2.08.2007

Doesn't anyone know how to play this game?

American soldiers are sent to win hearts and minds by handing out soccer balls to Iraqi children. Unfortunately, soccer balls are deflated and no pump is made available. Balls* are handed out anyway.

Army spokesman insists that dwelling on the negative (i.e., pointing out that the soccer balls were unusable) is to undermine American generosity and miss the point of giving them out.

*: Reminder: balls do not have corners.

4 comments:

MythTeller said...

That's easily the most depressing thing I've read today.

MISTER LEONARD PIERCE said...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Pere Ubu said...

Obviously there just wasn't money available to buy, say, a couple dozen inflating needles and pumps at Wal-Mart, and ship the suckers over to Iraq.

Priorities, y'know.

Anonymous said...

You know what they say: give an Iraqi a inflated football and he'll play football for a day, but give him a deflated football and he'll be forced to build a football pump factory and kickstart the economy.