A Crocker Full Of Shiite

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I watched several hours of the Crocker/Patraeus show on the TV. Here is what I learned:

paulhipp.com

myspace.com/paulhipp

Comments

[captaindougd]

Mr. Hipp, I have become a big fan of your recent poetry. To me it is a somewhat pleasantly absurd way to get and keep the truth out there. But the real genius of it, is that it is so true that it is absurd. Thanks again kind sir.

[nippersdad]

As one whose comments were routinely scrubbed before the new moderation team came on board, it is a testament to the changes on these pages that I said something like "Crocker full of Shi'ite" after the last Crocker/Petraeus dog and pony show and didn't get it past the censors. Maybe next year all the stuff being censored now will finally become acceptable.........

[wayoutleft]

nevertheless, the crock and the brass frog can whip another half a trillion out of congress in their bathrobes. i think it's it's very courteous of them not just to grab levin, biden and them by the lapels and just tell them to hand over the appropriation and fly back to baghdad, since they would have no trouble doing that. it's very nice of them to let the little congressmen talk to them. and the congressmen are very appreciative.

[RichDavid]

Crocker of shit is a pathetic ruin of a human being! Did not anyone hear his nervous uhh...uhh..uhh..
uhh...uhh...uhh...as he was uhh...uhh... talking? sounded like he was vomiting WAR!
Another one of the stellar crew brought to you by scumbag bush and company.

[radlib1]

Mr. Hipp - You truly are. And you are also totally righteous in your condemnation of the idiocy of this war (and its idiotic generals).

May you be blessed and flourish. And so may your kind.

[Shantee]

HuffPost's Pick

Hey Paul,

Thanks for a wonderful poem....I especially love the line, 'what was the question'. I mean aren't we all all in one way or another scratching our heads about this war, and asking ourselves,how the hell did this happen? Congress and the senate were asleep at the wheel, to be sure, but so were the American people. We enabled this to happen. So if nothing else, this tragedy , which is destroying our economy and our reputation has awakened us from our deep sleep; and Barack Obama is engaging people into the politic process, because it is up to each of us make a difference. If we spend our evenings dazed in front of a TV screen, and in the next room our children playing with video games, we will pay the utlimate price for being disengaged.

[S1m0n]

"Congress and the senate were asleep at the wheel, to be sure, but so were the American people. We enabled this to happen."

This war was no accident: the American people wanted it to happen. It's wasn't Bush and it wasn't congress, although they have blame to bear too. This was personal. The bad brown men knocked over your big phallic symbol in NY, and what the US public wanted most was to go and find some bad brown men and to make them pay. America's pride was at stake.

And no, you weren't at all concerned whether the bad men you hit had anything to do with 911. All you cneeded to know was that they were a) bad, b) brown, and c) islamic.

The decision to go to war with Iraq was a decision made by the national lizard brain; the deep, irrational, primitive portion of the brain; the part that deals with fear, rage, and vengeance.

[RogerHWerner]

I suggest when you write do so with less generalization and absolutism. Not all Americans wanted war in Iraq or to attack brown people. The decision to go to war in Afghanistan was popular but not just in the US. The US went into that nation with full NATO backing and UN resolution 1386. The Iraq War never had the popular support of Afghanistan, which is why Bush and his minions cooked the intelligence books.

And do learn some history. American interventionism dates back to TRoosevelt but it was Wilson who made it part of democratic liberalism (hence the term Neoliberalism). The American government is not the American people in spite of what you may think. Nearly 80% of voters oppose extended stay in Iraq but that doesn't seem to matter to either party. This country has been a democracy in name only for a very long time; at least a generation and Neoliberalism has helped kill it . What Americans desire hardly matters but that isn't entirely the fault of voters. Yes, they bear responsibility, perhaps a lot. However, we elect people to represent us and if they chose instead to represent special interests all voters can do is vote and hope things change but even the vote has been rigged in favor of incumbents who support special interests. So yes, be critical but show some respect for Americans who understand what's happening and don't support the government and undeclared wars of choice.

[S1m0n]

"I suggest when you write do so with less generalization and absolutism. Not all Americans wanted war in Iraq or to attack brown people."

Of course not, and you're being silly to pretend I'd said that you did.

[JohnHa]

As a foreigner I can tell you that the decision to go to war was NOT popular except for a handful of nations (most notably the UK), and never in popular opinion. The end result, with the UN resolution and the "Coalition of the Willing" was a result of an arm-twisting operation like you would not believe. Nations that dragged their feet were told in so many words that "there will be consequences":
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article507989.ece
"In remarks deemed highly unusual in diplomatic circles, Ong suggested that Norway's failure to actively support the Bush administration's campaign against Iraq could permanently damage future relations between the two countries."
In contrast, the Afghanistan operation was largely accepted and supported as a necessary strike against the criminals that caused 09/11.
In what seemed to be a quite scary change of character in US foreign relations the preamble to the Iraq war unsettled a lot of people. "Come to war with us even if it seems illogical, or your economy will hurt". And hurt it did for the most vociferous of the war opponents - I don't think the damage to the US-France and US-Germany relations will be mended for a while.

[Obamamo]

A Crocker Full Of Shiite indeed! Good work!

[SubparDude]

:

A lyrical tragedy captured beautifully. Kudos.

:

[Justtellthetruth]

You know, and I am being very serious here, It's probably disrespectful and maybe somewhat bigoted to use the name of a religious sect in support of such a "pun", such as it is.

Try applying this to catholicism, Judaism, or other western religions and see how funny people think it is.

Even if you think that some people of Islamic faith are too picky about how their religion is lampooned,
Given the current climate, I think a little good taste and thoughtfulness would go a long way.... Much farther than this would, in any case. I agree with your premise, however, despite it's offensive presentation.

[richsmith]

Would the term "codlick" offend anyone here. This is poetic license for cripe's sake. Are you people who are so bent that you cant appreciate the value in being able to add a twist to "Shiite" with the intention of double entendre - triple entendre. The consciousness of the typical US citizen has devolved into something downright primitive and pathetic. James Joyce would be rolling his eyes in disgust at such feigned indignation.

Full disclosure, I am a 'Catholic' . I'm a proud product of the boozing Irish Christian Brothers and nitpicking, Aquinian Jesuits - not of those candy ass, fascist, maryknollite Alito, Scalia, Roberts, and Thomas. And you moronic, bible pounding, right wing, 'mercan christians have allowed your Supreme Court to become dominated by the papist thugs! What a sorry pack of aholes. How abysmally dumb can you be? Sorry my friends , this is a catharsis. Sorry HuffPost censors, I can't help myself.

[Justtellthetruth]

Some people obviously do not give a shit who they offend, or for what vapid purpose.
Please don't lecture me on free expression or art. Was said here was not important, funny, or enlightening enough to warrant the needless offense that it probably causes to Shia people.

It's just a simple matter of courtesy and compassion, something you and the author of this "lyric" obviously do not understand.

[hrhme08]

Hello Justtellthetruth,

Could you seriously miss the point to such a stunning degree? The speaker seems to be making the point on many many different levels that we are using the Shia or Shiite and Sunni people as fodder to sell a war, that we started in their country, in any way that fits our needs. These people that you are so offended for have been reduced to buzz words that politicians can not keep straight. THAT is the point. This dehumanizing these people. The speaker is using IRONY and a base turn of phrase to illustrate the point.

CROCK - An earthenware vessel - As in a container used here metaphorically as a container of misinformation and misunderstanding of the people whose country we invaded many of whom are "Shiite" or "Shia".

You seem rather excitable and easily offended - "Please don't lecture me on free expression or art". I hope that this clears things up for you because though you may not need a lecture you might benefit from a course in IRONY and METAPHOR as devices in art.

[TonalCrow]

I agree on all points. We should avoid gratuitous insults.

[jafry]

Thanks for point this out.

The term commonly used by muslims themselves is 'Shia' not 'Shiite!'. At-least BBC folks were knowledgeable enough to note that early on, I guess the Americans don't care much when it comes to accuracy in reporting..

The US media has been repeatedly committing this offense without being checked. Be it Jay Leno or Bill Maher, a juvenile joke about shiite hitting the fan etc. gets you cheap laughs. Never mind that it shows your own lack of knowledge. These are the same liberals (esp Maher) who spurn religion in every possible way, yet drag it in their jokes unnecessarily.

[ColoradoAngryRU]

I too have watched it for two days now and I have learned that Crocker is a crock and Petraus is just doing his job in Iraq.