The Wages of Dim

In a front-page, above-the-fold story in yesterday’s Gray Lady, Jad Mouawad and Steven Erlanger quote Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese Prime Minister, from a meeting with foreign diplomats. Naturally, Mr. Siniora harped and harpied on Israel’s response to the recent machinations of Hezbollah. Amongst his remarks at this gathering was the following query:

Is this the price we pay for aspiring to build our democratic institutions?

On the face of it, that seems to us a reasonable question, and so we have prepared a reasonable answer. Darn nice of us, isn’t it?

Well, Mr. Prime Minister, here goes: No, the bombardment of the southern portion of your country is not the price you are paying for trying to build your democratic institutions.

Rather, it is the price you are paying for failing to take steps to disarm the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and allowing it to join your government instead. Further, it is the price you are paying for proving unable to control this terrorist organization from attacking Israel.

Gee, you would think that this was obvious. Perhaps the Good Prime Minister’s question was actually a pathetic rhetorical query, designed to push the buttons of a democracy-promoting United States? But, hey, that would mean that an Arab government was engaging in bitching, which is really quite uncharacteristic.

To be honest, dear reader, we find Mr. Siniora’s question quite dim. It’s so obviously obtuse that it boggles the mind.

In fact, it’s much like Hitler, towards the end of World War II, asking: “Is this the price we pay for sporting such smashing military fatigues?” To which one should respond: No, you dolt; it’s the price you’re paying for launching an insane war on two fronts and enacting a genocidal campaign. We’re actually agnostic about the uniforms.

Or maybe it’s much like Saddam Hussein, newly captured from his spider hole, asking: “Is this the price I pay for winning 100 percent of the popular vote?” To which we’d respond: Relax, Al Gore. No, you fool, it’s the price you’re paying for being an evil Stalinoid tyrant.