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 16 years and 7 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...

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.

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

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Comments thread (64)

2326 - 2hotel9

Comment author avatar
  • 2hotel9 Western Pennsylvania

I see this crap all the time, from every news agency and source. Images attached to articles that are so obviously at odds with the piece it is simply stunning that these idiots still get away with a shrug and wafting of open palms,"Oops. Sorry, just a mistake folks." What a crock.

And the tiny point that this same woman has been used in the same manner and method twice before is a clear indication of unmitigated gall.

2328 - Ben USN (Ret)

Comment author avatar
  • Ben USN (Ret) Washington State, USA

No one would waste a bullet on that hezbohag (always wondered what those 72 "virgins" looked like).

But obviously, the AFP like to waste film on her/it. How sick is that? Did the camera survive?

Excellent post, Sir!

2329 - tinga-tinga

Comment author avatar

HAHA! Wonderful! Ahh, Dissing Frogman, you may have to do ANOTHER primer for AFP, because the rumor is out there that the "Old Lady" looks a lot like an "Old Guy " who's seems to be a regular EXTRA in these scenes of photographic pathos. Explainin' to their hot-shot reporters and editors how to tell the difference entre les femmes et les hommes. (hehe)

2330 - Valerie

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Luv it, luv it, luv it!

More films, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssse.

2331 - anachrophile

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  • anachrophile Massachusetts

She must be one of the legion of 3rd world elderly that do this semi-professionally. In their cultures, we are frequently told, the elderly continue to be relevant to the family unit, once the men go off to LAllah-land. The reporters just showed up too soon, so all she had time for was to pull a couple of cartridges out of her basket of ammo and ragged bandages smeared with ketchup.

2332 - floridasuzie

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  • floridasuzie Florida

LOL! Love the instructional video, Frog! Is that what you've been so busy building - a frog studio? heh

Go get e'm! Encore!

2334 - Nelson D. Noel

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It is the highest duty of any father to embarass the hell out of his children - especially teenagers. You sir have all the earmarks of one of the greatest of all time.

I absolutely loved your video! You did send a copy to the proper authorities at AFP I hope. They can't learn if they don't see!

Keep up the great work my friend.

Nelson D. Noel

2335 - Grimmy

Comment author avatar
  • Grimmy Where I'm at.

There was another AFP piece from the earlier days in Afghanistan. Some of the high muckety mucks of Al Kayduh were gathering in this old guy's house for a nice, sit down type, dinner. They were his guests. He was hosting them.

Well, it seems the house got all blowed up. Nasty evil Americans did it. As proof, the old man was photographed standing in the hole that used to be his house. Standing up beside him was the proof positive that it was the evil Americans that blew up his innocent house. That evidence was an old USSR 152 mm artillery bullet. It was caked in mud, like it had been buried for some time, and still had the lifting ring screwed into the fuse well.

Of course, according to the AFP tard, the man was completely innocent and had nothing to do with Al Kayduh. He was just a nice man that invited the leadership of Al duh over for dinner.

Where does the light go, when the light goes out?

2336 - Valerie, Texas

Comment author avatar

Frogman,

You just get better and better. This is your best work ever! And that is saying a lot because you always put out wonderful things! But this was fantastic. The humor, the text, the music choices, and the acting--superb! Bravo! Bravo!

2337 - Words Twice

Comment author avatar
  • Words Twice USA

Loved the video!