Surrounded on all sides

November 25, 2001 9:40 PM

Surrounded on all sides by religious interolance, these two men prove that you can staunchly maintain your faith under an oppressive regime and still be an utter a-hole.
posted by Hildago (11 comments total)

I hope nobody reads anything religious or racial into this. Sounds like just a couple of random dickheads to me.
posted by scarabic at 10:19 PM on November 25, 2001

Yeah, that's what I got out of it too. I see it as an unfortunate glimpse into human nature. Or a glimpse into unfortunate human nature. Either way, there's a demented sitcom quality to it that makes you say "what the hell is wrong with us?"
posted by Hildago at 10:35 PM on November 25, 2001

actually, it sounds more like an old Yiddish folktale. It's almost a funny story which reminded me of Endgame by Beckett in some non-specific way. The two last Jews in Afghanistan and they hate each other. Change "Afghanistan" to "Earth", and you've got a joke which would be at home in an older Woody Allen movie.

This level of absurd grudge-maintenance reminds me of my grandfather. I just wish all the bad jewish stereotypes weren't so glaringly highlighted in the article. Or maybe I wish that stereotypes weren't so often reinforced.
posted by joemaller at 10:38 PM on November 25, 2001

I would think that one would have to be rather ornery, if not slightly insane, to be Jewish and stay in, indeed return to, Afganistan. Theirs was not a humanitarian mission after all. I pass on judging the heroism of it. It seems natural that they would turn their obstinant eyes on each other as well. Grumpy Old Men in every case.
posted by dness2 at 10:52 PM on November 25, 2001

I think it reminds me of the fact that no matter how much things seem to change, they really don't change all that much when it comes to the government. Make what you will of that comment.
posted by trioperative at 11:34 PM on November 25, 2001

agreed, this sort of behavior transcends religious and cultural boundaries...... but it is a classic example of idiocy in the face of adversity
posted by quarsan at 11:54 PM on November 25, 2001

"UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."
- Theodor Geisel
posted by ZachsMind at 1:11 AM on November 26, 2001

Well, there's the story about the Jewish Robinson Crusoe, marooned for years on a desert island. When he's rescued, he proudly shows off the two synagogues that he built. His rescuers are surprised: one Jew, two synagogues? "That's the one I go to," he said, "and that one, I wouldn't set foot in..."

Some cultural oppositions are sort of like a bar magnet: break it in half, and you get new north and south poles.
posted by myl at 2:48 PM on November 26, 2001

Two Jews, Three Opinions
posted by Carol Anne at 4:09 PM on November 26, 2001

Reads like it was lifted from the Onion. :-)

Ash.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 9:09 PM on November 26, 2001

This will be in Jackie Mason's act by Hanukkah, I'm certain...
posted by holgate at 11:13 AM on November 27, 2001