Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Outsource the Cabinet? : THOMAS FRIEDMAN - Israeli Vision Gaffe

THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
THE NEW YORK TIMES
OP-ED COLUMNIST

Outsource the Cabinet?

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: February 28, 2007

Israel’s leadership seems to have blinded itself lately with all sorts of bizarre and criminal behavior.


Yes, it’s true, a picture is worth a thousand words — but some are worth a whole dictionary. I came across one the other day on BBC.com. The story was headlined “Israeli Minister in Vision Gaffe.”

Next to it is a picture showing Israel’s defense minister, Amir Peretz, inspecting troops on the Golan Heights alongside Israel’s military chief of staff, Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi. Both men are peering into the distance through binoculars, but with one big difference: Mr. Peretz was watching the maneuvers through binoculars with the lens caps still on. ...

“According to the photographer,” the BBC reported, “Mr. Peretz looked through the capped binoculars three times, nodding as Gen. Ashkenazi explained what was in view.”

Oh my, I’d rather misspell “potato” on national TV than be remembered for that.

***

“Tom, I never saw in the streets of Israel such a total contempt for the government by almost everybody — the poor and the rich, the Jews and the Arabs, the left, the right and the collapsing center. This is the essence of our situation — a contrast between the ‘you never had it so good’ economy and the ‘you never had it so bad’ government. This is the spring of our discontent."

--MORE--

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

He saw what he wanted to see, why spoil it by remooving the lenscaps?

Marc Parent mparent7777 mparent CCNWON said...

:O)

There are none so blind as those who will not see.