AppleInsider › Forums › Other Discussion › AppleOutsider › PoliticalOutsider › Obama's Predator Drone Joke
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Obama's Predator Drone Joke

post #1 of 22
5/4/10 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/...l?hpid=artslot

What is your reaction to this?

Obama:
Quote:
"Jonas Brothers are here, they're out there somewhere. Sasha and Malia are huge fans, but boys, don't get any ideas. Two words for you: predator drones. You will never see it coming. You think I'm joking?"

The comments on the site point to people being angry. I present these only as a quick and dirty survey of opinion.

Quote:
*It absolutely was offensive, but I'm glad he said it. Now we know who he really is. According to various sources, over 300 civilians were killed by drone attacks while Obama has been in office. That he takes this fact so lightly that he would joke about it tells us much about his character....

*Where is the talk and picture of Obama's new anti american girlfriend? Why hasnt the media shown this. Lewinsky was on every paper from day one. ....

*.... what would have been funny about putting drones on Sarah Palin? Only a liberal who is anti American and hates this country would have thought that was funny just like you think it is funny that Obama sends drones to kill a few terrorist and a bunch of innocent people. No wonder these folks hate us. Who can blame them when you have the US President making jokes in front of the National media talking about using drones that have killed so many of them.

*Jonas Brothers are all adults so why would they be looking at kids for dating. Get real Obama. Just because your kids like the Jonas Brothers does not mean they would even talk to your daughters more than hello.

There were also many chiming in with "lighten up" type comments. My guess it's 60/40 on the side of "it's offensive."

As for me, I think it's a complete non-issue. It was a joke, and one I found funny. That said, I do think the media is continuing it's "Obama: Covering Fire!" operation. Bush was slammed for the WMD jokes in 2004. That's my only issue, really.
To save time, assume I know everything.
Reply
To save time, assume I know everything.
Reply
post #2 of 22
5/4/10 at 8:44am
I thought it was in very poor taste. To me what makes it so is his administration's continued use of them and their use in killing innocent civilians in places like Pakistan.

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #3 of 22
5/4/10 at 8:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

What is your reaction to this?

Obama's a huge joke anyway... don't pay much attention to him...
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 22
5/4/10 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

Bush was slammed for the WMD jokes in 2004.

I don't recall hearing or hearing about those jokes. What were they?

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #5 of 22
5/4/10 at 9:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

As for me, I think it's a complete non-issue. It was a joke, and one I found funny.

I knew the Right would eventually slowly see Obama was just their kind of man.

He probably needs to up the drone to killed villagers ratio for the jokes to make full approval and comedy gold status but good to see they are starting to grasp the big picture that the Left have been able to see for the last 12 months.
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
post #6 of 22
5/4/10 at 9:04am
I thought his jokes about covering 30 million more people with health care while actually costing less were much more funny.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply
post #7 of 22
5/4/10 at 9:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman View Post

I thought his jokes about covering 30 million more people with health care while actually costing less were much more funny.

Zing!

Ba da bump!

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #8 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by segovius View Post

I knew the Right would eventually slowly see Obama was just their kind of man.

He probably needs to up the drone to killed villagers ratio for the jokes to make full approval and comedy gold status but good to see they are starting to grasp the big picture that the Left have been able to see for the last 12 months.

Have you ever been a father of a young girl? Sorry, but, it was funny. From a fathers perspective. Usually it is the joke of the father meeting the boyfriend at the door with a shotgun. "Be home by 10pm, right?"

In this case, he has a different kind of weapon and the humor is obvious. It is a dad joke, not a president joke.
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
post #9 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoahJ View Post

Have you ever been a father of a young girl? Sorry, but, it was funny. From a fathers perspective. Usually it is the joke of the father meeting the boyfriend at the door with a shotgun. "Be home by 10pm, right?"

In this case, he has a different kind of weapon and the humor is obvious. It is a dad joke, not a president joke.

I have two daughters. I get what the joke was meant to be. I still found it in poor taste.

Part of the reason why the typical dad/daughter/date/gun joke is funny is because no one really takes it seriously is that the father doesn't actually kill people with a shotgun. Sadly, Presidents do kill people with predator drones. That, to me, is what made is much less funny and much more crass.

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #10 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970 View Post

I have two daughters. I get what the joke was meant to be. I still found it in poor taste.

Part of the reason why the typical dad/daughter/date/gun joke is funny is because no one really takes it seriously is that the father doesn't actually kill people with a shotgun. Sadly, Presidents do kill people with predator drones. That, to me, is what made is much less funny and much more crass.

I knew you got it, and you saw the reason why it would be found to be humorous. You opinion of what Obama is capable of is what soured the joke for you. I do not believe he intends to kill the Jonas Brothers, or any other civilians with any weapons in the US arsenal. I do not believe he is evil. Misguided maybe, dishonest at times maybe, but not evil. I took his joke at face value.

To take your consternation to the same place and apply the same filters, sadly some fathers DO kill their daughters boyfriends with a shotgun. So it should not be funny to you, at any level I guess.
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
post #11 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoahJ View Post

I knew you got it, and you saw the reason why it would be found to be humorous. You opinion of what Obama is capable of is what soured the joke for you. I do not believe he intends to kill the Jonas Brothers, or any other civilians with any weapons in the US arsenal. I do not believe he is evil. Misguided maybe, dishonest at times maybe, but not evil. I took his joke at face value.

To take your consternation to the same place and apply the same filters, sadly some fathers DO kill their daughters boyfriends with a shotgun. So it should not be funny to you, at any level I guess.

I guess we'll just have to disagree. This isn't really an objective thing anyway. It's all personal opinion and person taste.

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #12 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970 View Post

I guess we'll just have to disagree. This isn't really an objective thing anyway. It's all personal opinion and person taste.

Agreed.
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
NoahJ
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." - Mahatma Gandhi
Reply
post #13 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:41am
I'm personally kind of hoping the president makes good on his promise not only on the Jonas brothers but perhaps on several other Disney stars as well.

I'm sure he would if it didn't so conveniently play into the perception that he already hates on Israel so much.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply
post #14 of 22
5/4/10 at 10:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoahJ View Post

Have you ever been a father of a young girl? Sorry, but, it was funny. From a fathers perspective. Usually it is the joke of the father meeting the boyfriend at the door with a shotgun. "Be home by 10pm, right?"

In this case, he has a different kind of weapon and the humor is obvious. It is a dad joke, not a president joke.

I have been and am the father of several.

As it happens I don't need to threaten any potential suitors with shotguns because no undesirable character would reach the point of needing to be threatened.

Or put another way, if someone thinks you're an asshole and takes the piss then maybe you need to threaten them with a shotgun or a drone or whatever. Really just proves you were an asshole in the first place in my book.

Assholes are always brawling in bars and one of them always comes out on top - just means he's King Asshole as far as I'm concerned it doesn't stop him being one.

So that's the main reason I don't find the joke funny.

Another one is that it is kind of a Right-wing joke (and by definition not funny as such jokes always involve some form of implicit violence) which is not surprising as it is Obama, and this is confirmed by the amount of wingers on here finding it hilarious.
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
post #15 of 22
5/4/10 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by segovius View Post

I have been and am the father of several.

As it happens I don't need to threaten any potential suitors with shotguns because no undesirable character would reach the point of needing to be threatened. .

You've hit the real point of this joke here Seg and that is why Barack, who clearly is not a good father like yourself, feels the need to threaten potential suitors. If he were merely like you, all the suitors would be appropriately strict enough in their religious beliefs that no amount of threatened harm could dissuade them from their goal be it a pretty face or perhaps the destruction of a building with a plane. Likewise they would believe in a unified Arabia and thus there would be no dissenting voices and thus no need for violence. Additionally those daughters of his, unlike yourself would never dare love the wrong race because they would know a nice acid bath or proper stoning was coming.

Quote:
Or put another way, if someone thinks you're an asshole and takes the piss then maybe you need to threaten them with a shotgun or a drone or whatever. Really just proves you were an asshole in the first place in my book.

Assholes are always brawling in bars and one of them always comes out on top - just means he's King Asshole as far as I'm concerned it doesn't stop him being one.

So that's the main reason I don't find the joke funny.

If only there were no bars and no assholes in them. If only there were only those who followed the proper teachings of the Qur'an then there would be none of these things and likewise no need to take up arms to defend against them.

Quote:
Another one is that it is kind of a Right-wing joke (and by definition not funny as such jokes always involve some form of implicit violence) which is not surprising as it is Obama, and this is confirmed by the amount of wingers on here finding it hilarious.

Of course because he can't be pure like you and thus must be a sinner, I mean right-wing.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

Reply
post #16 of 22
5/4/10 at 11:47am
Maybe in another context I might think it's offensive but at the Correspondents dinner you know that every line is a joke. The target of the joke, popular boy band, rather benign and not a not a political opponent or a disenfranchised group. Protective father jokes are everywhere. Maybe he should have threatened and IRS audit instead?
The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
Reply
The politics of charisma is so Third World. Americans were never going to buy into it for long. - Foudad Ajami
Reply
post #17 of 22
5/4/10 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by segovius View Post

I knew the Right would eventually slowly see Obama was just their kind of man.

He probably needs to up the drone to killed villagers ratio for the jokes to make full approval and comedy gold status but good to see they are starting to grasp the big picture that the Left have been able to see for the last 12 months.

First, I should have expected that you'd find a way to slam conservatives, even when they're not attacking the President. But secondly, what are you implying..that we shouldn't use drones? I mean, people get killed! In that vein, you know...I think we shouldn't have a military, either. Peace and love. After all, we don't really need one....everyone will leave us alone as long as we treat them respect. \

Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ1970 View Post

I have two daughters. I get what the joke was meant to be. I still found it in poor taste

Part of the reason why the typical dad/daughter/date/gun joke is funny is because no one really takes it seriously is that the father doesn't actually kill people with a shotgun. Sadly, Presidents do kill people with predator drones. That, to me, is what made is much less funny and much more crass.

So Obama is likely to launch Predators at the Jonas brothers or anyone who approaches his daughters? Heck...forget "likely." Let's just say...is it "remotely possible?" You've gone WAY over the edge on this one. It was a joke, and it was funny. It's amazing that anyone could even make an issue of it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman View Post

I'm personally kind of hoping the president makes good on his promise not only on the Jonas brothers but perhaps on several other Disney stars as well.

I'm sure he would if it didn't so conveniently play into the perception that he already hates on Israel so much.

OMG!!! Well done. Next on my list is Miley Cyrus. My daughter will be sad that there is no more Hannah Montana, but on the flip side she will grow up in a world without "Party in the USA"
To save time, assume I know everything.
Reply
To save time, assume I know everything.
Reply
post #18 of 22
5/4/10 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

First, I should have expected that you'd find a way to slam conservatives, even when they're not attacking the President. But secondly, what are you implying..that we shouldn't use drones? I mean, people get killed! In that vein, you know...I think we shouldn't have a military, either. Peace and love. After all, we don't really need one....everyone will leave us alone as long as we treat them respect. \

As long as we treat them with respect...hmmm. Doesn't look like we're going to be able to test that one out anytime soon.
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad
Reply
post #19 of 22
5/4/10 at 1:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

So Obama is likely to launch Predators at the Jonas brothers or anyone who approaches his daughters? Heck...forget "likely." Let's just say...is it "remotely possible?"

Yes, that's exactly why I thought it was unfunny and in poor taste because I thought it was likely Barack Obama was going to order a Predators drove attack on the Jonas brothers. No, of course I know he was not really planning to do that. He's too busy ordering them on the civilians of Pakistan.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post

You've gone WAY over the edge on this one. It was a joke, and it was funny. It's amazing that anyone could even make an issue of it.

You asked for people's thoughts and opinions. I gave mine and the reasons for it. You need not agree with mine. Thanks for sharing your opinion of my opinion. Are you seriously trying to convince me that my opinion and feeling about this is wrong?

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply

The state is nothing more than a criminal gang writ large.

Reply
post #20 of 22
5/4/10 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumptman View Post

I'm personally kind of hoping the president makes good on his promise not only on the Jonas brothers but perhaps on several other Disney stars as well.

I'm sure he would if it didn't so conveniently play into the perception that he already hates on Israel so much.

+1


I think that anyone who dates the daughter of a sitting President deserves a bravery award! Between the press hounding you day and night waiting for you to screw up, and the Secret Service probably searching your PC for porn and subjecting you to a cavity search before you go out...ugh.
You need skeptics, especially when the science gets very big and monolithic. -James Lovelock
The Story of Stuff
Reply
You need skeptics, especially when the science gets very big and monolithic. -James Lovelock
The Story of Stuff
Reply
post #21 of 22
5/4/10 at 4:19pm
Some of the casualties Obama has caused to innocent civilians whilst he makes jokes to people who crack up laughing-

"Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported: "According to the statistics compiled by Pakistani authorities, the Afghanistan-based US drones killed 708 people in 44 predator attacks targeting the tribal areas between January 1 and December 31, 2009.

"For each al Qa'eda and Taliban terrorist killed by US drones, 140 innocent Pakistanis also had to die. Over 90 per cent of those killed in the deadly missile strikes were civilians, claim authorities."

A senior Taliban commander said a suicide bomb attack that killed seven CIA operatives in Afghanistan last week was an act of retaliation against the US drone attacks. The suicide attack, which dealt the biggest loss to the agency in more than 25 years, killed a woman who was the station chief along with six other CIA officers and one private security."Wednesday's bomb wiped away decades of experience. Eight years into the war, the agency is still desperately short of personnel who speak the language or are knowledgeable about the region.
~ http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs....globalbriefing

"If your enemies cannot find a flaw in your reasoning, they will find it in your reputation".

~ William Hazlitt

Reply

"If your enemies cannot find a flaw in your reasoning, they will find it in your reputation".

~ William Hazlitt

Reply
post #22 of 22
5/4/10 at 4:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hands Sandon View Post

Some of the casualties Obama has caused to innocent civilians whilst he makes jokes to people who crack up laughing-

I have noticed that even though wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue the Obama administration seems to have ordered that suspected terrorists be killed on the battlefield rather than detaining them for intelligence at Guantanamo - no new detainees for facility are being processed. Which seems rather strange in terms of intelligence gathering during our War on Terror!
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: PoliticalOutsider
AppleInsider › Forums › Other Discussion › AppleOutsider › PoliticalOutsider › Obama's Predator Drone Joke