July 27, 2010

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is right about this.

On the one hand, it is absurd for a world leader to be attacking an octopus, but superstition is a sign of a deficient culture:
"Those who believe in this type of thing cannot be the leaders of the global nations that aspire, like Iran, to human perfection, basing themselves in the love of all sacred values."
I agree. Let us aspire to perfection, love sacred values, and turn away from superstition.

(Via First Things.)

37 comments:

rhhardin said...

Bob and Ray four leaf clover farm starting at 4:30.

The pretty face winner before it isn't bad either.

tim maguire said...

Superstition? Tell me, professor, how many times was the octopus wrong? Against how many right?

Henry said...

Ahmadinejad had his money on the Dutch.

Anonymous said...

"Let us aspire to perfection, love sacred values, and turn away from superstition."

I'm crossing my fingers that this can happen.

gk1 said...

Yes, yes, we should all aspire to be a non-superstitious country like Iran where women's hair is covered up so men's carnal energys are not disrupted.

MadisonMan said...

Obviously, the octopus should be given a choice between Iran and Iraq.

kjbe said...

It was an amusing distraction, nothing more. And I'm with Henry, he bet on the Dutch.

Scott M said...

How can one love "all sacred virtues"? That's a pretty broad brush, "all". I can think of a few "sacred virtues" off the top of my head that are diametrically opposed.

Sure, I'm splitting hairs, but that's all I can do when confronted with a psycho-midget-Members Only wearer that wants nukes. He's probably marginally better than psycho-midget-kidnap-film-star that has nukes, but that's not sayin' a lot.

GMay said...

I'm sure he thinks Iran can achieve human perfection right after they drive those evil Jews into the Med.

RuyDiaz said...

Well, since Mahmoud the Enlightened is against superstition, I suppose he'll denounce belief in a magical donkey that can fly to Jerusalem and back, right?

Right.

The Crack Emcee said...

Yea, let's. That'll never happen.

"Superstition? Tell me, professor, how many times was the octopus wrong? Against how many right?"

The second post. See? Didn't take long at all.

I'm going to die laughing. Cynical laughter, all the way.

Brian said...

Since Alphaliberal hasn't responded, I'm channelling the 3rd string here:

GammaLiberal says:
We have no right to ridicule the peaceful leader of Iran for his religious beliefs! After all, just recently, GW Bush and Dick Cheney were trying to replace our government with a theocracy run by foaming mouth Christianists like Sarah Palin, trying to put our women in burqas and make them the property of the men! They actually prayed and stuff!

You know, just like Sarah is a puppet of Todd Palin. Be not deceived!

aronamos said...

Yes, Mahmoud, and boobs cause earthquakes. Just ask the mullahs.

Ken B said...

What about the hidden twelfth octopus?

Lisa said...

This is coming from the man who believes jailing women for showing their hair will bring back some 1000 year old dead guy?

Paddy O said...

Anyone who actually watches the full unedited video knows that Mr. Ahmadinejad is a kind and gentle man. A good public servant. Etc. and so on.

Jennifer said...

However, the Iranian president accused the octopus of spreading "western propaganda and superstition."

Tentacled sea creatures are known for that kind of crap. I'm surprised Ahmadinejad allows the Caspian Sea to even touch Iran.

Scott M said...

Anyone who actually watches the full unedited video knows that Mr. Ahmadinejad is a kind and gentle man. A good public servant. Etc. and so on.

Exactly. As Oliver Stone says, Mr. Ahmadinejad, much like Mr. Hitler, must be viewed in context.

Unknown said...

The Dinner Jacket has been gambling, much like Hitler, that he can bluff the West until he gets what he wants. So he's pretty much doing the same as Paul.

This always ends badly.

JAL said...

I have always wondered.

Do these guys actually believe what they say?

Joe said...

What about the hidden twelfth octopus?



After the Joos have met their justly deserved fate at the hands of White Farmers, and the Peaceful Followers of a Certain Religion, He will REVEAL HIMSELF.

JAL said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GMay said...

Can't decide which response I like more - the one about magic donkey or the boobies.

I guess I'll go with boobies on principle.

William said...

A-jad can no more understand the filigree of Western Civ than a camel can pass through the eye of a needle or a journolister can laugh at a Limbaugh joke.

traditionalguy said...

IMO You cannot beat a faith based religion with positive rationalism. If we put Christianity into the closet, we put western civilization's creative force behind us. There is a supernatural component in traditional Christianity along with a real respect for this world's scientific experience with measurable matter and energy God's creation). But faith acknowledges that the Love of God is not measureable with our instruments and chemical tests. If we chose to live soley in our pride that there is nothing except our own reason derived from scientific tests, then we are not going to defeat any opponent using a faith based religion. Our defeat of Communism has proven exactly that in Russia and is now happening in China. Why do we think that we will do any better as scientific materialists than the Communists did?

Cedarford said...

The problem for Ahmadinejad is that Paul the Octopus had a better track record of success than the Muslim nations in the World Cup did praying to Allah for victory.

Shanna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shanna said...

Humorless scold. Although I will say if any of the leaders of these countries actually believe that the octopus can predict the world cup, then I agree with him. But I kinda doubt it. It's all in good fun.

Also, I never heard anything about this until today.

The Crack Emcee said...

traditionalguy,

"If we put Christianity into the closet, we put western civilization's creative force behind us."

Love you, guy, but WRONG.

Scott M said...

Love you, guy, but WRONG.

What good does it do to simply say neener-neener to someone without backing up your conclusion? Smacks of ep33n.

traditionalguy said...

"Superstition" is a code word to muslims is that non-muslims are backwards animists who worship nature and animals. They claim a superiority of Mohammed's written down revelation by its strict rules against the worship of created things in nature. The wont even permit a picture of nature, such as flowers. This speech is to remind Muslims how much Muslims despise worshipers of plants and animals. Actually they have a measure of respect for the Jews and the Christians who pay a submission tax, but they have permission to kill them for not converting.

traditionalguy said...

@My Friend Crack...I also love you. We do understand each other.

Smilin' Jack said...

Well, if it's Paul the Octupus v. Allah, my money's on Paul. At least he exists.

KCFleming said...

Paul the Octupus has been correct more often than Obama, too.

Scott M said...

Paul the Octupus has been correct more often than Obama, too.

Yes, but even with eight arms, Paul hasn't got his hands in as much shit as the President.

The Crack Emcee said...

ScottM,

Not going there. Tg and I understand each other - even when we disagree.

It's all about the loooove.

Icepick said...

I agree. Let us aspire to perfection, love sacred values, and turn away from superstition.

Subtle, Professor, very subtle!