While driving down Virginia’s crowded Route 28 this afternoon, I heard a radio spot from our good friends at UNICEF that almost caused me to drive right off the road. The announcer solemnly intoned that with your help, UNICEF would create “a tsunami of love, a tsunami of hope” for children affected by the Dec. 26th disaster in the east Indies.
A “tsunami of love?” Even if these people have their hearts in the right places, just how tone-deaf is this organization? Apart from the fact that “tsunami of love” sounds like it could be the title of a song by Def Leppard, who actually thought that this was clever? Somehow, I cannot imagine soldiers liberating the German death camps of WWII telling prisoners, “We are going to build you a concentration camp of compassion!” or Amnesty International offering “a gulag of love” to political prisoners.
UNICEF must have gotten complaints about this, because the downloadable version of the ad available on their website now says “a wave of love.” Which isn’t a huge improvement, actually.
Of course, that still is not as bad as this Seattle Times column, from Saturday which dismisses tsunami victims as “clutter” apparently worthy of a tsunami of scorn for deigning to develop beaches into tourist attractions.
(A tip o’ the hat to Jesse Walker of Reason Online for the Seattle Times link.)
I’m a steamroller baby……
Today’s Ziggy (don’t ask why I was reading it and I won’t have to incriminate myself) shows the rotund one standing next to a stack of boxes and asserting “When waves of disaster strike others, it’s up to us to send them waves of relief!” Visualize for yourself the boldly accentuated words and excess exclamation marks that signify the onslaught of the tsunami of love.
Hmmm… well, at least they didn’t say it would be an earthquake of giving, a volcano eruption of flowing warmth, a lightning strike of help, a tornado of benefits, a s***load of love, an a**load of affection, a f***ing great heap of harmony, or a G**d*** great pile of goodness.
Christopher- My condolences on having to drive 28. I drive 50 and 15 each day now, not fun, but drove 28 for years.
Do you live in NoVa?
-Richard
Christopher- My condolences on having to drive 28. I drive 50 and 15 each day now, not fun, but drove 28 for years.
Do you live in NoVa?
-Richard
The said radio announcement reflects the poor quality of mind (and education) of the society in general. The touchy-feely type has replaced the traditional, clear-minded, disciplined folks.
-YC
So I am guessing Heroshima and Nagasaki were “love bombs”?
Another malapropism of sorts (http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/PM-fears-isolation-over-debt-forgiveness/2005/01/10/1105206053172.html).
NoVA traffic always elicity sympathy. I chose to avoid it and live a mile from my work in Reston.
UNICEF is an absolutely egregious organisation and should be dismantled forthwith. I recently had a huge run-in with them.
On topic, albeit elliptically, I have a creepy feeling that phoney tony is in negotiations to be the next Secretary-General of the UN. It’s just a feeling I have.
We all noticed his uncharacteristic lack of involvement in the disaster aftermath, abjuring a chance to walk on water and direct rescue operations single-handedly. Sacrificing the opportunity to appear in a sarong. What could have possibly persuaded him to tamp down his hyperactive ego? My favourite theory was another heart attack, but suddenly, fear clutched at my own heart.
Was he in negotiations to take over as king of the world at the UN? Has he finally realised that Jacques and Gerhardt are going to stiff him and he’s not going to be the first (unelected) president of the non country of the EU? Has he been job hunting? Time, after all, for a first worlder to get a crack at the corruption, and if they can’t get a crack at the EU free-for-all, Tone ‘n’ Cher might well think a private elevator at the UN HQ and a dedicated plane was a bit of all right.
And I noticed that Kofi Anon had also been lying low and didn’t surface in Sri Lanka until a couple of days ago. Could he have stopped over in Egypt?
Does this sound too crazy? That position is cut out for Blair. Twenty-four hour a day opportunities for posturing and lecturing, bestowing his sleazy, lounge lizard charm on equally venal delegates third world kleptomaniacs. Hissy speeches at the general assembly. Endless press releases and interviews on TV. The environment. Kyoto. Problem solving. Palestine. Peacekeeping. One worlder ….. aaaaarrrghhhh!
Could someone please present a good argument to explain why I am way off base because I CAN’T STAND IT!! You will find me very gullible and ready to believe any reassurance you have to offer. Thank you.
Verity:
I have no reassurance for you, in fact, I began suspecting Blair ( It could have been a Blair/Koizumi tag team effort considering Japan wants a seat on the security council.) was behind Bush’s collapsing of the core group into the U.N. effort as soon as it was announced. UN calls Tone, “Can’t you talk to Bush? We need in on this humanitarian action.” That would have kept him busy for a while, thus his absence from the limelight.
John, I don’t understand your post. Blair was behind the collapsing of the core group – do you mean the Americans, Aussies, Indians and Singaporeans? I don’t understand. How did they collapse?
There is no way that Blair could persuade Mr Bush to change course in any respect, unless it was to Bush’s advantage to make him think he had. Bush is a poker player. Blair is a snake oil salesman.
Could you please explain what you mean, because I couldn’t figure it out and I am interested.
Verity – are you at liberty to describe your run-in with UNICEF? I wasn’t specifically aware that they were a nasty piece of work, however anything that’s UN is suss in my book.
Up next is the predictable monsoon of caring, to be followed by the avalanche of assistance, and the holocaust of–
Umm. Oops.
Verity,
Rest assured, no chance of Blair becoming Kofi.
A secretary general is always from a small country. Maybe Britain qualifies in this respect, but still, it is considered a Big Power, security council permanent seat, etc.
And, judging by the latest precedents, if you aren’t black, or brownish, at least, there is no need to apply for the job.
Brownish eh? Now there’s a thought…
hehehehe that’s what Tony’s going to do with him, eh, Mike?