Showing posts with label Humor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humor. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

U.N. Acquires Nuclear Weapon

Ok, well not exactly. But this faux-article from The Onion is probably one of the best pieces of imaginary journalism I've read in a while. You can read the whole thing here, but I'm also including the full text below because it's just too good to pass up.

NEW YORK—The United Nations, a highly organized governing body bent on world peace, has obtained a nuclear warhead and intends to use the dangerous device to pursue its radical human rights agenda, sources reported Monday.

The U.N. Headquarters in New York has flags from all over the world and enough uranium to wipe Israel off the map.

News of the nuclear weapon first surfaced late last week when the United Nation's own watchdog group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, released startling new satellite photos of the uranium-based device. Shortly thereafter, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a short and brazen list of demands, calling on all nations to "bow down at once to social progress."

"Tremble before the awesome might of this cooperative assembly of appointed representatives," said Ban, boldly holding a stack of diplomatic resolutions in his hand. "At last, when the United Nations calls for the development of more sustainable agricultural practices, the world at large will listen."

Added Ban, "We will no longer be ignored."

The warhead, an Oralloy U-235 thermonuclear detonator encased in a long-range ballistic missile, is believed to be currently housed beneath the parking lot of the U.N. complex in New York. According to Pentagon officials, it is likely that the United Nations has already tested the weapon, and may in fact be prepared to deploy it if its demands for global harmony are not met.

"All efforts are being made to engage this nationless threat in diplomatic talks, but so far, they remain uncooperative," U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said. "However, I can assure you that the United States will not be pushed around. We will not be bullied into limiting our carbon-dioxide emissions or honoring the conditions established by the Geneva Conventions. The United States will not bend."

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, President Bush echoed Chertoff's sentiments.

"This rogue group of unbiased mediators will not be tolerated," said Bush, who has promised to continue his eight-year pledge not to negotiate with the United Nations under any circumstances. "If the U.N. thinks it can force the world to appreciate the equality of all people and their right to live free of poverty, hunger, and inhumane treatment, I say to them, 'Bring it on.'"

While no country has admitted to selling enriched uranium to the United Nations, experts claimed that acquiring the necessary materials was probably fairly easy, as the U.N.'s own Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been largely disregarded since being signed in 1968.

"The Russians, the Israelis, a rogue Pakistani arms trader—there are plenty of people out there who could have done it," said Katherine Boushie, a world politics professor at Columbia University. "After all, who knows better than the United Nations where someone can find nukes? They've spent years watching nation after nation illegally stockpile arms. Might have been what pissed them off, actually."

Despite outspoken concerns from many nations, including North Korea, Iran, and Serbia, Secretary-General Ban has assured the international community that the U.N.'s nuclear arsenal will only be used for deterrent purposes. Chief among these is deterring other countries from thinking they can sign a chemical weapons ban and then act like the whole thing never happened, and coming to the U.N. only when it's convenient or profitable for them to do so.

"I will say this as clearly as I can, so you all can hear me," said Ban, his finger hovering inches away from the small red button on his podium. "Either attend the next Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, or prepare to suffer the consequences."

Many, however, refuse to be intimidated by the peacekeeping organization's threats.

"They're bluffing," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said. "The United Nations is still 15 years away from a nuclear bomb. Hell, they're 20 years away from achieving universal primary school education, and knowing them, they'll probably focus on that first."

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Years!

Here's to wishing everyone a Happy New Years!

And if you don't quite remember what's happened over the past year, the Jib Jab 2008 Year in Review is a great start...

Saturday, May 24, 2008

“Nicknamed the Davy Crocket, it could take down more than bears…”

In a break from events on the Hill comes this darkly comical clip from the History Channel on the M65 “Davy Crocket” recoilless nuclear rifle.


Key lines: “If there were a military failed inventions hall of fame, there would surely be a place for the nuclear rifle, developed in the Cold War ‘60s, the M65. … The Davy Crocket was hampered by one nagging flaw. … Its maximum firing range of about 3 miles meant it couldn’t fire its payload beyond the radius of the resulting fallout.”

Especially disturbing is that the M65 handlers strangely resemble the New Wave band, Devo…

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Nuclear Deck the Halls

With the holidays amongst us, it's important to remember the true spirit of Christmas: potential nuclear destruction. And so comes this song from The Bomblets, a new performance group in New Hampshire. (The best part of the photo? No, not the John "Bomb, Bomb Iran" McCain poster in the background, but the AC-DC t-shirt the bomblet on the left is wearing.)

Happy holidays to everyone!


Nuclear Deck the Halls

Nuclear proliferation, Falalalala lalalala
Threatens future generations, Falalalala lalalala
We don’t need no more construction, Falala lalala lalala
Weapons made for mass destruction Falalalala lala lala

Listen up this is our mission
Nuclear weapons abolition
We do not want to be fired
Time for us to be retired

Of foreign wars we must be skittish
Think of Russians, French and British
Vietnam and Afghan quagmires
Check the falls of previous empires

Genocidal threats to drop us
Don’t you think you’d better stop us?
We can use some higher wisdom
Nuclear war is terrorism

Don we now our bomb apparel
Listen to our Christmas carol
To heck with all this nuclear folly
Peace on earth would make us jolly.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Nukes of Hazard on... Nukes of Hazard

In the spirit of a little Friday humor, a Daily Show clip from January 16, 2006 on nuclear weapons and the "Axis of Evil"...



... oh, how much has changed.