# Fuck you, Kofi Annan. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 11, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238 "2004-11-11T18:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/41 "2004-11-12T17:53:05Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > I understand fully the need to be diplomatic in his particular job. But diplomacy shouldn’t mean completely papering over the violence and bloodshed caused by a terrorist. I don’t think you do understand fully the need to be diplomatic. Or at least you have radically different idea of what Diplomacy is. Like it or not Arafat was the current leader of the Palistienian people and their desire to have their own country. You may disagree on his methods and you may hold a grudge for every action he had in his life. But since he is the leader you don’t call him a terrorist at his funeral. Not publicly. That would not be diplomatic. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/42 "2004-11-12T18:39:27Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > Maybe the crap about praising one terrorist nation while damning another? Can you explain this? I know Israel has been willing to except larger than typical collateral damage, but have they really targeted citizens specifically? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/43 "2004-11-12T21:37:16Z")
No comment other than to say, as others have, that I see nothing factually wrong in the statements by Annan and Carter; that omissions of one’s bad points (and I agree Arafat had many) is perfectly normal in a eulogy for a head of state (or non-state in this case); nor do I see any particular diplomatic benefit to what would amount to officially pissing on Arafat’s grave. I mean, the people who are complaining about these statements actually would like to see peace in the region someday, right? How would taking a last poke at Arafat advance that objective, exactly? Anyway, the United States sent a representative to the funeral, so apparently the Bush administration doesn’t have all that much of a moral problem with the ex-terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/44 "2004-11-12T21:41:09Z")
Talking about what a dirtbag he was, and peeing on his grave would serve no purpose. Still, since none of us have to make any speeches, we can have fun with it. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/45 "2004-11-12T21:46:54Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > You’re probably thinking that Iran is not an Arab nation, which is true. But the Middle East and Arab nations are not interchangable terms. I’ve heard this before, what does it mean? They’re not arabs? /serious question ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/46 "2004-11-12T22:25:53Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I’ve heard this before, what does it mean? They’re not arabs? > > /serious question They’re Persians. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/47 "2004-11-12T23:25:38Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I’ve heard this before, what does it mean? They’re not arabs? > > /serious question Exactly. Arabs are the people of the Arabian peninsula. Most of the other Islamic ethnic groups (Persians, Turks, Turkomens, Berbers, and so on) have mixed ancestry with Arab bits and pieces, but they are (for the purposes of political scientists and sociologists) separate groups. ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/48 "2004-11-15T23:38:11Z")
If Kofi hadn’t demonstrated by his inaction in handling the terrorist slaughter occuring throughout the world, perhaps his comments about Yasser Arafat could be tolerated. But Kofi, the schmuck, is as antisemetic as they come and worthless as Secretary-General of the UN. Therefore his eulogy regarding Arafat comes from Annan’s heart and is not just a politically correct comment. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/49 "2004-11-15T23:44:45Z")
There’s definitely a “stopped clock is right twice a day” quality to it, but a stopped clock is in fact right twice a day. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/50 "2004-11-16T00:08:51Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > Exactly. Arabs are the people of the Arabian peninsula. > > Most of the other Islamic ethnic groups (Persians, Turks, Turkomens, Berbers, and so on) have mixed ancestry with Arab bits and pieces, but they are (for the purposes of political scientists and sociologists) separate groups. Well…Arabs were originally people from the Arabian peninsula. Now, Arabs are people of Arabic culture, speaking arabic, etc…, hence most of the middle east and north Africa are populated by Arabs. But of course, as mentionned by you and another poster, Iranian aren’t Arabs. They’re Persians. And even have a tendancy to despise Arabs, and generally don’t like being mistaken for Arabs. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/51 "2004-11-16T00:25:09Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > For want of perfect he opted for squalor. Once they had a state they could have bargained for water resource. And they would have gotten it in exchange of what? > [@](#): > > Appealed to the UN and world opinion and common interests with the Israelis in seeing a prosperous region. Like Israel generally feels very concerned about the UN and world opinion… As for the prosperous region, maybe not keeping said water ressources at the first place could have helped? > [@](#): > > They could have built a desalination plant in Gaza, expensive sure - but with the world watching I’m sure it could have been possible. Are you willing to pay more taxes for your country to fund this plant? Apart from that, how is this water transported to the West Bank? And couldn’t the Israelis build those desalinisation plants, instead? > [@](#): > > Also it’s very possible there’s oil under the west bank. Etc. etc. Yes. And maybe there are gold deposits in my mother’s garden. I should dig up, just in case. > [@](#): > > They would have had many options. Now they have next to none. And Israel had the option not to insist on keeping control of the water ressources. Offering a fair deal or some silly thing like that, instead of “you can take control of Palestine, except for the main roads we need for our settlers, arable land we need for our settlers and water ressources we need for our settlers. Deal?” ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/52 "2004-11-16T00:31:26Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > **Noone Special** , my point was that a blanket grant of citizenship to the (currently stateless) residents of the occupied territories might go some way toward defusing much of their hostility. Barak considered it; Sharon laughed it off. I strongly doubt Barak ever had any intent to grant citizenship to the Palestinians. I don’t think anybody vaguely mainstream in Israel envisions such a solution. They have this thing about a _Jewish_ state, you know…For some reason the concept of an Arab state with a Jewish minority isn’t very popular. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/53 "2004-11-16T00:33:01Z")
> [@MadSam](#): > > But Kofi, the schmuck, is as antisemetic as they come . May I ask for evidences of his being antisemitic? ---
**Author:** ![sinical\_brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@sinical\_brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinical_brit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238/54 "2004-11-16T15:12:52Z")
You’d think that if Kofi was as “antisemitic as they come”, he would have made more of a deal about Israel ignoring UN Security Council Resolutions. As he didnt, may i be so bold as to suggest that you, MadSam, are the shmuck. Sin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-kofi-annan/274238.md?page=2)