Monday, December 26, 2005
Leaders Endanger World History
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -World leaders are attempting to rewrite history from the Battle of Hastings to America's war in Iraq, according to a survey by the Enron Foundation for Truth and Trust. A middle east propaganda effort to deny the Holocaust, says Foundation president and former FEMA Director Michael Brown, has blossomed into a world-wide attempt to interpret historical facts more favorably to a country's self interest.
While Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Egyptian leader of the Muslin Brotherhoold Muhammad Mehdi Akef call the Holocaust "a myth" and suggest that Israel be "moved to Europe," other leaders are now questioning long-held historical beliefs, Brown points out.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, has tentatively raised an issue concerning the alleged American Revolution. "Did America really win its independence from England?" he reportedly asked in the House of Commons to cheers and jeers from its members. He also denied that Britain was invaded by the Normans. "They just visited our island to see the sights," he insisted.
And French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac is now claiming that Algeria was never a French colony. "The Algerians asked us to introduce French cuisine and our literary expertise," he said, "but we never attempted to control our southerly neighbors in any way."
Brown noted that his experience with bull excrement working for the Bush Administration has made him particularly sensitive to anyone trying to bamboozle the public. "We will take quick, forceful action to point out fraud and deception once we determine that historical facts have been manipulated," he said. "But that might take some time."
Other questionable comments about history have come from Mexican President Vicente Fox who claims his country was triumphant at the Alamo and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who insists that Italy fought on the side of the Americans during World War II. "The Germans never appreciated our food, wine, shoes, and opera" he said, "so why in the world would we fight on their side." He pointed out that Mussoloni was simply a "comic actor" and Americans and Italians have always been "just like brothers."
Brown suggests that possibly the most flagrant abuse of historical facts comes directly from the Bush White House. "They claim that America won the wars in Vietnam and Iraq in addition to the war on the constitution," he said. "My horse sense tells me not to take this at face value. There might be some excrement involved here."
While Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Egyptian leader of the Muslin Brotherhoold Muhammad Mehdi Akef call the Holocaust "a myth" and suggest that Israel be "moved to Europe," other leaders are now questioning long-held historical beliefs, Brown points out.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, has tentatively raised an issue concerning the alleged American Revolution. "Did America really win its independence from England?" he reportedly asked in the House of Commons to cheers and jeers from its members. He also denied that Britain was invaded by the Normans. "They just visited our island to see the sights," he insisted.
And French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac is now claiming that Algeria was never a French colony. "The Algerians asked us to introduce French cuisine and our literary expertise," he said, "but we never attempted to control our southerly neighbors in any way."
Brown noted that his experience with bull excrement working for the Bush Administration has made him particularly sensitive to anyone trying to bamboozle the public. "We will take quick, forceful action to point out fraud and deception once we determine that historical facts have been manipulated," he said. "But that might take some time."
Other questionable comments about history have come from Mexican President Vicente Fox who claims his country was triumphant at the Alamo and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who insists that Italy fought on the side of the Americans during World War II. "The Germans never appreciated our food, wine, shoes, and opera" he said, "so why in the world would we fight on their side." He pointed out that Mussoloni was simply a "comic actor" and Americans and Italians have always been "just like brothers."
Brown suggests that possibly the most flagrant abuse of historical facts comes directly from the Bush White House. "They claim that America won the wars in Vietnam and Iraq in addition to the war on the constitution," he said. "My horse sense tells me not to take this at face value. There might be some excrement involved here."
