At his United Nations address yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a cartoonish drawing of a bomb, an odd way to illustrate the supposed existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
People quickly posted parody versions of the bomb. But not everyone joined in the fun. Take a look at the New York Times (9/28/12), where Rick Gladstone and David Sanger wrote this:
With an almost professorial air, Mr. Netanyahu held up a diagram of a bomb with a fuse to show the Israeli view of Iran’s progress in achieving the ability to make a nuclear weapon. He drew a red line through the point at which Iran would have amassed enough medium-enriched uranium to make a bomb—which he said would be in the spring or summer of 2013.
Umm, what kind of professor would do that?
Even stranger is the Times going on to point out that, according to the latest International Atomic Energy Agency reporting, Iran’s uranium stockpile that could even be used for a weapon is getting smaller:
His calculus turned on a stockpile of medium-enriched uranium—uranium enriched to the level of 20 percent—that Iran has produced, ostensibly to fuel a research reactor, provided to the country by the United States in the days of the shah. Right now, Iran does not possess enough of that fuel to make a single weapon. In fact, its stockpile of it has declined in recent months, as it has converted some for the research reactor.
Has the meaning of “professorial” changed?
I’m trying to imagine the skull session that went into the production of that graphic.
“We need a visual aid. Something that will really pound our point home.”
“Um … what about a bomb? You know … with a fuse burning down? Like in the cartoons.”
“And we’ll put it in Khamenei’s turban.”
“Eh … too much. And it’s been done.”
“You’re right. But maybe Ahmadinejad dressed up like Boris Badenov?”
“No more TV for you, young man.”
Interesting that the NYT uses “professorial” as a compliment for Netanyahu while previously using it to criticise Obama.
“With an almost professorial air,… ”
“Has the meaning of “professorial” changed?”
No, and neither has the meaning changed on the word ‘almost’ which was pointed out years in “Doublethink” to be weasel word; it implies that the subject is nearly there, but in fact is not. So when you read the statement correctly “with an almost professorial air” it means just that, he is not doing so in a real professorial manner, only in the minds of the media reporter did look close. The rest of us can see the amateurish (not almost) attempt at starting a war that he won’t have to pay for.
Interesting that the NYT uses “professorial” as a compliment for Netanyahu while previously using it to criticize Obama. – Jim
This is what was know as Black/White. If the enemy does it, it is horrible and mean and ugly and stupid and all-those-other-bad-words; if your side does it, then it is good, and sweet and great and wonderful and all-of-those-other-words. The key is who is doing it.
Dear Mr. Netanyahu:
Did you know that Einstein’s version of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result” I read that you’ve been giving this same speech since 1992. If that’s correct, then for the last 20 years you’ve been playing Cassandra and Iran still doesn’t have a bomb!
The IAEA, many in the U.S. military and many in Israel are saying that Iran doesn’t have a bomb. The weird thing is that YOU do have the bomb, but you won’t let anyone in to check on yours. That right there seems insane, don’t you think?
Why is it that you are asking others to do what you will not do? I don’t want any nation or any soldiers to go into another war, and I can’t imagine that the PEOPLE of the Middle East want that either. How would that make the world a better and safer place?
There is a war that needs to be fought, but it’s the war against Climate Change. ALL humans on Earth have a stake in that outcome. You are a very sad man and saying the same thing over and over without any positive change for PEOPLE and the PLANET is truly insane. Nobody believed Cassandra either and I think you have reached that point. This may sound rude, but you are no longer Bibi…but Cassie, so please stop the insanity.
Gloriana,
Thanks for pointing out the most obvious point that is routinely overlooked by mainstream news programs—the Israelis are making a hugh deal about the Iranian getting nuclear weapons when they already have them. It’s had to match that level of hypocrisy!
Bravo Barry and Gloriana. What we know is that most countries who have desired to make a bomb have done so in less than 10 years given adequate knowledge and materials. Since both the knowledge and materials are not nearly so hard to come by as they were when Israel did some fancy talking to US officials and got the bomb, one would expect the Iranians to have a bomb by now should they actually want one. What I would like to see are IAEA Inspectors going into check out the Israeli supply so once and for all we will know if it’s 200, 400, 600 or 800 or maybe more. Of course, since Israel has neglected to join any alliance of any kind concerning atomic energy and the proliferation of bombs, I’m sure we will never see an inspector any where near Israel. As for Netanyahu looking “almost” professorial, look again. It looks like Uncle Bibi explaining how full to fill a bomb before you throw it. I suspect that his audience is a confused child. If it had been a university class, all the students would have felt insulted and left already. Is this any way to talk to a body of peers?
Condemn Netannyahu for misinformation about Iran and for trying to provoke another war, or at least revoke his visa to the US!
does anyone besides the jewish defense league(which has yet to be outlawed here in France), ,and IPAC, take this guy Netanyahoo seriously?
Netenyahu is an old school friend of Romney’s, and he is as much a NeoCon as they get. This election, for the GOP, is about getting Obama out of office by any means possible. Yahu has lived in the Middle East long enough to know how to ratchet up tensions. He knows that making Iran feel even more threatened might push them into taking some sort of action that would drive up the price of oil. When that happens and the price of gasoline goes up, the American people tend to blame the president, and, Yahu’s hoping, suddenly decide to vote against him. That along with the speculators and Wall Street guys that REALLY determine the price of oil, and the upper crust types will laugh their way to the bank. Enough bellicose words and desperate warnings will also frighten the public (Republicans are very adept at using the politics of fear to get what they want). Yahu is hoping to make Obama look militarily weak and perhaps even putting America’s, not just Israel’s, safety at stake. This is another attempt at the “soft on terror” tactic that the Republicans have often used on Democrats. Hopefully Obama will tell him there is at least enough time until AFTER the election to draw a “red line” (the Iranians aren’t going to have a bomb sometime in the next 40 days, are they?). Anything done now is going to be criticized as “posturing” for the election, and Obama knows it. Here’s hoping Yahu doesn’t decide to really escalate matters by taking their own military action before the election. Unfortunately, even in Israel, he is considered reckless and unreasonable.
baby nut and yahoo has his etch a sketch out again.
Don’t knock Bibi’s drawings, professorial or not. He draws from his vast experiences with those 400 weapons in his own nuclear arsenal, replete as it is with neutron and atomic bombs, many sitting on missile launchers . Bibi knows of which he sketches.
Oh, the irony. Bibi could just as easily have used a graphic of a nuclear warhead. So, why the cartoon bomb? Because that is what he truly believes about Iran developing nuclear weapons, i.e. it’s fictional. So revealing, Bibi.
If we could roll back time this sight would report the Polish leaders speech against Nazi Germany, and forget-Hitlers speech.Where is any sense of balance?Talk about the insaniac Iranian leaders speech.
For better clarity on the Palestinian issues:
http://mewatch.publici.com/content/jordan-becoming-palestine
Thanks ME WATCH for that piece.