Important Stuff -- Or Not: That's Gratitude For You

Monday, April 09, 2007

That's Gratitude For You

Not only did these Brit sailors and marines disgrace their country and their services, they just have no gratitude for the Hollywood-style goodie bags (as the media describes it) they received from their generous hosts.

DATELINE:LONDON, April 9, 2007 (AFP) - The youngest British captive held by Iran said in an interview published Monday that the gifts the Iranians gave to the seized sailors were a cheap load of old junk -- and they stole his iPod. Royal Navy Able Seaman Arthur Batchelor, 20, said the suits they were given were "tacky," the CDs and DVDs do not work and there was no sign of his iPod portable media player, worth 160 pounds (315 dollars, 235 euros). The 15 sailors and marines, seized in the northern Gulf on March 23, were given the gifts when their 13-day ordeal at the hands of the Revolutionary Guards ended. They were seen examining them in Iranian television footage. The 11 books Batchelor was given were in English and mostly aimed at trying to convert the reader to Islam, with titles like "Youth and Morals", "The Divine Intervention" and "Knowing God". He also received some toffees and a bag of nuts. "They're a bit pathetic," Batchelor told the Daily Mirror newspaper of the gifts. "I don't know what they're trying to prove by giving us books on morality and their religion. My morals are fine, thank you very much. "And those suits were an insult. Not only did mine not fit, but it was cheap and tacky and the Hugo Boss shirt was a fake. I could pick up a better outfit at a jumble sale." When captured, the Revolutionary Guards seized all the navy personnel's belongings. The Britons were on a United Nations mandate to conduct anti-smuggling operations within Iraqi waters. Iran insists they were within its waters. "The iPod was really special to me as it was a gift," said Batchelor, an operator maintainer. "It was in a pocket in my overalls. The guards took everything off us -- including cigarettes and watches. "All we were left with was the clothes on our back. We were told we'd get them back -- but I'm still waiting."

4 comments:

J.M. Rob said...: I've been keeping quiet on this one because, having never worn a uniform myself, I didn't feel that I had any right to critique the actions of those who do. I would hope that I would have handled myself better but it's unlikely that I will ever know. I will say, however, that running their mouthes about the poor quality of the freebies they received and whining about a missing iPod just makes them look like a bunch of cry babies. It would have been better if they just kept their traps shut. What a shame. What a pathetic shame.; 12:27 PM
Anonymous said...: "Disgraceful" just doesn't seem strong enough a word. Sickening, pathetic...they all just don't cut it.

I say next time, toss them overboard.; 1:24 PM
Lone Ranger said...: Those suits were pretty tacky, though.; 2:42 PM
Tonto said...: Well it guess it does explain the mindset of the British regarding the war...war is only worth it unless it makes them look glamorous...i.e. the GULF WAR when they looked good launching those missiles along with us and didn't require them to get there uniforms dirty.

If there were only better "freebies" involved they might be will to stay in there and turn Iraq around.

Is this why navy men have been called woosies by the other branches of the military?; 2:48 PM

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Talking Points

I don't use talking points, I create them.

1. Hate makes people stoopid.

2. There is nothing so impenetrable as a closed mind.

3. A stupid person is not someone who can't learn, but someone who refuses to learn.

4. It is a small mind that has no room for God.

5. You can take Stalin out of the gene pool, but you can't take Stalinism out of liberals.

6. The best way to sabotage a bad plan is to follow it to the letter.

7. The race card is the first refuge of people who have nothing to say.

8. Ignorance is the cornerstone of arrogance.

9. Which is more racist, to hate someone who is not white or to assume someone is racist because he is white?

10. Children are not stupid. If a child is taught, the child will learn. If a child is not learning, the child is not being taught.

11. To express righteous indignation, one must first be righteous. And that's a label that doesn't stick to liberals.

12. Profanity is ignorance made audible.

13. An open mind is a liberal's worst enemy.

14. Paternalism is the purest form of racism.

15. People who bend the truth, usually bend it in their favor.

16. If you always stand in opposition to liberalism, you will never be wrong.

18. Life is simple. People who make it complicated usually have an agenda.

19. Getting your news from the corrupt, liberal media is like sticking your head in the sand, except you don't get grit in your teeth.

20. Liberals' emotional development stops at the age of 16.

21. To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell the truth.

22. Idealism seldom matches up with reality.

23. Those who don't hate communism have never lived it.

24. This was a much more civil country when men walked about heavily armed.

25. This economy will never heal as long as Obama keeps picking at the scab.

26. Liberals don't think outside the box; they ARE the box.

27. You cannot change the hearts and minds of liberals, because they possess neither.

28. There is no such thing as a kind liberal.

29. Reading Democratic Party platforms is like reading the history of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in this country.

25 Immutable Truths About Liberals

Over the years I've been writing this blog, I've been throwing out little self-evident truths that seem to have no exceptions that prove the rule. I've made a list of some of them and will add to it as I remember them or make up more. Most of this list I've come up with myself. A few I've borrowed from others.

1. Always expect the worst from a liberal and you will never be surprised.

2. Never try to reason with a liberal. They disregard any evidence that conflicts with their beliefs.

3. You can always tell what liberals are up to by what they accuse conservatives of doing.

4. Liberals don't debate, they argue.

5. The only standards liberals have are double standards.

6. Liberals feel, conservatives think.

7. Whenever you don't understand a liberal's motives, just look for the money.

8. Liberals cannot be embarrassed. They lack the gene to blush.

9. The Liberal Golden Rule is, "Do unto others but scream bloody murder if they do unto you."

10. Liberals don't have leaders, they have demi-gods.

11. There are no honest liberals. If they were honest -- especially to themselves -- they would be conservatives.

12. A liberal's business is nobody's business, but everyone's business is a liberal's business.

13. Liberals have an inflated sense of self-worth. They are like house flies that criticize the air-worthiness of a Stealth fighter. (Sarah Palin, George W. Bush, ad infinitum are morons.)

14. Liberals lack a sixth sense that conservatives have in abundance -- common sense.

15. Liberals never stop hating.

16. There are only two types of liberals -- the deceivers and the deceived. The difficulty is telling them apart.

17. Every time liberals get on their high horse, they get bucked off.

18. Liberal programs are so wonderful that they have to be forced on people.

19. Liberals always choke on their own medicine.

20. When given a moral choice, liberals always come down on the wrong side of the fence.

21. The only way liberals can build themselves up is by tearing others down.

22. Liberals not only refuse to learn from their mistakes, they refuse to admit them.

23. Liberals have only two political positions -- blind devotion and blind hatred.

24. Liberals are incapable of attacking the message, so they always attack the messenger.

25. Liberal diversity is only skin deep.