• Germany: Berlin schools asked to distribute leaflet describing the 1948 Nakba as a ’myth’ | Middle East Eye
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/berlin-schools-handout-leaflet-myth-israel-1948

    Germany’s leading Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the opposition Christian Democratic Party (CDU) have ordered high schools in Berlin’s borough of Neukolln to distribute brochures titled The Myth of Israel #1948.

    During a public meeting of the Neukolln district council of Berlin on Wednesday, a motion was passed stating that "the district office is asked to advocate the use of the brochure “Myths#Israel1948” in Neukolln’s secondary schools to confront existing anti-Semitic narratives within the educational framework of the school".

    “The expanded definition of antisemitism of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) and the German government should also be communicated”, the motion added.

    The brochure is created by the Jewish association Masiyot, which was founded in 2022 and enjoys the support of the Berliner Landeszentrale fur politische Bildung, the Federal Center for Political Education.

    It seeks to unite professionals from different disciplines to “raise awareness of authoritarian ideologies through education, enlightenment and criticism”, the website says.
    (...)
    The brochure states there are five “myths” around the creation of the state of Israel, which are subsequently refuted in short essays by various authors.

    In the first section, debunking myth #1, that Jews and Arabs lived together in peace before Israel was founded, Israel’s pre-state militia, the Haganah, responsible for the destruction of 531 Palestinian villages and the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians between December 1947 and the summer of 1948, is promoted as a merely “defensive” Jewish resistance movement.

    Under ’Myth #2: Israel was established on stolen Palestinian land’, Masiyot states that the acquisition of land by Jewish immigrants to Palestine took the form of a legal exchange of capital for an official title deed.

    At no point in history was land illegally conquered by Jewish immigrants, the author of the text, Michael Spaney, claims.

    Even land conquered following the wars of 1948 and 1967 and the subsequent construction of settlements, which are internationally recognised as a violation of international law, did not occur unlawfully, it says.

    “Anyone who uses the accusation of land theft as an argument demonises Israel and denies its legitimacy, i.e. acts out of antisemitic motives,” Spaney wrote.

    “Myth #5: Israel is to blame for the Nakba”, includes a text by researcher Shany Mor titled “the UN is distorting the meaning of the Nakba: its view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is extremely one-sided”.

    In the text, Mor states that “displacement during war - then and now - was nothing unusual”.

    He also labels the UN’s attention to the Palestinian cause “obsessive” and the Arab defeat of 1948 a myth.

    “In the 1948 War of Independence, 6000 Jews were killed, fully 1% of the total population (was it a genocide?)”, a Twitter post by Mor reads.

  • Le pouvoir de l’homme sur l’homme
    https://www.piecesetmaindoeuvre.com/documents/le-pouvoir-de-l-homme-sur-l-homme

    En librairie : Manifeste des chimpanzés du futur contre le transhumanisme, par Pièces et main d’oeuvre, nouvelle édition (Service compris, 2023) Maurice Daumas (1910-1984), chimiste et chroniqueur scientifique, tient une rubrique depuis 1945 dans Combat, le journal d’Albert Camus . Le 10 décembre 1946, seize mois après les bombardements d’Hiroshima et de Nagasaki, il expose les prochaines retombées de la science, leurs « menaces » et leurs « promesses ». Ce nouveau front de la science (...) #Documents

    https://www.piecesetmaindoeuvre.com/IMG/pdf/le_pouvoir_de_l_homme_sur_l_homme.pdf

  • Mit Postkarten gegen die Todesmaschine
    https://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/widerstand-gegen-hitler-das-berliner-ehepaar-hampel-fotostrecke-142653.html


    https://cdn.prod.www.spiegel.de/images/461f1b34-0001-0004-0000-000001071187_w820_r1.7787418655097613_f
    Ce destin de résistant est vécu aujourd’hui par de nombreuses personnes qui osent s’opposer aux machinations des puissants. Nous leur devons notre soutien. Leur ériger des monuments ne suffit pas.

    Auf Karten riefen Elise und Otto Hampel zum Sturz der Nazis auf. 1943 wurden sie in Berlin hingerichtet.

    Text :

    Fort mit dem Hitler Verreckungssystem!
    Der gemeine Soldat Hitler und seine Bande stürzen uns in den Abgrund!
    Diese Hitler Göring Himmler Goebbels Bande ist in unser Deutschland nur Todes Raum zu gewähren!

    Elise und Otto Hampel
    Hintergrund
    https://www.berlin.de/kunst-und-kultur-mitte/geschichte/erinnerungskultur/artikel.723588.php

    Elise und Otto Hampel verteilten im Umfeld ihrer Wohnung im Wedding, aber auch in Charlottenburg, Schöneberg und Kreuzberg von 1940 bis 1942 handbeschriftete Postkarten, in denen sie zum Widerstand gegen das nationalsozialistische Regime aufriefen. Zunächst lange unentdeckt, wurden sie 1942 beim Auslegen der Karten beobachtet, denunziert und am 8. April 1943 in Berlin-Plötzensee hingerichtet. Ihr Handeln gilt heute als ein herausragendes Beispiel für den unorganisierten Widerstand gegen die nationalsozialistische Diktatur.
    ...
    an ihrem Wohnhaus in der Amsterdamer Str. 10 weist eine Gedenktafel auf ihr Schicksal hin.


    Platzbenennung in Wedding : Das bessere Argument
    https://taz.de/Platzbenennung-in-Wedding/!5010771

    Mais non, pour des raisons formelles (qui cachent toujours les véritables forces et mobiles) aujourd’hui (13.1.2024) le square ne porte toujours pas le nom des résistants contre le nazisme célébrés par Hans Fallada.

    26. 4. 2015 von Claudius Prößer

    In der Weddinger Müllerstraße wird ein namenloser Platz nach den Antifaschisten Elise und Otto Hampel benannt. Der Weg dahin war steinig.
    ...
    Widerstand Wedding Straßenname Armin-Paul Hampel

    Jeder stirbt für sich allein
    https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeder_stirbt_f%C3%BCr_sich_allein_(Roman)

    Roman von Hans Fallada (1947), Seul dans Berlin

    Texte complet (DE)
    https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/fallada/jedersti/jedersti.html

    #antifascisme #résistance #nazis #histoire #1942

  • Le #village_sous_la_forêt, de #Heidi_GRUNEBAUM et #Mark_KAPLAN

    En #1948, #Lubya a été violemment détruit et vidé de ses habitants par les forces militaires israéliennes. 343 villages palestiniens ont subi le même sort. Aujourd’hui, de #Lubya, il ne reste plus que des vestiges, à peine visibles, recouverts d’une #forêt majestueuse nommée « Afrique du Sud ». Les vestiges ne restent pas silencieux pour autant.

    La chercheuse juive sud-africaine, #Heidi_Grunebaum se souvient qu’étant enfant elle versait de l’argent destiné officiellement à planter des arbres pour « reverdir le désert ».

    Elle interroge les acteurs et les victimes de cette tragédie, et révèle une politique d’effacement délibérée du #Fonds_national_Juif.

    « Le Fonds National Juif a planté 86 parcs et forêts de pins par-dessus les décombres des villages détruits. Beaucoup de ces forêts portent le nom des pays, ou des personnalités célèbres qui les ont financés. Ainsi il y a par exemple la Forêt Suisse, le Parc Canada, le Parc britannique, la Forêt d’Afrique du Sud et la Forêt Correta King ».

    https://www.villageunderforest.com

    Trailer :

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISmj31rJkGQ

    #israel #palestine #carte #Israël #afrique_du_sud #forêt #documentaire

    #film #documentaire #film_documentaire

    (copier-coller de ce post de 2014 : https://seenthis.net/messages/317236)

    • Documentary Space, Place, and Landscape

      In documentaries of the occupied West Bank, erasure is imaged in the wall that sunders families and communities, in the spaces filled with blackened tree stumps of former olive groves, now missing to ensure “security,” and in the cactus that still grows, demarcating cultivated land whose owners have been expelled.

      This materiality of the landscape becomes figural, such that Shehadeh writes, “[w]hen you are exiled from your land … you begin, like a pornographer, to think about it in symbols. You articulate your love for your land in its absence, and in the process transform it into something else.’’[x] The symbolization reifies and, in this process, something is lost, namely, a potential for thinking differently. But in these Palestinian films we encounter a documenting of the now of everyday living that unfixes such reification. This is a storytelling of vignettes, moments, digressions, stories within stories, and postponed endings. These are stories of interaction, of something happening, in a documenting of a being and doing now, while awaiting a future yet to be known, and at the same time asserting a past history to be remembered through these images and sounds. Through this there arises the accenting of these films, to draw on Hamid Naficy’s term, namely a specific tone of a past—the Nakba or catastrophe—as a continuing present, insofar as the conflict does not allow Palestinians to imagine themselves in a determinate future of place and landscape they can call their own, namely a state.[xi]

      In Hanna Musleh’s I’m a Little Angel (2000), we follow the children of families, both Muslim and Christian, in the area of Bethlehem affected by the 2000 Israeli armed forces attacks and occupation.[xii] One small boy, Nicola, suffered the loss of an arm when he was hit by a shell when walking to church with his mother. His kite, seen flying high in the sky, brings delighted shrieks from Nicola as he plays on the family terrace from which the town and its surrounding hills are visible in the distance. But the contrast between the freedom of the kite in this unlimited vista and his reduced capacity is palpable as he struggles to control it with his remaining hand. The containment of both Nicola and his community is figured in opposition to a possible freedom. What is also required of us is to think not of freedom from the constraints of disability, but of freedom with disability, in a future to be made after. The constraints introduced upon the landscape by the occupation, however, make the future of such living indeterminate and uncertain. Here is the “cinema of the lived,”[xiii] of multiple times of past and present, of possible and imagined future time, and the actualized present, each of which is encountered in the movement in a singular space of Nicola and his kite.


      http://mediafieldsjournal.squarespace.com/documentary-space-place-and-la/2011/7/18/documentary-space-place-and-landscape.html;jsessioni
      #cactus #paysage

    • Memory of the Cactus

      A 42 minute documentary film that combines the cactus and the memories it stands for. The film addresses the story of the destruction of the Palestinian villages of Latroun in the Occupied West Bank and the forcible transfer of their civilian population in 1967. Over 40 years later, the Israeli occupation continues, and villagers remain displaced. The film follows two separate but parallel journeys. Aisha Um Najeh takes us down the painful road that Palestinians have been forcefully pushed down, separating them in time and place from the land they nurtured; while Israelis walk freely through that land, enjoying its fruits. The stems of the cactus, however, take a few of them to discover the reality of the crime committed.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ_LjknRHVA

    • Aujourd’hui, j’ai re-regardé le film « Le village sous la forêt », car je vais le projeter à mes étudiant·es dans le cadre du cours de #géographie_culturelle la semaine prochaine.

      Voici donc quelques citations tirées du film :

      Sur une des boîtes de récolte d’argent pour planter des arbres en Palestine, c’est noté « make wilderness bloom » :

      Voici les panneaux de quelques parcs et forêts créés grâce aux fonds de la #diaspora_juive :

      Projet : « We will make it green, like a modern European country » (ce qui est en étroit lien avec un certaine idée de #développement, liée au #progrès).

      Témoignage d’une femme palestinienne :

      « Ils ont planté des arbres partout qui cachaient tout »

      Ilan Pappé, historien israëlien, Université d’Exter :

      « ça leur a pris entre 6 et 9 mois poru s’emparer de 80% de la Palestine, expulser la plupart des personnes qui y vivaient et reconstruire sur les villes et villages de ces personnes un nouvel Etat, une nouvelle #identité »

      https://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/iais/staff/pappe

      Témoignage d’un palestinien qui continue à retourner régulièrement à Lubya :

      « Si je n’aimais pas cet endroit, est-ce que je continuerais à revenir ici tout le temps sur mon tracteur ? Ils l’ont transformé en forêt afin d’affirmer qu’il n’y a pas eu de village ici. Mais on peut voir les #cactus qui prouvent que des arabes vivaient ici »

      Ilan Pappé :

      « Ces villages éaient arabes, tout comme le paysage alentour. C’était un message qui ne passait pas auprès du mouvement sioniste. Des personnes du mouvement ont écrit à ce propos, ils ont dit qu’ils n’aimaient vraiment pas, comme Ben Gurion l’a dit, que le pays ait toujours l’air arabe. (...) Même si les Arabes n’y vivent plus, ça a toujours l’air arabe. En ce qui concerne les zones rurales, il a été clair : les villages devaient être dévastés pour qu’il n’y ait pas de #souvenirs possibles. Ils ont commencé à les dévaster dès le mois d’août 1948. Ils ont rasé les maisons, la terre. Plus rien ne restait. Il y avait deux moyens pour eux d’en nier l’existence : le premier était de planter des forêts de pins européens sur les villages. Dans la plupart des cas, lorsque les villages étaient étendus et les terres assez vastes, on voit que les deux stratégies ont été mises en oeuvre : il y a un nouveau quartier juif et, juste à côté, une forêt. En effet, la deuxième méthode était de créer un quartier juif qui possédait presque le même nom que l’ancien village arabe, mais dans sa version en hébreu. L’objectif était double : il s’agissait d’abord de montrer que le lieu était originellement juif et revenait ainsi à son propriétaire. Ensuite, l’idée était de faire passer un message sinistre aux Palestiniens sur ce qui avait eu lieu ici. Le principal acteur de cette politique a été le FNJ. »

      #toponymie

      Heidi Grunebaum, la réalisatrice :

      « J’ai grandi au moment où le FNJ cultivait l’idée de créer une patrie juive grâce à la plantation d’arbres. Dans les 100 dernières années, 260 millions d’arbres ont été plantés. Je me rends compte à présent que la petite carte du grand Israël sur les boîtes bleues n’était pas juste un symbole. Etait ainsi affirmé que toutes ces terres étaient juives. Les #cartes ont été redessinées. Les noms arabes des lieux ont sombré dans l’oubli à cause du #Comité_de_Dénomination créé par le FNJ. 86 forêts du FNJ ont détruit des villages. Des villages comme Lubya ont cessé d’exister. Lubya est devenu Lavie. Une nouvelle histoire a été écrite, celle que j’ai apprise. »

      Le #Canada_park :

      Canada Park (Hebrew: פארק קנדה‎, Arabic: كندا حديقة‎, also Ayalon Park,) is an Israeli national park stretching over 7,000 dunams (700 hectares), and extending from No man’s land into the West Bank.
      The park is North of Highway 1 (Tel Aviv-Jerusalem), between the Latrun Interchange and Sha’ar HaGai, and contains a Hasmonean fort, Crusader fort, other archaeological remains and the ruins of 3 Palestinian villages razed by Israel in 1967 after their inhabitants were expelled. In addition it has picnic areas, springs and panoramic hilltop views, and is a popular Israeli tourist destination, drawing some 300,000 visitors annually.


      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Park

      Heidi Grunebaum :

      « Chaque pièce de monnaie est devenue un arbre dans une forêt, chaque arbre, dont les racines étaient plantées dans la terre était pour nous, la diaspora. Les pièces changées en arbres devenaient des faits ancrés dans le sol. Le nouveau paysage arrangé par le FNJ à travers la plantation de forêts et les accords politiques est celui des #parcs_de_loisirs, des routes, des barrages et des infrastructures »

      Témoignage d’un Palestinien :

      « Celui qui ne possède de #pays_natal ne possède rien »

      Heidi Grunebaum :

      « Si personne ne demeure, la mémoire est oblitérée. Cependant, de génération en génération, le souvenir qu’ont les Palestiniens d’un endroit qui un jour fut le leur, persiste. »

      Témoignage d’un Palestinien :

      "Dès qu’on mange quelque chose chez nous, on dit qu’on mangeait ce plat à Lubya. Quelles que soient nos activités, on dit que nous avions les mêmes à Lubya. Lubya est constamment mentionnées, et avec un peu d’amertume.

      Témoignage d’un Palestinien :

      Lubya est ma fille précieuse que j’abriterai toujours dans les profondeurs de mon âme. Par les histoires racontées par mon père, mon grand-père, mes oncles et ma grande-mère, j’ai le sentiment de connaître très bien Lubya.

      Avi Shlaim, Université de Oxford :

      « Le mur dans la partie Ouest ne relève pas d’une mesure de sécurité, comme il a été dit. C’est un outil de #ségrégation des deux communautés et un moyen de s’approprier de larges portions de terres palestiniennes. C’est un moyen de poursuivre la politique d’#expansion_territoriale et d’avoir le plus grand Etat juif possible avec le moins de population d’arabes à l’intérieur. »

      https://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/people/avi-shlaim

      Heidi Grunebaum :

      « Les petites pièces de la diaspora n’ont pas seulement planté des arbres juifs et déraciné des arbres palestiniens, elles ont aussi créé une forêt d’un autre type. Une vaste forêt bureaucratique où la force de la loi est une arme. La règlementation règne, les procédures, permis, actions commandées par les lois, tout régulé le moindre espace de la vie quotidienne des Palestiniens qui sont petit à petit étouffés, repoussés aux marges de leurs terres. Entassés dans des ghettos, sans autorisation de construire, les Palestiniens n’ont plus qu’à regarder leurs maisons démolies »

      #Lubya #paysage #ruines #architecture_forensique #Afrique_du_Sud #profanation #cactus #South_african_forest #Galilée #Jewish_national_fund (#fonds_national_juif) #arbres #Palestine #Organisation_des_femmes_sionistes #Keren_Kayemeth #apartheid #résistance #occupation #Armée_de_libération_arabe #Hagana #nakba #exil #réfugiés_palestiniens #expulsion #identité #present_absentees #IDPs #déplacés_internes #Caesarea #oubli #déni #historicisation #diaspora #murs #barrières_frontalières #dépossession #privatisation_des_terres #terres #mémoire #commémoration #poésie #Canada_park

    • The Carmel wildfire is burning all illusions in Israel

      “When I look out my window today and see a tree standing there, that tree gives me a greater sense of beauty and personal delight than all the vast forests I have seen in Switzerland or Scandinavia. Because every tree here was planted by us.”

      – David Ben Gurion, Memoirs

      “Why are there so many Arabs here? Why didn’t you chase them away?”

      – David Ben Gurion during a visit to Nazareth, July 1948


      https://electronicintifada.net/content/carmel-wildfire-burning-all-illusions-israel/9130

      signalé par @sinehebdo que je remercie

    • Vu dans ce rapport, signalé par @palestine___________ , que je remercie (https://seenthis.net/messages/723321) :

      A method of enforcing the eradication of unrecognized Palestinian villages is to ensure their misrepresentation on maps. As part of this policy, these villages do not appear at all on Israeli maps, with the exception of army and hiking maps. Likewise, they do not appear on first sight on Google Maps or at all on Israeli maps, with the exception of army and hiking maps. They are labelled on NGO maps designed to increase their visibility. On Google Maps, the Bedouin villages are marked – in contrast to cities and other villages – under their Bedouin tribe and clan names (Bimkom) rather than with their village names and are only visible when zooming in very closely, but otherwise appear to be non-existent. This means that when looking at Google Maps, these villages appear to be not there, only when zooming on to a very high degree, do they appear with their tribe or clan names. At first (and second and third) sight, therefore, these villages are simply not there. Despite their small size, Israeli villages are displayed even when zoomed-out, while unrecognized Palestinian Bedouin villages, regardless of their size are only visible when zooming in very closely.


      http://7amleh.org/2018/09/18/google-maps-endangering-palestinian-human-rights
      Pour télécharger le rapport :
      http://www.7amleh.org/ms/Mapping%20Segregation%20Cover_WEB.pdf

    • signalé par @kassem :
      https://seenthis.net/messages/317236#message784258

      Israel lifted its military rule over the state’s Arab community in 1966 only after ascertaining that its members could not return to the villages they had fled or been expelled from, according to newly declassified archival documents.

      The documents both reveal the considerations behind the creation of the military government 18 years earlier, and the reasons for dismantling it and revoking the severe restrictions it imposed on Arab citizens in the north, the Negev and the so-called Triangle of Locales in central Israel.

      These records were made public as a result of a campaign launched against the state archives by the Akevot Institute, which researches the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

      After the War of Independence in 1948, the state imposed military rule over Arabs living around the country, which applied to an estimated 85 percent of that community at the time, say researchers at the NGO. The Arabs in question were subject to the authority of a military commander who could limit their freedom of movement, declare areas to be closed zones, or demand that the inhabitants leave and enter certain locales only with his written permission.

      The newly revealed documents describe the ways Israel prevented Arabs from returning to villages they had left in 1948, even after the restrictions on them had been lifted. The main method: dense planting of trees within and surrounding these towns.

      At a meeting held in November 1965 at the office of Shmuel Toledano, the prime minister’s adviser on Arab affairs, there was a discussion about villages that had been left behind and that Israel did not want to be repopulated, according to one document. To ensure that, the state had the Jewish National Fund plant trees around and in them.

      Among other things, the document states that “the lands belonging to the above-mentioned villages were given to the custodian for absentee properties” and that “most were leased for work (cultivation of field crops and olive groves) by Jewish households.” Some of the properties, it adds, were subleased.

      In the meeting in Toledano’s office, it was explained that these lands had been declared closed military zones, and that once the structures on them had been razed, and the land had been parceled out, forested and subject to proper supervision – their definition as closed military zones could be lifted.

      On April 3, 1966, another discussion was held on the same subject, this time at the office of the defense minister, Levi Eshkol, who was also the serving prime minister; the minutes of this meeting were classified as top secret. Its participants included: Toledano; Isser Harel, in his capacity as special adviser to the prime minister; the military advocate general – Meir Shamgar, who would later become president of the Supreme Court; and representatives of the Shin Bet security service and Israel Police.

      The newly publicized record of that meeting shows that the Shin Bet was already prepared at that point to lift the military rule over the Arabs and that the police and army could do so within a short time.

      Regarding northern Israel, it was agreed that “all the areas declared at the time to be closed [military] zones... other than Sha’ab [east of Acre] would be opened after the usual conditions were fulfilled – razing of the buildings in the abandoned villages, forestation, establishment of nature reserves, fencing and guarding.” The dates of the reopening these areas would be determined by Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Shamir, the minutes said. Regarding Sha’ab, Harel and Toledano were to discuss that subject with Shamir.

      However, as to Arab locales in central Israel and the Negev, it was agreed that the closed military zones would remain in effect for the time being, with a few exceptions.

      Even after military rule was lifted, some top IDF officers, including Chief of Staff Tzvi Tzur and Shamgar, opposed the move. In March 1963, Shamgar, then military advocate general, wrote a pamphlet about the legal basis of the military administration; only 30 copies were printed. (He signed it using his previous, un-Hebraized name, Sternberg.) Its purpose was to explain why Israel was imposing its military might over hundreds of thousands of citizens.

      Among other things, Shamgar wrote in the pamphlet that Regulation 125, allowing certain areas to be closed off, is intended “to prevent the entry and settlement of minorities in border areas,” and that “border areas populated by minorities serve as a natural, convenient point of departure for hostile elements beyond the border.” The fact that citizens must have permits in order to travel about helps to thwart infiltration into the rest of Israel, he wrote.

      Regulation 124, he noted, states that “it is essential to enable nighttime ambushes in populated areas when necessary, against infiltrators.” Blockage of roads to traffic is explained as being crucial for the purposes of “training, tests or maneuvers.” Moreover, censorship is a “crucial means for counter-intelligence.”

      Despite Shamgar’s opinion, later that year, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol canceled the requirement for personal travel permits as a general obligation. Two weeks after that decision, in November 1963, Chief of Staff Tzur wrote a top-secret letter about implementation of the new policy to the officers heading the various IDF commands and other top brass, including the head of Military Intelligence. Tzur ordered them to carry it out in nearly all Arab villages, with a few exceptions – among them Barta’a and Muqeible, in northern Israel.

      In December 1965, Haim Israeli, an adviser to Defense Minister Eshkol, reported to Eshkol’s other aides, Isser Harel and Aviad Yaffeh, and to the head of the Shin Bet, that then-Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin opposed legislation that would cancel military rule over the Arab villages. Rabin explained his position in a discussion with Eshkol, at which an effort to “soften” the bill was discussed. Rabin was advised that Harel would be making his own recommendations on this matter.

      At a meeting held on February 27, 1966, Harel issued orders to the IDF, the Shin Bet and the police concerning the prime minister’s decision to cancel military rule. The minutes of the discussion were top secret, and began with: “The mechanism of the military regime will be canceled. The IDF will ensure the necessary conditions for establishment of military rule during times of national emergency and war.” However, it was decided that the regulations governing Israel’s defense in general would remain in force, and at the behest of the prime minister and with his input, the justice minister would look into amending the relevant statutes in Israeli law, or replacing them.

      The historical documents cited here have only made public after a two-year campaign by the Akevot institute against the national archives, which preferred that they remain confidential, Akevot director Lior Yavne told Haaretz. The documents contain no information of a sensitive nature vis-a-vis Israel’s security, Yavne added, and even though they are now in the public domain, the archives has yet to upload them to its website to enable widespread access.

      “Hundreds of thousands of files which are crucial to understanding the recent history of the state and society in Israel remain closed in the government archive,” he said. “Akevot continues to fight to expand public access to archival documents – documents that are property of the public.”

    • Israel is turning an ancient Palestinian village into a national park for settlers

      The unbelievable story of a village outside Jerusalem: from its destruction in 1948 to the ticket issued last week by a parks ranger to a descendent of its refugees, who had the gall to harvest the fruits of his labor on his own land.

      Thus read the ticket issued last Wednesday, during the Sukkot holiday, by ranger Dayan Somekh of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority – Investigations Division, 3 Am Ve’olamo Street, Jerusalem, to farmer Nidal Abed Rabo, a resident of the Jerusalem-area village of Walaja, who had gone to harvest olives on his private land: “In accordance with Section 228 of the criminal code, to: Nidal Abed Rabo. Description of the facts constituting the offense: ‘picking, chopping and destroying an olive tree.’ Suspect’s response: ‘I just came to pick olives. I pick them and put them in a bucket.’ Fine prescribed by law: 730 shekels [$207].” And an accompanying document that reads: “I hereby confirm that I apprehended from Nidal Abed Rabo the following things: 1. A black bucket; 2. A burlap sack. Name of the apprehending officer: Dayan Somekh.”

      Ostensibly, an amusing parody about the occupation. An inspector fines a person for harvesting the fruits of his own labor on his own private land and then fills out a report about confiscating a bucket, because order must be preserved, after all. But no one actually found this report amusing – not the inspector who apparently wrote it in utter seriousness, nor the farmer who must now pay the fine.

      Indeed, the story of Walaja, where this absurdity took place, contains everything – except humor: the flight from and evacuation of the village in 1948; refugee-hood and the establishment of a new village adjacent to the original one; the bisection of the village between annexed Jerusalem and the occupied territories in 1967; the authorities’ refusal to issue blue Israeli IDs to residents, even though their homes are in Jerusalem; the demolition of many structures built without a permit in a locale that has no master construction plan; the appropriation of much of its land to build the Gilo neighborhood and the Har Gilo settlement; the construction of the separation barrier that turned the village into an enclave enclosed on all sides; the decision to turn villagers’ remaining lands into a national park for the benefit of Gilo’s residents and others in the area; and all the way to the ridiculous fine issued by Inspector Somekh.

      This week, a number of villagers again snuck onto their lands to try to pick their olives, in what looks like it could be their final harvest. As it was a holiday, they hoped the Border Police and the parks authority inspectors would leave them alone. By next year, they probably won’t be able to reach their groves at all, as the checkpoint will have been moved even closer to their property.

      Then there was also this incident, on Monday, the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah. Three adults, a teenager and a horse arrived at the neglected groves on the mountainside below their village of Walaja. They had to take a long and circuitous route; they say the horse walked 25 kilometers to reach the olive trees that are right under their noses, beneath their homes. A dense barbed-wire fence and the separation barrier stand between these people and their lands. When the national park is built here and the checkpoint is moved further south – so that only Jews will be able to dip undisturbed in Ein Hanya, as Nir Hasson reported (“Jerusalem reopens natural spring, but not to Palestinians,” Oct. 15) – it will mean the end of Walaja’s olive orchards, which are planted on terraced land.

      The remaining 1,200 dunams (300 acres) belonging to the village, after most of its property was lost over the years, will also be disconnected from their owners, who probably won’t be able to access them again. An ancient Palestinian village, which numbered 100 registered households in 1596, in a spectacular part of the country, will continue its slow death, until it finally expires for good.

      Steep slopes and a deep green valley lie between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, filled with oak and pine trees, along with largely abandoned olive groves. “New” Walaja overlooks this expanse from the south, the Gilo neighborhood from the northeast, and the Cremisan Monastery from the east. To the west is where the original village was situated, between the moshavim of Aminadav and Ora, both constructed after the villagers fled – frightened off by the massacre in nearby Deir Yassin and in fear of bombardment.

      Aviv Tatarsky, a longtime political activist on behalf of Walaja and a researcher for the Ir Amim nonprofit organization, says the designated national park is supposed to ensure territorial contiguity between the Etzion Bloc and Jerusalem. “Since we are in the territory of Jerusalem, and building another settler neighborhood could cause a stir, they are building a national park, which will serve the same purpose,” he says. “The national park will Judaize the area once and for all. Gilo is five minutes away. If you live there, you will have a park right next door and feel like it’s yours.”

      As Tatarsky describes the blows suffered by the village over the years, brothers Walid and Mohammed al-‘Araj stand on a ladder below in the valley, in the shade of the olive trees, engrossed in the harvest.

      Walid, 52, and Mohammed, 58, both live in Walaja. Walid may be there legally, but his brother is there illegally, on land bequeathed to them by their uncle – thanks to yet another absurdity courtesy of the occupation. In 1995, Walid married a woman from Shoafat in East Jerusalem, and thus was able to obtain a blue Israeli ID card, so perhaps he is entitled to be on his land. His brother, who lives next door, however, is an illegal resident on his land: He has an orange ID, as a resident of the territories.

      A sewage line that comes out of Beit Jala and is under the responsibility of Jerusalem’s Gihon water company overflows every winter and floods the men’s olive grove with industrial waste that has seriously damaged their crop. And that’s in addition, of course, to the fact that most of the family is unable to go work the land. The whole area looks quite derelict, overgrown with weeds and brambles that could easily catch fire. In previous years, the farmers would receive an entry permit allowing them to harvest the olives for a period of just a few days; this year, even that permit has not yet been forthcoming.

      The olives are black and small; it’s been a bad year for them and for their owners.

      “We come here like thieves to our own land,” says Mohammed, the older brother, explaining that three days beforehand, a Border Police jeep had showed up and chased them away. “I told him: It’s my land. They said okay and left. Then a few minutes later, another Border Police jeep came and the officer said: Today there’s a general closure because of the holiday. I told him: Okay, just let me take my equipment. I’m on my land. He said: Don’t take anything. I left. And today I came back.”

      You’re not afraid? “No, I’m not afraid. I’m on my land. It’s registered in my name. I can’t be afraid on my land.”

      Walid says that a month ago the Border Police arrived and told him he wasn’t allowed to drive on the road that leads to the grove, because it’s a “security road.” He was forced to turn around and go home, despite the fact that he has a blue ID and it is not a security road. Right next to it, there is a residential building where a Palestinian family still lives.

      Some of Walaja’s residents gave up on their olive orchards long ago and no longer attempt to reach their lands. When the checkpoint is moved southward, in order to block access by Palestinians to the Ein Hanya spring, the situation will be even worse: The checkpoint will be closer to the orchards, meaning that the Palestinians won’t be permitted to visit them.

      “This place will be a park for people to visit,” says Walid, up on his ladder. “That’s it; that will be the end of our land. But we won’t give up our land, no matter what.” Earlier this month, one local farmer was detained for several hours and 10 olive trees were uprooted, on the grounds that he was prohibited from being here.

      Meanwhile, Walid and Mohammed are collecting their meager crop in a plastic bucket printed with a Hebrew ad for a paint company. The olives from this area, near Beit Jala, are highly prized; during a good year the oil made from them can fetch a price of 100 shekels per liter.

      A few hundred meters to the east are a father, a son and a horse. Khaled al-‘Araj, 51, and his son, Abed, 19, a business student. They too are taking advantage of the Jewish holiday to sneak onto their land. They have another horse, an original Arabian named Fatma, but this horse is nameless. It stands in the shade of the olive tree, resting from the long trek here. If a Border Police force shows up, it could confiscate the horse, as has happened to them before.

      Father and son are both Walaja residents, but do not have blue IDs. The father works in Jerusalem with a permit, but it does not allow him to access his land.

      “On Sunday,” says Khaled, “I picked olives here with my son. A Border Police officer arrived and asked: What are you doing here? He took pictures of our IDs. He asked: Whose land is this? I said: Mine. Where are the papers? At home. I have papers from my grandfather’s time; everything is in order. But he said: No, go to DCO [the Israeli District Coordination Office] and get a permit. At first I didn’t know what he meant. I have a son and a horse and they’ll make problems for me. So I left.”

      He continues: “We used to plow the land. Now look at the state it’s in. We have apricot and almond trees here, too. But I’m an illegal person on my own land. That is our situation. Today is the last day of your holiday, that’s why I came here. Maybe there won’t be any Border Police.”

      “Kumi Ori, ki ba orekh,” says a makeshift monument in memory of Ori Ansbacher, a young woman murdered here in February by a man from Hebron. Qasem Abed Rabo, a brother of Nidal, who received the fine from the park ranger for harvesting his olives, asks activist Tatarsky if he can find out whether the house he owns is considered to be located in Jerusalem or in the territories. He still doesn’t know.

      “Welcome to Nahal Refaim National Park,” says a sign next to the current Walaja checkpoint. Its successor is already being built but work on it was stopped for unknown reasons. If and when it is completed, Ein Hanya will become a spring for Jews only and the groves on the mountainside below the village of Walaja will be cut off from their owners for good. Making this year’s harvest Walaja’s last.

      https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-is-turning-an-ancient-palestinian-village-into-a-national-p
      https://seenthis.net/messages/807722

    • Sans mémoire des lieux ni lieux de mémoire. La Palestine invisible sous les forêts israéliennes

      Depuis la création de l’État d’Israël en 1948, près de 240 millions d’arbres ont été plantés sur l’ensemble du territoire israélien. Dans l’objectif de « faire fleurir le désert », les acteurs de l’afforestation en Israël se situent au cœur de nombreux enjeux du territoire, non seulement environnementaux mais également identitaires et culturels. La forêt en Israël représente en effet un espace de concurrence mémorielle, incarnant à la fois l’enracinement de l’identité israélienne mais également le rappel de l’exil et de l’impossible retour du peuple palestinien. Tandis que 86 villages palestiniens détruits en 1948 sont aujourd’hui recouverts par une forêt, les circuits touristiques et historiques officiels proposés dans les forêts israéliennes ne font jamais mention de cette présence palestinienne passée. Comment l’afforestation en Israël a-t-elle contribué à l’effacement du paysage et de la mémoire palestiniens ? Quelles initiatives existent en Israël et en Palestine pour lutter contre cet effacement spatial et mémoriel ?

      https://journals.openedition.org/bagf/6779

    • Septembre 2021, un feu de forêt ravage Jérusalem et dévoile les terrassements agricoles que les Palestinien·nes avaient construit...
      Voici une image :

      « La nature a parlé » : un feu de forêt attise les rêves de retour des Palestiniens

      Un gigantesque incendie près de Jérusalem a détruit les #pins_européens plantés par les sionistes, exposant ainsi les anciennes terrasses palestiniennes qu’ils avaient tenté de dissimuler.

      Au cours de la deuxième semaine d’août, quelque 20 000 dounams (m²) de terre ont été engloutis par les flammes dans les #montagnes de Jérusalem.

      C’est une véritable catastrophe naturelle. Cependant, personne n’aurait pu s’attendre à la vision qui est apparue après l’extinction de ces incendies. Ou plutôt, personne n’avait imaginé que les incendies dévoileraient ce qui allait suivre.

      Une fois les flammes éteintes, le #paysage était terrible pour l’œil humain en général, et pour l’œil palestinien en particulier. Car les incendies ont révélé les #vestiges d’anciens villages et terrasses agricoles palestiniens ; des terrasses construites par leurs ancêtres, décédés il y a longtemps, pour cultiver la terre et planter des oliviers et des vignes sur les #pentes des montagnes.

      À travers ces montagnes, qui constituent l’environnement naturel à l’ouest de Jérusalem, passait la route Jaffa-Jérusalem, qui reliait le port historique à la ville sainte. Cette route ondulant à travers les montagnes était utilisée par les pèlerins d’Europe et d’Afrique du Nord pour visiter les lieux saints chrétiens. Ils n’avaient d’autre choix que d’emprunter la route Jaffa-Jérusalem, à travers les vallées et les ravins, jusqu’au sommet des montagnes. Au fil des siècles, elle sera foulée par des centaines de milliers de pèlerins, de soldats, d’envahisseurs et de touristes.

      Les terrasses agricoles – ou #plates-formes – que les agriculteurs palestiniens ont construites ont un avantage : leur durabilité. Selon les estimations des archéologues, elles auraient jusqu’à 600 ans. Je crois pour ma part qu’elles sont encore plus vieilles que cela.

      Travailler en harmonie avec la nature

      Le travail acharné du fermier palestinien est clairement visible à la surface de la terre. De nombreuses études ont prouvé que les agriculteurs palestiniens avaient toujours investi dans la terre quelle que soit sa forme ; y compris les terres montagneuses, très difficiles à cultiver.

      Des photographies prises avant la Nakba (« catastrophe ») de 1948, lorsque les Palestiniens ont été expulsés par les milices juives, et même pendant la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle montrent que les oliviers et les vignes étaient les deux types de plantation les plus courants dans ces régions.

      Ces végétaux maintiennent l’humidité du sol et assurent la subsistance des populations locales. Les #oliviers, en particulier, aident à prévenir l’érosion des sols. Les oliviers et les #vignes peuvent également créer une barrière naturelle contre le feu car ils constituent une végétation feuillue qui retient l’humidité et est peu gourmande en eau. Dans le sud de la France, certaines routes forestières sont bordées de vignes pour faire office de #coupe-feu.

      Les agriculteurs palestiniens qui les ont plantés savaient travailler en harmonie avec la nature, la traiter avec sensibilité et respect. Cette relation s’était formée au cours des siècles.

      Or qu’a fait l’occupation sioniste ? Après la Nakba et l’expulsion forcée d’une grande partie de la population – notamment le nettoyage ethnique de chaque village et ville se trouvant sur l’itinéraire de la route Jaffa-Jérusalem –, les sionistes ont commencé à planter des #pins_européens particulièrement inflammables sur de vastes portions de ces montagnes pour couvrir et effacer ce que les mains des agriculteurs palestiniens avaient créé.

      Dans la région montagneuse de Jérusalem, en particulier, tout ce qui est palestinien – riche de 10 000 ans d’histoire – a été effacé au profit de tout ce qui évoque le #sionisme et la #judéité du lieu. Conformément à la mentalité coloniale européenne, le « milieu » européen a été transféré en Palestine, afin que les colons puissent se souvenir de ce qu’ils avaient laissé derrière eux.

      Le processus de dissimulation visait à nier l’existence des villages palestiniens. Et le processus d’effacement de leurs particularités visait à éliminer leur existence de l’histoire.

      Il convient de noter que les habitants des villages qui ont façonné la vie humaine dans les montagnes de Jérusalem, et qui ont été expulsés par l’armée israélienne, vivent désormais dans des camps et communautés proches de Jérusalem, comme les camps de réfugiés de Qalandiya et Shuafat.

      On trouve de telles forêts de pins ailleurs encore, dissimulant des villages et fermes palestiniens détruits par Israël en 1948. Des institutions internationales israéliennes et sionistes ont également planté des pins européens sur les terres des villages de #Maaloul, près de Nazareth, #Sohmata, près de la frontière palestino-libanaise, #Faridiya, #Kafr_Anan et #al-Samoui sur la route Akka-Safad, entre autres. Ils sont maintenant cachés et ne peuvent être vus à l’œil nu.

      Une importance considérable

      Même les #noms des villages n’ont pas été épargnés. Par exemple, le village de Suba est devenu « #Tsuba », tandis que #Beit_Mahsir est devenu « #Beit_Meir », #Kasla est devenu « #Ksalon », #Saris est devenu « #Shoresh », etc.

      Si les Palestiniens n’ont pas encore pu résoudre leur conflit avec l’occupant, la nature, elle, s’est désormais exprimée de la manière qu’elle jugeait opportune. Les incendies ont révélé un aspect flagrant des composantes bien planifiées et exécutées du projet sioniste.

      Pour les Palestiniens, la découverte de ces terrasses confirme leur version des faits : il y avait de la vie sur cette terre, le Palestinien était le plus actif dans cette vie, et l’Israélien l’a expulsé pour prendre sa place.

      Ne serait-ce que pour cette raison, ces terrasses revêtent une importance considérable. Elles affirment que la cause palestinienne n’est pas morte, que la terre attend le retour de ses enfants ; des personnes qui sauront la traiter correctement.

      https://www.middleeasteye.net/fr/opinion-fr/israel-jerusalem-incendies-villages-palestiniens-nakba-sionistes-reto

      –—

      An Israeli Forest to Erase the Ruins of Palestinian Agricultural Terraces

      “Our forest is growing over, well, over a ruined village,” A.B. Yehoshua wrote in his novella “Facing the Forests.” The massive wildfire in the Jerusalem Hills last week exposed the underpinning of the view through the trees. The agricultural terraces were revealed in their full glory, and also revealed a historic record that Israel has always sought to obscure and erase – traces of Palestinian life on this land.

      On my trips to the West Bank and the occupied territories, when I passed by the expansive areas of Palestinian farmland, I was always awed by the sight of the long chain of terraces, mustabat or mudrajat in Arabic. I thrilled at their grandeur and the precision of the work that attests to the connection between the Palestinian fellah and his land. I would wonder – Why doesn’t the same “phenomenon” exist in the hills of the Galilee?

      When I grew up, I learned a little in school about Israeli history. I didn’t learn that Israel erased Palestinian agriculture in the Galilee and that the Jewish National Fund buried it once and for all, but I did learn that “The Jews brought trees with them” and planted them in the Land of Israel. How sterile and green. Greta Thunberg would be proud of you.

      The Zionist movement knew that in the war for this land it was not enough to conquer the land and expel its inhabitants, you also had to build up a story and an ethos and a narrative, something that will fit with the myth of “a people without a land for a land without a people.” Therefore, after the conquest of the land and the expulsion, all trace of the people who once lived here had to be destroyed. This included trees that grew without human intervention and those that were planted by fellahin, who know this land as they do their children and as they do the terraces they built in the hills.

      This is how white foreigners who never in their lives were fellahin or worked the land for a living came up with the national forestation project on the ruins of Arab villages, which David Ben-Gurion decided to flatten, such as Ma’alul and Suhmata. The forestation project including the importation of cypress and pine trees that were alien to this land and belong to colder climes, so that the new inhabitants would feel more at home and less as if they were in somebody else’s home.

      The planting of combustible cypresses and pines, which are not suited to the weather in this land, is not just an act of national erasure of the Palestinian natives, but also an act of arrogance and patronage, characteristics typical of colonialist movements throughout the world. All because they did not understand the nature, in both senses of the word, of the countries they conquered.

      Forgive me, but a biblical-historical connection is not sufficient. Throughout the history of colonialism, the new settlers – whether they ultimately left or stayed – were unable to impose their imported identity on the new place and to completely erase the place’s native identity. It’s a little like the forests surrounding Jerusalem: When the fire comes and burns them, one small truth is revealed, after so much effort went into concealing it.

      https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-an-israeli-forest-to-erase-the-ruins-of-palestinian-agricultural-t

      et ici :
      https://seenthis.net/messages/928766

    • Planter un arbre en Israël : une forêt rédemptrice et mémorielle

      Tout au long du projet sioniste, le végétal a joué un rôle de médiateur entre la terre rêvée et la terre foulée, entre le texte biblique et la réalité. Le réinvestissement national s’est opéré à travers des plantes connues depuis la diaspora, réorganisées en scènes signifiantes pour la mémoire et l’histoire juive. Ce lien de filiation entre texte sacré et paysage débouche sur une pratique de plantation considérée comme un acte mystique de régénération du monde.

      https://journals.openedition.org/diasporas/258

  • #José_Vieira : « La #mémoire des résistances face à l’accaparement des terres a été peu transmise »

    Dans « #Territórios_ocupados », José Vieira revient sur l’#expropriation en #1941 des paysans portugais de leurs #terres_communales pour y planter des #forêts. Cet épisode explique les #mégafeux qui ravagent le pays et résonne avec les #luttes pour la défense des #biens_communs.

    Né au Portugal en 1957 et arrivé enfant en France à l’âge de 7 ans, José Vieira réalise depuis plus de trente ans des documentaires qui racontent une histoire populaire de l’immigration portugaise.

    Bien loin du mythe des Portugais·es qui se seraient « intégré·es » sans le moindre problème en France a contrario d’autres populations, José Vieira s’est attaché à démontrer comment l’#immigration_portugaise a été un #exode violent – voir notamment La Photo déchirée (2001) ou Souvenirs d’un futur radieux (2014) –, synonyme d’un impossible retour.

    Dans son nouveau documentaire, Territórios ocupados, diffusé sur Mediapart, José Vieira a posé sa caméra dans les #montagnes du #Caramulo, au centre du #Portugal, afin de déterrer une histoire oubliée de la #mémoire_collective rurale du pays. Celle de l’expropriation en 1941, par l’État salazariste, de milliers de paysans et de paysannes de leurs terres communales – #baldios en portugais.

    Cette #violence étatique a été opérée au nom d’un vaste #projet_industriel : planter des forêts pour développer économiquement ces #territoires_ruraux et, par le même geste, « civiliser » les villageois et villageoises des #montagnes, encore rétifs au #salariat et à l’ordre social réactionnaire de #Salazar. Un épisode qui résonne aujourd’hui avec les politiques libérales des États qui aident les intérêts privés à accaparer les biens communs.

    Mediapart : Comment avez-vous découvert cette histoire oubliée de l’expropriation des terres communales ou « baldios » au Portugal ?

    José Vieira : Complètement par hasard. J’étais en train de filmer Le pain que le diable a pétri (2012, Zeugma Films) sur les habitants des montagnes au Portugal qui sont partis après-guerre travailler dans les usines à Lisbonne.

    Je demandais à un vieux qui est resté au village, António, quelle était la définition d’un baldio – on voit cet extrait dans le documentaire, où il parle d’un lieu où tout le monde peut aller pour récolter du bois, faire pâturer ses bêtes, etc. Puis il me sort soudain : « Sauf que l’État a occupé tous les baldios, c’était juste avant que je parte au service militaire. »

    J’étais estomaqué, je voulais en savoir plus mais impossible, car dans la foulée, il m’a envoyé baladé en râlant : « De toute façon, je ne te supporte pas aujourd’hui. »

    Qu’avez-vous fait alors ?

    J’ai commencé à fouiller sur Internet et j’ai eu la chance de tomber sur une étude parue dans la revue de sociologie portugaise Análise Social, qui raconte comment dans les années 1940 l’État salazariste avait pour projet initial de boiser 500 000 hectares de biens communaux en expropriant les usagers de ces terres.

    Je devais ensuite trouver des éléments d’histoire locale, dans la Serra do Caramulo, dont je suis originaire. J’ai passé un temps fou le nez dans les archives du journal local, qui était bien sûr à l’époque entièrement dévoué au régime.

    Après la publication de l’avis à la population que les baldios seront expropriés au profit de la plantation de forêts, plus aucune mention des communaux n’apparaît dans la presse. Mais rapidement, des correspondants locaux et des éditorialistes vont s’apercevoir qu’il existe dans ce territoire un malaise, qu’Untel abandonne sa ferme faute de pâturage ou que d’autres partent en ville. En somme, que sans les baldios, les gens ne s’en sortent plus.

    Comment sont perçus les communaux par les tenants du salazarisme ?

    Les ingénieurs forestiers décrivent les paysans de ces territoires comme des « primitifs » qu’il faut « civiliser ». Ils se voient comme des missionnaires du progrès et dénoncent l’oisiveté de ces montagnards peu enclins au salariat.

    À Lisbonne, j’ai trouvé aussi une archive qui parle des baldios comme étant une source de perversion, de mœurs légères qui conduisent à des enfants illégitimes dans des coins où « les familles vivent presque sans travailler ». Un crime dans un régime où le travail est élevé au rang de valeur suprême.

    On retrouve tous ces différents motifs dans le fameux Portrait du colonisé d’Albert Memmi (1957). Car il y a de la part du régime un vrai discours de colonisateur vis-à-vis de ces régions montagneuses où l’État et la religion ont encore peu de prise sur les habitants.

    En somme, l’État salazariste veut faire entrer ces Portugais reculés dans la modernité.

    Il y a eu des résistances face à ces expropriations ?

    Les villageois vont être embauchés pour boiser les baldios. Sauf qu’après avoir semé les pins, il faut attendre vingt ans pour que la forêt pousse.

    Il y a eu alors quelques histoires d’arrachage clandestin d’arbres. Et je raconte dans le film comment une incartade avec un garde forestier a failli virer au drame à cause d’une balle perdue – je rappelle qu’on est alors sous la chape de plomb du salazarisme. D’autres habitants ont aussi tabassé deux gardes forestiers à la sortie d’un bar et leur ont piqué leurs flingues.

    Mais la mémoire de ces résistances a peu été transmise. Aujourd’hui, avec l’émigration, il ne reste plus rien de cette mémoire collective, la plupart des vieux et vieilles que j’ai filmés dans ce documentaire sont déjà morts.

    Comment justement avez-vous travaillé pour ce documentaire ?

    Quand António me raconte cette histoire d’expropriation des baldios par l’État, c’était en 2010 et je tournais un documentaire, Souvenirs d’un futur radieux. Puis lorsqu’en 2014 un premier incendie a calciné le paysage forestier, je me suis dit qu’il fallait que je m’y mette.

    J’ai travaillé doucement, pendant trois ans, sans savoir où j’allais réellement. J’ai filmé un village situé à 15 kilomètres de là où je suis né. J’ai fait le choix d’y suivre des gens qui subsistent encore en pratiquant une agriculture traditionnelle, avec des outils de travail séculaires, comme la roue celte. Ils ont les mêmes pratiques que dans les années 1940, et qui sont respectueuses de l’écosystème, de la ressource en eau, de la terre.

    Vous vous êtes aussi attaché à retracer tel un historien cet épisode de boisement à marche forcée...

    Cette utopie industrialiste date du XIXe siècle, des ingénieurs forestiers parlant déjà de vouloir récupérer ces « terres de personne ». Puis sous Salazar, dans les années 1930, il y a eu un débat intense au sein du régime entre agrairistes et industrialistes. Pour les premiers, boiser ne va pas être rentable et les baldios sont vitaux aux paysans. Pour les seconds, le pays a besoin de l’industrie du bois pour décoller économiquement, et il manque de bras dans les villes pour travailler dans les usines.

    Le pouvoir central a alors même créé un organisme étatique, la Junte de colonisation interne, qui va recenser les baldios et proposer d’installer des personnes en leur donnant à cultiver des terres communales – des colonies de repeuplement pour résumer.

    Finalement, l’industrie du bois et de la cellulose l’a emporté. La loi de boisement des baldios est votée en 1938 et c’est en novembre 1941 que ça va commencer à se mettre en place sur le terrain.

    Une enquête publique a été réalisée, où tout le monde localement s’est prononcé contre. Et comme pour les enquêtes aujourd’hui en France, ils se sont arrangés pour dire que les habitants étaient d’accord.

    Qu’en est-il aujourd’hui de ces forêts ? Subsiste-t-il encore des « baldios » ?

    Les pinèdes sont exploitées par des boîtes privées qui font travailler des prolos qui galèrent en bossant dur. Mais beaucoup de ces forêts ont brûlé ces dernière décennies, notamment lors de la grande vague d’incendies au Portugal de 2017, où des gens du village où je filmais ont failli périr.

    Les feux ont dévoilé les paysages de pierre qu’on voyait auparavant sur les photos d’archives du territoire, avant que des pins de 30 mètres de haut ne bouchent le paysage.

    Quant aux baldios restants, ils sont loués à des entreprises de cellulose qui y plantent de l’eucalyptus. D’autres servent à faire des parcs d’éoliennes. Toutes les lois promues par les différents gouvernements à travers l’histoire du Portugal vont dans le même sens : privatiser les baldios alors que ces gens ont géré pendant des siècles ces espaces de façon collective et très intelligente.

    J’ai fait ce film avec en tête les forêts au Brésil gérées par les peuples autochtones depuis des siècles, TotalEnergies en Ouganda qui déplace 100 000 personnes de leurs terres pour du pétrole ou encore Sainte-Soline, où l’État aide les intérêts privés à accaparer un autre bien commun : l’eau.

    https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/culture-et-idees/021223/jose-vieira-la-memoire-des-resistances-face-l-accaparement-des-terres-ete-

    #accaparement_de_terres #terre #terres #dictature #histoire #paysannerie #Serra_do_Caramulo #communaux #salazarisme #progrès #colonisation #colonialisme #rural #modernité #résistance #incendie #boisement #utopie_industrialiste #ingénieurs #ingénieurs_forestiers #propriété #industrie_du_bois #Junte_de_colonisation_interne #colonies_de_repeuplement #cellulose #pinèdes #feux #paysage #privatisation #eucalyptus #éoliennes #loi #foncier

  • L’occupazione storica della Palestina e chi la nega: Pappé risponde a Travaglio

    Lo storico israeliano e direttore dello European centre for Palestine studies dell’Università di Exeter ha replicato a un editoriale del direttore de Il Fatto Quotidiano che puntava il dito contro presunti “errori storici” nell’appello degli accademici italiani per un cessate il fuoco immediato nella Striscia di Gaza

    All’inizio di novembre un gruppo di accademiche e accademici italiani ha rivolto un appello al ministro degli Esteri, Antonio Tajani, alla ministra dell’Università e della ricerca, Anna Maria Bernini, e alla Conferenza dei rettori (Crui) per chiedere un’azione urgente per un cessate il fuoco immediato nella Striscia di Gaza e il rispetto del diritto umanitario internazionale. Si chiedeva alle università una forma di boicottaggio accademico: interrompere immediatamente le collaborazioni con istituzioni universitarie e di ricerca israeliane, “fino a quando non sarà ripristinato il rispetto del diritto internazionale e umanitario, cessati i crimini contro la popolazione civile palestinese da parte dell’esercito israeliano e, quindi, fino a quando non saranno attivate azioni volte a porre fine all’occupazione coloniale illegale dei territori palestinesi e all’assedio di Gaza”.

    Un appello cui, a oggi, hanno aderito quasi 4.500 docenti universitari da tutta Italia. Due settimane dopo il direttore de Il Fatto Quotidiano, Marco Travaglio, ha dedicato l’editoriale di prima pagina (dal titolo “Errata corrige“) ai contenuti dell’appello, evidenziando presunti errori nella ricostruzione storica del testo. “Possibile -si è chiesto provocatoriamente Travaglio- che tra i quattromila prof non ce ne sia uno di Storia?”. Critiche a cui i promotori dell’iniziativa hanno deciso di replicare: “Ci ha colpiti e offesi l’accusa di ignoranza storica e logica nel trattare gli eventi del conflitto palestinese -si legge nel testo di replica-. Ironicamente, si chiedeva se tra di noi vi fossero degli storici. Possiamo confermare che tra le persone che hanno firmato vi siano”.

    E per rafforzare ulteriormente la validità dei propri argomenti e delle posizioni sostenute nell’appello, hanno chiesto di commentare le affermazioni di Travaglio a “un illustre collega e storico israeliano”, docente presso l’Università di Exeter, nel Regno Unito, ovvero Ilan Pappé: “Ha fondato e guidato l’Istituto per la Pace a Givat Haviva (Israele) tra il 1992 e il 2000, e ha ricoperto la cattedra dell’Istituto Emil Touma per gli Studi palestinesi di Haifa (2000-2008). Attualmente è direttore dello European centre for Palestine studies a Exeter”. Di seguito, d’accordo con le promotrici e i promotori dell’appello, pubblichiamo la traduzione dell’intervento di replica del professor Ilan Pappé.

    La richiesta di boicottaggio accademico è giunta dalla società civile palestinese, rappresentata da 150 Ong: non si tratta di un’iniziativa italiana. Essa si basa su chiare prove della complicità delle università israeliane nell’oppressione dei palestinesi ed è fortemente ispirata al richiamo al boicottaggio accademico contro l’apartheid in Sudafrica.

    Chiunque voglia organizzare una petizione contro altre istituzioni accademiche è il benvenuto, ma gli Stati menzionati nell’editoriale (da Travaglio, ovvero Iran, Siria, Arabia Saudita e Qatar, ndr) non stanno cercando di presentarsi come democrazie (a differenza di Israele), e quindi c’è un sufficiente dibattito pubblico sulla moralità dei contatti bilaterali con questi Paesi.

    L’Israele riconosciuto nella Risoluzione 181 non includeva le aree assegnate allo Stato arabo in quel documento, che Israele occupò nel 1948. Per 75 anni diverse parti della Palestina storica sono state sottoposte a diverse forme di oppressione in periodi differenti. Come menzionato, una parte della Palestina araba dell’Onu fu presa da Israele. Successivamente, la minoranza palestinese all’interno di Israele fu sottoposta a un regime militare di oppressione. Israele occupò la Cisgiordania e la Striscia di Gaza nel 1967 e trasferì in quei luoghi il brutale regime militare, sostituito nel 1981 da un’amministrazione civile altrettanto spietata, che violò gli Accordi di Oslo del 1993 dando mano libera all’esercito e agli insediamenti per gestire la vita di milioni di palestinesi ogni volta che lo desiderassero.

    Israele ha compiuto una pulizia etnica di 300mila palestinesi durante la guerra del giugno del 1967 e di oltre 600mila da allora fino a oggi, in Cisgiordania e nella Striscia di Gaza. Questo è il contesto storico. A questo possiamo aggiungere l’assedio a Gaza dal 2007, che ha trasformato quel territorio in un ghetto, bombardato quattro volte dall’aria, causando la morte di migliaia di palestinesi, molti dei quali bambini.

    Il più grande crimine israeliano contro l’umanità è la pulizia etnica del 1948 della metà della popolazione della Palestina, la demolizione di metà dei suoi villaggi e della maggior parte delle sue città. Nonostante le Nazioni Unite abbiano ordinato a Israele di permettere ai rifugiati di tornare, questo ha rifiutato di farlo. La lotta palestinese era inizialmente per il ritorno dei rifugiati e dopo il 1967 per la liberazione della loro patria colonizzata e occupata.

    Israele ha reso la Striscia di Gaza un enorme campo profughi nel 1948, ecco perché non l’ha occupata (non si è “ritirata” da Gaza, non l’ha occupata) e ha dato la Cisgiordania alla Giordania in cambio di un ruolo giordano limitato nel tentativo arabo di salvare i palestinesi da ulteriori pulizie etniche.

    È l’Organizzazione per la liberazione dalla Palestina (Olp) che ha fatto una grande concessione volendo negoziare solo sul 22% della Palestina storica, ma la “giudaizzazione” della Cisgiordania e della Striscia di Gaza iniziata nel 1967 e il disonesto desiderio israeliano di continuare a governare su tutta la Palestina storica, offrendo ai palestinesi di vivere in un “bantustan” (termine che nel Sudafrica dell’apartheid indicava i territori in cui furono costretti a trasferirsi diversi gruppi etnici neri, ndr) non poteva essere accettato dal movimento di liberazione palestinese e di conseguenza la lotta continua fino ad oggi.

    Quindi gli oltre quattromila professori conoscono molto bene la storia e dovrebbero essere lodati per rifiutarsi di negare la Nakba del 1948 -farlo è grave tanto quanto negare l’Olocausto- e la Nakba in corso. In realtà, i palestinesi sono stati già oggetto di pulizia etnica negli anni Venti del Novecento, ma sicuramente la loro terra è stata colonizzata, sono stati cacciati, oppressi e negati i diritti fondamentali dal 1948 fino a oggi. Negare ciò è ignoranza o cancellazione intenzionale e cinica della storia.

    https://altreconomia.it/loccupazione-storica-della-palestina-e-chi-la-nega-ilan-pappe-risponde-

    #Ilan_Pappé #Gaza #Palestine #à_lire #7_octobre_2023 #université #ESR #boycott #histoire #Israël #nettoyage_ethnique #1948 #réfugiés #occupation #camp_de_réfugié #encampement #Jordanie #bantustan #apartheid #OLP #Nakba

    L’appel des académicien·nes italien·nes:
    Appel des universitaires italien·nes: cessez-le-feu immédiat et respect du droit humanitaire international à Gaza
    https://academia.hypotheses.org/53494

  • #Guerre #Israël - #Hamas : l’engrenage infernal

    Une #catastrophe_humanitaire se déroule sous nos yeux dans la bande de Gaza tandis qu’Israël bombarde l’enclave et prépare une #riposte_militaire. Nos invités ont accepté d’échanger dans notre émission « À l’air libre » alors que cette guerre les touche. Ou les terrasse.

    Les invités :
    #Nadav_Lapid, réalisateur ;
    #Karim_Kattan, écrivain ;
    #Jonathan_Hayoun, réalisateur ;
    #Rony_Brauman, médecin, essayiste.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0OWMbWxhpg


    https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/international/171023/guerre-israel-hamas-l-engrenage-infernal

    #Gaza #7_octobre_2023 #à_lire #à_voir #vidéo
    #désespoir #désastre #impuissance #inquiétude #préoccupation #émotions #rage #médias #couverture_médiatique #couverture_politique #staus_quo #question_palestinienne #pogrom #mots #bombardements #eau #électricité #essence #réfugiés #déplacés_internes #IDPs #destruction #siège #catastrophe #Nakba #nouvelle_Nakba #évacuation #nourriture #famine #déportation #humiliation #paix #justice #droit_international #communauté_internationale #déshumanisation #sentiment_de_sécurité #sécurité #insécurité #apartheid #colonisation #nettoyage_ethnique #1948 #territoires_occupés #système_d'apartheid #double_régime_juridique #occupation_militaire #colonisation_civile #transferts_forcés_de_population #stratégie_de_désespoir #no_futur #actes_désespérés #lucidité #courage #étonnement #responsabilité #rationalisation #espoir #impasse #choc_électrique #trahison #traumatisme #terreur #cauchemar #cauchemar_traumatique #otages #libération_des_otages #guerre #autodestruction #suicide_national

    • Opinion. “Il est peu probable que l’Occident donne indéfiniment un blanc-seing à Israël”
      https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/opinion-il-est-peu-probable-que-l-occident-donne-indefiniment

      Les massacres commis par le Hamas dans le sud d’#Israël semblent avoir fait basculer les opinions publiques occidentales dans un soutien indéfectible à Tel-Aviv, estime ce journaliste israélien. Mais, à mesure que la situation des Palestiniens s’aggravera à #Gaza et en #Cisjordanie, ce soutien pourrait s’amenuiser.

      Le massacre de plus de 1 000 civils israéliens et l’enlèvement de dizaines d’autres servent désormais de base efficace à la diplomatie israélienne. Des pans importants des opinions publiques occidentales ont été révulsés par les tueries du 7 octobre et ont basculé. Mais pour combien de temps ?
      Pour le journaliste Amos Harel, du quotidien israélien de gauche Ha’Aretz, “il est peu probable que l’Occident donne indéfiniment un blanc-seing à Israël. L’État juif sait que la fenêtre d’action qui s’offre à lui n’est pas illimitée. Comme par le passé, il est difficile de synchroniser horloge militaire et horloge politique.”

      Pis, estime Amos Harel, deux États parmi les plus vieux pays arabes signataires d’un traité de paix avec Israël, l’#Égypte en 1979 et la #Jordanie en 1994, craignent de faire les frais de la contre-offensive israélienne, d’autant plus que la population du royaume hachémite est majoritairement d’origine palestinienne.
      “Jusqu’ici, cette dernière s’est montrée loyale envers Amman. Mais est-ce que cela durera indéfiniment ?”

      Enfin, la couverture médiatique de l’opération du #Hamas et de ses suites a relégué au second plan un autre problème : la Cisjordanie est également en proie aux violences. Près de 50 Palestiniens ont été tués la semaine dernière par des soldats israéliens et des colons juifs d’extrême droite.
      “La vraie menace réside en Cisjordanie, et il n’est pas certain que, malgré les slogans lancés par l’#extrême_droite présente au gouvernement, les #diplomaties_occidentales y soutiennent une répression israélienne d’une ampleur de Bouclier défensif [lancée par Ariel Sharon en avril 2002], qui avait vu Tsahal écraser et réoccuper les zones administrées par l’Autorité palestinienne”, soit 39 % des territoires autonomes #palestiniens de Cisjordanie.

  • [Fade to Pleasure ] #194.4 /w Snooba
    https://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/ftp/1944-w-snooba

    Il n’est que la volupté qui retienne tout l’homme dans le présent.

    Weekly Broadcasted & hosted by Snooba on Panik (Brussels-Be) Woot (Marseille) Grenouille (Marseille) Canal B (Rennes-Fr) C’rock (Vienne-Fr) Louiz Radio (Belgique-Louvain la neuve) You FM (Mons-Be) Woot (Marseille) Campus FM (Toulouse-FR) FTP 194

    zam ram glass woman.

    Sonnyjim the purist mf doom jay electronica barz simpson

    sol messiah sol supreme

    sonnyjim the purist dj premier doc ellis

    moresounds lost n oak

    gen-y nite shift

    pinch croydon house

    capricorn one system one

    cartridge banada original mix

    Bruise Cascade Extended Version

    Len.Leo Night Bloom

    Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs X Redlight Regulate

    Ian Pooley Ian Pooley Chord Memory Daft Punk

    Daze Prism Napuka

    Sen-Sei HUGE hands Wait For You

    Sen-Sei HUGE hands (...)

    https://www.radiopanik.org/media/sounds/ftp/1944-w-snooba_15833__1.mp3

  • Das geschah am 21. April 1945: Als die Rote Armee nach Berlin kam
    https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/als-die-rote-armee-nach-berlin-kam-4696399.html

    21.4.2020 von Andreas Conrad - „Na Berlin – Pobeda“ prangt in kyrillischen Lettern an der östlichen Giebelwand des Hauses Landsberger Allee 563, eines um 1900 entstandenen, denkmalgeschützten Wohngebäudes. Offenbar ungenutzt und etwas verwahrlost wirkt es zwischen den Plattenbaugebirgen Marzahns ziemlich verloren.

    Zu DDR-Zeiten wurde an der Landsberger Allee der Befreiung Berlins gedacht.
    Zu DDR-Zeiten wurde an der Landsberger Allee der Befreiung Berlins gedacht.

    Die kleine Grünanlage daneben ist kaum noch als der Ehrenhain erkennbar, als der sie im Mai 1985 von Thälmann- und Lenin-Pionieren angelegt wurde. Auch die zwei schlappen roten Nelken vor der Giebelwand, erst recht ein verdorrter, im Gebüsch entsorgter Blumenstrauß passen nicht zu der heroischen, mit einem Sowjetstern geschmückten und um das Datum „21. April 1945“ ergänzten Inschrift. Ein zweiter Stern aus roten Zementplatten ziert den verlassenen Parkplatz.

    „Nach Berlin – Sieg“. Das öde Haus ist ein Ort des Gedenkens, wie auf vier Schrifttafeln erläutert wird: „Auf dem Weg der Befreiung Berlins vom Hitlerfaschismus hissten Sowjetsoldaten in Berlin–Marzahn die Rote Fahne des Sieges.“ Das Haus galt zu DDR-Zeiten als das erste in Berlin, das von der Roten Armee befreit worden war – eine von Lokalhistorikern mittlerweile stark bezweifelte Sicht.

    Warum hätten sich die sowjetischen Soldaten auf dem Weg nach Westen gerade dieses Gebäude aussuchen sollen und nicht weiter östlich gelegene, die es vor dem Bau der Marzahner Großsiedlung in den siebziger und achtziger Jahren auch noch gab?

    Und war es überhaupt Marzahn, wo sowjetische Soldaten erstmals Berliner Stadtgebiet betraten? Über den Vormarsch einer kämpfenden Armee wird kaum akribisch Buch mit punkt- und zeitgenauen Angaben geführt. Die Fehlergefahr bei der Überlieferung ist hoch, und auch Zeitzeugen können irren, zumal wenn die Geschehnisse Jahrzehnte zurückliegen.
    Eine Zeitzeugin erinnert sich

    In Chroniken oder entsprechenden Informationen, wie man sie im Internet findet, wird eher der nördlich von Marzahn im Bezirk Lichtenberg gelegene, noch immer dörflich geprägte Ortsteil Malchow genannt. Hier, auf der heutigen Bundesstraße 2, seien am 21. April 1945 die ersten Russen ins Stadtgebiet vorgedrungen, berichtete auch vor fünf Jahren Irene T., eine betagte Dame, die das miterlebt hatte, einem Reporter des Tagesspiegels. In Marzahn seien die Russen erst Stunden später gewesen.

    [In unseren Leute-Newslettern berichten wir wöchentlich aus den zwölf Berliner Bezirken. Die Newsletter können Sie hier kostenlos bestellen: leute.tagesspiegel.de]

    Es waren Soldaten der aus Nordosten auf Berlin vorrückenden 1. Weißrussischen Front unter Marschall Georgi Schukow, während die 1. Ukrainische Front unter Marschall Iwan Konew in einer Zangenbewegung aus Südosten angriff. Auf der heute viel befahrenen Dorfstraße – sie heißt auch so – waren Panzersperren aufgestellt worden, gegen den Ansturm halfen sie nichts. „Der Taifun stupste die Stahlstangen nur an, und schon stand die Spitze der endlosen Kolonne im Dorf“, erzählt die Zeitzeugin.

    Um 12 Uhr seien die ersten Panzer Richtung Berliner Innenstadt vorbeigerollt, „Malchow war damit der erste besetzte und befreite Berliner Ortsteil.“ Mit dem sich die Russen aber nicht lange aufgehalten hätten. Nennenswerten Widerstand habe es nicht gegeben, die Armee habe es eilig gehabt, ins Stadtzentrum vorzustoßen.

    Der Bezirk Weißensee, zu dem Malchow damals gehörte, sei praktisch kampflos aufgegeben worden, ein von der Wehrmacht aufgebauter Abwehrring fand sich erst auf Höhe der heutigen S-Bahnstation Greifswalder Straße.

    Die russischen Soldaten waren aus Norden vom Berliner Ring her über die alte Reichsstraße 2 gekommen. Das damals erste Haus hinter dem Ortseingang gibt es noch immer, gleich zur Linken, unmittelbar hinter der Einmündung des Blankenburger Pflasterwegs: ein zweigeschossiges Wohngebäude mit großem Hof, an das sich das nächste Haus schmiegt, Brandmauer an Brandmauer.

    [...und wie war das jetzt im Berliner Westen? Hier die Geschichte, wie die Rote Armee Berlin-Spandau einnahm, Ortsteil für Ortsteil. Mehr konkrete Kiez-Nachrichten immer im Bezirksnewsletter: leute.tagesspiegel.de]

    Aber ist dort auch noch die Erinnerung an den 21. April 1945 wach, als das Haus das wahrscheinlich erste in Berlin war, das von den Russen eingenommen wurde – besetzt, befreit, je nach Sichtweise? Der Befund ist nicht eindeutig. „Ja, das stimmt“, antwortet über die Haussprechanlage spontan eine Bewohnerin, verweist ansonsten auf ihren Mann, er wisse darüber besser Bescheid.

    Der kommt zufällig gerade über die Straße, zu jung, um das historische Datum selbst erlebt zu haben. Immerhin haben seine Eltern damals hier gelebt, könnten ihm einiges erzählt haben. Aber wenn, dann ist die Erinnerung daran verblasst. Er wisse zwar von einem Onkel, der mit 16 Jahren verschleppt worden sein soll, erzählt der Mann, ansonsten könne er dazu nichts sagen.

    Zeitzeugen aus den letzten Kriegstagen zu finden, sei schwierig geworden in Malchow, hatte schon der Bäcker in seinem wenige Hundert Meter ortseinwärts gelegenen Laden gewarnt. Es gebe nur noch wenige Alteingesessene. Zwar ist er selbst einer, kann allerdings, 1943 geboren, nicht mit eigenem Erlebten aufwarten, sondern nur Bruchstücke aus Erzählungen der Eltern wiedergeben, über russische Einquartierungen, die zeitweilige Flucht mit der Mutter.

    Aber trotz der offenbar immer unbestimmter, grauer werdenden Erinnerungen ist der 21. April 1945 im Gedächtnis des Dorfes doch noch sehr lebendig – weniger aber durch den eiligen Vorbeimarsch der Roten Armee als durch den kurz zuvor erfolgten Abmarsch der Wehrmacht.
    Die Soldaten der Wehrmacht sprengten die Kirche

    Nach der Erinnerung von Irene T. war es 10.30 Uhr, als deutsche Soldaten die mittelalterliche Dorfkirche sprengten, deren Geschichte bis ins 13. Jahrhundert zurückreichte. Der Turm schien den Tätern offenbar von militärischer Bedeutung, zugleich Orientierungspunkt und Ausguck bis weit hinein nach Berlin, und musste daher weg, ebenso wie die Kirchtürme der Nachbargemeinden in Wartenberg und Falkenberg.

    Vielleicht stand dahinter aber, so sieht es Renate Kersten, Pfarrerin der Evangelischen Kirchengemeinden Malchow-Wartenberg, die gegen Kriegsende betriebene Strategie der verbrannten Erde, wie sie Hitler einen Monat zuvor in seinem sogenannten „Nerobefehl“ angeordnet hatte.

    Hitler hatte am Tag vor dem russischen Einmarsch im Bunker unter der Neuen Reichskanzlei seinen letzten Geburtstag begangen, am 21. April hielt Goebbels seine letzte Rundfunkansprache: Für die Verteidiger Berlins sei die „Stunde der Bewährung“ gekommen, mit allen Mitteln werde er die Verteidigung der Reichshauptstadt aktivieren, zum Sieg über den „Mongolensturm“.

    Die beschworene Gefahr überstand Malchows Bausubstanz weitgehend unversehrt. Nur ein Haus sei von sowjetischen und polnischen Soldaten in Brand gesteckt worden, und zuvor bei Bombenangriffen auf eine Munitionsfabrik an der Wartenberger Straße seien vier Gebäude zerstört worden, erinnerte sich Irene T.

    Ein Mahnmal erinnert an damals

    Das Wahrzeichen des Ortes aber hatten deutsche Soldaten der Wehrmacht, nicht etwa der SS auf dem Gewissen, sagt Pfarrerin Renate Kersten – und zwar, wie schon von der Zeitzeugin erinnert, am 21. April, das beweise der Jahresbericht der damals in der Kirchengemeinde arbeitenden Diakonisse.

    Vom Pfarrer sei kein Widerstand gegen die Sprengung seines Gotteshauses gekommen, er habe als strammer NS-Anhänger gegolten. Die an der Dorfstraße gelegene und vom Gemeindefriedhof umgebene Kirche wurde nicht wiederaufgebaut. Immerhin durfte die Gemeinde sich in den frühen fünfziger Jahren ein benachbartes Ersatzgebäude errichten, die einzige zu DDR-Zeiten in Ost-Berlin errichtete Kirche, wie die Pfarrerin weiß. Nur sollte sie nicht wie eine Kirche aussehen, an einen Turm war nicht zu denken.

    Das alte Gotteshaus blieb jahrzehntelang ein Schutthaufen, bis man sich vor fünf Jahren, anlässlich des bevorstehenden 70. Jahrestages des Kriegsendes, in der Gemeinde entschied, der Erinnerung wieder einen festeren Haltepunkt zu geben – zumal teilweise bereits geglaubt wurde, die Russen hätten die Kirche gesprengt.

    Mithilfe des Dorfvereins „Wir für Malchow“ wurde ein Mauerrest restauriert und zu einem Mahnmal umgewandelt. „Ehre Gott – Friede auf Erden“ steht nun an der Wand, „2. Weltkrieg“ auf einem davor liegenden Findling.

    Die Dorfkirche von Malchow wurde am 20. April 1945 von der Wehrmacht gesprengt, um der Roten Armee keine Orientierungspunkte zu bieten.
    Die Dorfkirche von Malchow wurde am 20. April 1945 von der Wehrmacht gesprengt, um der Roten Armee keine Orientierungspunkte zu bieten.

    Die verbliebenen Steine hat man in eiserne Gitterkästen gefüllt und damit den Umriss des Gotteshauses nachgezeichnet – eine Art „Cabriokirche“, wie die Pfarrerin scherzt. Dort findet jährlich am 21. April ein Gedenkgottesdienst statt, der coronabedingt erst wieder in einem Jahr gefeiert werden kann.

    Dann dürfte die restaurierte Fensternische des Mauermahnmals auch eine Nachbildung der Bronzefigur eines Geistlichen zieren, die dort ursprünglich stand. Das Original ist seit zwei Jahren weg. Es wurde gestohlen.

    #Berlin #Marzahn #Landsberger_Allee
    #Geschichte #1945

  • Neujahrsansprache der Regierenden
    https://www.rbb-online.de/fernsehen/programm/01_01_2023/1845487.html

    Bei 3:20

    Als Regierende Bürgermeisterin kann ich Ihnen heute sagen, die Energieversorgung in unserer Stadt ist in diesem Winter in allen Sektoren sichergestellt.

    Verstehe, nicht nur im amerikanischen, britischen und französischen, auch im sowjetischen Sektor fließt der Sprit in Strömen. Ende Blockade. Demnächst iss auch in der Szone Schluß mit Sparsam, wünscht sich unser Rejiersternchen aus Frankfurt anne Oder . Welchet Jahr hamwa heute, 1949 oder?

    Und für alle, die es nicht glauben können oder wollen folgt hier die offizielle Veröffentlichung der Senatskanzlei. Da steht es texto.

    Giffey in ihrer Neujahrsansprache: Berlin ist „Stadt der offenen Arme und Herzen“ - Berlin.de
    https://www.berlin.de/rbmskzl/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2022/pressemitteilung.1279328.php

    „Liebe Berlinerinnen, liebe Berliner,

    ein einschneidendes und herausforderndes Jahr 2022 liegt hinter uns – und ein neues Jahr mit neuen Aufgaben vor uns. Als Ihre Regierende Bürgermeisterin wünsche ich Ihnen allen für 2023 viel Glück, Gesundheit und Kraft!

    Im letzten Jahr sind in Berlin über 30.000 Kinder zur Welt gekommen. Ihnen und allen anderen Kindern in unserer Stadt eine gute Zukunft zu ermöglichen, dafür arbeite ich zusammen mit dem Berliner Senat und unseren 12 Bezirken: für gleiche Chancen, gute Bildung und soziale Gerechtigkeit. Deshalb haben wir 2022 über 5.000 Kitaplätze und über 8.000 Schulplätze neu geschaffen. Und wir treiben die Schulbauoffensive auch künftig mit über einer Milliarde Euro pro Jahr voran.

    Zu einer guten Zukunft gehört auch bezahlbarer Wohnraum. 16.500 Wohnungen wurden 2022 neu gebaut – trotz Krise mehr als 2020 und 2021 und mehr als im Bundesdurchschnitt.

    Denn Berlin soll für alle Generationen eine soziale Stadt bleiben: bezahlbar, lebenswert und nachhaltig, vielfältig und sicher – mit einer starken Wirtschaft und guter Arbeit.

    Seit dem russischen Angriff auf die Ukraine herrscht Krieg in Europa. Viele Menschen machen sich Sorgen um die Zukunft. Es ist jetzt umso wichtiger, dass wir uns auf unsere Stärken besinnen. Aus unserer Geschichte wissen wir, dass Berlin in Krisen immer wieder zur Höchstform aufläuft – so wie bei der Versorgung und Unterbringung geflüchteter Menschen aus der Ukraine. Berlin hat sich als Stadt der offenen Arme und der offenen Herzen gezeigt. Viele haben Geflüchtete bei sich zuhause aufgenommen, haben am Bahnhof geholfen, haben Lebensmittel und Kleidung gespendet.

    Ihnen und allen beteiligten Hilfsorganisationen und Ehrenamtlichen danke ich für ihre beispielhafte Solidarität. Sie alle sind Botschafter der Menschlichkeit Berlins.

    Für Berlin beschämend sind die Fehler, die vor meiner Amtszeit bei den Wahlen 2021 gemacht wurden und die zur Entscheidung des Landesverfassungsgerichtshofs zur Wahlwiederholung führten. Diese Fehler schmerzen mich zutiefst. Das darf nie wieder passieren. Sie können versichert sein: Dieser Senat und der neue Landeswahlleiter tun alles dafür, dass die Wahlwiederholung reibungslos verläuft.

    Gleichwohl haben wir in Berlin im letzten Jahr auch Entscheidendes erreicht, was angesichts der vor einem Jahr noch bedrohlichen Corona-Pandemie kaum vorstellbar erschien: Berlins Wirtschaft ist im vergangenen Jahr überproportional gewachsen. Viele neue Unternehmen haben sich in Berlin angesiedelt, neue Arbeitsplätze sind entstanden und Millionen Gäste haben Berlin wieder besucht. Das zeigt, dass Berlin nichts von seiner Anziehungskraft verloren hat. Im Gegenteil!

    Als Regierende Bürgermeisterin kann ich Ihnen heute sagen, die Energieversorgung in unserer Stadt ist in diesem Winter in allen Sektoren sichergestellt. Mit unserem Berliner Entlastungspaket unterstützen und helfen wir denjenigen, die von hohen Energiepreisen und Inflation besonders betroffen sind. Zum Beispiel mit dem 29-Euro-Ticket, das eine echte Entlastung ist und der BVG einen neuen Kundenrekord beschert.

    Liebe Berlinerinnen und Berliner, ich danke heute insbesondere denjenigen, die unsere Stadt mit ihrer Arbeit rund um die Uhr am Laufen halten – den Beschäftigten in den Krankenhäusern und Pflegeeinrichtungen, bei Feuerwehr und Polizei, bei der BSR, bei BVG und S-Bahn. Und den vielen Ehrenamtlichen, die sich täglich für unsere Gesellschaft einsetzen und für Solidarität einstehen.

    Wir bewältigen die Krise in einer gemeinsamen Kraftanstrengung von Politik, Wirtschaft und Zivilgesellschaft. Vertrauen wir auf diese starke Kraft in unserer Stadt. Denn es ist die Kraft von uns allen! Die Kraft des Miteinander-Anpackens!

    Ich wünsche Ihnen, dass Sie trotz aller Herausforderungen zuversichtlich ins neue Jahr blicken können. Lassen Sie uns Berlin weiter tatkräftig gestalten. Ich bin sicher: Gemeinsam wird es uns gelingen.“

    #Berlin #Politik #SPD #Blockade #1949 #2023 #WTF

    • Dans son discours du nouvel an la maire de Berlin affirme que « la sécurité énergétique de notre ville est assurée dans tous les secteurs ».

      Le terme « secteur » prend une signification spécifique dans le contexte berlinois. C’est l’appellation des zones d’occupation étatsunienne, britannique, française et soviétique entre 1945 et 1991. Quand la maire principale de la ville et ses assistants ne sont plus au courant de la signification propre au contexte local de cette expression, on ne peut que rire de leur incompétence. C’est comme une maire parisienne qui ignore le mur des Fédérés et l’histoire du boulevard périphérique.

      Le partage de la ville de Berlin en secteurs a marqué la vie quotidienne des berlinois pendant plusieurs générations. Il en résulte un angle de vue sur le monde unique aux berlinois de l’Ouest et de l’Est. Leurs perspectives sont profondément différentes malgré leurs points communs et chacune n’est partagée par personne d’autre sur terre.

      #Berlin #mur #occupation #guerre_froide

  • Cette archéologie sioniste qui oblitère les Palestiniens de Burayr
    Salman Abu Sitta, 3 septembre 2022 | Mondoweiss | Traduction : Jean-Marie Flémal, Charleroi pour la Palestine

    Le Dr Salman Abu Sitta éreinte les auteurs d’une étude archéologique qui escamote le massacre et le nettoyage ethnique du village de Burayr en 1948.
    https://charleroi-pourlapalestine.be/index.php/2022/09/12/cette-archeologie-sioniste-qui-oblitere-les-palestiniens-d

    Aux auteurs de « Une étude archéologique du village arabe de Bureir : « Perspectives à propos de la période ottomane écoulée et la période du mandat britannique en Israël du Sud » :

    Votre article décrit votre travail comme une « étude archéologique », impliquant qu’il s’agit d’une recherche sur l’histoire obscure et ancienne de Burayr. C’est une supercherie. Burayr a une histoire et une géographie bien plus présentes.

    Burayr est le site d’un massacre atroce au cours duquel environ 125 fermiers et leurs familles ont été tués au moyen de grenades à main lancées sur eux, dans leurs foyers, par la milice sioniste (la Haganah). Le village a été incendié ensuite et est parti en flammes. Des corps carbonisés jonchaient les rues. Le massacre avait commencé le 13 mai 1948 et s’était poursuivi quelque temps après.

    Dans l’après-midi du 14 mai, avant que le sang n’ait eu le temps de sécher, David Ben-Gourion proclama l’État colonial d’Israël. Il a eu l’audace de demander aux Palestiniens, le peuple du pays de Palestine, de recourir à des moyens pacifiques pour coexister avec les colons. (...)

    #sionisme #1948

  • Israel’s ’most moral army in the world’ can’t keep running away from its past
    Haaretz Editorial | Dec. 12, 2021 |

    https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/israel-s-most-moral-army-in-the-world-can-t-keep-running-away-from-its-past

    Soldiers of the Israeli army committed war crimes during the War of Independence, chief among them were massacres in Palestinian villages that were captured in the decisive battles in the lowland plain between the coast and Jerusalem, in the Galilee and in the Negev.

    People who were alive then described mass murders of Palestinian civilians by the troops who conquered their villages; execution squads; dozens of people being herded into a building that was then blown up; children’s skulls smashed with sticks; brutal rapes and villagers who were ordered to dig pits in which they were then shot to death.

    The massacres – the best-known of them in Deir Yassin, near Jerusalem, and the lesser-known ones in Al-Dawayima, Hula, Reineh, Salha, Meron, Al-Burj, Majd al-Krum, and Safsaf – are part of the Israel Defense Forces’ combat heritage and part of Israel’s history, no less than the heroic battles at the Mitla Pass, Ammunition Hill and the Chinese Farm, which were fought by regular armies.

    But Al-Dawayima isn’t taught in the public schools, and the cadets at the army’s officers’ training schools don’t take field trips to see the remains of the village on which Moshav Amatzia was established. They don’t read testimonies from the survivors of the massacre and they and don’t discuss the moral dilemmas of combat in a civilian environment – even though today, as in 1948, much of the military’s operations are directed at unarmed Palestinians.

    This silence is not coincidental, and it is dictated from above. The massacres were known at the time, discussed by the political leadership and investigated to some extent. One officer was even tried for the murder of civilians, convicted, given a ludicrously light punishment and eventually received an important public appointment. But official Israel has been fleeing from the story ever since, making every effort to prevent the crimes’ disclosure and to purge the archives of all remaining evidence.

    The historian Adam Raz was the first to disclose (Haaretz, December 10) the content of discussions in cabinet meetings devoted to “the army’s behavior in the Galilee and the Negev” in its major operations in October 1948. A few cabinet members expressed genuine shock and demanded punishment of those responsible. Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion described the actions as “shocking,” but in practice he covered for the army and prevented a genuine investigation. In so doing, he laid the foundations for the culture of support and cover-up still prevalent in the IDF (and the Israel Police) regarding brutality against Palestinian and Lebanese civilians.

    A 73-year-old state has no need to run away from its past or cover it in the false blanket of “purity of arms” and “the most moral army in the world.” It is time to acknowledge the truth, and first to publish the report by the first attorney general, Yaakov-Shimshon Shapira, on the massacres of the dark autumn of 1948; to restore the redacted text to the minutes of the cabinet meeting in which Shapira presented his findings and to hold a penetrating public discussion of their implications today.

    https://seenthis.net/messages/939425

    Classified docs reveal massacres of Palestinians in ’48 – and what Israeli leaders knew
    Adam Raz | Dec. 9, 2021 | Haaretz.com
    https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.HIGHLIGHT.MAGAZINE-classified-docs-reveal-deir-yassin-massacre-was

    Testimonies continue to pile up, documents are revealed, and gradually a broader picture emerges of the acts of murder committed by Israeli troops during the War of Independence. Minutes recorded during cabinet meetings in 1948 leave no room for doubt: Israel’s leaders knew in real time about the blood-drenched events that accompanied the conquest of the Arab villages

    The discussions were fraught with emotion. Cabinet minister Haim-Moshe Shapira said that all of Israel’s moral foundations had been undermined. Minister David Remez remarked that the deeds that had been done remove us from the category of Jews and from the category of human beings altogether. Other ministers were also appalled: Mordechai Bentov wondered what kind of Jews would be left in the country after the war; Aharon Zisling related that he had had a sleepless night – the criminals, he said, were striking at the soul of the whole government. Some ministers demanded that the testimonies be investigated and that those responsible be held to account. David Ben-Gurion was evasive. In the end, the ministers decided on an investigation. The result was the establishment of the “committee to examine cases of murder in [by] the army.”

    It was November 1948. Testimonies of massacres perpetrated by Israel Defense Forces soldiers against Arabs – targeting unarmed men as well as elderly folk and women and children – were piling up on the cabinet table. For years these discussions were concealed from the public by the military censors. Now, an investigative report by Haaretz and the Akevot Institute for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research for the first time makes public the sharp exchanges between the ministers on this subject and reveals testimonies about three previously unknown massacres, as well as new details about the killing in Hula, Lebanon, one of the most flagrant crimes of the war.

    •••

    In October 1948, the IDF launched two large-scale operations: In the south, Operation Yoav, which opened a road to the Negev; and in the north, Operation Hiram. In the latter, within 30 hours, dozens of Arab villages in the north were overrun and tens of thousands of residents fled or were expelled from their homes. Within less than three days, the IDF had conquered the Galilee and also extended its reach into villages in southern Lebanon. The overwhelming majority of them took no part in the fighting. Most of the exchanges of fire were between the IDF and the Arab Salvation Army, consisting of volunteers from Arab countries.

    At the time of Israel’s campaign to conquer the Galilee, 120,000 Arabs remained in the area, half the number who had resided there on the eve of the United Nations’ adoption of the partition plan, in November 1947. The IDF’s rapid advance toward the northern border brought the soldiers into contact with the population that remained in the villages, among whom were elderly folk and women and children. The Palestinians’ fate was now in the hands of the Israeli forces. That was the background to the massacres that were perpetrated against civilians and against Arab soldiers who were taken captive. At the war’s end, some 30,000 Arabs remained in the north.

    The atrocities of the 1948 war are known from diverse historical documentation: soldiers’ letters, unpublished memoirs written in real time, minutes of meetings held by political parties, and from other sources. Reports about military and governmental investigations are for the most part classified, and the heavy hand of military censorship continues to obstruct academic research and investigative reporting. Still, the open sources provide a picture that is slowly becoming clearer. For example, testimonies about previously unknown massacres that took place in Reineh, at Meron and in Al-Burj, which are discussed below.

    Reineh killings

    The village of Reineh, near Nazareth, was conquered even before Operation Hiram, in July 1948. A few months later, Aharon Haim Cohen, from the department of the Histadrut labor federation that dealt with the Arab population, demanded that a representative of the parallel section in Mapam, a left-wing party that was part of the government, clarify the following: “Why were 14 Arabs murdered in the village of Reineh at the beginning of September, among them a Bedouin woman and also a member of the Land of Israel Workers Alliance, Yusuf al-Turki? They were seized next to the village, accused of smuggling, taken to the village and murdered.” Sheikh Taher al-Taveri, one of the leaders of the Palestinian community in the north, maintained that the Reineh massacre “is not the only one” and that these acts were “being carried out for the purpose of robbery.” The victim’s families claimed that those murdered had been carrying hundreds of liras, a very substantial amount.

    The village of Al-Burj (today Modi’in) was also conquered in July 1948, in Operation Dani. According to a document, whose author is unknown, that was found in the Yad Yaari Archive, four elderly men remained in the village after its capture: “Hajj Ibrahim, who helped out in the military kitchen, a sick elderly woman and another elderly man and [elderly] woman.” Eight days after the village was conquered, the soldiers sent Ibrahim off to pick vegetables in order to distance him from what was about to occur. “The three others were taken to an isolated house. Afterward an antitank shell (‘Fiat’) was fired. When the shell missed the target, six hand grenades were thrown into the house. They killed an elderly man and woman, and the elderly woman was put to death with a firearm. Afterward they torched the house and burned the three bodies. When Hajj Ibrahim returned with his guard, he was told that the three others had been sent to the hospital in Ramallah. Apparently he didn’t believe the story, and a few hours later he too was put to death, with four bullets.”

    According to the testimony of Shmuel Mikunis, a member of the Provisional State Council (predecessor to the Knesset) from the Communist Party, and reported here for the first time, atrocities were also perpetrated in the Meron region. Mikunis got around the censors in real time by asking the prime minister a parliamentary question, which ended up in the Knesset Archive. He demanded clarification from David Ben-Gurion about acts that Mikunis said had been done by members of the underground Irgun militia: “A. They annihilated with a machine gun 35 Arabs who had surrendered to that company with a white flag in their hands. B. They took as captives peaceful residents, among them women and children, ordered them to dig a pit, pushed them into it with long French bayonets and shot the unfortunates until they were all murdered. There was even a woman with an infant in her arms. C. Arab children of about 13-14 who were playing with grenades were all shot. D. A girl of about 19-20 was raped by men from Altalena [an Irgun unit]; afterward she was stabbed with a bayonet and a wooden stick was thrust into her body.”

    This is the place to emphasize that we have no additional testimony that reinforces the brutal descriptions of the events in Reineh, Al-Burj and Meron. This is not surprising, considering how much material remains locked away in the archives. With regard to Mikunis’ testimony, there are additional reasons to suspend healthy skepticism. In that same parliamentary question to Ben-Gurion, Mikunis provided a minutely detailed description of the massacre in the Lebanese village of Hula, and it turned out later, in court, that his sources were reliable. (There is no evidence of a response from the prime minister.)

    ‘Some still showed signs of life’

    The ministers appear to have been especially perturbed by the Hula massacre. The village was conquered by a company of the Carmeli Brigade, 22nd battalion, under the command of Shmuel Lahis. Hundreds of residents, a majority of Hula’s population, fled, but about 60 people remained in the village and surrendered without resistance. After the conquest, two massacres were perpetrated there, in two successive days. On the first day, October 31, 1948, 18 villagers were murdered, and on the following day the number of victims stood at 15.

    Lahis, the company commander, was the only combatant who was tried on murder charges in Operation Hiram. He was acquitted by reason of doubt in the first episode, but was convicted of the second day’s massacre, which he carried out himself. The Lahis verdict was later relegated to the law archive of Tel Aviv University, and a short excerpt from the ruling on his appeal is here published for the first time.

    Lahis ordered the removal “of those 15 Arabs from the house they were in and led them to an isolated house which was some distance from the village’s Muslim cemetery. When they got there, the appellant [Lahis] ordered the Arabs to be taken into one of the rooms and there he commanded them to stand in a line with their faces to the wall… The appellant then shot the Arabs with the Sten [gun] he held and emptied two clips on them. After the people fell, the appellant checked the bodies and observed whether there was life in them. Some of them still showed signs of life and the appellant then fired additional shots into them.”

    Lahis stated in his defense that he had operated in the spirit of the battalion commander, who told him that “there is no need to burden intelligence [personnel] with captives.” He explained that he felt a powerful need for revenge because of the death of his friends, even though his victims had not taken part in the fighting. He was sentenced to seven years in prison; on appeal the prison term was reduced to one year. He served it in quite comfortable conditions in a military base in the north.

    Over the years, the judges offered various explanations for the light sentence. Judge Gideon Eilat justified the sentence by noting that Lahis was the only person brought to trial, even though graver murders had been committed. Judge Chaim Dvorin said, “As a judge it was difficult for me to come to terms with a situation in which we are sitting behind a table and judging a person who behaved during battle as he behaved. Could he have known at the time who was innocent and who was an enemy?”

    Following his release, Lahis was pardoned by President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi. Three decades later he was appointed director general of the Jewish Agency. In that capacity he conceived the idea of Jerusalem Day, commemorating the re-unification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War, which has since been marked annually.

    Deir Yassin

    Millions of documents from the state’s founding are stored in government archives, and banned from publication. On top of this there is active censorship. In recent years personnel of the Malmab unit (Hebrew acronym for “director of security of the defense establishment”) have been scouring archives around the country and removing evidence of war crimes, as an investigative report by Hagar Shezaf in Haaretz revealed in 2019. However, despite the efforts at concealment, the accounts of about massacres continue to accumulate.

    The groundwork was laid by the historian Benny Morris, who conducted comprehensive, pioneering research in archives, starting in the 1980s. To this was later added the work of another historian, Adel Manna, whose focus is oral history and who studied the history of the Arabs of Haifa and the Galilee. Manna described, among other events, the execution squad that massacred nine residents of Majd al-Krum (his own birthplace). Additional publications over the years, such as the testimonies reported here, are gradually filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle.

    Morris recorded 24 massacres during the 1948 war. Today it can be said that the number is higher, standing at several dozen cases. In some of them a few individuals were murdered, in others dozens, and there are also cases of more than a hundred victims. With the exception of the massacre in Deir Yassin, in April 1948, which has resonated widely over the years, this gloomy slice of history appears to have been repressed and pushed aside from the Israeli public discourse.

    Among the major massacres that took place during Operations Hiram and Yoav were the events in the villages of Saliha, Safsaf and Al-Dawayima. In Saliha (today Kibbutz Yiron), which lay close to the border with Lebanon, the 7th Brigade executed between 60 and 80 inhabitants using a method that was employed a number of times in the war: concentrating residents in a building in the village and then blowing up the structure with the people inside.

    In Safsaf (today Moshav Safsufa), near Safed, soldiers from the 7th Brigade massacred dozens of inhabitants. According to one testimony (subsequently reclassified by the Malmab unit), “Fifty-two men were caught, tied them to one another, dug a pit and shot them. Ten were still twitching. Women came, begged for mercy. Found bodies of 6 elderly men. There were 61 bodies. 3 cases of rape.”

    In the village of Al-Dawayima (today Moshav Amatzia), in the Lachish District, troops of the 8th Brigade massacred about 100 people. A soldier who witnessed the events described to Mapam officials what happened: “There was no battle and no resistance. The first conquerors killed 80 to 100 Arab men, women and children. The children were killed by smashing their skulls with sticks. There wasn’t a house without people killed in it.” According to an intelligence officer who was posted to the village two days later, the number of those killed stood at 120.

    An article published by an anonymous soldier in the journal Ner after the war indicates that the phenomenon of killing non-combatants was widespread in the IDF. The writer related how his comrades in the unit had murdered an elderly Arab woman who remained behind during the conquest of the village of Lubiya, in Lower Galilee: “This became a fashion. And when I complained to the battalion commander about what was going on, and asked him to put a stop to the rampage, which has no military justification, he shrugged his shoulders and said that ‘there is no order from above’ to prevent it. Since then the battalion just descended further down the slope. Its military achievements continued, but on the other hand the atrocities multiplied.”

    ‘This is a Jewish question’

    In November-December 1948, when the war pressure had abated somewhat, the government turned to discussing the reports of massacres, which reached ministers in different ways. A perusal of the minutes of these meetings leaves no room for doubt: The country’s top leaders knew in real time about the blood-drenched events that accompanied the conquest of the Arab villages.

    In fact, the minutes of cabinet meetings from this period were made available for public perusal as early as 1995. However, the sections of the discussions that were devoted to “the army’s behavior in the Galilee and the Negev” – the term on the cabinet’s agenda – remained redacted and censored until only a few days ago. The present report was made possible following a request to the state archivist made by the Akevot Institute.

    Even now, the transcripts are not available in full. It is evident that the direct mentions of war crimes remain redacted. However, the exchanges between the ministers about the question of whether to investigate the crimes or not – exchanges that were concealed for 73 years – are now available to researchers, journalists and curious citizens. Here, for example, is what the cabinet meeting of November 7, 1948, sounded like:

    Minister of Immigration and Health Haim-Moshe Shapira (Hapoel Hamizrahi): “To go that far is forbidden even in times of war. These matters have come up more than once in cabinet meetings, and the defense minister investigated and demanded, and orders were given. I believe that in order to create the impression that we take this matter very seriously, we must choose a committee of ministers who will travel to those places and see for themselves what happened. People who commit these acts must be punished. The matter was not a secret. My proposal is to choose a committee of three ministers who will address the gravity of the matter.”

    Interior Minister Yitzhak Gruenbaum (General Zionists): “I too intended to ask a question along these lines. I have learned that an order exists to cleanse the territory.” At this point Gruenbaum tells about an officer who transported residents in a bus to enemy lines, where they were expelled, and adds, “But apparently others lack the same intelligence and the same feeling. Apparently the order can be executed by other means.”

    At this point many lines are redacted.

    Labor Minister Mordechai Bentov (Mapam): “The people who did this claimed they had received orders in this spirit. It seems to me that we have not been as helpless about any issue as we are, apparently, about this issue. In my opinion this is not an Arab question, it is a Jewish question. The question is which Jews will remain in the country after the war. I see no way but to eradicate the evil with a strong hand. As we have not seen that strong hand in [army] headquarters or in the Defense Ministry, I support Mr. Shapira’s proposal for a committee to be chosen, which will be given the authority by the government to investigate every person it wishes. It’s necessary to investigate the chains of command, who received orders from whom, how things are being done without written orders. These things are done according to a particular method. It turns out that an order is one thing and procedure another.”

    Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion (Mapai): “If they flee, there is no need to run after them. However, it is different with regard to residents who remain in their places and our armies chase them away. That can be prevented. There is no need to chase them away. In Lod and Ramle explicit orders were given not to chase away the inhabitants and it turned out that they were forced [to leave]. I wanted to go to Lod in the first days after the conquest, and I was given a few excuses as to why I shouldn’t go. The first time I accepted them naively. A more serious matter is that of the theft. The situation in that regard is horrible.”

    ‘Fools’ paradise’

    The November 7, 1948, meeting ended with a decision to appoint a committee of three ministers to examine the testimony about massacres. The committee consisted of Haim-Moshe Shapira, Bentov and Justice Minister Pinhas Rosenbluth (Rosen), from the Progressive Party. A week later they informed the cabinet that the meager powers they had been given did not enable them to get to the truth of the matter. Three more days passed, and the cabinet met again to discuss the investigation of the crimes.

    Bentov: “It is known to me that there are circles in the army who want to sabotage the government’s decisions.”

    Shapira: “We must find the best way to stop the plague. The situation in this matter is like a plague. Today the committee heard one witness, and I buried my face in my hands, in shame and disgrace. If this is the situation, I don’t know from which side a greater danger exists to the state – from the side of the Arabs or from our own side. In my opinion, all our moral foundations have been undermined and we need to look for ways to curb these instincts. We have reached this state of affairs because we did not know how to control things when this first started. My impression is that we are living in a fools’ paradise. If no shift occurs, then we are undermining the government’s moral basis with our own hands.”

    Agriculture Minister Aharon Zisling (Mapam): “I received a letter from a certain person about this matter. I have to tell you that I knew about the situation in this matter, and I placed the subject on this table more than once. After reading the letter I received, I couldn’t sleep the whole night. I felt that something was being done that was affecting my soul, the soul of my home and the soul of all of us here. I could not imagine where we had come from and where we are going. I know that this is not a chance thing but something that determines the nation’s standards of life. I know that this could have consequences in every area of our life. One transgression generates another, and this matter becomes people’s second nature.”

    Police Minister Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit (Sephardim and Oriental Communities): “Already in the first days of the People’s Administration [pre-May 1948 temporary legislative body], I demanded a stringent approach on this matter, and you didn’t listen to me. You are overwrought about their grave deeds. I put forward several proposals on this subject, and to this day not one of them has been accepted.”

    Transportation Minister David Remez (Mapai): “We have slid down a terrible slope – true, not the whole army, but if there are deeds like these and they are recurring in quite a few places, they are undoubtedly horrific to the point of despair.”

    Following the discussion, Ben-Gurion declared incisively: “Since the committee did not fulfill the role it was tasked with, it is hereby abolished.” To which Gruenbaum retorted, “We are burying the matter.” Minister Shapira, who had been the one to call for the committee in the first place, commented that he felt the earth give way beneath his feet.

    In fact, the ministers grasped very quickly that the prime minister had no interest in a through investigation of war crimes. He refused to grant the committee of three the authority to subpoena witnesses, and blamed its members’ laziness for its failure. Whereas some ministers demanded the establishment of a committee with teeth and urged that those responsible be brought to justice, Ben-Gurion pulled in a completely opposite direction. The meeting ended with the following decision: “The government assigns to the prime minister [responsibility for] investigating all of the claims made about the army’s behavior vis-a-vis Arabs in the Galilee and the south.”

    Two days after the meeting, on November 19, 1948, he appointed the attorney general, Yaakov-Shimshon Shapira, to investigate the events. The prime minister noted in the letter of appointment that the attorney general “is hereby requested to take it on himself to examine and investigate whether harm was inflicted by soldiers and the army on the life of Arab residents of the Galilee and the south, which was not in accordance with the accepted rules of war.”

    Two weeks later, the attorney general submitted his report to the prime minister. In the cabinet meeting of December 5, Ben-Gurion read out its main points, but this section of the minutes remains redacted. In the 1980s, historian Morris petitioned the High Court of Justice, requesting that the report be made available to him, but the petition was rejected. The Akevot Institute has been working for several years to have the report declassified.

    The report is mentioned only a few times in the academic literature – so few that some have questioned its very existence. The historian Yoav Gelber, the author of one of the most informative books about the War of Independence (“Independence Versus Nakbah: The Arab-Israeli War of 1948,” in Hebrew), wrote that he did not find “Shapira’s investigative report or any reference to it, or any other evidence to the effect that an investigation was conducted in the matter of the irregular actions that took place in the Galilee.” Nevertheless, the report does exist, and the minutes now made available show that the cabinet ministers were not at all pleased with its content or its recommendations.

    After reading out the main points of the report to the cabinet, Ben-Gurion said, “I do not accept everything he [Shapira] wrote, but I think he has done something important and has said things that others would not have dared say.” He then took the opportunity to criticize his fellow cabinet members. “Of course, it’s easy to sit here around this table and cast blame on a small number of people, on those who fought.”

    Haim-Moshe Shapira: “The attorney general has indeed presented a report from what he was told, but that is not his job. In my opinion, the only thing that it’s still possible to do, is to select on behalf of the government a public committee that will investigate the matter and go fully into its details. But if these deeds are covered up, the blame lies with the entire government if it does not being the offenders to justice.”

    Remez: “These deeds remove us from the category of Jews and from the category of human beings altogether. Precisely on these grave matters we have been silent to this day. We must find a way to put a stop to these deeds, but we must not silence our conscience by placing the whole gravity of the blame on boys who were dragged in the wake of deeds that were done earlier.”

    Bentov: “People get used to the fact of turning away and start to understand: there is no justice and no judge.”

    Code of silence

    Throughout the cabinet meetings, there were several mentions of a code of silence existing among soldiers about war crimes. Minister Shapira stated: “The fact is that the soldiers are afraid to testify. I asked one soldier whether he would be willing to appear before the committee. He asked me not to mention his name, to forget that he spoke with me and to consider him someone who doesn’t know a thing.”

    Ben-Gurion also addressed the difficulty of breaching the circle of silence: “In regard to the Galilee, a few things have been published. Not all the rumors fit the facts. Several things have been confirmed. What happened in Dawayima cannot be confirmed. There is a cover-up. The matter of the cover-up is extremely serious. I assigned someone to conduct a clarification about a certain matter, and an organized operation was mounted against him not to do the clarification. He was under great pressure.” Ben-Gurion asserted that it was impossible to ascertain the truth, not in the north and not in the south. He added that in the Negev, “deeds were done that are no less shocking than the deeds in the Galilee.”

    The code of silence helped those who wished to sweep the crimes under the carpet and avoid investigations and indictments. Indeed, Shmuel Lahis, the commander of the unit that perpetrated the Hula massacre, was among the few who were accused of murder in the War of Independence. Not even the Al-Dawayima massacre, which was investigated internally by the IDF, produced indictments.

    The intensity of the cover-up in the army comes through in a book by Yosef Shai-El, a soldier in Lahis’ company, who testified in the trial against his former commander. In his unpublished memoir from 2005, “The First Eighty Years of My Life,” Shai-El writes: ‘After the trial verdict was handed down, I went through hard times for a while. People would grab me in cafés and various places in the city and hit me. I made it a habit to go out with a pistol in my pocket. I’d found the pistol in an abandoned house in Acre long before. Everyone knew I was a sniper, and I enjoyed quiet for some time. The police informed my father that there was a plan to kidnap me from the house, and I hid in a friend’s home.”

    Even those who did not have the benefit of silence and a cover-up, and were tried for crimes committed in the war, were finally let off the hook. In February 1949 a retroactive general pardon was issued for any crimes committed during the war. The public at large appears not to have been disturbed by any of this. The events described above took place during the period when the military justice system was being created. This might explain why the military internalized an organizational culture that goes easy on the killing of Palestinians by soldiers during operations. The philosopher Martin Buber termed the frame of mind that dominated Jewish society at the time a “war psychosis.”

    Half a year later, the first Speaker of the Knesset, Joseph Sprinzak, appeared before the parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Mentioned in the meeting were two items that had appeared in the press that day, which epitomized the attitude toward the acts of murder during the war. One report referred to an officer who during the fighting had ordered the murder of four wounded individuals; the second report was about a person who sold stolen army equipment. The former was sentenced to six months in prison, the latter to three years. Sprinzak, in any event, was under no illusions. “We are far from humanism,” he told the committee. “We are like all the nations.”

    Adam Raz is a researcher at the Akevot Institute for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research .

    #nakba #Palestine #sionisme #1948 #archives_israéliennes

    • The ghosts haunting Israel’s wars, past and present
      Gideon Levy | Dec. 12, 2021 | Haaretz.com
      https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-the-ghosts-haunting-israel-s-wars-past-and-present-1.10458096

      The Haaretz editorial for Sunday calls for opening the archives to reveal the complete truth about what happened here in 1948, including all of the massacres and the war crimes committed by Israel Defense Forces soldiers in 1948-49. There is, of course, no demand for justice.

      After 73 years, the citizens of Israel are permitted to know what was done in their name during their country’s first war. The victims of that war are also permitted to know all about the travails of their families and the crimes perpetrated against them. A state that is proud of its past does not conceal it. Only a state that is ashamed of its deeds conceals them. An Israel that conceals its past is a state that knows, deep in its heart, that its righteous birth came about through a great and deep sin.

      In the wake of the shocking article by Adam Raz in Friday’s Haaretz, disclosing massacres that were reported to the cabinet and concealed ever since, without any of the criminals being punished appropriately, it is indeed time to face the truth, deal with its implications and learn its lessons. The editorial is convinced that when the truth comes to light, it will provoke penetrating public discussion throughout the country. The editorial is mistaken.

      That ship sailed a long time ago. Opening the archives and revealing the truth will neither help nor hinder. The process of repression and denial, of erasing reality and replacing it with an alternative reality, fabricating justifications for any iniquity and the spreading of lies and false propaganda, which began immediately after the war and has never stopped, has succeeded above and beyond all expectations.

      The door to the truth is closed to Israelis. Most do not see Palestinians as human beings like themselves, and therefore anything is permitted of the state. Tell them now about massacres, and most will shrug their shoulders. Only Haaretz will agree to publish the stories, and few readers will be shocked: They will be derided as “purists.”

      The vast majority will adhere to the “truth” that has been drilled into their heads: There was no choice, we don’t want to think about what would have happened had the situation been reversed, we were the few against the many, the Arabs started it, they rejected partition – and of course, the Holocaust. No massacre story, however barbaric, can change anything now. Israel has barricaded itself inside its narrative, and nothing can crack the wall. Penetrating public discussion? More like a penetrating public yawn.

      It is not by chance that Israel finds itself in this situation. It is not its past that haunts it. It is not the past it denies. Israel conceals its past in order to justify its present. The dark side of its past did not end in 1948 – it has never ended. Methods changed, as have the dimensions, but the policies, the moral standards and the attitude to Arabs haven’t changed an iota. If we admit to the 1948 Hula massacre, we would also have to admit to the criminal killing Friday of the ninth protester from the village of Beita. If we admit that we concealed and covered up the connection to the 1948 Al-Burj massacre, we would also have to admit to lying about the justification for executing the stabber at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate on December 4th.

      Therefore, it’s best for Israel to keep on covering up the destruction and the killing by planting more and more Jewish National Fund groves, meant to ensure that the truth never peeks out through the pines. It would be hard to deal with, after so many years of being told that we are always right, that we are the victims, that we have the most moral army in the world, that we were the few against the many and that Arabs are natural-born killers.

      Had 1948 ended in 1948, had its crimes ceased then, there would have been no problem admitting the truth today, to regret, to apologize, even to pay restitution. But because 1948 never ends, and what we did then to the Palestinians we continue to do now, only more forcefully, we can’t get worked up over what happened then, lest it undermine the faith in what we are still doing. Therefore, dear editorial, the mechanisms of whitewash and justification will cover up any disclosure from 1948. No public discussion will be provoked. Please don’t disturb, we are carrying on – with the same crimes, or similar ones.

  • Après le choléra, si on allait regarder comment se comporte la #grippe à nos #frontières ?

    Mais attention, pas n’importe quelle grippe : la GRIPPE ITALIENNE, dont je suis un expert depuis 48 heures.

    Cette #épidémie a envahi notre douce #France en janvier 1949 et aurait causé quelque 11 000 décès ! C’est par analogie avec la terrifiante #Grippe_espagnole de 1918, qu’on l’a appelée italienne, mais aussi parce qu’elle nous venait bien d’#Italie où elle avait fait « son apparition » deux mois auparavant.

    #1949, c’est peu de temps après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. L’Europe est encore en pleine reconstruction. Je vous laisse donc imaginer l’état sanitaire et social de la France, ainsi que la dureté des conditions d’existence dans les quartiers populaires et les villes ouvrières…

    Pour y voir plus clair, je vous ai préparé une petite revue de presse d’époque (merci la BNF et retronews !) qui permet de mieux comprendre les phénomènes d’ « #opinion_publique » associés à l’épidémie. Et vous allez voir que ça résonne avec notre époque.

    Sous la plume de l’Ingénu, on peut lire dans « #Droit_et_Liberté » (organe du #M.N.C.R. —qui donnera naissance au #MRAP— qui sous l’Occupation stigmatisait le racisme hitlérien et mobilisait l’opinion française au moyen de ses publications clandestines) ce petit billet, du 15 janvier 1949, intitulé :
    « La grippe c’est moche ! »

    Conversation dans le métropolitain :
    « -Est-ce que comme tout le monde vous avez fait connaissance avec la grippe italienne ? -Pourquoi me serais-je singularisé ? (...) Oui j’ai eu la grippe comme tout le monde, mais pour la qualifier d’italienne, c’est une autre histoire. Pourquoi mettre en cause un peuple qui, pour une fois, ne nous a rien fait ? Appelons la plutôt, si vous le voulez bien, la #grippe_Moch ! (#Jules_Moch, ministre de l’Intérieur).
    –Là je crois que vous exagérez. En quoi le ministre de l’Intérieur, si critiquable qu’il soit par ailleurs pourrait-il être tenu responsable du virus A ou du virus B ?
    –Évidemment les ministres ne sécrètent pas les microbes comme les calomnies gratuites. Mais dans certains cas ils sont directement responsables de la #santé de la population. Quand à force d’#injustice, de #favoritisme, de #brutalité, d’#exactions on fait régner la #misère et la #sous-alimentation, on est directement responsable des épidémies qui, ensuite, touchent une population en état de moindre résistance (…) Ignorez-vous (…) que les principaux foyers de grippe se situent dans les régions où les #CRS de Monsieur #Moch ont sévi ? Partout où les #politiques_de_terreur ont contraint les hommes à la #misère. Dans le #Nord, à #Saint-Étienne et ailleurs, la grippe est deux fois plus violent que dans le reste du pays… ».

    La palme de l’humour revient à la célèbre #Françoise_Giroud qui dans « Carrefour » 12-01-1949, osa cette formule :
    « on l’appelle italienne, non pas parce qu’elle attaque dans le dos (allusion au « coup de poignard dans le dos » de juin 1940), mais parce que 60 Italiens sur 100 en sont atteints ».

    En guise de conclusion, si vous avez envie de rigoler plutôt que d’éternuer, allez regarder ce que le loufoque #Pierre_Dac conseillait alors comme remède :
    https://www.ina.fr/video/AFE85002888

    Source : #Philippe_Hanus sur FB :
    https://www.facebook.com/philippe.hanus.94/posts/685384552198004

    #1949 #histoire

    –---------

    Beaucoup de seenthisien·nes vont apprécier cela :

    -Évidemment les ministres ne sécrètent pas les microbes comme les calomnies gratuites. Mais dans certains cas ils sont directement responsables de la #santé de la population. Quand à force d’#injustice, de #favoritisme, de #brutalité, d’#exactions on fait régner la #misère et la #sous-alimentation, on est directement responsable des épidémies qui, ensuite, touchent une population en état de moindre résistance (…) Ignorez-vous (…) que les principaux foyers de grippe se situent dans les régions où les #CRS de Monsieur Moch ont sévi ? Partout où les #politiques_de_terreur ont contraint les hommes à la #misère. Dans le #Nord, à #Saint-Étienne et ailleurs, la grippe est deux fois plus violent que dans le reste du pays… ».

    ping @reka @fil @nepthys @odilon @davduf @simplicissimus

  • Le donne della Repubblica
    Wikiradio del 2/06/2016 - Rai Radio 3
    https://www.raiplayradio.it/audio/2016/05/Le-donne-della-Repubblica-494c87cf-ea1e-4b06-897d-9d6383349623.html

    Il 2 giugno #1946, le donne italiane votano per la prima volta in una consultazione politica nazionale con Simonetta Soldani

    Repertorio

    – Frammento di un intervista a Nadia Spano, membro dell’Assemblea costituente italiana e deputato del Partito comunista italiano
    – Frammento di un intervista a Laura Lombardo, insegnante, partigiana e politica italiana
    – Frammento di un’intervista a Giovanna Marturano, partigiana, esponente di rilievo del movimento femminista

    Brano musicale

    – 18 aprile, cantata dal coro delle Mondine di Porporana, dal cd “Cante dal cuore”
    http://www.mondineporporana.com/senonciconoscete.htm

    #podcast #wikiradio #RaiRadio3 #Italie #république #genre #votation #féminisme #société #politique

  • L’eccidio di Melissa

    Wikiradio del 29/10/2015 - Rai Radio 3
    https://www.raiplayradio.it/audio/2015/10/Leccidio-di-Melissa---Wikiradio-del-29102015-c3570c08-b9a2-40a9-b3fd-69

    La mattina del 29 ottobre 1949, a Melissa, in Calabria, la polizia spara sui contadini durante una pacifica marcia sulle terre del fondo Fragalà, provocando la morte di 3 persone e il ferimento di altre 15 con Danilo Chirico

    Repertorio

    – interviste a testimoni dell’eccidio tratte da TG2 Dossier, 1977 - Archivi Rai

    – interviste ai protagonisti della marcia sul latifondo Fragalà a Melissa tratte da TG2 Galleria- Persone dentro i fatti. Le ceneri di Melissa, 6/11/1979 - Archivi Rai

    – La Settimana Incom 00080, 24/09/1947 - Problemi del giorno. Occupazione di terre incolte (Archivio Luce)

    – Roma il nuovo ministero (vengono presentati tra gli altri Scelba al Ministero degli Interni e Segni al ministero dell’Agricoltura - La Settimana Incom 00397, 01/02/1950 - Archivio Luce

    – frammento dal documentario Nel Mezzogiorno qualcosa è cambiato, regia di Carlo Lizzani, Casa di produzione: Rinascita, Tecnofilm, 1949

    Brano musicale

    Passato Presente, Lucio Dalla (1973)

    #podcast #wikiradio #RaiRadio3 #melissa #calabre #greve #occupation #eccidioFragalà #1949 #LuigiBerlingeri #occupationdesterres #FrancescoNigro #GiovanniZito #AngelinaMauro #DC #PageNoirItalie

  • Il Rapporto Beveridge

    Wikiradio del 01/12/2015 - Rai Radio 3 - RaiPlay Radio
    https://www.raiplayradio.it/audio/2015/11/Il-Rapporto-Beveridge---Wikiradio-del-01122015-7071f550-0939-4129-8f15-

    Définition de wikipedia :
    Le #rapportBeveridge, officiellement intitulé Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services (« Assurance sociale et les services connexes »), est un rapport parlementaire britannique publié en novembre 1942. Rédigé sous la direction de l’économiste libéral William Beveridge, il eut une influence déterminante sur la mise en place de l’État-Providence au Royaume-Uni après la Seconde Guerre mondiale."
    https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapport_Beveridge

    #wwii #assurancesociale #uk #podcast #wikiradio #RaiRadio3

  • Hailé Selassié
    Wikiradio del 2/11/2017 - Rai Radio 3
    https://www.raiplayradio.it/audio/2017/10/Hail-Selassi----Wikiradio-del-2112017-8f0e6973-80a7-44b9-9fa7-4923dac0b

    Il 2 novembre 1930 Tafari Maconnen diventa imperatore col nome di Hailé Selassié Primo con Alessandro Triulzi.

    Repertorio

    – vari frammenti da un’intervista di Mario Soldati dal programma A carte scoperte con #HailéSelassié, trasmessa il 18/6/1974 - Archivi Rai

    – intervista di Gianno Bisiach ad Hailé #Selassié da RT - Rotocalco televisivo , realizzata il 28 maggio 1963 nel parco della residenza di Hailé Selassié - Archivi Rai

    – Breve frammento dell’appello in amarico che Hailé Selassié fece a Ginevra il 30 giugno 1936

    Io, Haila Sellase I, Imperatore d’Etiopia sono qui oggi per reclamare quella giustizia che è dovuta al mio popolo e quell’assistenza ad esso promessa otto mesi or sono da cinquantadue nazioni, quando queste affermarono che un atto di aggressione era stato compiuto in violazione dei trattati internazionali. [.] Mai, sinora, vi era stato l’esempio di un governo che procedesse allo sterminio di un popolo usando mezzi barbari, violando le più solenni promesse fatte a tutti i popoli della terra, che non si debba usare contro esseri umani la terribile arma dei gas venefici. È per difendere un popolo che lotta per la sua secolare indipendenza che il capo dell’Impero etiopico è venuto a Ginevra per adempiere a questo supremo dovere, dopo avere egli stesso combattuto alla testa dei suoi eserciti.

    Brani musicali

    – I Love King Selassié, Black Uhuru

    – War, Bob Marley

    #podcast #wikiradio #RaiRadio3 #rasta #secondeGuerreItalo-éthiopienne #italie #1941 #colonialisme #colonialismeitalian #EmpireColonialItalien #WWII #Éthiopie #fascisme #negus

  • La battaglia di Gondar
    raccontata da Gianluca Podestà WIKIRADIO del 27/11/2013
    https://www.spreaker.com/user/radiorai/wikiradio-del-27-11-2013-la-battaglia-di

    La battaglia di Gondar raccontata da Gianluca Podestà.
    Il 27 novembre 1941 con la resa di Gondar l’Italia abbandona l’Africa Orientale con Gianluca Podestà

    Repertorio:

    – Materiale storico dall’Archivio Istituto Luce: #Gondar:"Una visione di luoghi ove le nostre truppe combattono eroicamente" Giornale Luce dell’11 settembre 1941; Gondar antica capitale etiopica -Giornale Luce del 12 febbraio 1936; Gondar Imperiale 1939; Con la colonna Starace a Gondar e al lago Tana - 1936;

    – Testimonianze tratte da Mille Papaveri rossi - Italia in guerra - RAISTORIA;

    Brano musicale:

    The story of the wind - Tseguè Mariam Guebrou

    #podcast #wikiradio #RaiRadio3 #italie #1941 #colonialisme #colonialismeitalian #EmpireColonialItalien #WWII #Éthiopie #UK #Uolchefit #fascisme

  • Political Jokes with Liberals Win : 4676-4700 08/09/19 ~ 08/16/19
    http://www.liberalswin.com/Jokes/J4501_5000/LW_Jokes_4676_4700.php

    Voici une collection de vidéos Youtube ridiculisant les idioties de la politique de droite. Il y en beaucoup sur une seule page, alors patience .

    Sur la page suivante on trouve des centaines de vannes. Quel travail ! Il y en a encore d’autres. Un trésor de citations !

    Liberals Win Jokes 1901-2000
    http://www.liberalswin.com/Jokes/J1001_2000/Jokes_1901_2000.php

    Jokes of the day
    1901 - 2000

    Wed., April 27, 2011

    #1901

    Late Night From 04/12
    Part 1

    "President Obama said in an interview over the weekend that he really misses being anonymous. He said, “I miss Saturday mornings rolling out of bed and not shaving, going to the market...” Be careful what you wish for, 2012 is just around the corner!" –Jay Leno

    "In an exclusive interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network Donald Trump said “I believe in god.” But of course Donald thought he was talking about himself." –Jay Leno

    “Economists say sharp increases in energy and food prices could lead to higher inflation. But prices are falling on a lot of items, like Charlie Sheen tickets.” –Jay Leno

    “It looks like Mitt Romney will run for president. He announced that he’s forming an exploratory committee. Doesn’t that sound like something every man should have after 50?” –Jay Leno

    “The Federal Trade Commission says for the 11th year in a row the biggest consumer complaint is identity theft, which led President Obama to say, ’That’s why you should never show ANYONE your birth certificate.’” –Jay Leno

    “No! Not Captain Buzzkill! Not the guy who looks like everyone who ever fired your dad! He’s gonna suck all the fun right out of this crazy thing. Just look at the online video announcing his run. It looks like it could double as an ad for erectile dysfunction pills. ’Mitt Romney: for when the moment’s right.’” –Jon Stewart on Mitt Romney running for president

    Thursday, April 28, 2011

    #1902

    Late Night From 04/13
    Part 1

    “It’s starting to look like Donald Trump may be a serious presidential candidate. If you’re in my line of work, Trump running for president for real is the greatest thing that has ever happened.” –Conan O’Brien

    “According to a CNN poll, Trump nearly doubled his support from March. Actually, he just combed his March numbers over his current ones.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Michele Bachmann referred to Planned Parenthood as the LensCrafters of abortion. Then it got worse when she referred to Massachusetts as the Sunglass Hut of gay marriage.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The White House is saying Donald Trump has ’zero percent chance’ of being elected. That seems a little high.” –David Letterman

    “Insiders say that Trump is running for president as a publicity stunt. That’s not the Donald Trump I know.” –David Letterman

    “Because of a holiday, the deadline for taxes is April 18, so you have three extra days to dig through restaurant dumpsters for receipts.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Donald Trump insists that he is going to run for president. I guess he figures if he can pull off that hairstyle, he can do anything.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Trump said, ’I am Obama’s worst nightmare.’ Really? Worse than Oprah hiding in the Lincoln Bedroom in a string bikini?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Friday, April 29, 2011

    #1903

    Late Night From 04/13
    Part 2

    “A huge Air France air bus hit a smaller plane on the runway at JFK. The collision was so loud it woke up one of the air traffic controllers.” –David Letterman

    “Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination. He has a slogan to win over the Republicans: ’Vote for me, I’m not Trump.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “Canada may postpone an important political debate because it may conflict with a hockey game. An entire nation is willing to put democracy on hold to watch burly guys smash each other in the face. That is awesome.” –Craig Ferguson

    “President Obama laid out his plan to reduce the $14 trillion national debt. Unfortunately for Sasha and Malia, it involves selling a lot of Girl Scout cookies.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “If you stacked 14 trillion dollar bills on top of each other, the stack would almost definitely fall over and kill everyone in the United States.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Oprah says that the president and first lady will appear on her April 2 show. At the end, she’ll be giving them away.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Saturday, April 30, 2011

    #1904

    Late Night From 04/13
    Part 3

    “President Obama wants to raise taxes on the country’s richest people. And you thought Donald Trump hated him before.” –Jay Leno

    “Obama called on Americans to have more grandchildren. Probably so there’s more of them to pay off our debt.” –Jay Leno

    “Vice President Joe Biden fell asleep during Obama’s speech. He has now been named an honorary air traffic controller.” –Jay Leno

    “Joe Biden apparently fell asleep during President Obama’s speech on reducing national debt yesterday. Now Joe Biden can embarrass the President without even opening his mouth.” –Jay Leno

    “Well folks, this just in: a federal jury found Barry Bonds guilty on one count. Barry Bonds guilty on one count and could serve 21 months in prison. So that should be a lesson. If you’re a celebrity and you use drugs, and you want to avoid prison, you better be Charlie Sheen.” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump said he will not decide about a possible run for the presidency until after the current season of ’Celebrity Apprentice’ wraps up. Say what you want about Trump, at least this guy has his priorities in order. He doesn’t want to let any reality get in the way of his reality show.” –Jay Leno

    Sunday, May 01, 2011

    #1905

    Late Night From 04/14

    “President Obama is slated to appear on one of Oprah’s last shows. He’s hoping it’s the one on which she gives away 14 trillion dollars.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Critics say it’s illegal for Donald Trump to run for president while hosting a TV show. It’s also illegal to run for president if your hair wasn’t born in this country.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Another air traffic controller fell asleep on the job, but he had a good excuse. He was watching President Obama’s deficit speech.” –Jay Leno

    “The air traffic controllers are sleeping, the TSA is groping you, and the pilots are drunk. Who would have thought the most reliable workers at the airport would be the baggage handlers?” –Jay Leno

    “Barack and Michelle Obama will appear on Oprah’s show soon. Not to be outdone, Donald Trump’s hair will be making an appearance on Animal Planet.” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump says he has never been more serious about running for president and that this is not a publicity stunt — but make sure to watch the announcement on the season finale of ’Celebrity Apprentice.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “A high-ranking official at the FAA had to resign because air traffic controllers are falling asleep. I think FAA stands for ’fell asleep again.’” –Craig Ferguson

    Monday, May 02, 2011

    #1906

    Late Night From 04/15

    “Lenscrafters is upset with Tea Partier Michele Bachmann because she called Planned Parenthood ’the Lenscrafters of abortion.’ Lenscrafters released a statement today calling her ’the Costco of crazy.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump is going to make an announcement about running for President on the season finale of ’Celebrity Apprentice.’ Not to be outdone, the same night the Cake Boss will reveal his plan for overhauling Medicare.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Trump is a little tone-deaf to the average American. He unveiled his slogan this week ’Are you better off than you were four wives ago?’’” –Bill Maher

    “Michele Bachmann said Planned Parenthood is the Lenscrafters of Big Abortion.’ Which is a realy double-whammy because the conservatives hate Planned Parenthood and they hate Lenscrafters, because Lenscrafters makes glasses, and that could lead to reading.” –Bill Maher

    “The budget deal will cut almost $40 billion out of the budget. This of course is very bad news for poor people, health programs for the poor were cut $600 million; the EPA was cut $1.6 billion...The good news: they cut all the money out of repairing federal buildings. So there was a slight chance a wall will collapse on Eric Cantor.” –Bill Maher

    “Donald Trump is attacking President Obama’s background. And I said, ’Wait a minute, Trump also is from a mixed background. He’s half jack and half ass.’” –David Letterman

    “Two things you need to know about taxes. They’ve extended the deadline to April 18, and when you write your check, just make it out to China.” –David Letterman

    “Today federal agents discovered another sleeper cell. Not terrorists, air traffic controllers. A controller in Reno fell asleep while a medical plane carrying a sick passenger was trying to land. Ironically, do you know what the patient was suffering from? Insomnia.” –Jay Leno

    “Pakistan says they are slowing down their hunt for bin Laden. Slowing it down? What is it, 10 years now? Could you go any slower?” –Jay Leno

    “Barack Obama recently presented a powerful speech detailing his 2012 budget. And he kept the audience, including Vice President Joe Biden, on the edge of their consciousness.” –Stephen Colbert

    “A study found 1 in 3 Americans lives near a nuclear power plant. And the other 2 live near a Kardashian. So we’re all at risk of exposure to dangerous seepage.” –Craig Ferguson

    Tueday, May 03, 2011

    #1907

    Late Night From 04/19

    “Donald Trump said he’d release his personal tax returns if Obama shows his birth certificate, which is probably the first you-show-me-yours-and-I’ll-show-you-mine in a presidential campaign since, well, Clinton probably.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Trump is very reluctant to release his tax returns. Either he doesn’t make as much money as he wants people to think he does, or he doesn’t want anyone to know he claims his hairpiece as a dependent.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “In an interview yesterday, Donald Trump said he has a good relationship with ’the blacks.’ Well, not anymore.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama celebrated Passover with a Seder at the White House. This morning, Donald Trump demanded to see Obama’s Bar Mitzvah certificate.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Trump accused George Stephanopoulos of being co-opted by Obama’s minions. Anyone who knows Stephanopoulos knows he’s minion-proof – and lactose intolerant.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Speaker of the House John Boehner says he will not host a Cinco de Mayo celebration this year. Boehner says he has nothing against Hispanic Americans, and in fact his speaker of the housekeeper is Hispanic. Apparently there’s something about those poor, defenseless piñatas being beaten with sticks that makes Boehner cry.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama released his 2010 tax return. It turns out that he made $1.7 million and spent $14 trillion.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump said if President Obama releases his birth certificate, he will release his tax returns. The President said, ’Well, I promise not to run for a second term if you release that thing on your head.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Gary Busey said on the ’Today Show’ yesterday that Donald Trump would make a great President. Now Trump just needs endorsements from Randy Quaid and Charlie Sheen.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The FAA has suspended an air traffic controller for watching a movie while on the job. The guy explained that he just couldn’t get to sleep.” –Conan O’Brien

    Wed., May 04, 2011

    #1908

    Late Night From 04/20

    “Prominent people are coming forward to attest to President Obama’s American citizenship. The Governor of Hawaii just said he first met Obama just days after he was born. He knew it was Obama, because he kept pointing to his diaper and calling for change.” –Conan O’Brien

    “It just came out that Donald Trump once called Ronald Reagan ’a con man who couldn’t deliver the goods.’ Trump also called Abraham Lincoln ’a bearded moron who couldn’t even sit through an hour of theater.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Sarah Palin has a 61 percent unfavorable rating in Alaska. That number jumps to 100 percent if you only ask the animals.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Obama administration plans to give the Libyan rebels $25 million in non-lethal aid. The rebels look forward to starting an offensive with Super Soakers and t-shirt canons.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump is apparently on top among Republican voters. People are responding to his straight-forward honesty, tough talk, and utter lunacy. If Trump does become president, I hope he puts a wig on his plane and calls it Hair Force One.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Thursday, May 05, 2011

    #1909

    Late Night From 04/21

    “President Obama is in town, and huge traffic delays are expected all over L.A. Tomorrow he’s back on the East Coast, and huge traffic delays are expected all over L.A.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Michelle Obama said the most popular member of the family is their Portuguese water dog Bo. Donald Trump said, ’I want to see that Portuguese bitch’s papers.’” –Conan O’Brienc

    “Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announced his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination. Because when the other candidates aren’t generating enough excitement, it’s time to bring out Gary Johnson.” –Conan O’Brien

    “His real name is Gary Hussein Johnson. That’s where it gets interesting.” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama is in Los Angeles raising money for his campaign and meeting with Dr. 90210 about an ear tuck.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Trump has people in Hawaii looking for Obama’s birth certificate. Wouldn’t it be something if it turned out the certificate had been nestling.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Queen Elizabeth turned 85 today. There was an awkward moment when she closed her eyes to make a wish and Prince Charles asked, ’Is she dead?’” –Craig Ferguson

    “The Industrial Revolution destroyed the environment, but now we’re not destroying it as much as we used to. We’re concentrating on destroying the economy instead.” –Craig Ferguson

    Friday, May 06, 2011

    #1910

    Late Night From 04/25
    Part 1

    “WikiLeaks has information about the people that were incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. Many of them were charged with terrorism and conspiracy, and one person was actually charged with shoplifting a necklace.” –David Letterman

    “Every time a kid found an egg, Michelle Obama would make them trade it in for a low cholesterol Egg Beater. They had about 6,000 eggs, and you know who decorated them? Ex-cons. It’s nice to see the White House reaching out to former members of Congress.” –Jay Leno

    “There’s now a nationwide shortage of Attention Deficit Disorder drugs. The FDA says it doesn’t know how it happened. I guess somebody wasn’t paying attention.” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump says he’s President Obama’s worst nightmare. That’s not true. Having to make a decision is Obama’s worst nightmare.” –Jay Leno

    "The Federal Trade Commission says for the 11th year in a row the biggest consumer complaint is identity theft. Which led President Obama to say, “That’s why you should never show ANYONE your birth certificate.” –Jay Leno

    “A lot of people are worried about the safety of America’s nuclear power plants. It’s important to remember that we’ve never had a full meltdown. We came close with Charlie Sheen, though.” –Jay Leno

    “There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they’re not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn’t paying attention.” –Jay Leno

    Saturday, May 07, 2011

    #1911

    Late Night From 04/25
    Part 2

    “President Obama hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. It was a little awkward though. Donald Trump showed up and demanded to see each egg’s birth certificate.” Jimmy Fallon

    “A study found Americans spend $1.2 trillion every year on stuff they don’t need. Or as Republicans call it, health care.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “New York just passed a law that allows same-sex conjugal visits for prisoners. Isn’t that pretty much what prison is?” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The White House Easter egg roll was held yesterday. It was a great opportunity for kids from all over the country to come to the White House and look for the president’s birth certificate.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “St. Louis International Airport was hit directly by a tornado. They determined that tornadoes are no longer a danger, and now we can go back to being endangered by sleeping air traffic controllers.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “They have to put Trump on every program, spewing his crazy ideas, because his poll numbers are so high. And his poll numbers are so high because they put him on every program, spewing his crazy ideas.” –Jon Stewart

    “In the survey of happiest countries, Denmark, Sweden and Finland were the top three. U.S. came in 12th. Imagine how far our ranking will fall if we ever hear the words ’President Trump.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “A man just tried to hijack a plane, and he had two demands. He wanted them to take him to Libya, and he wanted an extra pillow. Fortunately it didn’t happen. Thank God all the air traffic controllers were asleep.” –David Letterman

    “New Jersey had a governor, married, who decided he was a homosexual, and he was having so much fun being a homosexual that he didn’t want to be governor any more, and now he wants to become a Catholic priest. I’m just going to leave the punchline up to you.” –David Letterman

    “Hey, who’s excited about the Royal Wedding? I’m conflicted. I can’t figure out whether I don’t care or whether I couldn’t care less. I think we’re all more excited about the royal divorce.” –David Letterman

    Sunday, May 08, 2011

    #1912

    Late Night From 04/26

    “A new poll shows that President Obama’s approval rating is down to 41 percent. A lot of people that voted for him now say they liked him a lot better when he was a Democrat.” –Jay Leno

    “The United States is sending its most powerful drone to Libya. That’s a long trip for Joe Biden.” –Jay Leno

    “Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has announced that he will run for president in 2012. His campaign slogan: ’Even I’ve never heard of me.’” –Jay Leno

    “House Speaker John Boehner said that President Obama needs to grow up. And then he burst into tears.” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump is now attacking President Obama’s grades, suggesting that he was a poor student. First it was the birth certificate, and now the grades. Trump won’t be happy until he proves that Obama doesn’t exist.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Donald Trump says President Obama plays too much golf. Trump was playing golf during the interview. Trump says the President should be at work, like negotiating a peace treaty between Gary Busey and Meatloaf.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “It was just revealed that Donald Trump hasn’t voted in primary elections in over 20 years. Or in simpler terms, Trump hasn’t voted in primary elections in over three wives.” Jimmy Fallon

    “The Libyan government says Moammar Gadhafi is still in ’high spirits,’ even though his compound was destroyed this week. Most people would be devastated, but here’s the thing — he’s insane.” –Jimmy Fallon

    Monday, May 09, 2011

    #1913

    Late Night From 04/27
    Part 1

    “Sarah Palin has written two books, her daughter Bristol has a book coming out – and now Levi Johnston is writing one too. Who would’ve ever guessed that America’s greatest literary dynasty would come out of an igloo?" –Jimmy Kimmel

    "Levi and the publisher already have a title worked out for the book. It’s called ’I Need Money’ by Levi Johnston.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “It’s a beautifully, lovely spring day. It was so nice down in Washington that President Obama was out on the White House lawn making a kite out of his birth certificate.” –David Letterman

    “President Obama released his long-form birth certificate yesterday. So we found the birth certificate. Now it’s on to bin Laden.” –David Letterman

    “Fifty percent of Americans think Donald Trump would make a terrible president. The other 50 percent think he would make an awful president.” –David Letterman

    “President Obama released his birth certificate today, proving once and for all that he was born in the United States. Yep, the certificate clearly shows that he was born on the all-American street of Kalanianaole Highway at the Kapiolani Hospital in Oahu.” Jimmy Fallon

    “Donald Trump said he still wants to look more closely at Obama’s birth certificate to make sure that it’s real. Incidentally, President Obama said the same exact thing about Donald Trump’s hair.” –Jimmy Fallon

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Surprises On Barack Obama’s Birth Certificate”

    10. Was born at a luau
    9. Parents crossed out original choice for first name, “Gary”
    8. Is a triplet, born with sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Obama
    7. Also released as an audiobook read by John Lithgow
    6. It’s covered in poi stains
    5. Claims he’s a baby when Obama is clearly an adult — It’s a forgery!
    4. Under "Conspiracy?” They checked “No”
    3. Document notarized by Magnum P.I.
    2. Note reads “To be released only at the request of crazy-haired blowhard billionaires”
    1. Fine print at bottom: Not an actual birth certificate

    Tueday, May 10, 2011

    #1914

    Late Night From 04/27
    Part 2

    “The good news is, President Obama was born in America. The bad news is, so was Donald Trump.” –Jay Leno

    “Today President Obama released his long-form birth certificate, proving once and for all he was born in this country. But you know, it never ends. Now Republican leaders are saying they want to see the placenta.” –Jay Leno

    “Did you see Donald Trump today? He said, ’I’m very proud of myself because I accomplished something no one else was able to accomplish.’ So basically Trump is taking credit for President Obama proving that everything Trump has been saying for the last year is a bunch of crap.” –Jay Leno

    “After releasing the birth certificate today, he said ’There’s work to be done, there are real problems in this country, and we don’t have time for this silliness.’ Then he and Michelle got on a plane and flew to Chicago to tape an episode of Oprah.” –Jay Leno

    “It’s the 75th anniversary of the introduction of Social Security checks. For the younger viewers who don’t know what a Social Security check is, you’ll never see one in your lifetime, so don’t worry about it.” –Jay Leno

    “The man who invented the teleprompter has died at the age of 91. When President Obama heard the news, he was speechless.” –Jay Leno

    “Levi Johnston is now writing a book about the Palin family. He’s not writing it himself. He’s using a ghost moron.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama finally showed his birth certificate and it turns out he was born in Hawaii, of all places.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “These people could have personally witnessed him being born out of an apple pie, in the middle of a Kansas wheat field, while Toby Keith sang the National Anthem – and they’d still think he was a Kenyan Muslim." –Jimmy Kimmel

    "Next up, we ought to say we don’t believe he’s a man and refuse to let it go until he releases his penis.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “I’m surprised Donald Trump isn’t investigating whether Hawaii is an official state. A lot of vowels over there and not enough consonants.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Wed., May 11, 2011

    #1915

    Late Night From 05/02
    Part 1

    “I suppose I should be expressing some ambivalence about the targeted killing of another human being. And yet — uhhhh, no!” –Jon Stewart

    “What?! Not only did we kill Bin Laden, we killed him in Abottabad! Abottabad sounds like name most New Yorkers would have invented for the fictional place they would have loved to kill Bin Laden.” –Jon Stewart

    "I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl who just shot bin Laden in the eye. Suck my giant American balls, Al Qaeda. Hey Osama, no 3D movies for you in hell. Which I’m pretty sure would be The Last Airbender. ... I am just so happy. And I hope I am never again this happy over someone’s death.”–Stephen Colbert

    “Seth Meyers did a great job at the White House Correspondents Dinner. But I gotta say, this weekend Barack Obama really killed.” –Stephen Colbert

    “It looks like President Obama has a new campaign slogan: ’Yes I Did.’” –Jay Leno

    “The good news: Osama bin Laden is dead. The bad news: there is no bad news.” –Jay Leno

    “Osama bin Laden was apparently shot twice in the face. It looks like Dick Cheney may have been involved.” –Jay Leno

    “At the royal wedding, Kate Middleton wore a dress designed by Sarah Burton and Prince William wore something from the Sgt. Pepper collection.” –Jay Leno

    “For their honeymoon, the royal couple wants to go somewhere they can have complete privacy and no one in the country will give away their location. I think they’re going to Pakistan.” –Jay Leno

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Final Words Of Osama bin Laden”

    10. ’My horoscope says ’Big surprises are in store’’
    9. ’See, this is why I normally don’t answer the door’
    8. ’The one time I give my bodyguards a day off to go to the zoo . . . ’
    7. ’What on earth could be interrupting ’Celebrity Apprentice?’’
    6. ’I hear Brian Williams is on Dave to discuss my imminent demise’
    5. ’At least I’ll be reunited with my dear departed friend Jack LaLanne’
    4. ’I’m not sure I want to live in a world where ’Fast Five’ is the No. 1 movie’
    3. ’Any man with multiple wives welcomes death. Am I right, fellas?’
    2. ’I need a house full of Navy SEALs like I need a hole in the head’
    1. ’Oh, crap!’

    Thursday, May 12, 2011

    #1916

    Late Night From 05/02
    Part 2

    “President Obama must be very happy because he finally took down his arch enemy: Donald Trump. The bin Laden announcement interrupted ’Celebrity Apprentice.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “Osama bin Laden’s death has been in the news all day. Leftish stations are going, ’President Obama saves the world.’ Stations on the right are going, ’Obama kills fellow Muslim.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “I would like us to kill bin Laden every Sunday night. It makes for a much brighter start to the week.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “After all the talk about caves, bin Laden was hiding in a million-dollar mansion in Pakistan. The CIA became suspicious when they learned there was a million-dollar mansion in Pakistan.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “There were a number of odd details that tipped US intelligence officers. The house had no phone or internet connection – it was surrounded by security walls – the occupants didn’t put their trash out, they burned it. And the name on the mailbox was a tipoff too. It said Al Q. Aeda. That was a red flag. The red flag was a red flag too.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “This is probably the biggest story of the year in the United States. It is the only story on the news. This would be – I’ll tell you what – if you’re a politician looking to have a little public men’s room sex – today was the day!” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “By the way, ’buried at sea’ means ’dumped in the ocean.’ That’s what they did with him. They dumped him in the ocean. Now I won’t feel so guilty about peeing in the water anymore when I go to the beach." –Jimmy Kimmel

    “And so, Osama Bin Laden got his first bath in almost ten years. This could the best shark week ever.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Between the death of bin Laden and the royal wedding, it’s an exciting time to be in the commemorative plate business.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Donald Trump has had a busy week – the President got sweet revenge last night by making the bin Laden announcement in the middle of ’Celebrity Apprentice.’" –Jimmy Kimmel

    “By the way – I should point out that - on the same night Obama was ordering the Navy to kill Osama Bin Laden, his potential opponent in 2012, Donald Trump was busy firing Playmate of the Month Hope Dworaczyk.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan. That’s right, bin Laden is dead — just like the Republicans’ chances in 2012.” –Jimmy Fallon

    "Oddly enough, bin Laden’s last words were, ’I hope you at least use this to interrupt ’Celebrity Apprentice.’’ –Jimmy Fallon

    “After bin Laden was killed, the FBI updated its most wanted list. So on behalf of everyone here, I just would like to congratulate Lindsay Lohan on her recent promotion.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals yesterday. They did DNA testing to make sure it was Bin Laden. Or as I call it, best episode of Maury Povich EVER.” –Jimmy Fallon

    Jimmy Fallon as Donald Trump: “The message is clear. President Obama is so jealous and so threatened by me he had to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden right in the middle of my show. Obviously the President planned this whole operation and press conference to cut off my show, so, essentially, I killed Osama bin Laden. So congratulations to me, Donald Trump. You’re welcome.”

    Friday, May 13, 2011

    #1917

    Late Night From 05/02
    Part 3

    “Quite a weekend! Did you folks enjoy Osama bin Laden’s season finale? At least he lived long enough to see the Royal Wedding.” –David Letterman

    “How about those Navy Seals. We’re getting our money’s worth there. They broke into Osama bin Laden’s compound with 12-foot walls topped by barbed wire, and fired a warning shot into his head.” –David Letterman

    “We finally killed bin Laden. That didn’t take too long.” –David Letterman

    “There’s already been some trouble for Osama bin Laden in the afterlife. There was a mix up and he was greeted by 72 vegans.” –David Letterman

    “Osama bin Laden is dead, which means the No. 1 threat to America is now the KFC Double Down.” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama gave the order for Navy SEALs to kill bin Laden. When President Bush heard about it, he was really upset, saying, ’I could have used seals?’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Bin Laden was living in a house with no Internet access, which explains why there were all those bin Laden sightings at the Islamabad Kinko’s.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The news of bin Laden’s death interrupted this week’s episode of ’Celebrity Apprentice.’ Which begs the question, how do we kill bin Laden again next Sunday?” –Conan O’Brien

    “The President was on Oprah today, but the segment was taped last week. In fact, you could watch Oprah give him the order to kill bin Laden.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces. Everyone on TV has been really happy. Glenn Beck was crying — and then he found out about Osama.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Politicians on both sides are equally happy. Dick Cheney said he hasn’t been this happy since he saw the YouTube video of the girl throwing puppies into the river.” –Craig Ferguson

    “I think the next election just got a lot easier for President Obama ’cause his response to every question during the debates will be: ’Wait, I forget…Did you kill Osama Bin Laden? Or did I kill Osama Bin Laden. Oh no, it was me, wasn’t it?’” –Craig Ferguson

    “Navy SEALS are very badass hombres. They eat bugs and poop freedom.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Looking for Bin Laden was like a 10-year game of Where’s Waldo. Only better because when you finally find Waldo you get to storm his compound and put a cap in his ass.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Apparently, members of Al Qaeda are online slamming the U.S. I don’t understand why the terrorists are so mad about Osama bin Laden’s death. Everybody in Al Qaeda just got a promotion.” –Craig Ferguson

    Saturday, May 14, 2011

    #1918

    Late Night From 05/03
    Part 1

    “It was so nice in New York City today that Navy SEALs raided a Jamba Juice.” –David Letterman

    “Intelligence experts think Osama bin Laden lived in the compound in Pakistan with all of his wives for six years. So I guess he did suffer.” –David Letterman

    “Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that Obama never would have tracked down bin Laden if it weren’t for George W. Bush’s policies. Although in fairness, Obama never would have even been elected if it weren’t for George W. Bush’s policies.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Finding bin Laden was like finding a needle in a country that swore it didn’t have needles.” –Stephen Colbert

    ’He was living a half a mile from Pakistan’s version of West Point in a town surrounded by retired ex-military officers. Let me put it in New York City terms. Bin Laden was on 21st and Seventh Avenue; they were on 21st and Ninth Avenue. If the Pakistani military academy were Domino’s, they would have been delivered to bin Laden on foot.’ –Jon Stewart

    “The initial reports said that Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs, but now it appears that he was killed by actual seals.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “This is the best time ever to be a Navy SEAL — or a guy in a bar claiming to be a Navy SEAL.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “The CIA says bin Laden’s last words were, ’Are you guys here about the dishwasher?’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “There’s one thing we should thank bin Laden for. Because of his death, for one whole day, we didn’t talk about Charlie Sheen” –Jimmy Kimmel.

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Things Overhead While Watching Raid On Bin Laden”

    10. ’We have got to get together for covert special ops raids more often’
    9. ’Are we shooting this in the studio where we faked the moon landing?’
    8. ’Someone run to the store and get daddy a pack of smokes’
    7. ’Hit pause, I gotta take a leak’
    6. ’These vibrating chairs are the best money we ever spent’
    5. ’Biden, wake up!’
    4. ’Mind if we switch over to the Celtics game for a second?’
    3. ’We should totally post this on YouTube’
    2. ’Seriously, Joe, wake up!’
    1. ’I just wish Dick Cheney were alive to see this’

    Sunday, May 15, 2011

    #1919

    Late Night From 05/03
    Part 2

    “The hot new drink around the country is the bin Laden. It’s a Colt 45 and a shot that goes right to your head.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama has done something that no one else has been able to do. He got Donald Trump so shut up.” –Jay Leno

    “Obama’s even getting a little cocky. Today he held a press conference and said, ’Yeah, I was born in Kenya. What you gonna do about it?’” –Jay Leno

    “Saddam Hussein is dead, and Osama bin Laden is dead. If you’re Moammar Gadhafi, living in exile is starting to sound really good.” –Jay Leno

    “NATO bombed Gadhafi’s compound in Tripoli. The bombing damaged countless antique rugs and curtains, leaving Gadhafi with absolutely nothing to wear.” –Jay Leno

    “Experts say the Osama bin Laden death photo will be the most viewed image in history. Second, of course, is Sharon Stone from ’Basic Instinct.’” –Jay Leno

    “The White House says they will release the Osama bin Laden death photo. Better yet, they’re doing it on a set of limited edition commemorative plates.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The raid on bin Laden was carried out by an elite team of Navy SEALs called ’Team 6.’ Not only did they kill bin Laden, they also killed Donald Trump’s shot at being president.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Trump said that he hoped bin Laden suffered a lot. It looks like he got his wish, because the CIA said bin Laden spent his last hour watching ’Celebrity Apprentice.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Yesterday Rush Limbaugh opened his show with ’Thank God for President Obama.’ In other words, the Apocalypse has begun.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Republicans are so happy about bin Laden they’ve granted President Obama full citizenship.” –David Letterman

    Monday, May 16, 2011

    #1920

    Late Night From 05/04
    Part 1

    “At the time of his death, bin Laden had sewn the equivalent of $740 into his clothing. Experts say his next plan was to launch a major attack, or to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Marijuana plants were found near bin Laden’s compound, which explains why bin Laden’s last words were, ’Dude . . . ’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Now that bin Laden is gone, we can get back to talking about ’American Idol.’ That really shows that we’ve won the War on Terror.” –Conan O’Brien

    “BP has been fined $25 million for causing an oil spill in Alaska five years ago. Or as BP refers to it, ’our warm up spill.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama said he will not release the photo of Osama bin Laden’s dead body. Well, there goes my Christmas card idea.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “After Osama bin Laden’s death on Sunday, there was a 1 million percent increase in ’bin Laden’ searches on Google. Which means people were going, ’Yes! We got bin Laden! Hold on, who’s that again?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “While promoting her ’Let’s Move’ campaign at a middle school, Michelle Obama danced the Cha-Cha, the Running Man, and the Dougie. Not to show off — she was just doing her impression of Barack after they got bin Laden.” –Jimmy Fallon

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Good Things About Having Osama bin Laden As A Neighbor”

    10. Didn’t matter how loud a party got, there was no way he was calling the cops
    9. No one gave us better hugs
    8. Did shirtless Tai Chi in the yard — you’re welcome, ladies!
    7. He did a lot of volunteer work at the JCC
    6. Very quiet, except on rare occasions when Navy SEALs would raid his house and kill him
    5. Having a celebrity in the neighborhood is always good for property values
    4. Olympic-sized camel-shaped pool
    3. The adorable way he’d shout ’Death to weeds!’ when mowing the lawn
    2. At barbecues he made his famous ’Fatwa Franks’
    1. You were never the biggest jerk in the neighborhood

    Tueday, May 17, 2011

    #1921

    Late Night From 05/04
    Part 2

    “Apparently, Osama bin Laden was killed with money and phone numbers sewn into his clothing. So we got him right before he left for summer camp.” –Jay Leno

    “Bin Laden was buried at sea. Or as Dick Cheney calls it, ’the ultimate waterboarding.’” –Jay Leno

    “In a stunning flip-flop, the White House says it will not release the photo of bin Laden. Now we have to wait for Donald Trump to force them to release it.” –Jay Leno

    “They say bin Laden lived in his compound with nine women and 23 children. I’m surprised the guy didn’t shoot himself in the head.” –Jay Leno

    “The White House says they’re not going to release the death photo, so we’ll just have to wait till Donald Trump forces them to release it. The White House did release his last words: ’Don’t tase me, bro.’” –Jay Leno

    “Elisabeth Hasselbeck of ’The View’ is writing a children’s book about Osama bin Laden’s death. She wants to write a book to explain the whole thing to children. No title yet, but I have some suggestions: ’Good Night, Douche,’ ’Horton Hears a Helicopter.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “They dumped bin Laden’s body at sea, and I spoke with some clergymen that said he should be arriving in hell right about now. He would have gotten there sooner, but he had to go through Newark.” –David Letterman

    “They dumped bin Laden at sea so there would be no shrine. And I just found out that CBS has the same plan for me.” –David Letterman

    “Last night the Dalai Lama implied that the killing of Osama bin Laden was justified. I think his exact quote was, ’I love all living things, but that guy was a dick.’” –Conan O’Brien

    Wed., May 18, 2011

    #1922

    Late Night From 05/04
    Part 3

    “As we speak, Osama bin Laden is living with SpongeBob in a pineapple under the sea.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “He’s up to 2,000 friends on Shot-in-the-Facebook.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Some top Republicans are giving most of the credit for killing bin Laden to former President George W. Bush. It’s kind of like when someone opens a pickle jar and you say, ’Well, I loosened it.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Bin Laden was living in his compound with nine women and 23 children. It sounds like he was shooting a reality show for TLC.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Kate Middleton and Prince William said that for their honeymoon they want privacy in a country where no one will give away their location. I think they are going to Pakistan.” –Jay Leno

    “A 61-year-old bearded man went to the airport in New York, said his name was Osama bin Laden and he had a bomb in his bag. They knew it wasn’t real, because he wasn’t being protected by the Pakistani military.” –Jay Leno

    Thursday, May 19, 2011

    #1923

    Late Night From 05/05
    Part 1

    “A CNN poll showed that 61 percent of Americans think bin Laden is in hell. The other 39 percent think he’s in superhell.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Jacob and Isabella are the most popular baby names in the U.S. The least popular baby name: Donald Sheen bin Laden.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Hillary Clinton said that watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound was ’38 of the most intense minutes.’ Which can only mean one thing: she’s never had to assemble a chair from Ikea.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama is going to host a poetry night at the White House next week. That’s right, Obama will recite some Yeats, Hillary will recite some Frost, Biden will recite some Seuss . . .” –Jimmy Fallon

    “I love Mexico. There’s a beautiful island off the coast that has more seals than Osama bin Laden’s bedroom.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Donald Trump is comparing his resistance to same-sex marriage to his refusal to use a new kind of putter. I think gay people and straight people use the same putters. It’s really a matter of hole selection.” –Jon Stewart

    “I don’t like this new Obama who hunts Muslim extremists. I like the old Obama who WAS a Muslim extremist.” –Stephen Colbert

    Friday, May 20, 2011

    #1924

    Late Night From 05/05
    Part 2

    “Osama bin Laden is in the ocean. How ironic. Once again surrounded by seals.” –Jay Leno

    “The White House is releasing more information on the details of that attack on Osama bin Laden. They said the helicopters were able to fly in undetected because it was 1:00 a.m. and the Pakistan air traffic controller was sound asleep.” –Jay Leno

    “They said bin Laden’s wife tried to shield bin Laden with her body. And today Moammar Gadhafi said to his wife, ’Hey honey, did you see what bin Laden’s wife Susan did? It was pretty cool, don’t you think honey?’” –Jay Leno

    “The White House says there’s no chance they’ll release the death photos. Unless Obama starts to slip in the polls.” –Jay Leno

    Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico defeating the French. Isn’t that like beating Sarah Palin on ’Jeopardy’?" –Jay Leno

    “They celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the White House. In keeping with the times, President Obama whacked a giant piñata and then gave it a burial at sea.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Sen. John McCain met with the CEO of Twitter today. At least that’s what he tried to tweet on his garage door opener.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The identity of the Navy Seals that killed Osama bin Laden is being kept secret. It’s for their own saftey. It’s to keep them from being high-fived to death.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Saturday, May 21, 2011

    #1925

    Late Night From 05/06

    “Sarah Palin said Obama should stop ’pussyfooting around’ and release the photos. Yes, because the guy who ordered the SEALs into a sovereign country without permission and killed public enemy number one is a pussy, and the woman who quit her job as the governor of a state with no people after half a term and won’t do an interview with anyone but Greta Van Susteren is a bad-ass. Right.” –Bill Maher

    “Stop saying ’we’ got Osama. ’We’ didn’t do anything. ’We’ were watching ’Celebrity Apprentice’ and eating Funions in our sweatpants. Seal Team 6 did the killing, with money we borrowed from Beijing; that our grandchildren will have to pay back. So it was a joint Navy Seals/People’s Bank of China/grandchildren operation.” –Bill Maher

    “They say the Navy Seals had attack dogs with titanium fangs; that they replaced their real teeth with titanium. You know you have a badass black president when even his dogs have a grill.” –Bill Maher

    “Who might be Bin Laden’s successor? If they’re looking for someone with a large following who’s a religious zealot and hates the Jews...Mel Gibson?” –Bill Maher

    “Conspiracy theorists who are claiming that we didn’t really kill bin Laden must be reminded that they didn’t think he did the crime in the first place. Come on, nut jobs, keep your bullshit straight: The towers were brought down in a controlled demolition by George W. Bush to distract attention from Hawaii, where CIA operatives were planting phony birth records so that a Kenyan named Barack Obama could someday rise to power and pretend to take out the guy we pretended took out the towers. And I know that’s true because I just got it in an email from Trump.” –Bill Maher

    “Now that it’s become clear that the Republicans, the fiscally conservative, strong on defense party, are neither fiscally conservative nor strong on defense, they have to tell us what exactly it is they’re good at. Because it’s not defense. 9/11 happened on your watch. And you retaliated by invading the wrong country. And you lost a 10-year game of hide-and-seek with Osama bin Laden. And you’re responsible for running up most of the debt, which, more than anything, makes us weak. You’re supposed to be the party with the killer instinct. But it was a Democrat who put a bomb in Gaddafi’s bedroom and a bullet in bin Laden’s eye like Moe Greene. Raising the question: How many Muslims does a black guy have to kill in one weekend before crackers climb down off his ass?” –Bill Maher

    Sunday, May 22, 2011

    #1926

    Late Night From 05/07

    “Osama Bin Laden’s supporters want to rename the Arabian Sea where his body was dumped Martyr Sea. Really? Martyr Sea? Hiding in your bedroom for six years? How about Chicken of the Sea?” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump is furious with President Obama. Killing bin Laden was supposed to be the final task on ’Celebrity Apprentice.’” –Jay Leno

    “Today Hillary Clinton sent Khadafy a sealed note asking him to resign. Don’t send him a sealed note. Send him a note delivered by a Seal.” –Jay Leno

    “Pakistan is still saying they didn’t know bin Laden was hiding there. He wasn’t hiding there. He was living there. Look at these pictures. Here he is working as a crossing guard. Here’s his restaurant, Osama bin Laden’s, downtown, and here he is getting a star on the Islamabad Walk of Fame.” –Jay Leno

    “50 percent of Americans polled said they thought Donald Trump would make a lousy President. Wow! Half said he’d make a lousy President. Well, that never stopped us before.” –David Letterman

    “Apparently, Osama bin Laden was living in a mansion with no phone and no cable for six years. He’d been waiting for six years for the Time-Warner guy to show up.” –David Letterman

    “In the wake of President Obama’s decision to not release pictures of Osama bin Laden’s body, a number of new conspiracy theories are surfacing claiming that bin Laden is not really dead. Which means Barack Obama will go down in history as the first black person ever to have to prove that he killed someone.” –Seth Meyers

    “In the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden President Obama’s approval rating jumped to 56 percent, his highest in two years. Which shows there is literally nothing he can do to please the other 44 percent.” –Seth Meyers

    “The unemployment rate went up last month for the first time since November. But on the bright side, I hear a senior management position just opened up at al-Qaida.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama will be doing an interview with ’60 Minutes,’ and Michelle Obama will be doing an interview with Martha Stewart. Not to be outdone, Joe Biden will be doing an interview with a panda he made at Build-a-Bear Workshop.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Bill Clinton says he now supports gay marriage. It’s straight marriage he’s not so excited about.” –Craig Ferguson

    “It turns out that Osama bin Laden was living in a mansion with his youngest wife. So if we hadn’t killed him, his oldest wife would have.” –Conan O’Brien

    “First I want to acknowledge that this week we finally vanquished one of the world’s great villains. And I for one am thrilled to say good riddance to Katie Couric.” –Tina Fey, reprising her Sarah Palin impression on SNL

    “It’s just so great to be back on Fox News, a network that both pays me and shows me the questions ahead of time. I just hope that tonight the lamestream media won’t twist my words by repeating them verbatim.” –Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

    “The important thing for people to know is that I’m gonna be runnin’ for president every four years for the rest of my life. It’s my Olympics and I intend to win a whole bunch of silvers.” –Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

    “As for boning up on experience and policy, I’m planning a trip to the Middle East, where I will be filming a cameo on Hangover 3, the third hangover. And I also recently purchased Rosetta Stone English.” –Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

    Monday, May 23, 2011

    #1927

    Late Night From 05/09

    “President Obama said that watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound was the longest 40 minutes of his life, except for every time he asks Joe Biden what’s up.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Dick Cheney says he gives Obama high marks on getting bin Laden. He said, ’Trust me, I know how hard it is to shoot someone in the face.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama said that watching the raid on Osama bin Laden was the longest 40 minutes of his life. Mind you, that’s coming from a guy that has to listen to Joe Biden.” –Jay Leno

    “Officials say the terrorists are now going after our railways. The rail line you should really avoid is Amtrakistan.” –Jay Leno

    “They have released videos found in Osama bin Laden’s compound. Apparently, bin Laden dyed his beard black to look younger. It’s probably pretty much washed off by now.” –Jay Leno

    “It seems the country of Packalies, I mean Pakistan, is threatening to end cooperation with the U.S. What are they going to do, cut off our heroin?” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama admitted he was very nervous while watching the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. And it didn’t help that every two seconds, Joe Biden kept saying, ’Are we there yet?’” –Craig Ferguson

    “The death of Osama bin Laden has apparently damaged our relationship with al Qaeda. Al Qaeda says we’re going to pay for Osama bin Laden’s death. I’m pretty sure we did. We even took care of funeral arrangements. Maybe a thank you would be nice.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “For years, the CIA thought bin Laden was sick and on dialysis, but one of his wives said he recovered from two kidney operations in part by eating watermelon every day. I knew watermelons were against us.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Washington, D.C. has a new program that would pay residents $12,000 to move closer to their workplace. It’s already a huge hit — in fact just today, 3,000 prostitutes moved in right across from Congress.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Newt Gingrich plans to announce his campaign for president this Wednesday. I don’t know about his chances. I mean, I’m not saying Gingrich peaked in the ’90s, but his campaign is being sponsored by Tamagotchis and Crystal Pepsi.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Newt Gingrich plans to announce his campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Looks like MySpace just got a little bit cooler.” –Jimmy Fallon

    Tueday, May 24, 2011

    #1928

    Late Night From 05/10
    Part 1

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver are separating after 25 years of marriage. Arnold issued a statement saying, ’Hasta la vista, half of my stuff.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “They were married for a quarter century. In Hollywood, a quarter century is like being married for 200 years in the real world.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s going back to acting, but what kind of movies? ’Conan the Octogenarian?’ ’Occasional Recall?’ ’Tinkle All the Way?’ I have a soft spot for Arnold, maybe because I enjoyed his movies in the 1980s, or maybe because I’m not a teacher in California.” –Craig Ferguson

    “California is a very tough state to govern. We can’t even control Lindsay Lohan.” –Craig Ferguson

    “The Schwarzeneggers are splitting up. Sources close to the couple say they just stopped communicating. I don’t know how they ever started communicating.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have separated. Maria cited irreconcilable differences. The translators are still trying to figure out what Arnold cited.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “What would happen if the Obamas split up? Would Barack have to move out of the White House, into a one-bedroom with 27 Secret Service men?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama’s approval ratings have already started to go down again. We’re so fickle. Basically, we’re saying, who have you shot for us lately?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “In Iran 25 of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s associates have been arrested and charged with being magicians and being able to summon genies. So if you’re keeping score at home, it’s believe in genies 1, believe in Holocaust 0.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “I read that Apple just became the most valuable brand in the world. Which explains why today, the Treasury replaced the U.S. dollar with the iTunes gift card.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The Libyan forces fighting Moammar Gadhafi only have about three weeks of funding left. It’s kind of hard to intimidate an evil tyrant when you’re like, ’We will fight you until the end! Of May!’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Sarah Palin is getting a lot of support from low-income Republicans. You know, like Todd Palin.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Hillary Clinton is at a summit in Greenland with leaders of 7 Arctic countries. Obama said, ’Send the Ice Queen. Make it so.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Why are we listening to the Bush administration people [trying to take credit]? They didn’t get bin Laden. They’re like the Winklevoss twins of killing Osama.” –Jon Stewart

    ‎"There is little doubt what Trump’s eventual announcement will be because he’s already decided to run in his mind. That means he’s a shoe-in because that’s where all his supporters are." –Stephen Colbert

    ‎"He has a great relationship with ’the blacks.’ He must. How else could he get away with calling them ’the blacks?’" –Stephen Colbert on Donald Trump

    Wed., May 25, 2011

    #1929

    Late Night From 05/10
    Part 2

    “The interior minister of Pakistan says that they have nothing to hide. Yeah, not anymore.” –Jay Leno

    “The United States gave the Pakistani police $162 million. Unfortunately, bin Laden gave them $163 million.” –Jay Leno

    “Apparently, Pakistan has given the United States permission to interview bin Laden’s wives, as long as we promise not to turn it into a reality show.” –Jay Leno

    “Have you seen the video of Osama bin Laden? He was wearing a Snuggie, drinking a Coke and flipping through the channels on TV. I thought he hated the American lifestyle. He was LIVING the American lifestyle.” –Jay Leno

    “Al Qaeda has released an audio tape by bin Laden made this afternoon. ’Glugguuguuuugllgluuug.’” –Jay Leno

    “Bin Laden liked watching old footage of himself on video. The only thing he couldn’t bear to watch, footage of his old 10 o’clock show.” –Jay Leno

    “The TSA is being criticized for checking 2-year-olds at airport security. People say 2-year-olds can’t be terrorists — unless you’re sitting next to one on a flight.” –Jay Leno

    “The White House described the relationship between the United States and Pakistan as ’complicated.’ In fact it’s so complicated that the U.S. just sent our ambassador over there to get our CDs and T-shirts back.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have split up after 25 years of marriage. It’s the first marital separation that will require a mediator, and arbitrator, and a translator.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump insisted yesterday that he is not racist, because one time an African-American won ’Apprentice.’ Because nothing says ’not racist’ like making a black man run your errands.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Bin Laden had Viagra in his medicine cabinet, but he didn’t take any with him into the afterlife, so 66 of the virgins are still on standby.” –David Letterman

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife are separating. She’ll get the house in Malibu and he’ll be moving back to Skull Island.” –David Letterman

    “They gave it a shot, but that’s what happens when you marry outside of your species.” –David Letterman

    “Arnold is being a guy about it, saying ’I’ll be back — for my things.’” –David Letterman

    “Pakistan has 3 of Osama’s wives: Ivana, Marla and Melania.” –David Letterman

    “The royal couple is finally heading to their honeymoon for two weeks of living in pampered luxury, followed by a lifetime of . . . the same.” –Craig Ferguson

    Thursday, May 26, 2011

    #1930

    Late Night From 05/11

    “Newt Gingrich is running for President. Every 6 months we’d have a different First Lady. Newt’s slogan is, ’At least I’m not Trump.’” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama gave a big speech at the U.S.-Mexico border, talking about creating pathways to citizenship. We already have pathways. They’re called tunnels.” –Jay Leno

    “Bristol Palin just announced she had corrective surgery on her mouth. It’s being called the right procedure on the wrong Palin.” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama’s approval rating has hit 60 percent, its highest in two years. So he can pretty much count on reelection if he can just kill bin Laden two more times in the next 12 months.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Al-Qaida has not yet picked a new leader to run their terrorist organization. Apparently, candidates keep losing interest after asking, ’What happened to the last guy?’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver might be splitting up. Arnold’s friends say he is doing everything he can to win his wife back. He just burned every single copy of ’Jingle All the Way.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump says he uses Head & Shoulders on his hair. As a result, Head & Shoulders is suing Donald Trump for slander.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Newt Gingrich announced that he’s running for president on Twitter and Facebook. I think his concession speech will be on YouTube.” –David Letterman

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver may be divorcing. Evidently Arnold was seeing Jane Goodall.” –David Letterman

    “Apparently Osama took a lot of Viagra. That’s why they thought he was armed.” –David Letterman

    “After 25 years Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver are separating. She said, ’I’ll give you 25 years to learn to speak English. If not, we’re done.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Bristol Palin said she had corrective surgery to fix her jaw, not cosmetic surgery. She must have gone to the same surgeon who corrected Victoria Beckham’s breasts.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “A TSA screener in Kansas City is facing criticism for giving a pat-down to an 8-month-old baby. You don’t pat down a baby! You stick him in a tray and run him through the X-ray machine.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The White House announced that the $50 million reward for Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts won’t be going to anyone. Then China was like, ’Wanna bet?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Gaddafi hasn’t been seen since April 30. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Nose job.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “I don’t know if you’ve ever tasted Godfather’s Pizza, but if he can keep that place from going bankrupt, he is an economic genius.” –Stephen Colbert on GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Questions on the Application to Replace Osama bin Laden”

    10. “How many threats per minute can you type?”
    9. “Can you work weekends?”
    8. “Are you just doing this for the sweet 8-inch picture tube television?”
    7. “How do your co-terrorists describe you?”
    6. “What is the current bounty on your head?”
    5. “Any ideas for a new catchphrase? ’Death to America’ is kind of played”
    4. “Would you require the use of the company llama?”
    3. “How often do you delouse your beard?”
    2. “Were you bar mitzvahed?”
    1. “What are your long-term goals, besides not getting killed by Navy SEALs?”

    Friday, May 27, 2011

    #1931

    Late Night From 05/12
    Part 1

    “Hillary Clinton says she and her family stay in touch by e-mailing a lot. Bill said, ’Yeah, that’s why I’m always alone on the computer in my room, e-mailing my family.’” -Jimmy Fallon

    “Have you seen these Republican presidential candidates? The only one that hasn’t had three wives is Mitt Romney - and he’s the Mormon!” -Jay Leno

    “An Illinois state senator wants to take away the state tax deduction from parents with an obese child. I’ve heard of getting behind on your taxes, but never getting taxed on your behind.” -Jay Leno

    “President Obama gave a speech about how good it is to have immigrants in this country, though I understand Maria Shriver may give the rebuttal.” -Jay Leno

    “According to TMZ, Arnold Schwarzenegger is willing to do anything to get his wife, Maria Shriver, back. He’s even willing to learn English.” -Jay Leno

    “When I heard bin Laden had been killed I went, ’Oh, great. NOW what’s Oprah going to do for her last guest?’” -David Letterman

    “Newt Gingrich is running for president. This could be the political event of the year - 1996.” -David Letterman

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Surprises in the Osama bin Laden Diary”

    10. Always dotted the ’I’ in ’Jihad’ with a smiley face
    9. Expressed anger at not being invited to the royal wedding
    8. Disguised himself by wearing a fake beard over his real beard
    7. Was the first one to suggest Hugh Grant as a possible replacement for Charlie Sheen
    6. Admitted in college he experimented with a member of the opposite sect
    5. Preferred exploding boxers to exploding briefs
    4. As much as he hated the United States, he loved Red Lobster’s coconut shrimp bites
    3. The guy just wouldn’t shut up about the new Beastie Boys album
    2. Would occasionally fax jokes to Leno
    1. Turns out he was kind of a coward

    Saturday, May 28, 2011

    #1932

    Late Night From 05/12
    Part 2

    “President Obama’s approval rating is at a two-year high in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death. If I were Obama, I’d fish bin Laden out of the ocean and kill him every Sunday.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    “The Taliban is now on Twitter. So if they start following you, go hide someplace where no one will find you ... like MySpace or Friendster.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    “Pakistan’s Prime Minister is mad at us for going in and getting Osama bin Laden without giving him a heads up. He has the same right to get mad as a husband mad at his wife because she went into his e-mails and found out he’d been having an affair for 5 years ... with Osama bin Laden.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    "Ron Paul is announcing for President tomorrow. He supports legalizing prostitution and heroin. His campaign slogan is “Let’s Just See What Would Happen.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Moammar Gadhafi made an appearance on television to prove that he is still alive. When he saw this, Larry King said, ’That proves nothing. I died 60 years ago.’” -Conan O’Brien

    “The CIA is going through the stuff they found in Osama bin Laden’s compound, including a diary. I didn’t know he had a diary. That is so sweet. They haven’t read the diary yet because they can’t find the little key to open it up.” -Craig Ferguson

    “Osama bin Laden kept a diary. Well that’s very sweet, isn’t it? Turns out his secret desire was to sneak into New York and catch a showing of ’Mamma Mia.’ He briefly considered joining the cast of ’Two and a Half Men.’” -Craig Ferguson

    “Isn’t it odd how history’s greatest monsters have an artistic side? Osama bin Laden was a writer. Hitler was a painter. Justin Bieber is a singer.” -Craig Ferguson

    “President Obama was just ranked 108th in a new list from Golf Digest of the top 150 golfers in the political world. But I hear he’s improving. Last week in Pakistan, he shot two holes in one.” -Jimmy Fallon

    Sunday, May 29, 2011

    #1933

    Late Night From 05/13

    “The SEALs recovered an extensive stash of pornography from Bin Laden’s compound. It’s probably not easy just having sex with the same 11 wives all the time. There were interesting titles: ’Debby Does Abbottabad,’ ’Deep Goat,’ ’Bare Ankles 4,’ and ’2 Humps, 1 Camel.’” -Jimmy Fallon

    “Another Republican is about to announce he is running for president. Newt Gingrich is about to announce. Some people say Newt Gingrich may have trouble winning over traditional values voters because he has had three marriages. So as a result, the campaign has announced a new slogan, ’Newt Gingrich, so committed to marriage, he can’t stop doing it.’” -Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama campaign just moved into a 50,000 square foot office in downtown Chicago. Meanwhile, Ron Paul’s campaign landed a sweet kiosk at the mall.” -Jimmy Fallon

    “Joe Biden said that working on the deficit with Republicans is like carpooling to work. In response, everyone who carpools with Biden was like, ’It can’t be that bad.’” -Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama invited a rapper to the White House on Wednesday. The right-wing feigned outrage machine is apoplectic that the rapper Common was invited to an evening poetry, or as they call it, black-on-black rhyme. Sarah Palin tweeted one of her brain farts. She said, ’Inviting Common to the White House lacked class and decency,’ and that’s why her children are only allowed to make babies while listening to country music.” -Bill Maher

    “Newt Gingrich made it official: he’s in. Not in the presidential race — in a trivia book called ’Whatever Happened to Last Century’s Biggest A**holes?’” -Bill Maher

    “They say the key to Newt Gingrich’s campaign is going to be his third wife, Callista, who used to be the mistress. For six years while he was married to his second wife, she blow him in the car. The theme of their campaign: values. I’m not kidding. Values, also floor mats and wet wipes.” -Bill Maher

    “New rule: you can’t rail against the decadence of the west and also maintain a fairly extensive porn collection. Yes, it turns out 9/11 wasn’t bin Laden’s only masterstroke. Among the titles found in his compound were ’Deep Goat,’ ’Radical Jizzlam,’ ’Barely Visible,’ ’72 Virgins and One Very Exhausted Ron Jeremy, and, of course, ’Yentl.’” -Bill Maher

    “Well, the presidential race is getting interesting. In an effort to clear up his reputation as a flip-flopper, Mitt Romney will give a speech on health care. And then, right afterward, he’ll give a five-minute rebuttal.” -Jay Leno

    “Iran’s intelligence minister claims to have proof that Osama bin Laden was dead before the Navy SEALs found him. Does anyone believe Iran has an intelligence minister? That’s like Pakistan having a truth minister.” -Jay Leno

    “Mitt Romney is having major trouble with endorsements. He keeps getting endorsed by President Obama. They have the same healthcare plan.” -Jay Leno

    “They have found Osama bin Laden’s diary. Some entries: ’Very unhappy with TV reception. Death to Time-Warner.’ ’Three wives, one bathroom, you do the math.’ The final entry: ’Dear Diary, can’t talk now. Someone’s at the door. Hope it’s the Domino’s guy.’” -David Letterman

    Monday, May 30, 2011

    #1934

    Late Night From 05/16
    Part 1

    “The United States has hit the debt ceiling. Do you know what that means? Neither do I. I do think it would be wise for all of us to learn to speak Chinese.” -David Letterman

    “As an American, I am relieved that Donald Trump is not running for president. But as a vulgar late night entertainer, I feel a certain amount of regret.” -Craig Ferguson

    “Trump is out, and Mike Huckabee is out. At this point, the only person that could derail President Obama’s re-election is Joe Biden.” -Craig Ferguson

    “The U.S. has hit the debt ceiling. I think we should do what we always do when faced with a nightmarish problem: replace it with Ashton Kutcher.” -Craig Ferguson

    “After borrowing money for years, we hit the magic number: $14.3 trillion. It’s the maximum amount the government is allowed to borrow. Our credit card is maxed out. Our creditors include the Chinese government, the Japanese government, and a guy named Vinnie the Fist.” -Craig Ferguson

    “Disney is trademarking the phrase ’SEAL Team 6,’ after the team that took down Osama bin Laden. Yeah, cause when they shot bin Laden, captured his wives and found his porn, I was like, ’This would make a great Disney movie.’” -Jimmy Fallon

    “In a new interview, President Obama said that killing Osama bin Laden does not secure his 2012 re-election. Yeah, that’s been taken care of by the current field of Republicans.” -Jimmy Fallon

    “Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned 27 this weekend. At his party it was fun to reconnect with old friends, but then everybody’s parents showed up and made it weird.” -Jimmy Fallon

    “Newt Gingrich is running and just came out with his new book: ’The Adultery of Hope.’” -Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump says that he will not run for president. You know why? He can’t find his birth certificate.” -Jay Leno

    “To save money, Washington state has canceled next year’s presidential primaries. If we could just get the other 49 states to do this, the candidates wouldn’t have anywhere to campaign and we would have the best election year ever.” -Jay Leno

    “The French head of the International Monetary Fund was arrested in New York for sexually assaulting a hotel maid. Or as the French call it, room service.” -Jay Leno

    "There’s talk of a new “Mad Max” movie, where gas is so expensive people steal and kill to get it. It takes place in the future ... like July." -Jay Leno

    “Porn Identity: Al Jizzera: Dead Man Wanking: Friday the news broke: a stash of pornography was found inside Osama bin Laden’s compound. Even before Navy SEALs shot out his eyes, bin Laden was probably going blind anyway.” -Jon Stewart

    Tueday, May 31, 2011

    #1935

    Late Night From 05/16
    Part 2

    “Donald Trump is not running for president. This is devastating news for Trump’s supporters - all of whom are late night comedians.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Both Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump have announced they will not run for president. Huckabee’s announcement opens the door for Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum, and Trump’s announcement opens the door for Randy Quaid and Gary Busey.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Republican candidate Ron Paul came out for the legalization of heroin and prostitution, unfortunately not in time to be cast as Charlie Sheen’s replacement on ’Two and a Half Men.’” -Conan O’Brien

    “They found so much porn at Bin Laden’s compound that they’re investigating whether the porn was used to send coded messages. So remember guys, from now on when your lady catches you, you’re not looking at porn, you’re analyzing coded messages. ’Honey, I wasn’t looking at porn. I’m in Al Qaeda.’” -Conan O’Brien

    “Two days after the raid on Osama bin Laden, Disney trademarked the name, ’SEAL Team 6.’ They also renamed their most popular ride, ’It’s a Small World - and We Will Find Where You’re Hiding and Kill You.’” -Conan O’Brien

    “Trump says he wants to spend more time bullying obscure celebrities. That one-man juggernaut Mike Huckabee is not running. The Republicans are really scrambling for a guy to lose to Obama.” -David Letterman

    “They found a massive stash of porn in Osama bin Laden’s compound. Right now CIA agents are screening the pornography carefully, frame by frame, looking for clues.” -David Letterman

    “Sen. John Kerry is in Pakistan, sending a strong message to the government and the people. The message is, ’We think this is important enough to send John Kerry.’” -David Letterman

    “It was annoying when John Kerry got off the plane and everyone kept asking him, ’Why the long face?’” -David Letterman

    “Al Qaeda is looking for someone to replace Osama bin Laden. They’re thinking about Ashton Kutcher.” -David Letterman

    “They wanted someone less controversial than Charlie Sheen but the head of the International Monetary Fund was busy” -David Letterman.

    Wed., June 01, 2011

    #1936

    Late Night From 05/17

    “President Obama’s approval rating, which got a bump after killing bin Laden, has slipped again. Which is really bad news - not for the president, for Moammar Gaddafi.” -Jay Leno

    “You know what Arnold Schwarzenegger and Meg Whitman have in common? They both got in trouble for stiffing the maid.” -Jay Leno

    “Today Arnold was offered the job as the new head of the International Monetary Fund.” -Jay Leno

    “I’m Conan O’Brien, or as I can now publicly call myself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jr.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Schwarzenegger secretly fathered a child outside of his marriage 10 years ago. He told his wife at the time but it took 10 years for her to figure out what he was saying.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold kept the child secret for 10 years. So maybe he is a good actor after all.” -Conan O’Brien

    “They found a massive stash of porn in Osama bin Laden’s compound. Right now CIA agents are screening the pornography carefully, frame by frame, looking for clues.” -David Letterman

    “Donald Trump announced that he is not running for president. He would rather spend his time making Gary Busey sell Snapple on the street.” -David Letterman

    “Trump won’t run for president. I’m thinking this could be the beginning of another comedy recession.” -David Letterman

    “I’m disappointed that Trump isn’t running. I was really looking forward to not voting for him.” -David Letterman

    “Trump said that NBC talked him into staying. Then Conan O’Brien said, ’Don’t fall for that.’” -David Letterman

    “I mention Newt Gingrich is running for President, nothing. I mention Donald Trump is not running, you go crazy. Think a minute. Which campaign would have made you happier?” -David Letterman

    “The Navy SEALs found a massive stash of porn in Osama bin Laden’s bedroom. Must have been tricky. It’s hard enough to hide porn from one wife.” -Craig Ferguson

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a lovechild back in 2003. To be fair, Arnold has been taking financial responsibility for the child: education, health care … everything he’s taken away from every other child in California.” -Craig Ferguson

    “Arnold is already coming up with excuses. He said he was just auditioning to be the next head of the IMF.” -Craig Ferguson

    “I guess ’love child’ is a nicer term than ’OK-Maria’s-asleep child.’ The woman was an employee. I’m not sure what she did, but I think she worked on Arnold’s staff.” -Craig Ferguson

    “I don’t know that ’love child’ is an accurate term. I’d call it an ’oh crap’ child.” -Jimmy Kimmel, on Arnold Schwarzenegger having a child with his maid 10 years ago

    “There have been rumors going around for years now about a half Austrian, half Mexican baby - who could bench-press a Ford Expedition.” -Jimmy Kimmel
    “I mean - when he came out of the womb and snapped his own umbilical chord - you’d think that would be a sign.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    Thursday, June 02, 2011

    #1937

    Late Night From 05/18

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff. The woman’s husband became suspicious when he realized she was the first maid to make $1 million a year.” -Jay Leno

    “Arnold kept this secret for more than 10 years. You know how he did it? He moved the woman and child into an apartment right down the street from the Pakistani military academy.” -Jay Leno

    “Mitt Romney raised over $10 million in eight hours. The guy owns a gas station down the street from my house. It’s no big deal.” -Jay Leno

    “Romney raised $10 million. That’s a dollar for every position he’s had on healthcare.” -Jay Leno

    “Ron Paul announced that he will run for president, and he supports the legalization of prostitution and heroin. If he does win, it will be one heck of a victory party.” -Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump is not running for president. The whole thing was a publicity stunt? Really?” -David Letterman

    “Trump says that NBC talked him into staying. That’s funny because I had just the opposite experience.” -David Letterman

    “Al-Qaida has a new leader. Experts are calling him a temporary leader - and so is SEAL Team 6.” -David Letterman

    “It’s quite a success story for the new leader. He worked his way up all the way from the mail bomb room.” -David Letterman

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with his maid. I can’t believe no one knew this was Arnold’s son. When he came out of the womb, he snapped his own umbilical cord.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    “I mostly feel bad for this kid that now has to learn how to spell the name Schwarzenegger.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    “Maria Shriver had dinner with Oprah the other night, so Arnold is in a lot of trouble. He should start looking into fortified compounds in Abbottabad.” -Jimmy Kimmel

    “Today is ’National Visit Your Relatives Day!’ Or as Arnold Schwarzenegger put it, ’Better make it two days.’” -Jimmy Fallon

    Friday, June 03, 2011

    #1938

    Late Night From 05/19

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have put their former mansion on the market for $23.5 million. It’s not that clean though, because they had a maid but she was always busy doing other stuff.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Dick Cheney is releasing a memoir in August about his personal and political life. I’m not going to say reading it is torture. It’s more of an enhanced interrogation technique.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a maid, and now the kid is mad at her for lying to him all these years. She’d told him his father was an actor.” –Jay Leno

    “You know what’s going to happen. Arnold will check into a sex addiction clinic, and next season the maid will go on ’Dancing with the Stars.’” –Jay Leno

    “A gay activist dumped glitter all over Newt Gingrich. He wants Newt to stop being against gay marriage. But Newt believes marriage is a sacred bond between a man and his wife and his mistress and the other woman he’s seeing on the side.” –Jay Leno

    "President Obama suggested that Israel should go back to the pre-1967 borders. Native Americans said, “Why stop there? Let’s go back to the pre-1492 borders.”" –Jay Leno

    “Katie Couric is leaving the evening news to have a morning talk show. Unless Jay wants it, of course. We’ll spin the wheel to see who she’ll be replaced by. Charlie Sheen!” –Jay Leno

    "Dick “Kaboom” Cheney is publishing his memoirs. Cheney is a wonderful fiction writer. Remember the stories he used to tell us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?" –David Letterman

    “At a campaign stop, someone threw glitter on Newt Gingrich to protest his stance on gay marriage. I understand the whole episode is being nominated for a Tony.” –David Letterman

    “Officials at the Secret Service had to delete a tweet from their official Twitter account because they made fun of Fox News. Knock it off, Secret Service! That’s my job.” -Craig Ferguson

    “What is the Secret Service doing with a Twitter account? Isn’t it their job to keep stuff secret?” –Craig Ferguson

    “A TSA worker was arrested in L.A. for stealing from suitcases. Remember this was just one bad apple. Over 99% of TSA workers just want to cup your balls. And if that makes someone a criminal, put me in jail.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Everyone in the blamestream media, copyright, is saying Newt Gingrich is on the ropes. Wrong, you parasites. This man will rise again, just like the sourdough he appears to be made of.” –Stephen Colbert

    “There is a simple explanation for this because Newt Gingrich buys his engagement rings in bulk.” –Stephen Colbert, on Newt Gingrich running up $500 million dollar in Tiffany’s debt

    “The world is ending on Saturday. It would really, really suck if we only get to live three weeks longer than bin laden.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “The world is ending on Saturday. We will be judged by Randy and J-Lo, and then I guess we go to Hell. It would really, really suck if we only got to live 3 weeks longer than bin Laden. And speaking of the end of the world, there are only 4 Oprah shows left.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Saturday, June 04, 2011

    #1939

    Late Night From 05/20
    Part 1

    “Today is the 84th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing of the Atlantic. It was the last time an American was warmly greeted in France. When he landed he told people he’d enjoyed the flight and had actually joined the Mile High Club.” –David Letterman

    “May 21st is supposed to be Judgment Day. We should send a robot Arnold Schwarzenegger back in time to fix things. Though I suspect if he could go back in time he might fix some other things.” –Craig Ferguson

    “The man that is predicting judgment day predicted the end of the world in 1994. He also predicted that Ashton Kutcher would never return to television.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Katie Couric had her last broadcast and we were very sad to see her go but now it’s official. I have the nicest legs at CBS.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Merry Apocalypse Eve. This minister says the world is going to end. I just checked the weather. We have maybe a 10% chance of Apocalypse.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he’s putting his career on hold to concentrate on personal matters. Either that or he’s putting Korea on hold. It’s hard to understand him. He told his talent agency to hold all his projects while he cleans up his personal mess. That’s what happens when you impregnate your maid. There’s no one to clean up messes for you.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “If you don’t know much about Newt Gingrich, he’s like Donald Trump without the charisma.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama said Hillary Clinton is approaching one million frequent flier miles in her job as Secretary of State. Though even that can’t get her upgraded to the seat she really wants.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama offered $1 billion to Egypt to boost the creation of new jobs. And if that works, they’re going to try it here.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The head of the International Monetary Fund, arrested in New York for assaulting a hotel maid, has posted the one million dollars bail in cash. Well, there goes Nigeria’s mosquito net money.” –Jon Stewart

    Sunday, June 05, 2011

    #1940

    Late Night From 05/20
    Part 2

    “A Christian minister has crunched the numbers, looked at the 8 Ball, and in two hours, the Rapture begins. That’s when the really devout, extra-sure-of-themselves fundamentalist Christians will just disappear — or as I call it, a win-win.” –Bill Maher

    “How about this whole world-coming-to-an-end thing? Look, I love Oprah too, but it was just a TV show!” –Jay Leno

    “Tim Pawlenty’s friends call him T-Paw. As opposed to everyone else who calls him ’T-Who?’” –Jay Leno

    “The Obama campaign is selling t-shirts with his long-form birth certificate and ’Made in the U.S.A.’ Arnold Schwarzenegger is selling t-shirts that say ’Maid in the bedroom, made in the kitchen …’” –Jay Leno

    “Sarah Palin was asked if she has the fire in the belly to run for President, and she said yes. But it’s not the fire in the belly; it’s the air in the head.” –Jay Leno

    “Katie Couric was the first solo female anchor. You know who the last solo male anchor was? Osama bin Laden.” –Jay Leno

    “It’s been reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger was paying the maid 1200 dollars a week. It gets uglier. He bought the woman a house in Bakersfield, and he was having sex with the lady who cleans that house too.” –Jay Leno

    “Time is flying by. Pretty soon, I’ll be opening my summer place in Abbottabad.” –David Letterman

    “Katie Couric’s final news broadcast was last night. Now she’s looking for another format she doesn’t quite fit.” –David Letterman

    “Donald Trump is not running for president. It turns out he was born in Kenya.” –David Letterman

    Monday, June 06, 2011

    #1941

    Late Night From 05/23
    Part 1

    “President Obama visited a bar in Ireland and drank Guinness. I know it’s not great for kids to see the president drinking alcohol, but in his defense, beer goes great with cigarettes.” –Craig Ferguson

    “At first I felt bad for the people that sold everything they owned ahead of the apocalypse. But then I realized they’re idiots. If the world did end, what would you do with the money you got?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “I tell you what; Hawaiian, Kenya, Irish – this guy truly is the Epcot Center of presidents.” –Jimmy Kimmel, on President Obama visiting Ireland and meeting some of his Irish relatives

    “I gave my Beanie Baby collection up for no reason at all." –Jimmy Kimmel, on the Rapture not happening

    “President Obama is on a big European trip this week, and I heard that he’s sleeping at Buckingham Palace when he visits England. That’s when you know the U.S. is short on cash — when even Obama’s like, ’Hey, is it cool if I crash at your place?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama visited the Irish village where his great-great-great-grandfather was born. Of course, that was always disputed by his great-great-great-grandfather’s archrival, Donny McTrump.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “That’s right, Obama was in Ireland. He thought about buying a four-leaf clover for good luck, and then he looked at the field of Republican candidates and decided it wasn’t necessary.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels emailed his supporters over the weekend to tell them he’s not running for president. In response, his supporters were like, ’Dad, we live in the same house. Couldn’t you just tell us in person?” –Jimmy Fallon

    “There are rumors Arnold Schwarzenegger may have had a second child with another woman. I can’t believe Arnold would cheat on his mistress like that.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Donald Trump said he may reverse his position and decide to run for president. He said he wants to do it because President Obama is being so indecisive.” –Jay Leno

    “A lot of people are very nervous about this whole Rapture thing, though a lot of people didn’t understand it. For instance, Sarah Palin said, ’The raptures were the scariest part of ’Jurassic Park.’” –Jay Leno

    “Al Qaeda has been plotting attacks against oil tankers and refineries for years. Thank goodness that never happened. The price of gas would have skyrocketed.” –Jay Leno

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Harold Camping Excuses” (For the Rapture Not Happening)

    10. “Rapture got rained out”
    9. “Forgot to carry the 1”
    8. “Dates got screwed up because of the Jewish holidays”
    7. “Que?”
    6. “Hold on, God’s texting me . . . Yeah, it’s been postponed”
    5. “Don’t blame me! I voted for Kucinich”
    4. “To prevent bear attack, be sure to suspend all food and trash in a tree. I’m sorry, that’s from ‘Top Ten Wilderness Camping Tips’”
    3. “At 89, I can’t remember how to operate the toaster”
    2. “Didn’t everybody’s world end when ‘Oprah’ was canceled?”
    1. “I’m crazy”

    Tueday, June 07, 2011

    #1942

    Late Night From 05/23
    Part 2

    "The pastor who incorrectly predicted the Rapture said it was a very tough weekend. To make it worse, his friends keep calling him saying, “Hey, it’s not the end of the world!” –Conan O’Brien

    “The good news is, the apocalypse did not happen. The bad news is, we thought it would so we don’t have much of a plan for the show.” –Conan O’Brien

    "Arnold Schwarzenegger might have to give Maria Shriver 100,000,000 dollars in a divorce settlement. When asked for a comment Arnold said, “But I have families to support.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The government has decided that no one is getting the $25 million award for capturing bin Laden. It’s because no one wants to break the news to SEAL Team 6.” –Conan O’Brien

    “A new law in Utah makes it illegal for a person to publicly touch their own genitals. In other words, Utah is never getting a major league baseball team.” –Conan O’Brien

    “It’s a great honor to be selected as the ’Celebrity Apprentice.’ It’s like being chosen as a Schwarzenegger maid.” –David Letterman

    “Last year George W. Bush made $15 million from speaking engagements. He comes on stage and introduces the goddesses. Then he goes into a 90-minute rant about Chuck Lorre.” –David Letterman

    “President Obama just kicked off a 6-day European tour. It’s terrifying because this means Joe Biden is in charge.” –Craig Ferguson

    “You can use genealogy to trace your ancestors now. In 100 years, scientists will be able to tell that three quarters of all Americans are descended directly from Arnold Schwarzenegger.” –Craig Ferguson

    “I’m glad President Obama is reconnecting with his roots in Ireland. When people here in L.A. do that, it means they go a month without getting their hair colored.” –Craig Ferguson

    Wed., June 08, 2011

    #1943

    Late Night From 05/24
    Part 1

    “Harold Camping, who predicted the end of the world, says the new date for the apocalypse is October 21. If it rains, it will be October 22.” –David Letterman

    “Dick Cheney is publishing a memoir. He’s very thorough, and to get all of the facts for his book, he actually had to waterboard himself.” –David Letterman

    “In college, Cheney went through a rebellious phase where he experimented with smiling.” –David Letterman

    "Harold Camping has now changed his prediction of the Rapture to October 21. Does Jesus work for the cable company now? “I’ll be there sometime between May and October, between 9 and 5.” –Jay Leno

    “The Rapture-predicting preacher, Harold Camping, is really scaling back his predictions. He now predicts the end of the month will be May 31.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama told the Irish people that America will always stand by them, to which Israel laughed.” –Jay Leno

    “Obama was also in England, where the queen suggested that we go back to the pre-1776 borders.” –Jay Leno

    “According to Osama bin Laden’s journals that were taken during the raid, he wanted to attack L.A. He changed his mind when he realized that he had nothing against the Mexican people.” –Jay Leno

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Thoughts Going Through Barack Obama’s Mind While Having Car Trouble in Ireland”

    10. ’There goes my Avis deposit’
    9. ’I think we hit a Leprechaun’
    8. ’Crap, the teleprompter’s in that car’
    7. ’How much does AAA charge to pick up a guy in Ireland?’
    6. ’Remember when Trump thought he could be president?’
    5. ’I wonder if Gingrich has a revolving line of credit at Sears Auto Center?’
    4. ’Lucky there aren’t any television cameras around to catch this’
    3. ’It’s always the day after your warranty expires, am I right?’
    2. ’Where are the Navy seals when you need them?’
    1. ’O’Crap!’

    Thursday, June 09, 2011

    #1944

    Late Night From 05/24
    Part 2

    “The world was supposed to end last Saturday but at the last minute, it was picked up for another season.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Some people sold all they’re possessions to prepare for Judgment Day. They’re idiots. If the world does end, what are you going to do with your money? Walmart is closed.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Harold Camping has shifted his prediction of the apocalypse from May 21 to October 21, which is great because now I don’t have to buy a Halloween costume.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Apparently the Rapture is being produced by the same people that produced ’Spider-Man the Musical.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Oprah’s show is ending. I tried to get my doctor to euthanize me, but the co-pay was ridiculous.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “A new study found that cleaning your house can increase stress. Yeah, but so can hiring someone else to do it for you — just ask Maria Shriver.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Turns out that Maria Shriver could end up with 100,000,000 dollars from her divorce from Arnold. She deserves it. She was a devoted wife and mother to at least 40 percent of his children.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, announced that he’s running for president. And this is cool — if his campaign isn’t over in 30 minutes or less, you get your pizza for free.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The preacher who predicted the apocalypse last weekend now predicts that the world will end in October. It’s the first time that someone’s end-of-the-world prediction was followed by ’Have a great summer.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Last night at a Texas Ranger game ex-President Bush almost got hit with a foul ball. He vowed revenge on the player, but we all know Obama will be the one to actually get him.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The rumor is that Maria Shriver is the one who leaked the story of Arnold’s love child to the press. Evidently she got the idea of leaking things secretly from Arnold.” –Conan O’Brien

    Friday, June 10, 2011

    #1945

    Late Night From 05/25

    “One of Sarah Palin’s supporters is about to release a documentary about her called ’The Undefeated.’ That’s like a documentary about Arnold Schwarzenegger called ’The Faithful.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Someone made a two-hour documentary about Sarah Palin’s political life. In case you’re interested in watching a movie that’s longer than Palin’s actual political life.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Donald Trump now says he may run for president as an independent. And when Donald Trump says he’s going do something, Donald Trump . . . says he’s going to do something.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Rudy Giuliani says he may run for President. So now we’re up to 7 candidates and 35 ex-wives.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama is on a visit to England. He told the Queen yesterday, ’I like your tea parties much better than the ones we have in America.’” –Jay Leno

    “They drive on other side of the road there, so Obama had to switch sides — kind of like Mitt Romney is doing over here.” –Jay Leno

    “I don’t want to say Tim Pawlenty is boring, but Joe Biden is accusing him of identity theft.” –Jay Leno

    “The average couple fights about sex 87 times a year. And even more if the maid is pregnant. Arnold’s maid has hired a lawyer, so I guess it’s her turn to screw him.” –Jay Leno

    “New video has surfaced of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1991 saying the housekeeper does a ’great job.’ One clue might have been that he then added, ’And she’s also a great housekeeper.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “A new Facebook app is coming out that will remind users exactly what they were doing a year ago from that day. Nine times out of 10, the answer will be ’wasting your time on Facebook.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Kirstie Alley did a cartwheel on ’Dancing With the Stars.’ But President Obama is refusing to release the pictures.” –David Letterman

    “Now the pastor guy says the Apocalypse will be October 21. I know some people are saying, ’What if I had tickets for Saturday’s Apocalypse?’ Those tickets will still be good for October.’” –David Letterman

    “Be honest. How many of you were hoping this was going to be my final show? Oprah’s last show was today. I had a good cry with the girls from our book club. On her last show Oprah explained why she canceled the Apocalypse.” –David Letterman

    “On this date 19 years ago, Jay Leno took over ’The Tonight Show.’ And it wouldn’t be the last time.” –David Letterman

    “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Oprah has touched millions of women around the world, but unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger, she didn’t leave them pregnant.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Oprah said, ’Nobody but Jesus could have made this happen for me.’ That’s nice; she thanked her Son.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Saturday, June 11, 2011

    #1946

    Late Night From 05/26

    "President Obama was in Ireland last week. While he was there, his Secret Service codename was, “the black guy that’s in Ireland.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “There are rumors that Sarah Palin will run for president. It’s a big decision. On one hand, running for president is a long and grueling process that goes on for months and years. But she could just quit halfway through, right?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Lindsay Lohan began her house arrest. When he heard about it, Arnold Schwarzenegger was like, ’Don’t worry, Lindsay. Sometimes everything you need is right in your own house.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Bristol Palin said she doesn’t plan on having any more babies anytime soon. Then she added, ’But that never stopped me before.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Dick Cheney has a new book coming out August 30. It doesn’t have a title yet, Might I suggest a few. ’How to Shoot Friends and Influence People,’ ’A Dick for All Seasons,’ ’Torture in the Rye’...” –Craig Ferguson

    “They have just released another posthumous Osama bin Laden video. If you listen carefully you can hear his last words: ’Will somebody please answer the damn door!’” –David Letterman

    “CBS announced some new shows coming up, including ’Celebrity Housekeeper.’ A group of women compete to become Arnold Schwarzenegger’s maid.” –David Letterman

    Sunday, June 12, 2011

    #1947

    Late Night From 05/27

    “Sarah Palin may run for President. Doesn’t that thought make you nostalgic for last week when you only thought the world was going to end?” –Jay Leno

    “This weekend Sarah Palin begins a nationwide bus tour, which I think is a good way for her to learn the names of all the states.” –Jay Leno

    “I think Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin would be the perfect ticket. She can’t answer basic questions, and he has two answers for every question.” –Jay Leno

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a maid. She kept the child secret for 14 years. John Edwards is going, ’Why can’t I meet a chick like that?’” –Jay Leno

    “You know what Arnold Schwarzenegger calls a quickie? A Minute Maid.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama arrived in France for the G8 summit, a meeting of the world’s top economic powers. To give you an idea of how bad our economy is doing, when the president arrived, the other countries were like, ’What are you doing here?’” –Jay Leno

    “Harold Camping is now predicting that the world will end in October. In show business terms, that means God has picked us up for another 22 weeks.” –Jay Leno

    “Tim Pawlenty is running for President. I won’t say he’s boring, but his Secret Service Code name is Al Gore.” –Jay Leno

    “The United States was able to find and kill Osama bin Laden because of a tip from one of his wives. When she saw a picture of his body, she said, ’Now who can’t drive the car?’” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Supreme Court has upheld Arizona’s law which penalizes employers for hiring workers who are in the country illegally. And in a related story, in Phoenix a head of lettuce now costs 137 dollars.” –Jay Leno

    Monday, June 13, 2011

    #1948

    Late Night From 05/31

    “Today in New York City, Sarah Palin had a meeting with Donald Trump. Now, experts say if those two joined forces on a Presidential ticket it would be the greatest gift ever given to comedy.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Sarah Palin met with Donald Trump in New York yesterday. They spent the meeting talking about the thing most important to them: TV ratings.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Sarah Palin had dinner with Donald Trump in New York. The first thing she did when she walked into the restaurant was shoot the rodent off his head.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Somebody asked John McCain if Sarah Palin could win the presidency, and he said yes, especially if a meteor hits all the other Republican and Democratic candidates. Imagine how mad he’d be if she won.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Sarah Palin is driving all over the country in a bus, I guess to pick up where Charlie Sheen left off.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Mitt Romney was on the ’Today Show’ and admitted he likes to read the ’Twilight’ books and watch ’American Idol.’ If elected, he would be the 1st Mormon and the 1st 13-year-old girl to be President.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    "In real life, in my memory, this guy had a lot more ’Anthony’ and a lot less ’Weiner.’ … “The only thing they have in common is that they both lean to the extreme left!” –Jon Stewart, on allegations that Rep. Anthony Weiner, a former housemate of Stewart’s, sent out a crotch photo from his Twitter account

    Sarah Palin, on visiting Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington: “Even Piper was able to grasp the significance of being in the presence of our first President - who had such diverse interests - when she told me later: ’how hard he must have worked to keep that farm going!’”
    Stephen Colbert: “It’s true. I cannot imagine how hard he worked with no help other than his African volunteers.”

    Tueday, June 14, 2011

    #1949

    Late Night From 06/01

    “From bin Laden’s compound we now know Al Qaeda demanded that its agents keep complete records and receipts for all expenses. No doubt using Al Quicken. Also, Al Qaeda gave its agents better benefits than Wal-Mart, although at Wal-Mart you get to use your vests more than once.” –Stephen Colbert

    "The Republicans blocked the bill to raise the debt ceiling that was so devious it was actually introduced by Republicans. [Actual quote from Republican Congressman] “This vote, based on a bill I introduced, must fail.” That reminds me of Patrick Henry’s famous cry: “Give me liberty and I don’t want liberty.” And before the vote Republicans called Wall Street Executives to assure them the vote was just for show." –Stephen Colbert

    “Congressman Weiner’s Twitter account was hacked ’allegedly,’ and someone texted a picture of his ’junior senator’ to a college girl. Now this is good news for me because I can Google ’wiener photos’ at work and not get fired.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Sarah Palin met with Donald Trump in New York yesterday. Then Sarah Palin left by helicopter and shot that thing off Trump’s head.” –Craig Ferguson

    “The USDA replaced the food pyramid with the ’food plate.’ After years of the food pyramid, many Americans ended up shaped like pyramids.” –Craig Ferguson

    “There’s something absurd about helping our nutrition by putting a food chart on boxes, when food that comes out of boxes is the problem.” –Craig Ferguson

    Wed., June 15, 2011

    #1950

    Late Night From 06/02

    “I’m not certain of a lot of things. But there are three things in this world that I know for certain: Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie. OJ killed those people. And what my erect penis looks like in my own underwear from a bird’s-eye view.” –Jon Stewart, on Rep. Anthony Weiner’s claim that he “can’t say with certitude” whether a photo posted on his Twitter account of a man wearing just boxer shorts was actually him

    “The Republican House Majority Leader says we should help the victims of the floods and tornados in the Midwest, but only if cuts are made elsewhere, only if the number works. Here’s a circus elephant helping remove debris in Joplin. So actual elephants are more helpful than the f**king GOP.” –Jon Stewart

    ‎"Based on how you eat pizza Donald, I want to see your long-form birth certificate. I don’t think you were really born in New York." –Jon Stewart, on Donald Trump taking Sarah Palin out to eat chain restaurant pizza in New York, using knives and forks

    “I see only two options here: Either Anthony Weiner has too many photos of his junk to keep track of, or ’Certitiude’ is his nickname for his penis.” –Stephen Colbert

    “Congress has rejected raising the debt ceiling, so if China calls, let it go to voicemail.” –Stephen Colbert

    “Mitt Romney has announced he’s running for president in 2012. At the same time, he’s announced he’ll try again in 2016.” –Stephen Colbert

    Thursday, June 16, 2011

    #1951

    Late Night From 06/03

    “Mitt Romney started to stick it to Obama right away. He said, “We are only inches away from ceasing to be a free market economy.” What?! If he’s going to lie this hard on day one, what’s he going to say in six months? Obama is kidnapping our white women and feeding them to King Kong.” –Bill Maher, on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign announcement

    “Mitt Romney wanted to get the maximum exposure for his (presidential) announcement so he made it in Anthony Weiner’s underpants.” –Bill Maher

    “Anthony Weiner pledges to get to the bottom of this. He’s asked for an investigation, the police are involved, he’s got a dick lawyer he’s hired. They know it is a Democrat’s penis because it won’t stand up. And also because it was sent to a woman.” –Bill Maher

    “Palin should not be on vacation. She should be in summer school.” –Bill Maher, on Sarah Palin’s botched explanation of Paul Revere’s midnight ride

    Jokes from NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    “The question is – why can’t Congressman Anthony Weiner say with certitude if the crotch in question is his or not? Because he’s got so many crotch shots lying around, maybe one got away? Maybe been taking a picture of his crotch every hour for a month, to create one of those cool YouTube time lapse videos?” –NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    "Congressman Weiner said the photo leak was a prank, he’s a victim, the picture could be taken out of context? In what possible context would you take this picture? Maybe he meant to send it to his Doctor, with the message, “Okay, it’s been four hours, time to get you involved.” –NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    “Sarah Palin’s cross country road trip is not a political event, she says, but just a summer vacation with her family, just like the ones you have. Except my summer vacations generally don’t have a title.” –NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    “Sarah Palin’s family road trip has a title; it’s called the One Nation Tour, and she’s brought along her husband and her kids and all the typical summer road trip stuff, like sun tan lotion, stuff for s’mores, and Greta Van Susteren.” –NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    “Despite the news this week that our cell phones are giving us cancer, users are NOT giving up. They’re like, okay, my cell phone could give me cancer, but actually interacting with people in person is what leads to Chlamydia.” –NPR’s “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

    Friday, June 17, 2011

    #1952

    Late Night From 06/06
    Part 1

    “The White House says that the unemployment rate is good news because it means more people are looking for jobs. More good news like that, and everyone at the White House will be looking for jobs.” –Jay Leno

    “It was so nice in New York City that the whole staff was in Central Park writing Anthony Weiner jokes.” –David Letterman

    “I don’t know if laws were broken or not, but Weiner was sending around pictures of him in his underpants and I thought, Well, now, wait a minute, what is the big deal? Don’t men and women in Congress get to mail their packages for free?!” –David Letterman

    “Osama bin Laden’s successor was taken out by an American drone. An American drone? Isn’t that Mitt Romney?” –David Letterman

    “It’s a great day for late night comedians because it’s a bad day for Congressman Anthony Weiner.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Weiner admitted to sending underpants photos of himself. It’s a huge political scandal. Arnold Schwarzenegger even called Weiner to say, ’Thank you.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “Democrats don’t share our values. An elected official is tweeting dirty photos of himself to strange women who he never meets for sex? Come on! At least Republican Chris Lee was trying to get some action! Republican politicians are man enough to hit that thing. Ensign, Vitter, even when it’s a gay scandal! They’re not tweeting love letters. They’re tearing up an airport bathroom until somebody calls the cops on them!” –Stephen Colbert

    “I mean, call me old fashioned. But I long for simpler times and common sense values. I want to leave our grandchildren an America where Congressmen bang their secretaries. Sorry if there’s no app for that.” –Stephen Colbert

    “A new photo was released that the Congressman’s c*ck apparently took of him.” –Jon Sewart on Anthony Weiner

    “The most upsetting thing about having a friend caught up in a scandal of this nature is finding out A) he’s packin’ jumbo heat, and B) that he’s ripped.” –Jon Stewart on Anthony Weiner

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Questions to Ask Before Tweeting a Photo of Yourself”

    10. “Is this my best side?”
    9. “Will this get me more followers?”
    8. “Should I put it on Facebook instead?”
    7. “Do I have a last name that would make this especially embarrassing?”
    6. “Would it be more personal to fax everyone photos?”
    5. “What’s the point if James Arness is no longer alive to see it?”
    4. “Is there a better way to show people I’m Jewish?”
    3. “What would Brett Favre do?”
    2. “Isn’t this what Twitter’s for?”
    1. “What could possibly go wrong?”

    Saturday, June 18, 2011

    #1953

    Late Night From 06/06
    Part 2

    “It’s official. It turns out it was Weiner’s weiner. At a press conference this afternoon, Congressman Anthony Weiner admitted that he tweeted out that photo of his crotch. During the press conference, Congressman Weiner was choked up and got a lump in this throat – not as big as the lump in his underwear, but still, very emotional!” -Jimmy Fallon

    “It’s been a tough week for him. He’s lost so much support, and he had to buy a second pair of underwear too. I’m just glad he had the balls to admit his mistake.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “It’s been a crazy few days. First, Anthony Weiner admitted tweeting that photo of his crotch and John Edwards was indicted for covering up an affair. Or as Arnold Schwarzenegger put it, ’Thank you God! This is the best week ever!’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “First Lady Michelle Obama is taking Sasha and Malia to South Africa and Botswana. Or as Sasha and Malia call it, ’Not Disney World. Thanks Mom!’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “That’s right, Michelle Obama is taking Sasha and Malia to South Africa and Botswana and Sarah Palin was like, ’Wow, they’re going to all the places Paul Revere went.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A new Republican presidential poll has Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, tied for second with Sarah Palin. Or as Obama put it,’ ’Do I even need to campaign at this point?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The Anthony Weiner scandal shows that despite the wars and the economy, we’re all really still in 9th grade.” –Jay Leno

    “With all this new media, is that considered junk e-mail? Or is it e-mail of your junk? There are so many terms!” –Jay Leno

    “It shows you how the political race has changed. Remember it wasn’t that long ago when candidates would ask ’Where’s the beef?’ You can’t ask that now!” –Jay Leno

    “And I love the way the media reports the story. They say this whole thing started when a lewd photo of a man’s crotch was sent to one of Congressman Weiner’s Twitter followers. Do they even have to say ’lewd.’ I mean, are there tasteful photos of men’s crotches?” –Jay Leno

    “It’s the anniversary of D-Day. Or, as Sarah Palin calls it, the day that Paul Revere warned the Americans that the Danish were coming.” –Jay Leno

    “Legal experts are now investigating John Edwards for the money he spent to hide his mistress and love child. The good news for Edwards is that he is now eligible to run for governor of California.” –Jay Leno

    Sunday, June 19, 2011

    #1954

    Late Night From 06/06
    Part 2

    “It’s official. It turns out it was Weiner’s weiner. At a press conference this afternoon, Congressman Anthony Weiner admitted that he tweeted out that photo of his crotch. During the press conference, Congressman Weiner was choked up and got a lump in this throat – not as big as the lump in his underwear, but still, very emotional!” -Jimmy Fallon

    “It’s been a tough week for him. He’s lost so much support, and he had to buy a second pair of underwear too. I’m just glad he had the balls to admit his mistake.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “It’s been a crazy few days. First, Anthony Weiner admitted tweeting that photo of his crotch and John Edwards was indicted for covering up an affair. Or as Arnold Schwarzenegger put it, ’Thank you God! This is the best week ever!’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “First Lady Michelle Obama is taking Sasha and Malia to South Africa and Botswana. Or as Sasha and Malia call it, ’Not Disney World. Thanks Mom!’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “That’s right, Michelle Obama is taking Sasha and Malia to South Africa and Botswana and Sarah Palin was like, ’Wow, they’re going to all the places Paul Revere went.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A new Republican presidential poll has Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, tied for second with Sarah Palin. Or as Obama put it,’ ’Do I even need to campaign at this point?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The Anthony Weiner scandal shows that despite the wars and the economy, we’re all really still in 9th grade.” –Jay Leno

    “With all this new media, is that considered junk e-mail? Or is it e-mail of your junk? There are so many terms!” –Jay Leno

    “It shows you how the political race has changed. Remember it wasn’t that long ago when candidates would ask ’Where’s the beef?’ You can’t ask that now!” –Jay Leno

    “And I love the way the media reports the story. They say this whole thing started when a lewd photo of a man’s crotch was sent to one of Congressman Weiner’s Twitter followers. Do they even have to say ’lewd.’ I mean, are there tasteful photos of men’s crotches?” –Jay Leno

    “It’s the anniversary of D-Day. Or, as Sarah Palin calls it, the day that Paul Revere warned the Americans that the Danish were coming.” –Jay Leno

    “Legal experts are now investigating John Edwards for the money he spent to hide his mistress and love child. The good news for Edwards is that he is now eligible to run for governor of California.” –Jay Leno

    Monday, June 20, 2011

    #1955

    Late Night From 06/07
    Part 1

    “Despite the scandal, Weiner will not resign, saying he hasn’t done anything illegal and this is not the most embarrassing photo of him that has ever surfaced. That would be his senior portrait from high school. Weiner’s high school portrait was taken at one of the rare moments when he wasn’t being stuffed into the garbage can.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “How about that Congressman Weiner? This is the worst congressional scandal all week.” –David Letterman

    “Weiner says no matter how many photos of him in his underpants surface, he is not stepping down. I said, wow, this looks like a job for Leno.” –David Letterman

    “Weiner wanted to be Mayor of New York City. Good luck with that. Governor, sure.” –David Letterman

    “Pawlenty, Romney or Gingrich. Barack Obama looks at these guys and wishes he hadn’t spent the money on the new birth certificate.” –David Letterman

    “Happy birthday to Moammar Gadhafi who is 60 years old. He had a big party and was visited by his lovely nieces, Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Gadhafi.” –David Letterman

    “It turns out that one of the women Congressman Anthony Weiner was communicating with was a porn star. When asked how it was possible to get involved with someone in such a sleazy business, the porn star said, ’I don’t know.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Prince William and his wife Kate have posted an ad for a housekeeper. When he heard this, Arnold Schwarzenegger said, ’So it looks like they do want to start a family.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Chinese economy has shown signs of slowing down. Experts say that’s what happens when your workforce starts to enter its teens.” –Conan O’Brien

    “A new poll shows that President Obama is losing the popularity boost he got after Osama bin Laden’s death. Or as Gadhafi’s putting it, ’Uh oh.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Lawmakers here in New York have proposed a new program to teach teenagers about the dangers of sexting. Seriously? How about a program to teach New York lawmakers about the dangers of sexting?” –Jimmy Fallon

    Tueday, June 21, 2011

    #1956

    Late Night From 06/08
    Part 1

    “When there’s trouble, you can always tell who your friends are. And this poor guy, Anthony Weiner, is getting no support from nobody. Except, you know who’s supporting Anthony Weiner? Newt Gingrich. Today, Newt Gingrich sent him a $10,000 cell phone case from Tiffany’s.” –David Letterman

    “Sociologists have documented this. Here are the stages of a scandal: First you have the denial, then you have the tearful confession, then it’s resignation, and then you appear on ’Dancing With the Stars.’” –David Letterman

    “Yesterday President Obama welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House. One embarrassing moment when Merkel got a phone call from a certain New York congressman asking if she’d like to see his wienerschnitzel.” –Jay Leno

    “Congressman Weiner has admitted that he did carry on explicit online relationships with six different women. Well, he thought they were women. Turns out three were woman, one was a guy pretending to be a woman, and the other two were congressmen.” –Jay Leno

    “People wonder why Weiner engaged in such reckless behavior. If you wanted people to check out your crotch, go to the airport and go through security like everybody else.” –Jay Leno

    “Of course, Weiner is now desperately trying to make things better with his wife. You can tell he’s sorry. Like today he sent her a picture of his penis with a little sad face on it.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama’s top economic adviser, a man named Austan Goolsbee, is stepping down: He will be replaced by something a little more effective…the magic 8-ball.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama said today he’s not concerned about a double dip recession. He’s more concerned the recovery we’re in is not creating enough jobs. In fact, do you know what you call a recovery that isn’t creating enough jobs? A recession.” –Jay Leno

    “The beautiful star of the TV show ’Mad Men,’ January Jones, is pregnant but she will not reveal who the father is. To which John Edwards said, ’Why can’t I meet women like this?’” –Jay Leno

    “Delta Airlines has a new slogan, ’Come fly the greedy skies.’ This is unbelievable; Delta Airlines is in trouble now after they charged our U.S. soldiers coming back from Afghanistan $2,800 because they had extra baggage. If the TSA isn’t grabbing your ass, delta’s grabbing your wallet. It’s unbelievable.” –Jay Leno

    “To make matters worse for our returning soldiers, the in-flight movie was ’burlesque’, and since many of these guys were paratroopers, they just bailed.” –Jay Leno

    Wed., June 22, 2011

    #1957

    Late Night From 06/08
    Part 2

    “Comedy people sit around for years hoping for a scandal called ’Weinergate.’ And then it happens.” –Conan O’Brien

    “51 percent of New York voters think Congressman Weiner should keep his seat in office. The other 49 percent think that he should disinfect it.” –Conan O’Brien

    Congressman Weiner reportedly called Bill Clinton to apologize for his behavior. After Bill suggested that Weiner also call Hillary, Weiner said, ’Don’t worry, I sent her a text.’" –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump said Anthony Weiner is a psycho. So look for him on the next season of ’Celebrity Apprentice.’” –Conan O’Brien|

    “What?! The congressman had a sex scandal and had to apologize to Bill Clinton? For what?! Copyright infringement? A patent violation?” –Jon Sewart on Anthony Weiner calling to apologize to Bill Clinton, who officiated at his wedding

    “You want me to cut my wrist again? Is that what you people do when watching this show? Are you people f*cking right now?”” –Jon Stewart, responding to news that “The Daily Show” figured into Anthony Weiner’s sexual exchanges with a Las Vegas blackjack dealer

    “Democrats in Congress have been distancing themselves from the Anthony Weiner scandal. Just to be safe, everyone is staying a good 6 to 8 inches away at all times.” –Jimmy Fallon

    "There has been growing pressure for Anthony Weiner to resign. When asked for a comment, Weiner said, “Look, I’m not leaving ... but I am packing.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A new study found that being bored can be good for your brain. Which explains that new campaign slogan, ’Mitt Romney: I’m Good For Your Brain.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is predicting that the economy will pick up in the second half of the year. So you know what that means: nothing.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A woman in Florida called 911 after she found a bear swimming in her backyard pool. That’s right, there was a bear in the water. Or as Sarah Palin calls that, ’soup.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “More trouble for Anthony Weiner: He was fired as the voice of the Aflac duck.” –David Letterman

    Thursday, June 23, 2011

    #1958

    Late Night From 06/09

    “Democrats and Republicans are calling for Congressman Anthony Weiner to resign. Late night comedians are asking him to hang in there.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The women who Anthony Weiner communicated with were a college student, a single mom, a blackjack dealer, and a porn star. Or, as we call that here in Los Angeles, the circle of life.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken off his wedding ring. When asked why, he said it’s a total housekeeper magnet.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Sarah Palin is going to London to try to meet with Margaret Thatcher, who’s made it clear she won’t meet with her. Palin went, ’Who told her I was coming? Was it Paul Revere again?’” –Jay Leno

    “There’s now a picture going around the internet of Weiner’s naked penis. You can tell it’s him, because it looks just like him.” –Jay Leno

    “The Chairman of the Republican Party Ed Cox said that he would use the incriminating pictures from Anthony Weiner to defeat him. So now we have Cox versus Weiner. This just doesn’t stop!” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have agreed to play a round of golf together. Imagine the two of them at the end of that golf game? Boehner will be crying over his score and Obama will be giving three explanations as to why his score is actually better than it appears.” –Jay Leno

    “According to a worldwide survey, the funniest country in the world is America. We are considered the funniest country in the world and Germany is considered the least funny country in the world. How bad is that when you come in behind that laugh riot, Iran?” –Jay Leno

    “Delta Airlines charged our soldiers coming back from Afghanistan $2,800 excess baggage fees. Delta’s new slogan: ’Screwing over the people who defend our right to screw you over.’” –Jay Leno

    “Anthony Weiner wants to be mayor of New York City. So we may go from a guy that looks like a jockey to a guy that likes how he looks in Jockeys.” –Dave Letterman

    “There’s a word for people that take pictures of their privates and send them out: ’stupid.’” –David Letterman

    “If Weiner resigns, they’re already talking about replacing him with Ashton Kutcher.” –David Letterman

    “President Obama has offered bailout money to keep Greece from defaulting on its loans. Yeah, when Greece thanked him, Obama was like, ’Don’t mention it . . . to China, because it’s their money.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama wrote an essay for People magazine about being the father he never had. Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote an essay about being the father no one knew he was.” –Jimmy Fallon

    Friday, June 24, 2011

    #1959

    Late Night From 06/10

    “After searching online for eight minutes for pictures of a congressman’s penis you have to start questioning yourself. And now we find out Weiner’s wife is pregnant. The only thing that could make this right is if it turns out she got pregnant by Arnold Schwarzenegger.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “There’s a heat wave over half of the country. It got so hot in New York, a congressman took off his pants and tweeted a picture of himself.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Many of Anthony Weiner’s Democratic colleagues are calling for him to resign to preserve his dignity, but that ship sailed a long time ago.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Every time a new woman comes forward, I imagine Tiger Woods sitting in the back room of a Hooters somewhere laughing his ass off.” –Jimmy Kimmel on Weinergate

    “It’s Donald Duck Day, the day the mighty Disney corporation says we celebrate our favorite Donald. Sorry, Donald Trump.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Donald Duck & Donald Trump are very different of course. One’s a noisy cartoon character with a feathery a**... and the other one’s Donald Duck.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Donald Duck has one of those voices that everyone can identify, like Darth Vader — or Larry King.” –Craig Ferguson

    “It’s not a great day for the King of Sweden. He’s facing pressure to step down over rumors that he frequents strip clubs. Now, I think I speak for every American when I say, ’Oh Sweden, your political sex scandals are so adorable.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “There a giant fire burning in Arizona, the biggest fire ever in the history of the state … I’m not saying these two things are connected, but a few weeks ago Sarah Palin moved to Arizona, and then the state burst into flames.” –Bill Maher

    “I feel bad for Sarah. She heard all the alarms and sirens and she figured the British were coming.” –Bill Maher

    “People keep asking me if Sarah Palin is running for President. How the f*** do I know? What am I, the idiot whisperer?” –Bill Maher

    “We don’t even need Sarah Palin for comedy in this presidential election because yesterday Newt Gingrich got fired by his own campaign. Did you see this? His entire staff quite en masse because they had a little disagreement about strategy. You see, Newt entered the race three weeks ago, and then his staff got mad at him because he spent the last two weeks campaigning in the wrong country. The last two weeks he’s been on a yacht touring the Greek Island, stopping only at Tiffany’s on his mission to warn America that Obama is an elitist.” –Bill Maher

    “Thanks to you, Congressman Weiner, there is now a new low in what passes for a sex scandal. JFK got Marilyn Monroe. John Edwards got a love child. You got mail.” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: Newt Gingrich, just stop. Seriously, your campaign isn’t just off to a rocky start; it’s like you hired me to run it and I purposely ran it into the ground. Let me put your popularity into context for you. You are a Republican and you’re polling behind a black man (Herman Cain).” –Bill Maher

    Saturday, June 25, 2011

    #1960

    Late Night From 06/13
    Part 1

    “Apparently, Anthony Weiner won’t decide if he’s resigning until his wife comes back from her trip to Africa with Hillary Clinton. I don’t know what’s more ridiculous — that he thinks he can stay in office, or that he thinks his wife is coming back.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “NASA is planning to send the first iPhones into space next month. Yeah, scientists say that if they can figure out a way to make iPhones work in outer space, they could eventually get them to work here in midtown Manhattan.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “According to reports, Osama bin Laden’s bedroom had the only air conditioner in his compound. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starting to think that he was kind of a jerk.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “I think Congressman Weiner should resign. Not for any political reasons, but just because I would like to see him become the next ’Bachelor.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “The state of Alaska released more than 24,000 emails written by Sarah Palin when she was governor. How does someone that doesn’t read write that much?” –Jimmy Kimmel

    ""According to recently released emails, Sarah Palin relied on her husband, Todd, quite frequently for policy advice. You know what they say: Behind every great woman, there’s a snowmobile racer." –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Sasha Obama turned 10 years old yesterday. It was so cute when her mom Michelle had her blow out the candles on her birthday lettuce.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “For the sixth time in a year, an air traffic controller was found asleep in the Reno Nevada airport. I have a good way to keep them awake. Make them sit in the same cramped plane chairs that we have to sit in.” –Craig Ferguson

    Sunday, June 26, 2011

    #1962

    Late Night From 06/13
    Part 2

    “Congressman Weiner has entered a treatment program. Amazingly, it’s the only thing he’s entered during the entire Weinergate scandal.” –Conan O’Brien

    “TMZ published a photo of Anthony Weiner in the congressional gym. When he heard about it, Newt Gingrich said, ’There’s a congressional gym?’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Most of Newt Gingrich’s campaign staff quit on the same day and some people are blaming Newt’s third wife. When asked about it, Newt said, ’I’ll win them back with my fourth wife.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Experts are predicting that in the first Republican debate, Mitt Romney will face his fiercest ideological opponent: himself from four years ago.” –Conan O’Brien

    “According to a new study, male politicians run for office to be somebody, while female politicians run to do something. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus Sarah Palin.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Congressman Anthony Weiner has just checked himself into a treatment centre for people battling chronic sexual dysfunction. Checked in? He’s already there, it’s called Congress.” –Jay Leno

    “Congressman Anthony Weiner has announced that he’s not resigning in the wake of the scandal. One thing we know about Weiner is that he knows how to stand firm.” –Jay Leno

    “According to the Wall Street Journal, economic experts now fear there may be a second recession. A second recession? When did the first one end?” –Jay Leno

    “The economy is so bad that bedbugs are now infesting sleeping bags and tents, because they can’t afford to stay in hotels anymore.” –Jay Leno

    “Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson lashed out at CNN as being elitist for not allowing him to participate in the Republican debate. He said CNN was robbing him of the opportunity to reach literally dozens of viewers.” –Jay Leno

    “It’s so sunny today that Anthony Weiner saw his shadow. That means six more weeks of Weiner jokes.” –Dave Letterman

    “The latest batch of Weiner photos were taken at the congressional gym. Wait a minute, those guys have a gym?” –David Letterman

    “I say don’t judge Anthony Weiner until you’ve walked a mile with his pants down around your ankles.” –David Letterman

    Monday, June 27, 2011

    #1963

    Late Night From 06/14
    Part 1

    “What is Weiner guilty of? He’s guilty of being too photogenic. But is taking pictures of your junk and e-mailing them something you’d expect from a Congressman? No. This is something you’d expect from a priest.” –Dave Letterman

    “When asked about the Congressman Weiner scandal, President Obama said that if it were him, he’d resign. When Bill Clinton was asked about the same thing he said, ’If it was me, I wouldn’t be surprised.’” –David Letterman

    “Donald Trump is 65 today. Had a big party. He likes to play Pin Everything on Obama.” –David Letterman

    “Newt Gingrich was so impressed with Michele Bachmann at the Republican debate that he gave her a $200,000 gift certificate for Tiffany’s.” –David Letterman

    “Derek Jeter is only six hits away from 3,000 base hits. What a coincidence — Anthony Weiner is only six nude photos away from 3,000.” –David Letterman

    “The first Republican presidential debate was held on Monday night. Seven Republican presidential candidates got together to agree on how much they dislike the government they would like to run. Imagine if you did that in a job interview.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Mitt Romney is the front runner at this point, mostly because he looks like the guy they would cast as the president in a disaster movie.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Happy birthday to Donald Trump, who turned 65, allegedly. We still haven’t seen the birth certificate so we don’t know for sure.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “The New York Daily News is reporting that Anthony Weiner’s car isn’t registered at the DMV. Oh man — he must be so embarrassed right now.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Happy Birthday to Donald Trump, who was born 65 years ago today! It was sweet. Today Obama sent him a nice Hallmark card that said, ’Prove it.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    Tueday, June 28, 2011

    #1964

    Late Night From 06/14
    Part 2

    “President Obama said he’d be OK being a one-term President. And with that he shoved an iPhone down his pants and pressed ’send.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s housekeeper says Maria Shriver became suspicious after noticing similarities between Arnold and her 13-year-old son. For instance, after serving as class president, he left the sixth grade with a $42 billion deficit.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The housekeeper said the affair wasn’t all Arnold’s fault because ’it takes two.’ Then Anthony Weiner said, ’Actually, it only takes one.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Congressman Weiner has checked into the That’s Not Mayo Clinic.” –Conan O’Brien

    “During the Republican debate on Monday night, Mitt Romney interrupted the proceedings to announce the score of the hockey game. Well ... I guess he’s already written off the black vote.” –Conan O’Brien

    “During the GOP debate, Herman Cain was asked if he likes deep dish or thin crust pizza. Then Newt Gingrich interrupted and said, ’Wait, there’s pizza?’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Anthony Weiner asked Bill Clinton for advice, and actually followed it for awhile. Of course eventually he was forced to tell the truth.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama said regarding the economy, ’The sky is not falling.’ The poll numbers are falling, the market is falling, support for the war in Libya is falling, Anthony Weiner’s pants are falling, but the sky is fine.” –Jay Leno

    “According to the latest survey on the economy, 48 percent of the people surveyed think we’ll have a great depression. The other 52 percent think it will just be a pretty good depression.” –Jay Leno

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s maid said when her son was told that Schwarzenegger was his father he said ’cool.’ It was a big improvement. Up to this point, the kid thought his father was Jean-Claude Van Damme.” –Jay Leno

    “One of bin Laden’s wives said he was a sex machine. In fact, he was the only man who could find her jihad spot.” –Jay Leno

    Wed., June 29, 2011

    #1965

    Late Night From 06/15

    “Photos of Congressman Weiner have surfaced of him cross-dressing in college, in bra and pantyhose, proving that even back then he knew he wanted to be a Congressman.” –Jay Leno

    “It was on this day in 1992 that Vice President Dan Quayle misspelled the word ’potato,’ thus paving the way for Sarah Palin.” –Jay Leno

    “According to a new report, only 12 percent of American high school students can pass a basic history test. That’s the lowest percentage since our country was founded in 1922.” –Jay Leno

    “Congressman Weiner’s wife returned today from her diplomatic trip to Ethiopia. She said she got really tired of Ethiopians telling her, ’I feel so sorry for you.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “A new study shows that only 35 percent of fourth-graders know the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. When she heard this, Sarah Palin said, ’How are they supposed to know about something that happened 20 years ago.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “A Tea Party group has a summer camp for kids, the only one where they sit around the campfire and tell scary stories about taxing the top 2%.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Rep. Michele Bachmann once said that gay people lead a very sad life. Apparently, she has never celebrated Halloween in San Francisco.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Anthony Weiner has asked that everyone respect his privacy. I guess that wasn’t his concern when he was texting pictures of himself.” –Dave Letterman

    “Have you seen these Republican presidential candidates? I bet Obama is sorry now that he spent all that money on the new birth certificate.” –David Letterman

    “A new survey found that 87 percent of high school seniors are less than proficient in U.S. history. Not me. In fact, when I was a senior, I did a 10-page paper on my favorite president, George Jefferson.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “It turns out that 70 percent of guns found in Mexico actually come from the U.S. Meanwhile, 70 percent of people found in the U.S. actually come from Mexico.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “One more vote is needed in the N.Y. State Senate to legalize gay marriage. That one vote could be the Republican Senator from Staten Island. If he’s willing to be known for the rest of his career as the Staten Island Fairy.” –Jon Stewart

    Thursday, June 30, 2011

    #1966

    Late Night From 06/16

    “Many people have noticed that Palin likes to use ’flippin’’ instead of the ’f’ word. For instance, one email says, ’I wish my daughter and Levi Johnston would stop flippin’.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Did you see the Republican debate last night? Oh my God! Those guys up there and Michele Bachmann, and it was exciting, and you know who did well? Michele Bachmann. Bachmann did well. Newt Gingrich was so impressed with Michele Bachmann, he gave her a $200,000 gift certificate from Tiffany’s.” –David Letterman

    “Father’s Day this year is a bonus year for Arnold Shwarzenegger. Last year my son wouldn’t give me my gift until I gave him a DNA swab.” –David Letterman

    “Today is the anniversary of the Great Wall of China. And since it was built, not one Mexican has sneaked in.” –David Letterman

    “Congress has just lost its Weiner. One minute he’s in, one minute he’s out ... typical Weiner.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Thank you, Anthony Weiner, for your premature evacuation.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A recent study found that today’s fathers spend twice as much time with their kids as fathers in 1960. Meanwhile, the study found that Arnold Schwarzenegger spends time with twice as many kids as he did three weeks ago.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Today bin Laden’s deputy was made head of Al Qaeda. I know because today he updated his status on LinkedIn.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Al Qaeda announced that they’ve found a replacement for Osama bin Laden, thanks to all of you who called in and texted your votes.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Our long national nightmare is over. Ladies and gentlemen, we got him. Anthony Weiner has resigned. That’s right, he decided to take his balls and go home. And it is now safe to go back on Facebook.” –Bill Maher

    “I have to warn you. Newt Gingrich today put up a large Web ad. So you still may be seeing pictures of a huge dick.” –Bill Maher

    “Mitt Romney was sitting down with some unemployed workers the other day. Mitt is worth a quarter of a billion dollars, and he said, ’hey, I’m unemployed too.’ That is the famous Mormon sense of humor. A little tip Mitt, your people are only funny when the ’South Park’ guys write your jokes.” –Bill Maher

    “The shame would be if Democrats get thrown out of office without ever having tried Democratic policies.” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: Stop comparing Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann just because they’re both Republican women. And crazy. And know-nothings. And Jesus freaks, who claim to receive messages from God. Who both get their historical facts wrong all the time. Who both give off a sound that only animals can hear and makes microwaves explode. Seriously, stop comparing them.” –Bill Maher

    Friday, July 01, 2011

    #1967

    Late Night From 06/17

    “Congressman Weiner resigned from Congress at a senior citizens’ center in Queens. It was smart, because they had no idea what Twitter is.” –Jay Leno

    “The good news is that they already found a replacement for Anthony Weiner. The bad news is that it’s Brett Favre.” –Jay Leno

    “Anthony Weiner’s still involved with the internet. Today he started his own site called MyTube.” –Jay Leno

    “And I still don’t think Weiner gets it. Did you hear what he said at the end of his press conference? ’Anybody want one last look?’” –Jay Leno

    “Rush Limbaugh has come out with his own brand of iced tea, with a picture of him on horseback dressed as Paul Revere. How confusing is this going to be for Sarah Palin?” –Jay Leno

    “Well, several congressmen have filed a lawsuit against President Obama for getting us involved in Libya. They claim Obama got the U.S. in a Middle East war without authorization from Congress. To which Dick Cheney and Bush said, ’You can get sued for that?’” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama met with the president of Mongolia. Of course, Sarah Palin had to chime in, saying her favorite movie was ’Steel Mongolians.’” –Jay Leno

    “Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that Al Qaeda’s new leader will be hunted down and killed just like bin Laden. They think he may be in Pakistan. They know that because Pakistan says they have no idea where he is.” –Jay Leno

    “Al Qaeda is not what it used to be. You can see they don’t have the money anymore. Instead of 70 virgins, martyrs now get a gift certificate to Olive Garden.” –Jay Leno

    “Officials still can’t say what happened to $6.6 billion that was sent to Iraq for reconstruction. That’s money we could have wasted and mismanaged right here at home.” –Jay Leno

    “You know the big news today, Congressman Weiner resigned. You heard about that, right? He resigned. It’s sort of a good news/bad news thing. The good news is Congressman Weiner resigned. The bad news, he made the announcement shirtless over Skype.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Yesterday Congressman Weiner contacted Nancy Pelosi to let her know he was resigning. Weiner let her know by texting her a picture of his penis cleaning out its desk.” –Conan O’Brien

    “According to a poll, over 50 percent of viewers thought Mitt Romney won this week’s presidential debate. They thought Mitt Romney won, yeah. Romney credits the win to his grasp of the issues and the good people at Mattel, who built him.” –Conan O’Brien

    “According to a new study, American fathers are spending more than twice the amount of time with their children than they used to in years past. Experts say it’s due to a sweeping new trend called ’unemployment.’” –Conan O’Brien

    Saturday, July 02, 2011

    #1968

    Late Night From 06/20

    “A spokesman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry says there’s a 50/50 chance he’ll run for president. Meanwhile,Sarah Palin says there’s an 80/50 chance she’ll run for president.” –Conan O’Brien

    “NBC has apologized for editing out the words ’under God’ from its coverage of the U.S. Open. They’re also apologizing for Brian Williams signing off with ’Hail Satan.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Bristol Palin’s new book says she lost her virginity on a night when she had too many wine coolers. It’s in the chapter “Things I Have in Common with Conan O’Brien.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “After John Edwards, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and father-to-be Anthony Weiner, who would have thought Charlie Sheen would be dad of the year?” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner played golf this weekend. Obama’s handicap is Joe Biden.” –Jay Leno

    “The team of Obama and Boehner beat the team of Vice President Joe Biden and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. When they tallied up the score, they were 14 trillion over par.” –Jay Leno

    “Did you see the picture of House Speaker Boehner and President Obama after their golf game? Boehner was crying over his score and Obama was giving a list of reasons why his score was better than it looks.” –Jay Leno

    “A new study has found that the majority of wealthy people in China want to move to other countries and the government is trying to find ways to keep them. If only they could build a big wall.” –Jay Leno

    “Arnold Shwarzenegger’s favorite game on Father’s Day? Old Maid.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama and Speaker Boehner played golf last weekend. Obama avoided an out-of-bounds penalty tee when an errant tee shot bounced off of Oprah, who was hiding in the woods.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama and John Boehner played golf against Joe Biden on Saturday and they won $2. Just 7 trillion more rounds like this and we’ll pay off that deficit in no time.” –Jimmy Fallon

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Signs Al Qaeda Is Running Out of Money”

    10. Switching from name-brand to generic plastic explosive
    9. Jerry Lewis is hosting Al Jazeera’s first ever jihad-a-thon
    8. Ayman Al-Zawahiri closed latest videotaped message with, “And now a word from Valvoline”
    7. New catchphrase: “Death to Bill Collectors”
    6. Shoe-bombers encouraged to shop at Payless
    5. No more free soda in the 11th floor refrigerator
    4. Reducing afterlife payment to 71 virgins
    3. Training camps rented out on weekends for bar mitzvahs
    2. Canceled ambitious plan to put a Mullah on the moon
    1. Bet entire budget on the Miami Heat

    Sunday, July 03, 2011

    #1969

    Late Night From 06/21
    Part 1

    “I’ll tell you who’s in a lot of trouble: Mitt Romney. He’s supposedly the Republican presidential contender front-runner. Here’s what happened: He created a successful healthcare plan in Massachusetts. Are you kidding me? Come on! What a dope.” –David Letterman

    “Former governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, is running for president. He’s one of those guys that can do everything — he speaks Chinese. In a couple of years we’ll all be speaking Chinese, so who cares?” –David Letterman

    “Most Americans know Jon Huntsman as ’the candidate most Americans don’t know.’ Gov. Huntsman’s announcement puts him somewhere between Ron Paul and Count Chocula as the favorite to win the GOP nomination.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “To no one’s surprise, on the ’Today Show’ this morning, John McCain said he will not be running in 2012, or walking for that matter. He’s just going to get one of those Rascal scooters and drive around.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Yesterday President Obama urged more foreign countries to start investing in the U.S. economy. The president of Mexico was like, ’The people of Mexico are with you. Literally, they’re already there with you.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Reasons to Watch the New ’Countdown with Keith Olbermann’ (presented by Keith Olbermann)”

    10. You’ll want to treat yourself to a larger television to accommodate my giant head.
    9. Now that Oprah’s gone, I want to be your new best girlfriend.
    8. It’s the only show on television that’s not a damn singing contest.
    7. Tomorrow Hugo Chavez stops by to make his famous Jalapeno Wowzers.
    6. We are neither fair, nor balanced.
    5. Special news commentary from my hand puppet, Topo Gigio.
    4. What else are you going to do with your time, read?
    3. I just hired Paul Shaffer as my musical director — I’m sorry, Dave.
    2. Better watch now because things could go wrong in a hurry.
    1. Some lucky viewer gets tweets of my penis.

    Monday, July 04, 2011

    #1970

    Late Night From 06/21
    Part 2

    “Tomorrow President Obama will lay out his plan for bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. Ten years ago Afghanistan had a backwards, corrupt government. And now they have a democratically elected, backwards, corrupt government. So that’s progress.” –Jay Leno

    “Newt Gingrich has a new campaign slogan: ’Now hiring!’ Sixteen of Gingrich’s top staff quit last week, and today, two of his top fundraisers quit. He’s not even president and he’s already raising the unemployment rate.” –Jay Leno

    “Jon Huntsman is so little known, when he announced for the Presidency he had his name written on his hand.” –Jay Leno

    “Idaho state senator and former Republican legislator of the year, John McGee, is charged with drunk driving and suspicion of felony grand theft after reportedly stealing an SUV with a 20-foot trailer attached to it. In his defense, there’s not a lot to do in Idaho.” –Jay Leno

    “The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Chinese billionaire investor named Wang Gongquan announced to the world that he is leaving his wife to elope with his mistress, and he did it on a Chinese blogging site like Twitter. Men are the same all over the world, aren’t they? We have Weiner, they have Wang. It’s the same thing. No matter where you go.” –Jay Leno

    “The Governor of Texas says if he runs for President he’ll fight accusations he’s gay. He’ll give any guy who accuses him a good hard pinch in the butt.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger is laying low in Europe. He was in his homeland of Austria, and he said he misses schnitzel. By the way, schnitzel is the name of his Austrian lovechild.” –Conan O’Brien

    “John McCain says he is puzzled by the backlash to his comment that illegal immigrants are the cause of Arizona’s wildfires. He said, ’Of course, I’m also puzzled by the defrost option on my microwave.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Egyptian military is asking people who they want to be the next president by using a Facebook poll. So congratulations to Egypt’s new leader, President Betty White.” –Conan O’Brien

    “You all know Bristol Palin has a book. She reveals that she lost her virginity on a camping trip. Bristol said she named her son ’Tripp’ because ’camping’ seemed like a dumb name.” –Conan O’Brien

    Tueday, July 05, 2011

    #1971

    Late Night From 06/22
    Part 1

    “Newt Gingrich bragged on his 3rd wife, saying, ’She plays the French horn.’ Then things got awkward when he added, ’If you know what I mean.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Newt Gingrich announced he was running for president. His top advisers quit, and then his campaign fundraisers all quit. Newt was thinking, ’I don’t need this, I’ll just put it all on my Tiffany’s credit card.’” –David Letterman

    “New Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is fluent in Chinese. In a short period of time the Republicans have come quite a long way. The last Republican president wasn’t even fluent in English." –David Letterman

    “Here’s fascinating cultural, sociological news: New York City is very close to legalizing same-sex marriage. But until it becomes official, the only place in New York City where gay couples can actually marry is backstage at the Tony Awards.” –David Letterman

    “Sarah Palin has abruptly ended her bus tour of the United States. The idea was to drive around the country giving speeches in front of historical landmarks. Reportedly, she’s back in Alaska at home, which is weird because it’s not like her to quit something.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Bristol Palin released her much-anticipated memoir called ’Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.’ Bristol said that Levi Johnston cheated on her but then made it up to her by buying designer rain boots. Things are different up there, I guess.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama announced that progress is being made in Afghanistan after the death of Osama bin Laden, which means we’re going to be bringing 10,000 troops home by the end of this year. Here’s what I don’t understand about Afghanistan: With all that opium lying around, you’d think it would be a mellower place.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “President Obama will be in New York tomorrow night for a fundraiser at the Broadway musical ’Sister Act.’ Meanwhile, Sarah Palin will be in town to do some hunting at “The Lion King.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “New York Gov. Andy Cuomo will hold a special election on Sept. 13 to replace Anthony Weiner. Cuomo said, ’anyone interested in the job should e-mail me at ... actually, you’d just better call.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    Wed., July 06, 2011

    #1972

    Late Night From 06/22
    Part 2

    “Did you see that video where a crying baby is handed to President Obama? As soon as the president holds the baby it stops crying. Do you know how rare that is these days; that a politician is handed a baby from a crowd and it’s not his?” –Jay Leno

    “That’s pretty amazing. The baby stopped crying as soon as the president held it. Obama should try that with John Boehner.” –Jay Leno

    "Sarah Palin has canceled the rest of her bus trip around America. She had to quit before she got to Mount Rushmore and somebody asked her to name the Presidents.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama announced this week that he is going to start sending out his own messages personally on Twitter. And today Anthony Weiner said, ’It’s a trap, don’t do it!’ But President Obama’s tweets are a little different than Anthony Weiner’s. When Obama sends out pictures of something obscene, it’s the unemployment numbers.” –Jay Leno

    “Earlier tonight President Obama gave his speech about Afghanistan. He’s starting a new phase in the military campaign called operation reelection.” –Jay Leno

    “Senator John McCain is in a bit of hot water after he made an unsubstantiated claim that illegal immigrants caused the Arizona wildfires. He kind of backtracked today. Now he’s saying it was just the Metamucil talking.” –Jay Leno

    "John McCain made his claim that illegal immigrants started the Arizona wildfires without doing his research. The last time he did that we got Sarah Palin.” -Jay Leno

    “It has now been revealed that Newt Gingrich had a second line of credit at Tiffany’s for up to a million dollars. That sounds like a lot until you remember that Congress has a line of credit with China for up to $14.3 trillion.” –Jay Leno

    “More bad news for Newt Gingrich. One week after his campaign staff quit, his campaign finance team quit. In fact, newt was going to pull out of the race, but today the guy who writes his concession speeches quit. He can’t do anything.” –Jay Leno

    “According to new polls, 66 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. But the good news is, gas is so expensive and traffic is so bad that we won’t get there for a long time.” –Jay Leno

    “Today Sarah Palin canceled her bus tour, reportedly canceling dates in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. When asked why, Palin answered: ’It turns out those places are nowhere near each other.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “In a new videotape message, Texas Gov. Rick Perry urges his supporters to follow him on ’Tweeter.’ After hearing about it, John McCain laughed and said, “What an idiot! It’s ’The Tweeter.’’” –Conan O’Brien

    Thursday, July 07, 2011

    #1973

    Late Night From 06/23

    “Today President Obama has released 30 million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. He said it was in response to what he called a real emergency: his poll numbers.” –Jay Leno

    “According to reports, poor financial decisions with a Chicago brokerage firm cost Al-Qaida over $20 million in investments. Why are we risking the lives of our Navy SEALs? Send in Bernie Madoff. He will take care of these people. In five minutes they will be broke.” –Jay Leno

    “Al Gore publicly attacks President Obama for taking no bold action on global warming and not fighting hard enough to pass new legislation in Congress. Then the girl behind the counter said, ’Sir, can you please just pay for your ice cream and go?’” –Jay Leno

    “Cameron Diaz opens this weekend as the ’Bad Teacher.’ She’s so bad she tells the kids a completely incorrect version of the Paul Revere story.” –David Letterman

    “Days are longer in the summer, especially in the Weiner house.” –David Letterman

    “In New York City today, no one was able to move as both President Obama and Justin Bieber visited. Obama was there to raise money for his presidential campaign; Bieber was launching his new fragrance. This would be a great setup for a Freaky Friday body switch.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Newt Gingrich said Republicans shouldn’t be afraid to go into black neighborhoods and tell them Obama failed them. To which every Republican replied ’You first.’” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: Stop asking Miss USA contestants if they believe in evolution. It’s not their field. It’s like asking Stephen Hawking if he believes in hair scrunchies. Here’s what they know about: spray tans, fake boobs and baton twirling. Here’s what they don’t know about: everything else. If I cared about the uninformed opinions of some ditsy beauty queen, I’d join the Tea Party.” –Bill Maher

    Friday, July 08, 2011

    #1974

    Late Night From 06/24

    “Sarah Palin is denying reports that her bus tour is canceled, and says it will resume ’when the time comes.’ So there you go, everyone — it’s not canceled, she just stopped doing it and has no specific plans to start again.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Speaking of Sarah Palin, this week, Palin tweeted that her daughter Bristol’s new memoir is quote ’shocking, refreshing, honest, inspiring, and perfect.’ Of course, she said the same thing about the movie ’Cars 2.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “President Obama was in New York today. There was an awkward moment in Times Square when he saw the Naked Cowboy and said, ’Please tell me you’re not a Democratic Congressman.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Justin Bieber and President Obama both in New York tonight. Traffic gridlock with the most powerful man in the world and right down the street President Obama.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Yesterday Sarah Palin said that she read Bristol Palin’s new book and she found it ’shocking.’ When asked what was shocking, Palin said ’the fact I read a book.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Supreme Court ruled makers of generic drugs can’t be sued for incorrect labeling. All they have to say is, ’These pills will do something to your cholesterol or penis.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Sarah Palin said she did not quit her bus tour. She just had to go home early for jury duty. How can you be President if you’re not even smart enough to get out of jury duty?” –Jay Leno

    “A little information for the folks watching at home: Our entire studio audience tonight is all people who used to work for Newt Gingrich.” –Jay Leno

    “Newt Gingrich’s campaign staff quit last week. Then his finance staff. He was going to quit the race, but his speechwriter quit too.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama announced the beginning of withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He said last night, ’We can’t stay there indefinitely.’ You think our troops in Korea are going, ’HELLO, we’ve been here for 60 years.’” –Jay Leno

    Saturday, July 09, 2011

    #1975

    Late Night From 06/27
    Part 1

    “Some of the counts Blagojevich was convicted of carry 10- to 20-year sentences, so he could be facing up to 300 years in prison. That’s a long time, even for a leprechaun.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Whitey Bulger’s brother was a politician. So one brother was operating in a world with no morals, dealing with the lowest of the low, and the other one was a mobster.” –Craig Ferguson

    ‎"Finally, New York state’s gay and lesbian community are free from the burden that was having to set foot in Connecticut in order to get married." –Jon Stewart

    “The narrative of Conservative Victimization is the true genius of what Fox News has accomplished. Any editorial judgment in news, or schools, or movies, that doesn’t favor the conservative view, is elitism and is evidence of liberal bias. Whereas any editorial judgment that FAVORS the conservative view, is evidence of merely fairness and done to protect them from liberal bias. And, if you criticize Fox for this game, guess what that’s evidence of? How right they are about how persecuted they are. It is air tighter than an otters ass…They can’t lose. But you know what this whole ’victim thing’ makes Fox? Well, perhaps this term a friend of mine used once to describe the current presidential administration is most apt: [Cut to clip of Fox News’ ChrisWallace telling Bill O’Reilly: ’They are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington.’]” –Jon Stewart

    Sunday, July 10, 2011

    #1976

    Late Night From 06/27
    Part 2

    “Michele Bachmann said her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, is the birthplace of John Wayne, when it is actually the birthplace of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. She then said her favorite sitcom from the 80s is ’Charles Manson in Charge.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Newt Gingrich says he does not support gay marriage. He says marriage is a sacred sacrament that should only be between a man and his first, second, and third wives.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Rod Blagojevich was found guilty of trying to sell President Obama’s Senate seat. As the verdict was read, Blagojevich’s face remained expressionless while his hair remained ridiculous.” –Conan O’Brien

    “New York Gov. Cuomo legalized gay marriage. I think it’s great for everybody — especially divorce lawyers.” –David Letterman

    “Anthony Weiner is back in the private sector now. When he was a congressman from New York, I think it was his private sector that got him in trouble.” –David Letterman

    “During the trial, Blagojevich got himself in trouble for texting photos of his hair.” –David Letterman

    “Anthony Weiner was photographed this weekend dining with his wife and texting from his cell phone. Maybe he should put the phone away for a few years.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Rod Blagojevich was convicted of extortion, wire fraud, bribery, and criminal abuse of styling mousse.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Monday, July 11, 2011

    #1977

    Late Night From 06/28

    “The Pope is now on Twitter. The church is really trying to connect with young people — in a way that doesn’t involve hush money.” –David Letterman

    “Chris Wallace at Fox News asked Michele Bachmann if she is a flake. I think that’s an insult to the fine folks at Kellogg’s.” –David Letterman

    “Rod Blagojevich was charged with corruption — and unlawful imprisonment of a badger. Have you seen his hair?” –David Letterman

    “Blagojevich said he was stunned by the verdict. Apparently, he wasn’t paying attention during the trial.” –David Letterman

    “She announced her presidency from Waterloo — a name synonymous with victory.” –Stephen Colbert on Michele Bachmann’s Iowa campaign launch

    “It is no secret that our economy is in the dumpster, because our economy knows the dumpster is where you can sometimes find old muffins.” –Stephen Colbert

    “They’re cancelling fireworks because it might lead to fire. That’s like cancelling a carnival because it might lead to being abducted by carnies.” –Stephen Colbert on Texas banning fireworks

    Tueday, July 12, 2011

    #1978

    Late Night From 06/29

    “Michele Bachmann is kind of like Sarah Palin but without the charisma — or marksmanship. You know, maybe we should stop telling kids that anyone can grow up to be president of the United States.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Bachmann didn’t know John Wayne Gacy was from her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. The town is about the size of the Wayans family.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “The next-most famous person from that town is the guy that grew the biggest pumpkin at the town fair.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Sarah Palin says she should be ready to make a decision on running for president by December 2012.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    "Anthony Weiner is reportedly involved in choosing his successor. The first question he asked his potential replacements is, ’What’s the difference between ’reply’ and ’reply all?’’ –Conan O’Brien

    “A senior al-Qaida leader was arrested in Afghanistan and he was disguised as a woman. Police became suspicious after he was seen stoning himself.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Sarah and Bristol Palin made an appearance at a book store. Apparently, it was ’Bring Your Daughter to a Place You Never Go Day.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Newt Gingrich is entering the hotdog-eating contest at Coney Island. He hopes to win because he needs the money to pay his Tiffany’s bill.” –David Letterman

    Wed., July 13, 2011

    #1979

    Late Night From 06/30
    Part 1

    “Glenn Beck gave his last show. After Oprah and Beck, the only emotional woman on TV is me.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Supposedly, they let Beck go because he alienated the sponsors. I would never do that. In fact, I hang out on the weekend with the ShamWow guy.” –Carig Ferguson

    “Top Ten Reasons I, Dave Letterman, Am Proud To Be An American”

    10. The complimentary TSA groping
    9. Other countries don’t have one Dakota — we have two
    8. Land of the free, home of the brave, and the fattest people on Earth
    7. Our wise and learned Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Gotti (joke provided by Michele O’Bachmann)
    6. All our presidents were born in America . . . or possibly Kenya
    5. The United States has the best extreme couponers in the world
    4. We live in a country where our politicians text photos of their junk
    3. Forget all this, have you seen the news story about Florence Henderson?
    2. Kim Kardashian X-rayed her butt
    1. What other country would let me get away with doing this crap?

    Thursday, July 14, 2011

    #1980

    Late Night From 06/30
    Part 2

    “California officials say that the census failed to count over a million residents of the state? How did Schwarzenegger manage to cover up all those children?” –Conan O’Brien

    “North Korea has shut down all of its universities for 10 months so students can work in factories. Or, as they call it in North Korea, ’spring break.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Rev. Pat Robertson says that if more states legalize gay marriage, God will destroy America. He did say that afterwards, gays will come in and do a beautiful renovation.” –Conan O’Brien

    “A lot of people are taking time off for the holidays. For instance, Rod Blagojevich is going away for a while.” –David Letterman

    “Blagojevich could do 300 years — unless he’s pardoned by Oprah.” –David Letterman

    “We’re celebrating our independence from the British. I hope that in a couple years, we’ll be able to celebrate our independence from the Chinese.” –David Letterman

    “Anthony Weiner is no longer a congressman, but he wants to pick his replacement. That would be a great endorsement.” –David Letterman

    “The Senate canceled their vacation to work on the budget. Either they really can’t agree or they’re looking for an excuse to not go on vacation with their families.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    Friday, July 15, 2011

    #1981

    Late Night From 07/04

    “Vice President Joe Biden has a new Twitter account. He said he will not rest until he can embarrass the president on every media platform ever invented.” –Jay Leno

    “Sarah Palin spoke out about Independence Day, saying that if the British had won the war, we’d all be speaking English today.” –Jay Leno

    “You know Casey Anthony is not the only one that is going to go free. Lawyers for Dominique Strauss Kah now say that the maid in the ritzy hotel also worked as a hooker. So he could walk too. A maid who is also a hooker. That’s like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dream date.” –Jay Leno

    “It was so hot in California today thatArnold Schwarzenegger’s clothes were out on the lawn setting themselves on fire.” –Jay Leno

    “Casey Anthony was found not guilty. This means that President Obama’s economic team is only the second-most clueless group in America.” –Jay Leno

    “I think the jury from the O.J. Simpson trial retired and moved to Florida.” –Jay Leno

    Saturday, July 16, 2011

    #1982

    Late Night From 07/07

    “Democrats warned that if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, the government would cease to function. How would you be able to tell?” –Jay Leno

    “You know what the scary part is? Not that the government will cease to function, that they think this is actually the government functioning. They think it is working well.” –Jay Leno

    “The government is warning that terrorists may try to blow up airplanes by implanting bombs under their skin. The airlines responded by saying they’ll charge any terrorists that do this a $50 carry-on fee.” –Jay Leno

    “Lady Gaga complained that the U.S. is allowing Iran and North Korea to get nukes and we have to stop them. Before the White House makes any decision, they’re waiting to hear from Britney Spears.” –Jay Leno

    “According to the New York Times, a cell phone found in Osama bin Laden’s compound had phone numbers belonging to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. But authorities say it’s unlikely they ever spoke because apparently bin laden had AT&T.” –Jay Leno

    “A new study shows that home births are up 20% in the united states. More and more moms are giving birth at home. Or as in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s case, giving birth in the home they’re cleaning.” –Jay Leno

    Sunday, July 17, 2011

    #1983

    Late Night From 07/08
    Part 1

    “Yes, Republican base, you are just like that jury. It is pathetically clear who’s killing the middle class, but you keep letting them get away with murder.” –Bill Maher, comparing Republicans to the Casey Anthony jury

    “New Rule: You can’t be a country that celebrates its birthday with a gluttonous hotdog binge and pyrotechnics and then not offer universal healthcare. On the 4th of July, a man named Joey Chestnut gobbled down 62 wieners - just beating the old record set by George Michael - and at least 8,000 people that day went to the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries. Holding the 4th of July and not providing the inevitably needed healthcare is like holding Oktoberfest and not providing Port-O-Potties.” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: If your dad was on OJ’s legal dream team, you can’t Tweet your disappointment over the Casey Anthony verdict. It’s like Tricia Nixon bitching about presidential corruption. And remember, your father started a proud Kardashian tradition: getting black men off.” –Bill Maher

    Monday, July 18, 2011

    #1984

    Late Night From 07/08
    Part 2

    “In Arizona they had a dust storm that was two miles high and 15 miles wide. It looked like something out of a movie. Visibility in Arizona they said was so bad that police were hassling white people.” –Bill Maher

    “I was sure that the Republican plan to fix the economy by defaulting on the national debt would work, but apparently it didn’t. The unemployment rate is now at 9.2%, which is scary because experts say 9.5 is the point at which people are desperate enough to consider Michele Bachmann.” –Bill Maher

    “People are mad. There’s a lot of soul-searching going on after the Casey Anthony verdict. Florida is looking into the jury selection process, their legislatures are reviewing laws, and CNN is considering whether Nancy Grace should be replaced by an actual glassy-eyed vulture.” –Bill Maher

    “Obama had a town hall on Twitter, and he took questions, the first time this ever happened. It went smoothly aft first, then of course came snarky questions from Republicans, and then the last four were just pictures of Anthony Weiner’s penis.” –Bill Maher

    “If you can look at a crime where everything points to one answer and not see it, you’re a dumbass. And if you can look at the deficit and not see that the problem is that the rich stopped paying taxes, you’re a Republican.” –Bill Maher

    Tueday, July 19, 2011

    #1985

    Late Night From 07/11
    Part 1

    “The royal couple really immersed themselves in American culture while visiting. In fact, when they left, they were $2 trillion in debt.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama’s staff got raises of 8 percent, more than double the average for regular Americans, which is 3 percent. But to be fair, many of them will be unemployed next November.” –Jay Leno

    “A right wing religious group in Iowa is now asking all the Republican presidential candidates to sign a pledge to remain faithful to their spouse. Didn’t we take this pledge? It’s called the ’Marriage Vow.’ Is that not good enough anymore, we have to take it again?” –Jay Leno

    “Here is a truly frightening story; they are now saying that Al Qaeda had plans to use women as human bombs on airplanes. Did you hear about this? They are saying that they could put bombs inside women’s breast implants. Do you know what that means? Hooters could be a terrorist training camp.” –Jay Leno

    “The U.S. is now in serious danger of defaulting on our foreign loans, which explains why today, China showed up and broke the Statue of Liberty’s kneecaps.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “On Friday, a woman in Texas gave birth to a baby boy weighing in at 16 pounds, 1 ounce. When they did the sonogram, the doctor was like, ’I’m not sure if it’s a boy or a girl, but it’s definitely an American.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    Wed., July 20, 2011

    #1986

    Late Night From 07/11
    Part 2

    “Over the weekend, someone broke into our theater. I’m told that Jay Leno has an alibi.” –David Letterman

    “Eliot Spitzer’s show on CNN was canceled. So you wonder, how will the guy kill an hour?” –David Letterman

    “The British government may cancel Rupert Murdoch’s $14 billion satellite deal because they’ve discovered that he’s evil.” –Craig Ferguson

    “In the media business, being evil isn’t always a bad thing. There’s also the lovable kind of evil that we have here at CBS.” –Craig Ferguson

    “One of Murdoch’s tabloids was hacking people’s phones and listening to their voicemails. Victims said their iPhones were so messed up that they were actually working.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Murdoch shut down News of the World, which was almost 160 years old. It’s always sad when something that old comes to an end. It was like the last episode of ’Larry King Live.’” –Craig Ferguson

    Thursday, July 21, 2011

    #1987

    Late Night From 07/12
    Part 1

    “Michele Bachmann says that if she’s elected, she’ll ban pornography. We have multiple wars, skyrocketing debts, a recession, unemployment . . . Yeah, let’s ban pornography.” –David Letterman

    “Bachmann says she wants to end things that are ’vulgar and a detriment to society.’ She’s talking about me, right?” –David Letterman

    “It’s 95 and miserable today, like Rupert Murdoch. I think you folks should know the air conditioning is hooked up to the applause sign.” –David Letterman

    “Michele Bachmann signed pledge in Iowa recently about protecting marriage, but it also said stuff about black children having it better when they were raised during slavery. Now her campaign is saying that while, yes, she did sign the pledge, she didn’t read it first. And had she read it, she never would have signed it in the first place. Well, thank God presidents don’t have to sign anything so important they have to read it first.” –Jay Leno

    “Michele Bachmann and her husband run this institution where they try to ’pray away the gay.’ They want gay guys to think outside the bun.” –Jay Leno

    “Rupert Murdoch and his New of the World newspaper are in trouble for hacking into the phone call records of thousands of people. The law is pretty clear, if you want to try and snoop on people without them knowing about it, you have to be either Google or Apple. You can’t be a newspaper.” –Jay Leno

    “It was so hot in the United Kingdom that Rupert Murdoch was hacking into the phone calls of Eskimos.” –Jay Leno

    “The royal couple has left Los Angeles after a short visit. It’s the first time that two unemployed people from another country have come to L.A. and left.” –Jay Leno

    “The FBI is investigating after a stun gun was found on a flight to Newark, New Jersey. They think a passenger planned to use the stun gun on himself when he realized he was on a flight to Newark, New Jersey.” –Jay Leno

    “Hitler’s birthplace in Austria has revoked his honorary citizenship. Talk about a rush to judgment.” –Jay Leno

    Friday, July 22, 2011

    #1988

    Late Night From 07/12
    Part 2

    “A lawmaker in California is pushing for 13 counties to break away and form a new state called South California. Meanwhile, residents are pushing for a more fitting name: ’North Mexico.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “While criticizing President Obama over debt talks, John Boehner said quote, ’It takes two to tango.’ Then Biden was like, ’Sure, but it only takes one to break dance.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today he’s going back to the thing he does best. No, not that thing; the other thing. He’s going to star in a new Western. I think it’s called ’Butch Cassiday and the Illegitimate Kid.’ ’Somebody has to clean up this town. Who’s going to clean it up? Where’s the maid?’” –Craig Ferguson

    “We’re three weeks from having to park our car down the street so China can’t find it, and Congress is refighting fluorescent v. incandescent light bulbs.” –Jon Stewart

    ‎"It’s not, ’All right, let’s all chip in and we’ll buy a keg for the big party.’ It’s, ’Buy me a keg and I won’t burn your f**kin’ house down.’" –Jon Stewart on Republicans’ approach to compromise during debt negotiations

    “Republicans are job creationists. We know the rich create jobs. Democrats believe that jobs just EVOLVE from millions of years of stimulus packages.” –Daily Show senior debt correspondent Wyatt Cenac

    ‎"Christianity is the best way to cure gayness. Just get on your knees, take a swig of wine and accept the body of a man into your mouth." –Stephen Colbert

    Saturday, July 23, 2011

    #1989

    Late Night From 07/13
    Part 2

    “Will we default on our debt, and will Canada let us crash on their couch for awhile?” –Stephen Colbert

    ‎"Is he teaching people not to be gay or is he like the ’Green Mile’ guy and just absorbing it all?" –Jon Stewart on Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus Bachmann

    “He’s so gay he calls ’Top Gun’ ’that volleyball movie.’” –Jon Stewart, struggling to repress the urge to crack gay jokes about Michele Bachmann’s husband, Marcus Bachmann

    “Of course I’d like to say Dr. Marcus Bachmann buys Brawny paper towels for the packaging, or he’s so gay Richard Simmons tells him to tone it down.’” –Jerry Seinfeld, playing Jon Stewart’s Comedy Repression Therapist during a cameo on The Daily Show

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Signs the United States Is Running Out of Money”

    10. For $10,000, you get your face on the dollar
    9. The White House now has a two-drink minimum
    8. There’s a listing on eBay for North Dakota
    7. Barack Obama sold his Nobel Prize to ’Cash4Gold’
    6. Americans now attempting to sneak into Mexico
    5. Renting Biden’s house to backpacking German tourists
    4. Costs $25 for each bag the president wants to check on Air Force One
    3. John Boehner getting paid in beach bum tanning gift cards
    2. Country is moving in with England until we get back on our feet
    1. Applied for a $40 billion loan from Oprah

    Sunday, July 24, 2011

    #1990

    Late Night From 07/13
    Part 1

    “We’re getting closer and closer to the country going into default. We could be out of money by August 2nd. How many people are surprised by that? How many people are surprised we still have enough money to make it until August 2nd?” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama ordered Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take what little money we have left and buy lottery tickets. I don’t think that ever works.” –Jay Leno

    “Scientists say life on Earth is wiped out every 27 million years, and we have 16 million years left. So we’re all going to die just when we finally get our debt paid off.” –Jay Leno

    “A report says that a growing number of Americans are worth $1 million. The bad news: last year they were worth $5 million.” –Jay Leno

    “You know the woman in Texas who gave birth to a 16-pound baby boy? Turns out if was a hoax. It wasn’t a baby at all. It was a Mexican trying to sneak into the country.” –Jay Leno

    “It’s so hot that instead of tapping phones, Rupert Murdoch has been tapping kegs.” –David Letterman

    “It’s so hot that even Michele Bachmann believes in global warming.” –David Letterman

    “Congress is pledging to work around the clock until they’re absolutely certain they will get nothing done.” –David Letterman

    “I just read that George W. Bush is getting his own limited edition baseball card. You can tell it’s Bush’s card because eight years after you buy it, its value decreases $14 trillion.” –Jimmy Fallon

    Monday, July 25, 2011

    #1991

    Late Night From 07/15

    “New York has legalized gay marriage, and if you brought a gift for Paul and myself, just leave it in the lobby. Utah will never approve gay marriage, but they do allow a man to marry a woman with a slight mustache.” –David Letterman

    “I understand the Republican’s frustration. They came in pretending to negotiate. The least Obama could do would be to pretend to listen.” –Bill Maher, on the debt ceiling talks

    “We are having in this country, America, supposedly a first world nation, an argument about whether we should pay our bills. And the Republicans – the conservative party – says no. Paying bills is for squares, man. That whole ’money’ thing is a trap. Their economic plan is like, we’re hitchhiking to a Phish concert, and if we get a ride from a trucker and he asks us to chip in for gas, we’ll just give him a hand job.” –Bill Maher

    “I think I know now why we are occupying Iraq. In case we have to sell America and move to a smaller country.” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: Now that the social network ’Google +’ has arrived expressly to try and destroy Facebook and Twitter the way Facebook and Twitter blew away MySpace right after MySpace obliterated Friendster the Internet must admit that it doesn’t really understand the concept of ’friendship.’” –Bill Maher

    “Everybody needs to just calm down (about Carmageddon). They’re fixing a stretch of the roadway. It’s an unpleasant bit of business that we have to get through – sort of like the way Michele Bachmann’s husband thinks about sex with his wife.” –Bill Maher

    ‎"If Social Security checks don’t go out on August 3, it’s just old people. You know how they are. They’re just gonna blow that money on medicine and hips." –Jon Stewart

    Tueday, July 26, 2011

    #1992

    Late Night From 07/14

    “Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson said his Twitter account was hacked yesterday after an image of a naked man was posted on his page. When the Lord taketh a Weiner he giveth a Johnson.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Spain’s running of the bulls is not nearly as scary as the U.S. event, the running of Sarah Palin.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “It’s rumored that Arnold Schwarzenegger is working on a memoir. Yeah, it’s apparently over 500 pages long — and that’s just the dedication to his kids.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “The Treasury Department is shifting from paper to electronic savings bonds next year. But don’t worry — the electronic bonds will be just as worthless as the paper ones.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “According to a new poll, U.S. popularity in the Middle East is at an all-time low. How could it be lower than before, when it was ’Death to America?’” –Jay Leno

    “In the last month, President Obama’s re-election campaign raised $86 million. But the bad news is, to get re-elected, he has to come up with $14 trillion more.” –Jay Leno

    “Starting next year, all U.S. savings bonds will be electronic rather than printed. So they’ll be paperless, as well as valueless, useless, and worthless.” –Jay Leno

    “According to a survey by Charles Schwab, 16 percent of teenagers expect their parents to help them financially forever. I believe they’re called ’philosophy majors.’” –Jay Leno

    “Mitt Romney is so boring, he introduced his own fragrance called ’Unscented.’” –David Letterman

    “It’s Bastille Day, which is the day that Paul Revere rode through Paris warning the French.” –David Letterman

    “It looks like we’ll begin to pay our debt to China. Last week, we returned Yao Ming. And what about his brother Wyo Ming.” –David Letterman

    Wed., July 27, 2011

    #1993

    Late Night From 07/15
    Part 1

    “There’s a move to divide California into two states: the state of poverty and the state of bankruptcy. The problem is coming up with a new name for Southern California since ’New Mexico’ is already taken.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama is starting to get tough. He said he’s reached his limit and he will not give in on his debt ceiling position even if it costs him his presidency. Well, that should make the Republicans fold. ’We’ve got to save Obama’s presidency.’” –Jay Leno

    “According to a new Gallop poll, if the election were held tomorrow a no name Republican would beat President Obama. Today Tim Pawlenty said, ’A no-name Republican? That’s me. I could win! I’m the new President?’” –Jay Leno

    “In last night’s 50th Annual Congressional Baseball Game the Democrats beat the Republicans 8-2. Both parties say these games are important because it shows the American people that they can really get along and accomplish something when it’s meaningless.” –Jay Leno

    “Thank you, Arnold Schwarzenegger for starring in an upcoming western ’The Last Stand.’ It’ll probably be good for you to shoot some blanks for awhile.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Two Delta planes collided on the runway in Boston. The passengers are all OK, except for Delta’s $50 collision fee. The air traffic controllers were just glad they weren’t awake to see the collision.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Ann Coulter canceled her appearance on Piers Morgan’s show at the last minute and now she’s banned her for life. I know, I was also like, ’I don’t care.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “It’s so tough to get tickets for the new ’Harry Potter’ movie that Rupert Murdoch had to hack into MovieFone.” –Craig Ferguson

    Thursday, July 28, 2011

    #1994

    Late Night From 07/15
    Part 2

    “I understand the Republican’s frustration. They came in pretending to negotiate. The least Obama could do would be to pretend to listen.” –Bill Maher, on the debt ceiling talks

    “We are having in this country, America, supposedly a first world nation, an argument about whether we should pay our bills. And the Republicans – the conservative party – says no. Paying bills is for squares, man. That whole ’money’ thing is a trap. Their economic plan is like, we’re hitchhiking to a Phish concert, and if we get a ride from a trucker and he asks us to chip in for gas, we’ll just give him a hand job.” –Bill Maher

    “I think I know now why we are occupying Iraq. In case we have to sell America and move to a smaller country.” –Bill Maher

    “New Rule: Now that the social network ’Google +’ has arrived expressly to try and destroy Facebook and Twitter the way Facebook and Twitter blew away MySpace right after MySpace obliterated Friendster the Internet must admit that it doesn’t really understand the concept of ’friendship.’” –Bill Maher

    “Everybody needs to just calm down (about Carmageddon). They’re fixing a stretch of the roadway. It’s an unpleasant bit of business that we have to get through – sort of like the way Michele Bachmann’s husband thinks about sex with his wife.” –Bill Maher

    “Republicans have to stop thinking up intricate psychological explanations for liberals don’t like Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. Let me save you all some time. Are you ready? Because they’re crazy people. People who are not that bright and full of awful ideas. Pretty much the same exact reasons we didn’t care about George W. Bush, and make jokes about him. So trust me, it’s not because they have breasts. It’s because they are boobs.”–Bill Maher

    “And when I point out that Sarah Palin is a vainglorious braggart, a liar, a whiner, a professional victim…a know it all, a chiseler, a bully who sells patriotism like a pimp, and the leader of a strange family of inbred weirdoes straight out of The Hills Have Eyes, that’s not sexist. I’m saying it because it’s true, not because it’s true of a woman.” –Bill Maher

    “Michele Bachmann proudly tells the story of how she has no desire to become a tax lawyer, but her husband commanded her to. That’s right, he commanded her to become a tax lawyer, and what are you going to do. It says so right in the bible. She quotes it, ‘wives you are to be submissive to your husbands,’ and I’m the sexist? That’s weird, but you know what’s really weird? Michele Bachmann tells her husband I’ll do anything you want me to do, and his response isn’t let’s have a three way or I want to cover you in Cool Whip. It’s I want you to be a tax lawyer. That is some sick twisted sh*t.”–Bill Maher

    Friday, July 29, 2011

    #1995

    Late Night From 07/18
    Part 1

    “It’s so hot that I saw Rupert Murdoch trying to hack his way into a Cold Stone Creamery.” –Craig Ferguson

    “The United States’ soccer team lost to Japan, which means we’re now losing to Japan in math, science, and penalty kicks.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “This weekend, the final ’Harry Potter’ movie made a record-breaking $476 million worldwide. Yeah, ’Harry Potter’ made so much money this weekend, President Obama just asked him for a loan.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A woman in Colorado was arrested for groping a TSA agent last week. On the bright side, today she was offered a job with the TSA.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A group of rare snow leopards has been discovered in a remote corner of Afghanistan. So I guess traveling through Afghanistan isn’t as safe as you thought.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Republicans are no longer allowed to say that people are rich. You have to refer to them as ’job creator’. You can’t even use the word ’rich’. You have to say, ’This chocolate cake is so moist and job creator.’” –Jon Stewart

    ‎"If the conversation continues this way, we could very well hit the national bulls**t ceiling." –Daily Show correspondents Jason Jones, on the debt ceiling negotiations

    “I say, if the founding fathers didn’t want money in politics, why did they put their faces on our money?” –Stevie Colbert

    Saturday, July 30, 2011

    #1996

    Late Night From 07/18
    Part 2

    “An audio recording from five years ago has been released of Michele Bachmann predicting the end of the world. Her exact words were, ’I’m going to run for president in 2012.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “MSNBC suspended one of their commentators for calling President Obama a bad name. Meanwhile, Fox News suspended one of their commentators for not calling President Obama a bad name.” –Conan O’Brien

    “Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka gave birth to a baby girl. The baby’s name is ’Trump Granddaughter and Casino.’” –Conan O’Brien

    “Last week in an interview with ABC News President Obama said he will turn 50 this week, but the truth is he turns 50 on August 4th. Do you know what that means? Apparently even he hasn’t seen his real birth certificate.” –Jay Leno

    “So what happened to Carmageddon? What was that? The L.A. freeways had less traffic this weekend than Newt Gingrich’s campaign website. Nothing.” –Jay Leno

    “The President met with the Dalai Lama over the weekend. The Dalai Lama told Obama about the difficulty of being under China’s thumb. To which Obama said, ’Tell me about it.’” –Jay Leno

    “Former News Corp Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of illegal wire tapping and bribing police officers for information. I don’t think she gets it. She asked the arresting officer, ’How much is it going to take to make this go away?’” –Jay Leno

    “Ironically while she was in jail she was surrounded by less criminals than when she was working for News Corp. That’s the amazing thing.” –Jay Leno

    “Donald Trump has a new grandchild. Today, he demanded to see its birth certificate.” –David Letterman

    “It was so hot Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann was fanning herself with pornography. So hot Charlie Sheen was snorting actual snow.” –David Letterman

    “It was so hot in Washington that Congress had to install a fan on the debt ceiling.” –Craig Ferguson

    Sunday, July 31, 2011

    #1997

    Late Night From 07/19
    Part 1

    “Texas governor Rick Perry said God is calling on him to run for President. But Michele Bachmann said that god is calling on her to run for President. You know, if God is that indecisive, he’s probably for Mitt Romney.” –Jay Leno

    “There’s talk of splitting California into two different states. Apparently, this divorce between Arnold and Maria is bigger than we thought.” –Jay Leno

    “China’s mad at President Obama for meeting with the Dalai Lama, but come on. Obama doesn’t owe them anything — except like $14 trillion.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Rupert Murdoch was testifying in his phone hacking case today, and a man attacked him with a pie. Fortunately, Murdoch knew to move out of the way, because he heard about the plan on the guy’s voicemail.” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Rupert Murdoch said that he was embarrassed and that testifying before parliament was the most humbling day in his life. That’s mostly because he spends every other day swimming in a bathtub full of money like Scrooge McDuck.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “Borders bookstores announced that it will liquidate its stock and close all of its stores nationwide. I don’t think this is what the Republicans meant by ’closing our borders.’” –Jimmy Kimmel

    “I don’t think Rupert Murdoch’s guilty of phone hacking. He paid $580 million for Myspace. Obviously he knows nothing about technology.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    David Letterman’s “Top Ten Thoughts Going Through Rupert Murdoch’s Mind During the Pie Attack”

    10 “Hey, free pie!”
    9 “This would have made a great cover for ’News of the World’”
    8 “How did he get past the pie detector?”
    7 “A pie fight in Parliament — what is this, Benny Hill?”
    6 “Duh, winning?”
    5 “I was Punk’d — wait is Punk’d still on the air? Who writes this stuff?”
    4 “Mmmm tasty”
    3 “You know what was funny — remember that smoking baby?”
    2 “Don’t pie me, bro!”
    1 “It’s the same guy who broke into Letterman’s theater”

    Monday, Aug 01, 2011

    #1998

    Late Night From 07/19
    Part 2

    “While testifying in parliament, Rupert Murdoch was attacked by a man who threw a pie and yelled insulting names. Murdoch immediately gave the man a show on Fox News.” –Conan O’Brien

    “President Obama had a private meeting with the Dalai Lama. The President asked about the political situation in Tiber, and the Dalai Lama asked if it was too soon to bang Jennifer Lopez.” –Conan O’Brien

    “NASA is considering replacing the space shuttle with a space taxi. It can do everything the shuttle can do, except pick you up if you’re black.” –Conan O’Brien

    “A panel of medical experts has recommended that health insurance companies provide free birth control to their customers. The recommendation has been hailed as ’historic’ by women’s’ groups, and as ’10 years too late’ by Maria Shriver.” –Conan O’Brien

    “I don’t think Rupert Murdoch was personally involved in the phone hacking. He’s 80 years old. Old people don’t know how to hack a cell phone. Old people don’t know how to use a cell phone. That’s why you see them shuffling down the street talking into an old slipper. ’This call smells like feet!’” –Craig Ferguson

    “The Murdochs testified before parliament and did something that not many powerful people would have the courage to do: They blamed others.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Is it any surprise that the British law enforcement can’t stop the high-tech phone hackers? They can’t even stop a guy walking into Parliament with a pie.” –Craig Ferguson

    “I think it’s cowardly to attack an 80–year–old man with a pie. If the attacker had any courage, he’d go after Murdoch like I do: in the middle of the night from 5,000 miles away.” –Craig Ferguson

    “Man, what a heat wave we are having right now, especially in the Midwest. People are sweating like Rupert Murdoch trying to explain his phone bill.” –Jay Leno

    “Rupert Murdoch testified today before the House of Commons. He said he was not responsible for the phone hacking scandal. Did you hear his defense? He said he’s got AT&T so he can barely listen to anybody.” –Jay Leno

    Tueday, Aug 02, 2011

    #1999

    Late Night From 07/20
    Part 1

    “The city of London has fined President Obama for the traffic he caused while visiting back in May. Which raises the question, ’Are there any countries we don’t owe money to?’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “A new edition of al-Qaida magazine claims that bin Laden fought a ’vicious battle’ before he died. You know, if they keep writing that kind of nonsense, I might have to cancel my subscription to al-Qaida magazine.’” –Jimmy Fallon

    “Newt’s been struggling in the polls, he lost most of his staff, then he lost the rest of his staff. And to top it off, he lost the startup disc for his wife.” –Stevie Colbert

    “The Republican presidential field is an embarrassment of riches. In fact, the first two words that come to mind are ’embarrassment’ and ’rich.’” –Stephen Colbert

    Top Ten Surprising Facts About the Moon Landing

    10. Was filmed on the same soundstage where they shot ’Green Acres’
    9. Due to mapping error, initially landed in Moon Valley, Wisconsin
    8. They returned to the moon a week later because one of the astronauts dropped his car keys
    7. The astronauts each earned 2 million frequent flyer miles
    6. Buzz Aldrin stuffed his space suit to make himself look bigger
    5. Crew came to blows over who finished the freeze-dried lasagna
    4. Astronauts were charged extra for not returning the capsule with a full tank of gas
    3. Landed within 50 feet of a Starbucks
    2. President Nixon missed the landing because he was watching ’Ironside’
    1. Neil Armstrong was also the first man on Mrs. Armstrong

    Wed., Aug 03, 2011

    #2000

    Late Night From 07/20
    Part 2

    “Michele Bachmann suffers from crippling migraine headaches. That’s what happens when you don’t get a little pornography every now and then.” –David Letterman

    “Gay marriage will now be legal in New York. Paul and I are very happy.” –David Letterman

    “Rupert Murdoch is 80, his wife is 42. 80 and 42, that’s like halftime at a Cleveland Cavaliers game, isn’t it? Please.” –Jay Leno

    “Rupert Murdoch said yesterday at the House of Commons that he was shocked, appalled, and ashamed. So apparently he watches Fox News, too.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama’s 50th birthday is coming up in a couple weeks. If you’re thinking of getting him something, he could use $14 trillion.” –Jay Leno

    “A Harvard University ethics student was caught hacking into MIT’s computer network. When he heard about it, Rupert Murdoch said, ’Hire that kid on the spot.’” –Jay Leno

    “Here is your federal government at work – the FAA has ordered a helicopter pilot who runs his own one-pilot charter company. It’s his company, he’s the only pilot. They’ve ordered him to give himself random surprise drug tests. He has to surprise himself with a drug test. They only way you can do that is if you are on drugs.” –Jay Leno

    “President Obama and I have a lot in common. No one laughs at our jokes and we were both born in foreign countries.” –Craig Ferguson

    “I don’t remember much of the moon landing. I was only 7 years old at the time, and was busy with school work. And by ’school work,’ I mean I was drunk.” –Craig Ferguson

    “The crew of Atlantis brought an iPhone into space to track their experiments. I think that by ’track their experiments,’ they mean ’play Angry Birds.’” –Craig Ferguson

    “Sarah Palin’s son Track and his wife are having a baby. They haven’t picked a name yet, but they do know it will be a verb.” –Conan O’Brien

    “The Republican presidential candidates held a debate on Twitter. It combined the excitement of C-SPAN with the suspense of typing.” –Jimmy Kimmel

    #USA #politique #humour

  • Mapping the Battle of Normandy — PROJECT ’44 - Mapping the Battle of Normandy
    https://www.project44.ca/intelblog/mapping-the-battle-of-normandy

    Over 6000 Allied & Axis unit positions mapped at the division to army level. Black-German, Blue-American, Gold-British, Red Canadian.

    https://www.project44.ca

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lon_fTErFis

    #guerre #armées #1944 #normandie #datasource #cartographie via @jdfaviz

  • Sciences Po censure une #conférence sur l’apartheid israélien

    Le 20 mars 2019 devait se tenir à Sciences Po un événement sur l’apartheid israélien dans le cadre de l’Israeli Apartheid Week. Deux jours avant l’événement, Sciences Po a décidé d’annuler la conférence. Voilà la réponse des organisateurs-rices à cette censure politique. Tou-te-s au 96 boulevard Raspail le 20 mars à 19h, en soutien au peuple palestinien et contre la répression !

    https://blogs.mediapart.fr/collectif-lintersection/blog/190319/sciences-po-censure-une-conference-sur-l-apartheid-israelien
    #apartheid #Israël #Sciences_po #palestine #France

    • Une université suisse doit annuler la « fête de la haine » anti-juive

      Demande d’annulation de la « fête de la haine » d’Israël à la Haute Ecole pédagogique Vaudoise

      Monsieur le recteur Guillaume Vanhulst,

      J’ai appris par un article publié par le centre Simon Wiesenthal, qu’HEP Lausanne a reprogrammé (sous un autre titre (1), mais sans changer le contenu), une formation antisioniste que les autorités vaudoises avaient fait annuler en octobre pour cause de « déséquilibre pédagogique ».

      C’est une formation politique clairement partisane, qui entre en conflit frontal avec les Valeurs et la Charte éthique "favorisant le développement d’une réflexion critique", et le souci d’une "approche critique parmi la diversité des courants de pensée dans le cadre de ses activités de formation et de recherche" énoncées par HEP (2).

      La formation, en effet, est composée de virulents activistes anti-israéliens engagés dans des campagnes antisémites, « qui nient le droit à l’autodétermination du peuple juif, et sont déterminés à détruire l’Etat juif » précise le Centre Simon Wiesenthal, et la lecture du nom des intervenants le confirme au-delà du moindre doute (3).

      Je ne pense pas qu’une "fête de la haine" qui vise à répandre l’idéologie anti-israélienne aux lycéens au travers de la formation que vous assurez aux professeurs, ait sa place dans une école dont la mission est de transmettre la tolérance et l’ouverture par la connaissance.

      La délégitimation d’Israël porte en elle un fruit unique : celui de la haine. Aucun autre.

      Et cette formation à la haine d’Israël est en contradiction profonde avec la charte éthique d’HEP.

      Je vous demande en conséquence et très respectueusement, monsieur le recteur, d’annuler définitivement cette formation des enseignants à la délégitimation d’Israël, ainsi que toute autre formation future qui ne serait pas honnêtement et fondamentalement équilibrée dans son esprit et ses objectifs, et qui ne prévoirait pas la présence d’académiciens pro-Israéliens et anti-Israéliens réputés en nombre égal.

      Veuillez accepter, monsieur le recteur, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.

      (1) Le titre initial était « 1948 : connaître et enseigner la Nakba palestinienne » et cela s’appelle maintenant : « 1948 : les origines du problème des réfugiés palestiniens »

      (2) https://www.hepl.ch/cms/accueil/mission-et-organisation/valeurs-et-vision/valeurs.html

      (3)
      Elias Khoury, écrivain libanais qui a rejoint l’organisation du Fatah en 1967,
      Ilan Pappe, activiste anti-israélien d’extrême gauche, qui a soutenu la thèse inventée d’un étudiant, Teddy Katz, du massacre par des juifs d’un village palestinien, et continue à la soutenir bien qu’elle ait été rétractée par son auteur et démentie par un comité universitaire.
      Elias Sanbar, actuel ambassadeur palestinien auprès de l’UNESCO,
      Et Shlomo Sand, auteur de plusieurs livres violemment anti-israéliens.


      https://actionnetwork.org/letters/une-universite-suisse-doit-annuler-la-fete-de-la-haine-anti-juive-swi

    • 1948 dans le respect de l’#objectivité scientifique

      Face à une série de #pressions et d’informations erronées liées à la tenue du cours "1948 : Aux origines du problème des #réfugiés_palestiniens", le Comité de direction de la HEP Vaud réaffirme son attachement au respect des principes scientifiques et éthiques fondamentaux, moteurs de sa #liberté_académique.

      Le cours de #formation_continue destiné aux enseignants secondaires d’histoire, intitulé "#1948 : Aux origines du problème des réfugiés palestiniens" fait l’objet, depuis l’automne 2018, d’une série de pressions et d’informations erronées quant à son contenu, ses intervenants pressentis ou de prétendues intentions politiques malveillantes.

      La direction de la #HEP_Vaud, en accord avec les organisateurs du cours, a pris les dispositions nécessaires pour garantir à ce cours une approche respectueuse de la #neutralité_politique et de l’#objectivité_scientifique légitimement attendues de l’institution qui entend en assumer l’entière responsabilité.

      Elle rappelle que ce cours, non public et destiné exclusivement à des spécialistes de la didactique de l’histoire, devra se dérouler dans un climat de réflexion, de respect, d’ouverture et d’échanges académiques. La HEP Vaud proscrira toute approche polémique, tendancieuse, partisane ou arbitraire du sujet.

      « Je sais à quel point le fait d’aborder dans les curriculums de la HEP Vaud des thématiques vives peut susciter des réactions », souligne le recteur Guillaume Vanhulst. « La seule réponse que la HEP Vaud puisse apporter à des interprétations subjectives, voire à des tentatives de manipulation et d’#intimidation, repose sur un strict respect des #principes_scientifiques et éthiques fondamentaux que la Loi sur la HEP lui confère. »

      La compétence à respecter ces principes est à la racine d’un droit fondamental que le Comité de direction de la HEP Vaud entend promouvoir : la liberté académique.

      https://www.hepl.ch/cms/accueil/actualites-et-agenda/actu-hep/1948-respect-objectivite.html
      #éthique