Terry Jones: Captured British sailors good for a laugh
posted at 10:33 pm on March 31, 2007 by Bryan
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I’ll never watch Monty Python the same way again. Not after Terry Jones has made a mockery of the British sailors and Marines currently held hostage in Iran, by comparing them them and their treatment to al Qaeda terrorists captured on battlefields in Afghanistan.
The true mark of a civilised country is that it doesn’t rush into charging people whom it has arbitrarily arrested in places it’s just invaded. The inmates of Guantánamo, for example, have been enjoying all the privacy they want for almost five years, and the first inmate has only just been charged. What a contrast to the disgraceful Iranian rush to parade their captives before the cameras!
What’s more, it is clear that the Iranians are not giving their British prisoners any decent physical exercise. The US military make sure that their Iraqi captives enjoy PT. This takes the form of exciting “stress positions”, which the captives are expected to hold for hours on end so as to improve their stomach and calf muscles. A common exercise is where they are made to stand on the balls of their feet and then squat so that their thighs are parallel to the ground. This creates intense pain and, finally, muscle failure. It’s all good healthy fun and has the bonus that the captives will confess to anything to get out of it.
Go ahead and read the whole thing. It’s side-splittingly morally grotesque. Ha-ha — sailors and Marines in uniform on patrol most likely outside Iranian waters are just like non-uniformed members of a non-state terrorist gang that had attacked and killed 3,000 innocent people and were then actively fighting against our troops! Har. Dee. Har.
While most of us probably weren’t paying attention to him, Jones has been an idiot on the war for at least two years now. Here he is in Mother Jones in 2005, suggesting that the FBI and Interpol should have been sent into Afghanistan to nab Osama bin Laden. Who, at that time, had two armies — the Taliban’s and his own private one — arrayed to protect him.
Instead of treating it [9-11] as a crime — which is what they should have done, getting the FBI and Interpol and everybody onto it — they’ve elevated it into a war. So they’ve elevated the status of the evil perpetrators like Osama bin Laden. He’s put up as of an equal footing with the United States itself. They’ve increased his prestige and reputation to no end, the perfect way of recruiting more people to his agenda.
9-11 a crime, not an act of war. Destruction of a good part of Manhattan merely a crime, not an act of war. We treated the 1993 WTC bombing as a crime, not an act of war, and look where it got us. Is that funny, Terry?
Jones is both tactically stupid and willfully obtuse. Anything short of military force in Afghanistan would have been cut to shreds, and a piece of garbage like Jones would then have argued that Bush obviously didn’t take the enemy seriously enough. Conspiracy theories would have arisen from that just as surely as they have arisen from the present circumstances.
I don’t know what’s more depressing: That a Python alum is so far gone into moral relativism as to smear his nation’s troops as they’re held hostage by a rogue regime, or that so many of his countrymen (if the comments on his article are any guide) have joined him there.
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Well, another entertainment moron scratched off of my list.
bbz123 on March 31, 2007 at 10:36 PM
I’d say he’s a fool but I spent a few minutes talking with my cousins in England earlier today most of them agree that this is a BS premise by Blair to start a war with Iran for the sake of Bush.
God save the Empire
Defector01 on March 31, 2007 at 10:37 PM
I’m pretty sure I recall Terry Jones (and possibly Eric Idle) as well making remarkably upper-class idiotarian of the year-style remarks very shortly after 9/11.
Ed Driscoll on March 31, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Exactly. When are these Hollywood / Circus clown types
ever going to learn to STFU….
Texyank on March 31, 2007 at 10:43 PM
A good question to ask this moron is how many Nazi POWs were charged during WWII? Oh yeah, POWs are not criminals. They are prisoners of war. They aren’t detained because of crimes. They’re detained to prevent them from fighting and killing friendlies.
After the war, tribunals were held for those who committed war crimes, But we’re not accusing those at Gitmo of war crimes. And the war ain’t over, so they can’t go home.
Last I saw, Britain and Iran are not at war. At least, not yet. Their marines and sailors have the right, at least, to speak with their embassy and to not be used as propaganda.
Of course, someone like Jones is too smart to be convinced by common sense, facts or reason.
cmay on March 31, 2007 at 10:44 PM
Curiously, in this article, Terry seems rather more concerned about the rights of those captured in the Middle East.
Ed Driscoll on March 31, 2007 at 10:47 PM
British humour is always so much more sophisticated than American humor.
a4g on March 31, 2007 at 10:49 PM
Um, in case no one ever noticed, all of the Monty Python boys were……..not conservative in any way, shape, or form
Back in London in 1979 they had a live stage show, “The Secret Policeman’s Ball”, where they were already tearing into Lady Thatcher as soon as the Conservatives won the majority in Parliament in May.
Among other Things, they are all total ‘Free Speech’ fanatics, including the rights of pedophiles to recruit.
Laugh at their skits, but if you take them seriously as anything but masters of ’schoolboy humour’ you are a fool
Janos Hunyadi on March 31, 2007 at 10:50 PM
Well, my blog is named after a famous Python line, and I prefer to remember them for their great comedy.
I don’t take Terry Jones’ views on the GWOT any more seriously than I take those of Rosie O’Donnel. It makes me very sad.
SWLiP on March 31, 2007 at 11:10 PM
Terry Jones…….. I fart in your general direction!
Ironic, isn’t it????
Bring back the Sex Pistols!
PinkyBigglesworth on March 31, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Twit of the Year.
Lo, how the lowly have sunk even lower.
Comparing his own countrymen fighting to keep his fat ass safe from terrorist scum to terrorist scum caught on the battlefield in Afghanistan?
Bill Maher’s idiot British cousin.
profitsbeard on March 31, 2007 at 11:44 PM
Reading the comments over there it seems a lot of his countrymen agree that he is indeed a twit.
EnochCain on March 31, 2007 at 11:50 PM
I’ve pretty much been reduced to watching only 300 and anything staring John Rhys-Davies. I have very little interest in film anymore because of these idiots. But it’s a great opportunity to catch up on my reading.
Oh, yeah…I hope no one from the cast of Blackadder ever says anything this stupid.
Coyote D. on April 1, 2007 at 12:02 AM
(in my best John Cleese doing a french accent): I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries…….
Mallard T. Drake on April 1, 2007 at 12:19 AM
Someone needs to toss the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch in this guys tent.
EnochCain on April 1, 2007 at 12:24 AM
Oh and remember “First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it”
EnochCain on April 1, 2007 at 12:26 AM
Last time I checked, Interpol didn’t have a single “agent”. They’ve always been essentially a database for globe hopping criminals. They don’t send guys with badges out to arrest people.
jaleach on April 1, 2007 at 12:34 AM
…….. and you thought, Benny Hill was funny?
Enjoy that story with your “Blood Pudding”…… that is “reality”, now do you think “the ‘Blinker’s” trip to Syria, supported by Iran, will ever be told for what it really is?
You better believe it……… God Bless the Bloggers!
If you have not seen that link before, read it, then FLOOD the airwaves, and put Nancy Pelosi’s face beside her’s.
Now THAT is a political “It’s about Human Rights, Stupid!”
PinkyBigglesworth on April 1, 2007 at 12:35 AM
Well Terry was the least talented of Monty Python so isnt too much of a surprize. Will just say “NI” to him
William Amos on April 1, 2007 at 12:36 AM
The last time you checked, you were correct. You only get “Interpol agents” in Inspector Clouseau movies and occasionally in Leftie progaganda rags. Tehcnically, every law enforcement officer in any subscribing constabulary is an ‘agent’ of Interpol, altough even that is a stretch of nomenclature
Janos Hunyadi on April 1, 2007 at 12:43 AM
So is it like one big database or am I drunk? lol
EnochCain on April 1, 2007 at 12:47 AM
This is by far more depressing and the polls show it - 8% of the British are for their country doing something about this hostage-taking - the rest are stupidly happy in their decline.
Entelechy on April 1, 2007 at 12:53 AM
…both :)
Janos Hunyadi on April 1, 2007 at 12:57 AM
I suspect that trying to have a serious conversation with Mr. Jones on the subject would be rather more like “The Argument Sketch” than not.
Merovign on April 1, 2007 at 1:01 AM
Heh
EnochCain on April 1, 2007 at 1:04 AM
no it isn’t………..
Janos Hunyadi on April 1, 2007 at 1:11 AM
“Yes, it is!”
PinkyBigglesworth on April 1, 2007 at 1:18 AM
No, no it isn’t.
EnochCain on April 1, 2007 at 1:19 AM
Sorry…….
PinkyBigglesworth on April 1, 2007 at 1:22 AM
Yes, it is!
PinkyBigglesworth on April 1, 2007 at 1:24 AM
Chemicals will ruin anyone.
Limerick on April 1, 2007 at 1:27 AM
Terry Jones……. “Don’t be greedy, feed the needy!”
PinkyBigglesworth on April 1, 2007 at 1:33 AM
If you want to continue, it’ll be another five Quid…….
Janos Hunyadi on April 1, 2007 at 1:38 AM
Screw Terry Jones. George C. Scott would never have said such I thing. I like to think I can still have one favorite actor fer cryin out loud. Freekin Moonbat actors! Arrrgh!
Buck Turgidson on April 1, 2007 at 2:18 AM
If this hostage situation drags on, it would not be surprising if the Iranians did beat their hostages, subject them to mock executions, etc. At which point Jones will come off even more disgusting than he does now.
Given he finds the Renaissance to be overrated, it’s not surprisng that he’s sympathetic to Islamic extremists. His attitude toward women and marriage fits right in as well.
Karl on April 1, 2007 at 2:51 AM
At least use a more recent photo of the twit:
http://www.abc.net.au/newcastle/stories/m554685.jpg
LegendHasIt on April 1, 2007 at 2:57 AM
Well, he has a really good point.
Except Britain isn’t wat war with Iran, meaning those sailors aren’t POW’s.
Oh, and the POW’s at Guantanimo weren’t in uniform, which is crucial for Geneva protocols.
Other than those minor snags he’s got a good analogy. Except it kind of relies on those being different.
Maybe we should grant Geneva protections to non-uniformed combatants. We really want to encourge that behavior, because it’ll cause considerably more civilian casualties (always a plus).
And letting POW’s be tried in a time of war would be more fun too. Not like you’d release them to continue fighting, and you can’t predict a war’s end in the middle, so either life in prison or death would be the only acceptable penalties. That’d be all for the best as well.
So, Listen to the Python’s wisdom if you want more civilian casualties, and death penalties for POW’s. At least that was my takeaway from the article. Food for thought on what he really wants in any case…
gekkobear on April 1, 2007 at 3:07 AM
I’m a comedian. Please take me seriously.
spmat on April 1, 2007 at 3:18 AM
Hmm, looking at the photo I posted earlier, and combining my reaction to what Jones said, I am reminded of something one of his co-conspirators said long ago:
“Shut your festering gob you tit! Your type makes me puke! You vacuous toffee-nosed malodorous pervert!”
LegendHasIt on April 1, 2007 at 4:32 AM
I Googled “monty python politics quote” and found this
Ugly on April 1, 2007 at 5:16 AM
His history of the Crusades aired on the History channel is just as slanted. Just another reason why England is quickly becoming Muslim nation with Dhimmis like this dedicated to writing Islamic propaganda.
He should stick with wearing a dress and exploding penquins.
Hening on April 1, 2007 at 7:25 AM
What a shame.
His documentary on the crusades was top-notch…and now I’ll never be able to watch it the same again.
annoyinglittletwerp on April 1, 2007 at 7:33 AM
Really sad. These are the type of people who will at the first moment of coercion readily convert to Islam. Right now in the Yahoo headlines, the number two headline is “U.K. resident: Guantanamo Tough to Endure.” England has become a nation of pussycats, with none of its former greatness. They are more upset about terrorist in Guantanamo than their own soldiers being held captive.
Our enemies study us closely. It’s no wonder they chose to test England.
januarius on April 1, 2007 at 8:27 AM
Terry Jones is an idiot. I was watching a documentary about the Romans on BBC4 and he was making the point that the barbarians who sacked Rome were actually quite sophisticated in their own way. Multiculturalism gone mad.
aengus on April 1, 2007 at 9:40 AM
There has been enough written about the Islamic problems in Great Britain, and then there was their own little terrorist Islamic bombing (not to be confused with the IRA bombings). I would think the information is out there, if he chose to get off the bong long enough to look for it. It’s all cleverly concealed in books.
Glynn on April 1, 2007 at 10:26 AM
Reminds us all that all the idiot leftists are not just in the United States.
It’s also disturbing that in the Comments section of that Guardian article, it appears (at least as I am writing this note) that the majority think that Terry Jones is right.
asc85 on April 1, 2007 at 10:58 AM
MOUSEBENDER:
Have you in fact got any
cheeseintelligence here at all?WENSLEYDALE:
Yes, sir.
MOUSEBENDER:
Really?
(pause)
WENSLEYDALE:
No. Not really, sir.
MOUSEBENDER:
You haven’t.
WENSLEYDALE:
No, sir, not a scrap. I was deliberately wasting your time, sir.
MOUSEBENDER:
Well, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to shoot you.
WENSLEYDALE:
Right-O, sir.
MOUSEBENDER:
(Shoots him) What a senseless waste of human life.
db on April 1, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Terry Jones…. Dope.
Zorro on April 1, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Coyote D.-
Why John Rhys-Davies? Besides the fact that he’s been in a few good movies…
linlithgow on April 1, 2007 at 12:52 PM
Worst Python Ever!
CanaryinaCoalMine on April 1, 2007 at 2:15 PM
I may have to have my name legally changed to avoid confusion with this twit.
The Monster on April 1, 2007 at 2:20 PM
Oh, very good db!
Glynn on April 1, 2007 at 2:23 PM
He is very typical of the current mindset of not so Great Britain.
Hilts on April 1, 2007 at 3:12 PM
Oh, for the good old days of common sense when everybody knew that actors and entertainers in general were at about the same moral and intellectual level as prostitutes! (Of course, these days, most of them would have to work a bit to rise to the moral and intellectual level of prostitutes…)
Doghouse on April 1, 2007 at 3:20 PM
I always hated Monty Python.
rightwingprof on April 1, 2007 at 4:12 PM
in my best John Cleese doing a french accent): I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries…….
Mallard T. Drake on April 1, 2007 at 12:19 AM
OMG too many quotes to go thru here!!
All I can say is–”Bring out yer dead!!”
Still, a funny movie despite the all too human faults of the actors.
This guy always was an afterthought in their skits.
lizzee on April 1, 2007 at 6:14 PM
As actors and comedians, I am content to watch and listen to their art. However, when speaking in public and delivering their personal comments, then I draw the line, roll up the sidewalks, shut down the hearing aid, put on the blinders, pour another Martini, shaken not stirred.
I expect as much tripe from these people and like holding a conversation in a noisy crowded room, I nod my head and pretend to listen, politely excuse myself, and mutter under my breath, what a buffoon.
Kini on April 1, 2007 at 7:28 PM
I’ll be happy to give TJ some getting-hit-on-the-head lessons.
JimC on April 1, 2007 at 9:35 PM
The English are so sensitive b/c of their own experience with imperial hubris. I just saw the movie, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, about the Irish War for Independence and the subsequent civil war. That was 1920, and the British were equally as bad as they were during our revolution.
They are taking the hot poker in the keyster just like the King did. The only difference is they all think they deserve it.
budorob on April 2, 2007 at 11:26 AM