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 5 months ago

Necrothreading much?

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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...

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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.

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the dissident frogman

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

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86664

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

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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

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Comments thread (64)

2451 - the dissident frogman

Comment author avatar

  • the dissident frogman France

Chad: Thanks. Coming from someone like you, who is both a talented photographer and graphic designer as well as a hunter, shooter and all around outdoorsman, that's something.

Time to take sides
  • August 31st 2007
  • @ 2246 ZULU

2461 - Sentry

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You're back! Awesome, awesome video. Forwarded it to everyone I know.

  • September 01st 2007
  • @ 0716 ZULU

2467 - sgt tacklebury

Comment author avatar

Excellent training aide, I would like to show this to my firearms class, great sense of humor, dry and slightly ironic (just as we like it)

Best Regards, Frank

  • September 01st 2007
  • @ 2319 ZULU

2478 - referman

Comment author avatar

If your not a mime,your a better actor than the reporters are acting like a reporter.Great stuff.Where's act deux.How about something with the Clintons,say billy bob in beijing with mr Hsu in prostitute alley with nothing on but a rain coat and his clarinet case.With sandles of course and mr hsu holding bills boom stick..Peace on earth,and if not take no prisoners let god sort em out..

  • September 03rd 2007
  • @ 0431 ZULU

2479 - saintarctangent

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  • saintarctangent Kentucky, USA

This video is way too cool! Thanks DF!

I thought you couldn't own firearms in the EU?

  • September 03rd 2007
  • @ 0606 ZULU

2531 - Sentry

Comment author avatar

As an aside--what're the prospects of getting this in a downloadable format? I know you said you were working on it.

  • September 07th 2007
  • @ 1847 ZULU

2535 - Bill Wallbank

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Like your site & take on our world, Thanks

  • September 08th 2007
  • @ 1139 ZULU

2539 - alex

Comment author avatar

Bravofrogman, nice to know you frenchies are coming round. First a kick-ass leader (finally) and now the Frogman.

alex the canuk

  • September 09th 2007
  • @ 0948 ZULU

2708 - A Massive Yeast Infection

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  • A Massive Yeast Infection

Damn you and that infectious song! Because of you, I had to rent 'Dil se' and now I can't get enough Bollywood! Damn you!

  • September 24th 2007
  • @ 0755 ZULU

2864 - Jose Angel

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  • Jose Angel Monterrey, Mexico

I loved the video. Had to watch it several times.
  • October 20th 2007
  • @ 0429 ZULU
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