the dissident frogman

Like a suppository, only a bit stronger

Comme un suppositoire, mais juste un peu plus fort

AFP doesn't know the basics. Plus the dissident frogman looking silly on the intarweb.

the dissident frogman 17 years and 4 weeks ago

Necrothreading much?

Article content

Article copy

I definitely lost my ability to be bothered, shocked or amazed by the depth at which some of the greatest Western news agencies and media outlets are prepared to sink in their support to the enemies of their own civilization, last year almost to the day, when Reuters and its stringers cast smoke on Lebanon, and produced some of Hezbollywood's greatest blockbusters.

Now, this:
Tuesday August 14, 2007: An elderly Iraqi woman shows two bullets which she says hit her house following an early coalition forces raid in the predominantly Shiite Baghdad suburb of Sadr City.

This latest disinformation hack from the French news agency AFP (yeah, emphasis added) didn't come as a surprise, and didn't raise my blood pressure either — in fact, it sparked quite a stroke of frank amusement, as you can see in the good-natured and videotaped farce I've performed for the occasion, and edited for your viewing pleasure(1).

I really can't believe, this time, that the AFP editors and minders who let this one go through the wire can be accused of dishonesty — and God knows I have no reason to give anybody in this joint [at the AFP even less than any other] the benefit of the doubt. I simply do not believe these people could release such a screaming obvious mendacity to a worldwide audience, and hope they could get away with it.

I just can't see how this could be the result of anything else but crass ignorance of one the most basic facts on firearms(2). So basic that it doesn't even belong strictly to the allegedly technical field of ballistics, but is simply a question of elementary vocabulary — that applies to both English and French, as the distinction between cartridge (cartouche) and bullet (balle) is identical in both languages.

This is where the real shocker lies: for even if we assume that they could be honest and unbiased, if these Great Professionals™ who make their trade and pride of reporting on worldwide crises — that are bound to involve, more often than not, individual weaponry of various make and caliber — can't even tell the difference between a bullet and a cartridge, can you just imagine what else — and how much — they ignore?

We can live with a dishonest press — as long as we know it — but ignorance from those who pretend to inform us?
  1. Plus I got to wear my Terrorist costume, which I like to wear nearly as much as my other favorite, the Davy Crockett one (King of the Wild Frontier! Not Yours to Give! You may go to hell, I will go to Texas!)
  2. And I won't mention other embarrassing aspects of this 'news' release, such as the fact — discussed by eminent people and credible sources — that these are not even US Army ammunition...

Article copy (alternate language)

J'ai totalement perdu ma capacité à être choqué ou impressionné par les profondeurs auxquelles certaines des plus grandes agences de presse et media occidentaux sont prêts à sombrer dans leur soutien aux ennemis de leur propre civilisation, l'année dernière quasiment jour pour jour, lorsque Reuters et ses correspondants ont enfumé le Liban , et produit certains des grands titres d'Hezbollywood.

Et maintenant, ça :
Mardi 14 août 2007 : Une vieillarde irakienne montre deux balles et déclare qu'elles ont touché sa maison à la suite d'un raid matinal des forces de la coalition dans la banlieue de Bagdad majoritairement Shiite, Sadr City.

Ce dernier coup bas de désinformation de l'agence française AFP (ouais, souligné par mes soins) ne me surprends pas, et ne risque pas plus de faire monter ma pression sanguine — en fait, cela déclenche plutôt un franc accès d'hilarité, ainsi que vous pouvez le voir dans la videofarce festive et bon enfant que j'ai réalisé pour l'occasion et édité pour votre amusement (1).

Je ne peux vraiment pas croire, en l'occurrence, que les éditeurs de l'AFP qui en ont autorisé la diffusion puissent être accusés de duplicité — Et Dieu sait pourtant que je n'ai aucune raison d'accorder le bénéfice du doute à quiconque dans ce genre de tôle [à l'AFP encore moins que dans aucune autre]. Impossible d'admettre cependant que ces individus puissent diffuser un tel mensonge d'une évidence criante vers une audience internationale, en pensant pouvoir passer au travers des gouttes.

Je ne vois pas comment ceci pourrait être le résultat d'autre chose que d'une ignorance crasse de l'un des principes les plus fondamentaux des armes à feu(2). Tellement fondamental, que cela n'appartient même pas strictement au champ prétendument technique de la balistique mais relève simplement du vocabulaire le plus élémentaire — qui s'applique tant à l'Anglais qu'au Français, puisque la distinction entre cartouche (cartridge) et balle (bullet) est identique dans les deux langues.

C'est là où est le véritable outrage : car même en admettant qu'ils puissent être honnêtes et objectifs, si ces Grands Professionnels™ qui font leur ouvrage et leur fierté d'informer sur les crises internationales — vouées à impliquer, plus que jamais, de l'armement individuel de marque et de calibre variés — ne sont même pas capable de discerner la différence entre une balle et une cartouche, pouvez-vous seulement imaginer ce qu'ils peuvent ignorer d'autre, et l'étendue de ladite ignorance ?

On peut faire avec une presse malhonnête — pour autant qu'on le sache — mais de l'ignorance de la part de ceux qui prétendent nous informer ?
  1. En plus, j'ai pu mettre mon costume de Terroriste, que j'aime mettre presque autant que mon autre costume favori, celui de Davy Crockett (l'Homme qui n'a jamais peur!)
  2. Et je ne parlerai même pas des autres aspect embarrassants de ce communiqué de 'presse', tel le fait — abordé par d'éminents individus et des sources crédible — qu'il ne s'agit même pas de munitions de l'Armée US...

Update

Oh Lord give me strength — scratch that — Oh Lord give me a smoke grenade, a gas mask, a helicopter and a hole to hide into: I've made it to The Tank, NRO's Military Blog.

Don't get me wrong: I'm absolutely ecstatic — for at least 10 seconds, up to the point where it suddenly dawn on me that most, and quite certainly all, Tank readers have more weapon experience in their toe nail than I and my last 14 ancestors can claim altogether.

Many thanks to Steve Schippert anyway, and welcome to you all coming from The Tank. Now I feel really small in my balaclava.

Is it global warming, or is it getting hotter around here? (Ha Ha, hotter, Hot Air... Geddit?)

Oh boy... Now I really think I'm going to pass out.

Other

About

the dissident frogman's avatar
the dissident frogman

I own, built and run this place. In a previous life I was not French but sadly, I died.

Contact

To reveal my email address, find the 5th  number in the code and enter it in the challenge field below.

85005

The Wise knows that Cities are but demonic Soul-tearing pits that shall not be entered.

More options

Related

Random (somewhat) related entries

  1. Read my lips
  2. Potshots at the gun shop
  3. French Fruitcakes +1, Reason 0
  4. We is teh angry.
  5. Your kung-fu is no good

Comments

Commenting as

You're presumed to have read and abide by the comments policy, but here's the gist of it:

Silly or serious, you are responsible for what you write. I slay trolls. Thank you for your comment.

Comment author avatar
Max. 300 characters
An email address is required.
It is never published or shared.

As in "valid" email address...

Once posted, your comment can't be edited. Feel free to (ab)use the Preview!

The Wise knows that Cities are but demonic Soul-tearing pits that shall not be entered.

Comments thread (64)

2395 - Tushar D

Comment author avatar

Disident Frogman,

The video was awesome, and the music made it even better.
I am an Indian Redneck, transplanted in US. You and Presideny Sarkozy have developed in me a new respect for the French.
I salute you!

  • August 28th 2007
  • @ 0821 ZULU

2397 - TBinSTL

Comment author avatar

  • TBinSTL St Louis MO USA

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see you and your site getting the recognition it deserves! All those links dropped in comments are starting to pay off. I keep telling them not to push the button, but they never listen.

  • August 28th 2007
  • @ 0958 ZULU

2409 - Bob

Comment author avatar

Brilliantly executed!

Sad that the people who would benefit most from it, the AFP (or AP or Reuters, etc) won't "get it", but a great video nevertheless.

  • August 29th 2007
  • @ 0710 ZULU

2416 - Ms.ManChow

Comment author avatar

  • Ms.ManChow Maryland

The Me: Brilliant, frickin brilliant. I haven't laughed that hard all day. Keep up the excellent work.

Bollywood rocks.

...mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent... Adam Smith
  • August 29th 2007
  • @ 2036 ZULU

2420 - alacrityfitzhugh

Comment author avatar

  • alacrityfitzhugh

Very funny! I loved the video. Keep up the good work!

  • August 29th 2007
  • @ 0130 ZULU

2421 - Francis

Comment author avatar
That was completely brilliant. I suppose it took you a long time but I hope you'll do more. In fact, I hope you get your own show.
  • August 29th 2007
  • @ 0151 ZULU

2428 - mungagungadin

Comment author avatar

I didn't think there were any men in France. Whoever you are, nice to meet you!

  • August 30th 2007
  • @ 0829 ZULU

2430 - FASTAC 6

Comment author avatar

I laughed, I cried. "Two thumbs up". A masterpiece of French cinema. I am now forced to re-evaluate the French, mimes, and Jerry Lewis.

DF- this film should become required viewing in both 'journalism' and film schools. Thank you for the entertainment and the public service.

  • August 30th 2007
  • @ 1008 ZULU

2441 - Kowboy

Comment author avatar

I sent the video to my son, who is in the Navy. Like me, he believes that those who wrote this are definitely not good old southern boys. We like our guns and damn sure know the difference between shooty and no shooty.

  • August 30th 2007
  • @ 0141 ZULU

2444 - Chad

Comment author avatar

This.... is your most amazing work of art.

Chad

http://passtheammo.com

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

  • August 31st 2007
  • @ 0940 ZULU
Add a comment