Andrew Brietbart has a fascinating OpEd about a film opening the precise moment India’s 9/11 was being unleashed –
On the evening of Nov. 26, the biggest names in Bollywood walked the red carpet at the Bombay premiere of “The President Is Coming,” a comedy about six 20-somethings vying to win the right to shake hands with President Bush.
Among those in attendance at the star-studded premiere Wednesday evening was Bollywood’s “new heartthrob” Imran Khan, who proudly posed for paparazzi donning a T-shirt with Mr. Bush’s face sandwiched between the words “International Terrorist.”
…At the precise moment Mr. Khan and hundreds of others making their fortunes in the multibillion-dollar Indian movie business were watching “The President Is Coming,” only a few blocks away, 10 20-something Muslim extremists began a horrific three-day terror spree.
In the ironic, postmodern world, you earn accolades by tarring a disagreeable politician with the epithet “terrorist.” By contrast, had Mr. Khan worn a t-shirt critical of Bin Laden & his supporters, and stepped out of his comfy limo at the wrong time just a few blocks away, the word “terrorist” would have taken on a considerably more literal meaning.
48 · bess said
50 · Manju said
Hmm…in a way I’m slamming Bush too. Just that I find it nauseating that we keep talking some other country’s prez and what people in that country think about palling around with terrorists – a room full of indian kids dedicating a thread to talk abt that. Granted Bush played some part in revving up this wave of terrorism, still when it comes to shit in our backyard, we need to clean it up and clean it up fast. So no point in publicizing someone else’s shit, or publicizing someone who publicizes someone else’s shit (hmm couldnt help borrowing that from Manju :-D)
Well, now that we are winding down, wheres the beer? Lets call it truce n pack up and its time to watch Sex and the City in the evening.
fervent I dont know…but I like my beer fermented.
T-shirts are very powerful. I believe Gandhi’s last ditch effort after the whole hunger strike thing was to make himself a shirt that said “This Bitch isnt my queen” and it had a picture of him pissing on the crown.
Martin Luther King gave a great speech and all that, but people forget about his t-shirt that said “Is this whole thing about our big floppy dic#s”
T-Shirt power!!!!!
Okay, I changed my mind. I think I love ShallowThinker a little bit more than Lurker for the comment above! Seriously, if one of you arty-smarty types doesn’t come up with a graphic novel wherein the hero uses t-shirt power to attain his loser-like graphic hero goals, you are missing a serious opportunity.
49 · Ikram said
Most incisive piece of snarkasm on this board EVER! Well done, Ikram.
Don’t let the perpetrators get away with it.
The Fitness Diva
Nope. The Indian media and elite leans extremely left. When Bush visited India, Muslims in Lucknow killed a few Hindus who refused to boycott the visit. The killings did not become a issue, and was accepted as a part of life — “We are like this only”.
Wearing such a T-shirt is not ballsy. It has no downside and a lot of potential upsides in India. (Gujarat probably the only exception to this).
50 · Manju said
Manju, we all know you prefer cozying up to Dick hiding in your undisclosed location. But, hey, I don’t ask, you don’t tell.
Was he aware of what wash happening at the time ? I am curious whether this was just a fashion bravado of a young man unaware about what was happening outside. Was it really coincident ?
OMG these kind of coincidences happent to me all the time. In fact on the 26th morning (night for them), i was telling a friend how mumbai is like the “New York/L.A.” of india. The industrial capital, film capital, party city, the hub where ppl go, vageera vageera. And when i heard of the blasts later that day on CNN that was EXACTLY how the the news lady was describing mumbai. i was creeped out.
Is that a bollywood film though? “the president is coming” ?? in hindi or in english? hmm i dont understand why any1 would want to shake hands with old W. but sounds interesting.
Everybody knows terrorism is dastardly. It is cliched.. Wearing a T-Shirt against Bin laden serves no purpose. But that doesn’t excuse the massive reconstruction failures, reining in of Pak. by Clintons post 1989. [ Descent into Chaos, Taliban ]. Had Bush& Clinton admin. done what Obama is trying to do now, so many innocent civilians wouldn’t have been killed.. Maybe we should be wearing anti-Clinton/Bush T-shirts to prod the admin. into action.
60 · Zee said
No, despite Vinod’s dishonest attempt to portray otherwise (“While Rome was burning”), the premiere had started before anyone was aware of the events that were to transpire. As soon as word reached the theater, the screening was interrupted.
And I don’t think the T-shirts people were wearing did, or would have, made much difference in their fate were they to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As always, the usual false equivalence of “criticize Bush” == “with the terrorists”
59 · Rahul said
Tut, tut, tut…stop fighting kids 🙂
32 · MD said
Fail.
His t-shirt does not equate Bush to any other individual, nor does it equate the United States to any other country. You are projecting, and you’re doing a lame job of it.
Try again.
Actually, many such public figures have been threatened more directly than the average citizen:
http://www.utvi.com/utvilife/latest-entertainment-news/7467/bollywood-under-terror-threat-.html
Not to mention the 1993 Bombay riots, when it was the RSS/ShivSena forces that were making the threats
3 · bzuh said
Are you a liberal? Because you were the first person to mention Hitler on this thread…
9 · bess said
A person expressing her/his opinion makes a difference, yes, just a person suppressing her/his opinion makes a difference. Does it make a difference when famous people wear clothes extolling a certain band or brand?
Why is sporting an Izod or Polo or Hilfiger or Nike logo considered apolitical? It’s not.
Congratulations, Vinod, that was impressively smug. “The ironic world of postmodern discourse”? I don’t an especially strong ironic vibe from the T-shirt, and I have no idea what makes it postmodern.
It is either gutsy or finessed, at this point, to call Bush a ‘terrorist,’ but if Imran Khan wants to put that out there, the word has been misused worse before. And, I’m sorry, is there some kind of shortage of people identifying Muslim extremists are terrorists?
Suddenly, because Bombay has been attacked, or was being attacked, or whatever the chronology that is supposed to make this so exposing, the world of analogy — “the ironic world of postmodern discourse,” to some — is illegitimate.
The Breitbart article is ridiculous, of course. Because Imran Khan is a Muslim, its his implicit dereliction of duty “not to mock international terrorists who kill in the name of Allah.” Sounds like a fun T-shirt! But Imran Khan is barely Muslim at all; for all practical purposes, he’s just a guy named Khan.
Amir Khan is an apologist, “blaming everyone but the culprits;” if only he had condemned them! What a vast lacuna of condemnation his voice would have filled! The semi-annual protest by Mullahs condemning Islamic terrorism is inadequate, all Khans and rich Muslims must show they have their eye on the ball. And the ball is obviously not to caution against politically exploiting the event.
Wonderfully, the OpEd concludes by transplanting the Only-Hollywood-liberals-criticize-Bush bogey to India. That takes imagination, to paint Imran Khan as a snob, and out of touch with the heartland, because more Indians ostensibly like Bush than don’t (again, according to Breitbart, this is “ironic”).
In fact, the only really ironic thing going on, as far as I can see, is that an American OpEd writer in Washington DC is accusing people from Bollywood of being snobs, and criticizing them for criticizing George Bush instead of their own “co-religionists,” while he clumsily defends Bush.
A final cherry on the top is the suggestion that Bollywood stars labour under the delusion “that the Islamist threat [will] go away when George W. Bush leaves the White House in January.” Actually, nobody in India possess any such notion; it is purely the invention of an writer lurching towards a close for an addled, highly contrived OpEd.
Typo: It is neither gutsy or finessed, obviously.
69 · Nizam of Sarakki said
Nizam, I think Ikram said it best – “How can Vinod remain so brilliant, such a star in the firmament, while reading such garbage?”
The provenance of Vinod’s reading material, Breitbart and the Mooniacs at Washington Times included, is well known, which can logically only lead to one conclusion about the antecedent in Ikram’s question.
Vinod,I agree with you 100%.
Maybe I am too old but to see the world in such black and white is charming, cute nad naive. Bush has not done much more evil than other presidents before him or other presidents after him. But I agree that the American public are quite easily led – by crazies of all kinds. Maybe instead of ranting and raving against the Presidents ( clinton / bush / obama) it is better to change the election rules. eg. Have a full time independent electoral commission. Even in violent india – pollies accept the results of an election. And in Oz elections are decided by less than 100 votes. But there is not widespread anger or rioting coz your favourite party / person was not elected. This is a fundamental issue with the American electoral system. Across the Pacific we find it rather amusing that ordinary people work themselves in such a fury over an election – sort of children squabbling in the playpen.
i don’t think anyone is suggesting that it’s apolitical but to the extent that the shirt is art, it’s kitsch. but that’s the risk one takes when reducing complex narratives to sloganeering, like, oh i dunno, the “global war on terror.”
The shirt may have been an artpiece originally, but once it makes its way through the Hollywood/Bollywood circuit, it turns into conspicuous-wear.
It’s relieving to note douchiness transcends geographic borders, though.
25 · No von Mises said
Good questions. Some idiots on IBN-LIVE or one of those entertainment channels started using it. Sepia blogger, without any original thinking, parroting the same term and giving it more credibility. If by 9/11 they mean live coverage of terrorist events while it is happening, then and then only it fits the name.
73 · melbourne desi said
And John Howard is an off-spinner comparable to Jim Laker…better perhaps.
69· Nizam of Sarakki said
If I’d be allowed some ironic postmodern discourse, Vinod was irritated, the actor was smug. And you seem irritated under the impression that Vinod was smug. To close the loop somebody be smug at Nizam’s irritation. I would be but i’m postmodernly ironic. I suppose that’s irritating.
Yes, it is.
Nizam, that’s coz you thought it was smug didn’t you, you poor nizam you.
Harbeer said:
You hit it, Herb. He’s taken this major issue – unjustifiable military action, untold atrocities, loss of civil liberties – and turned it into a vapid fashion statement. He might as well be wearing a polo. You’ve got to know what I’m saying, when you witnessed an injustice you didn’t wear a fckg t-shirt – you did something about it – started a radio station for Hurricane Katrina refugees. That’s far more than wearing a t-shirt or slapping a bumper sticker on your car.
Nayagan – Lil johnny was way better than the current joker in the pack, who cant keep his mouth shut. his deputy – julia G is heaps better. I agree with you about Howard being a spinmaster and his ability to talk in political sound bites stood him in good stead for many years. A conservative who also had the largest immigrant intake of the last century. His greed was his downfall – he did not know when to leave. His dignity post retirement has been better than the other chap – Paul K who has not kept quiet for the last decade and half. I know Howard’s refugee policy was not liked by many but as a legal immigrant who did the hard yards, I fully support the policies. now far too many reffos on centrelink.
My point is that demonizing political leaders and calling them names is childish and only fools do that. As is well known, pollies are scoundrels and if anyone believes otherwise “tell him he is dreaming”. (ref the castle – one of the best aussie movies of all time)
Injustice,atrocities …. for every one of these talked about, ones thousand times in magnitude lurk in an unpublicized abyss, unavenged. Is there any point to all the leftist protest over such issues? … Apart from the fact that the sheer existence of dissent lends a balance to a democracy which otherwise might stray on the path of indifference. And the hope that even if these demonstrations do not accomplish anything in the short run, there is a chance that they might shape public opinion in the long run. Perhaps this little hope makes it all worth it.
43 · gm said
If Bush really was as bad as Bin Laden, the Middle East and the Muslim countries have had to be described … as formerly populated, irradiated areas.
I’m not a fan of Bush, but it does not made sense to compare him to the islamic terrorists
84 · DizzyDesi said
not that there’s anyting wrong with that
….because he like majority liberals and Indians is a coward, a hijra, anyways..thats what he does for a living, paint his face and shake his behind. You guys expect intelligence from these quarters..me thinks you protest too much. A t-shirt against terrorists or Osama can get you killed, whereas one against Bush is safe and an idiot magnet…heh, maybe idiot chick magnet, and you can’t fault a hijra for that, which real intelligent one gonna go for a painted face and shaking butt:]]
85 · Manju said
but he also doesn’t think Bush is terrorizing.
Okay, kids, so Imran Khan thought his International Terrierist T-shirt was just the thing to wear to the Bombay premiere of “The President Is Coming†to make a point, but can you tell me why Azam Amir Kasab thought his Versace T-shirt was the stylin’ gear of choice for shooting Mumbaikers from the hip with his Kalishnikov?
What I haven’t seen in any of the analyses on the situation was how part of the problem was the lack of basic law and order enforcement, not just a failure on part of the anti terrorism experts. There were numerous armed cops in the train station that, for some reason, did not want to shoot at two measly armed terrorists. Can you imagine substituting two armed terrorists with two armed crazy guys or two armed robbers? If there was a competent police force, this situation would have been much less serious. Mumbai, with its numerous crime problems and terrorist attacks, is in badly need of a world class SWAT team.
amrita, are you saying it would have been postmodernly ironic if the tshirts had been switched. wait, or is it postmodernly ironic right now.
I’m as confused about this postmodern irony as Dizzydesi is about Bush.
Nothing so sophisticated — I mean, while we’re joining Andrew Brietbart in criticizing Imran Khan’s choice of a T-shirt that’s not without precedent in India (scroll down)and elsewhere, what about terrorism as a fashion statement?
We live in times where there is, constant and ongoing, advanced intelligence and security information. Israel has MOSSAD as it’s intelligence arm which is aware of the movements of Al-Qaeda and it’s accomplices, supporters as does the USA intelligence service, without whose knowledge these bombers of Mumbai, terrorist could not have moved, operated and entered India or it’s shores.
Thus it could be concluded that, both USA and Israel were culpable re these bombings, wanted these deaths to happen. Why didn’t they intercept and stop them? Why, would be the logical response? The answer can only be to gain more support both worldwide and within India and Pakistan and/or, to cause confrontation, divisions between the two nations, India and Pakistan.
The USA intelligence service see the recent change to the new incumbent president of Obama as a threat. The tremendous economic USA problems would have reduced not only the budget of the USA intelligence service but also its staffing levels and its operational abilities worldwide as well as the reduction in financial support that Israel would require and need to continue its perceived threat to its country and its own people. Thus it was in the best interest for both Israel and intelligence arm of the USA to allow these Mumbai 9/11 bombers to continue its mission and objectives, in India. For many years, USA have had intelligence and staff based in Pakistan and Afghanistan and probably India too. Therefore USA intelligence would have been pre-aware of the Mumbai bombers or used, paid people in Pakistan, elsewhere, what to look the other way? This is validated by the fact that these bombers came into India via small boats. The nearest country was Pakistan. Had they come via any other country, then the small boats which the bombers used would have needed fuel and bigger boats which would have attracted attention and their discovery, much earlier. The USA had surveillance planes, boats, aircraft carriers within the vicinity, within the Indian ocean, off Iraq and flying over Afghanistan, Pakistan, India which further supports the argument of USA involvement, looking the other way.
China was too powerful and too protected a country for this to be allowed to hsappen and Israel and USA intelligence to aide this kind of terrorist activity to occur thus, the next most, wealthiest country available was India, where they knew that security was lax and where Security was lacking in investment and training, manpower.
Who had most to gain by the Mumbai bombings? The outgoing president of USA, Mr. Bush and Israel, USA intelligence service and staff and of course, Wall Street (USA) with its loss of billions of Dollars. India still had its wealth. This wasn’t depleted, as it was in the West. India was not so foolish like the West, as to go down the path of pouring millions of rupees, into failing banks, companies, institutions. It was in the interest of USA, Israel the West for India to have it’s own equivalent of 9/11, to destabilize India, to destabilize India’s markets, to destabilize India’s wealth, to frighten markets, local and overseas investors. It is in the interest of the West to destabilize the economy of India… to place FEAR into the hearts of both Muslim Indians and Hindu Indians, to put fear into the tourist and tourist industry, that support and bring wealth and prosperity to India. It was in the interest of the USA and its allies to say “look India, you need our help and our support but, we will want something more, in return.†“You India will need to buy our USA security measures and services, buy the weapons, planes and helicopters from us, to defend your country and your people…†“We USA, shall give to you India with one hand and take with another… nothing is free in this life…†It is in the interest of India to seek a solution with the leaders of its neighbours! It is the Pakistan army which has, according to the UK BBC service who has helped and allowed these terrorist to operate, train and move freely within Pakistan with the leaders of Pakistan having very little control or command over its armed forces. India needs to help and assist the Pakistani politicians to regain control over its armed forces and oust the high level commanders and replace them with ones which are more favourable to India’s interest and objectives. The Pakistani politicians are new, less experienced and lacking in direction. Thus India needs to act with the wisdom of Solomon. It is not in the best interest of India to be involved in a costly and expensive war between Pakistan, that is what these armed forces commanders of Pakistan want thus, India should be wise enough not to go down such a path. India would do well to win over the countries of the world re the Injustice of the Mumbai Bombings and get them to place pressure and sanctions upon Pakistan, so that the ruling party and its political leaders have no choice but, to make the changes and replace the Heads of its armed forces.
It was also stated via the BBC that the Talibans were agreeable to suspend their operations and call a truce to allow the Pakistan army to move away from the Afghanistan border and move to the border between India. This speaks volumes and India should not be so foolish as to walk into the trap, which is War. War will further destabilize the fabric and economy of India and play into the arms of the West who want India’s economy and wealth to depreciate, for the West wants and needs to sell to India.
Nico Demus,
America is not in the business of protecting sovereign territories against terrorist attacks, at least where no previous agreement to do so exists. As for the US having so much to gain and the Intelligence Agencies being scared of Bush, this sounds like quite a conspiracy theory, your imagination is amazing. The fact is that US intelligence agencies had warned the Indian government of intelligence they received of an attack that was likely to come via the Mumbai seas they had identified the Taj and the Oberoi Trident among other locations as possible targets. As for the Israel thing Indian Companies are about to sign two major contracts with Israel so either Israel really really really want out of the contractual and committed obligations or they had nothing to gain from this. I think the latter is probably more obvious.
I don’t believe that America should be in the role of policing the world. The thing is as Americans we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. If we had blown up an Indian Ship that was carrying these terrorists I am sure we would have been blamed by you for blowing up an innocent civilian vessel, to disrupt Indian commerce and that we were evil doers meddling in Indian affairs and, if you thought long and hard enough, I am sure you could dream up some theories to implicate Pakistan, Israel and…….. oohhh I don’t know North Korea, as being implicit in the act, to in bringing down India. The fact that we merely informed the appropriate Indian officials of impending attacks means that we did not do enough.
Let’s face it, Mumbai coast guard is handsomely equipped with 2, yes, a whole two speed boats to guard that vast expanse of coastline. With so much traffic on those waters including; fishermen, dhows sailing to and from other indian locations as well as the middle east and larger shipping vessels, the Indian coast guard has little resources to monitor all the comings and goings even if they had warnings and really wanted to.
The security outside my 5 star hotel in India currently is a joke. Some old guys walking around carrying rifles that belong in a museum. They have a metal detector at the door but every time I beep as I go through it the guard on duty says ‘Welcome’. I hope this is because he recognizes me, but I doubt it. I am sure that even today if a terrorist chose to they could come in and blow up the place. Which is very scary for me right now. So before looking for some exotic answer as to why this occurred it might be wiser to take a long hard look in the mirror and see some simpler ones, they are glaringly obvious.
I meant scared of Obama it’s probably in everyones interest to be a little scared of Bush especially as he is intent on passing some really environmentally unfriendly laws in his lame duck session.
Please DO NOT RESPOND to Trolls like “Nico Demus.” Thanks.
but can you tell me why Azam Amir Kasab thought his Versace T-shirt was the stylin’ gear of choice for shooting Mumbaikers from the hip with his Kalishnikov?
Gotta look good for the virgins.
at least we know what you’re touching, b 🙂.
81 · bess said
Ok, you’ve got a point, but you missed my point that wearing a Polo also makes a political statement (even if it was bought at an outlet mall) which is that the wearer supports the status quo and everything that means.
84 · DizzyDesi said
Where is bin Laden on that t-shirt? Nobody is comparing Bush to bin Laden (or Hitler as some other genius suggested). Imran Khan is wearing a t-shirt which calls Bush “international terrorist.” What does it say about us that we immediately think of bin Laden and Muslims when we see the word “terrorist?” Are non-Muslims not capable of terrorism? History, even contemporary history, proves otherwise.
86 · jaro said
What makes you think it’s ok to demean hijra, Mr. Cool Guy?