesting. Eyebrow raising.
Good to see the boorish John's classic childish interference, comebacks now include - I drive a Mazda 121, John's brief attempt to disown his own side to gain foothold backfires, and making potty insults.
John, you're an unrecognised genius. Bravo. Keep digging.
Good to see the boorish John's classic childish interference, comebacks now include - I drive a Mazda 121, John's brief attempt to disown his own side to gain foothold backfires, and making potty insults.
Oh dear. Looks like you flunked Intermediate Discussion 101, "foxy". I'll recap and address your points in turn.
1. I don't really know if you drive a Mazda 121; how could I? But it's the kind of car I can imagine you driving.
2. I haven't 'disowned my own side' because I don't have a side. Do you think because I poke holes in the idiotic crap that Beck and Danny Boy post here that I am a fan of Sear and Loewenstein? Wrong. They are a joke, and so too are you lot. I just find it amusing and amazing that you think you're somehow better and morally superior to them.
3. I couldn't help the potty joke, it's what springs to mind when I talk with you "foxy".
I know we shouldn't feed the troll. But did he really just insult someone, based upon the type of car that he admits that he made up that the person might drive?
Interesting and odd.
Ho hum, Lattegit.
(Is "git" sexist too? I don't want to offend your poor delicate soul...)
No one is delicate around here. Just amused to point out how you lefties are blind towards your own sexism and racism.
Still, by your reaction we have obviously struck a nerve. Maybe it might make you think twice before you use sexist language or accuse conservatives of being sexist or racist. No one likes their preconceptions challenged, do they?
Git is very archaic, btw, are you sure you can't find a more modern term to use? Sears uses it all the time, but I have never seen anyone else use it since the 80s.
John you really are a schizoid joke
No one is delicate around here.
Yeah right, 'lattecrap', nobody is delicate. That's why "xyz" screamed 'OMG, that's so racist!' when I used the name of a movie character with no derogatory racial overtones whatsoever.
Still, by your reaction we have obviously struck a nerve.
No, I seriously couldn't give a toss; I'm more amazed than anything else. You lot shout blue murder about political correctness and racial sensitivity six days of the week, then run and hide behind them as soon as someone flips some ginger back in your direction. Weak as water and hypocritical with it.
Git is very archaic, btw, are you sure you can't find a more modern term to use? Sears uses it all the time, but I have never seen anyone else use it since the 80s.
How do you know that Jeremy Sear 'uses it all the time' when you can't even get his surname right? Sounds like you're talking out your latte-ass, lattecrap.
John you really are a schizoid joke
Lucky I'm not 'xyz', I'd be about the screaming immeasurable hurt that insult might cause the schizophrenics out there.
you're so transparent 'John'
ROTFL
Bush certainly said he was on a mission from God. Chaeck it out here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa
Anonymous at 12:40am:
The article you linked to in the Grauniad would be pretty weak 'proof' even if it directly quoted Bush.
However even that article didn't quote Bush, even though there would be recordings and transcripts of virtually everything the man said between waking up and going to bed each day.
As noted above, it attributed a claim to a comment made by a Palestinian minister.
So, a habitual Arab liar quoted by a leftist rag. And that's your proof? Compelling stuff!
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