Our invisible sky-magic is better than your invisible sky-magic

October 18, 2003 9:37 AM

To protest the U.S.' agriculture policy, hundreds of farmers in Thailand have cursed George W. Bush with black magic. The commander-in-chief's soul now rests forever in a pot at the bottom of the Ping River. General William Boykin has volunteered to free the soul for the forces of righteousness. If only.
posted by XQUZYPHYR (42 comments total)

There are a lot of us who take that kind of crap seriously. I have been to Thailand and their witchcraft does have some power over there. Prayer takes care of it.

Why do you think so many bother with satanism here in the states? There is some power in it. But not anything that cannot be broken.

But why I'm bothering to tell all YOU this is beyond me.
posted by konolia at 9:53 AM on October 18, 2003

That 'power' exists only so long as people are gullible enough to act on the assumption that the act has actual power in and of itself at all.
posted by Ryvar at 9:55 AM on October 18, 2003

Why do you think so many bother with satanism here in the states? There is some power in it.

it's true. otherwise I would be unable to meet women, given my odor and gross facial deformities.
posted by mcsweetie at 9:59 AM on October 18, 2003

General William Boykin has volunteered to free the soul for the forces of righteousness

The general has other unfinished business he should be concerned with.
posted by homunculus at 10:07 AM on October 18, 2003

As an aside, in the long term I predict *something* of moment coming out of Thailand. The reason being that they are a highly assertive people, somewhat warlike, possibly like the Germans used to be.

It's the little things, everything from their national sports to their abused drug of choice (a nasty version of meth), to the kickass attitude of their police and military.

Granted, this is a vague cultural "feeling", but I wonder if some Thai experts out there suspect the same. One historian friend agreed, and went so far as to add the Burmese to the mix. And if so, then what?

His comment: "The world shares a backyard. We call it Asia. Sooner or later we're going to throw a barbeque and everybody's invited."
posted by kablam at 10:25 AM on October 18, 2003

There are a lot of us who take that kind of crap seriously.

There is no nonsense so outrageous and absurd that someone, somewhere won't take it seriously.

All that demonstrates is that there are a lot of gullible, needy, frightened people out there with a weak commitment to the truth.

Skepticism is the highest of duties, and blind faith the one unpardonable sin. —T. H. Huxley
posted by rushmc at 10:25 AM on October 18, 2003

As an aside, in the long term I predict *something* of moment coming out of Thailand.

It already did. It's called tom ka gai.
posted by rushmc at 10:26 AM on October 18, 2003

tom ka gai

Now THAT I heartily agree with. (Chicken coconut soup, right?)
posted by konolia at 10:35 AM on October 18, 2003

I'm just waiting for the headlines:

Thais Stick Pot in Ping

followed by

Joint Chiefs Announce "Operation Free Pot"
posted by taz at 10:57 AM on October 18, 2003

Um, to stick GWB's soul in a pot at the bottom of a river...wouldn't they have drag it up from the depths of hell first?

Seems counter productive, if you ask me.

Kind of like rescuing someone from a burning building so that you can put the cement boots on them.
posted by jaded at 11:05 AM on October 18, 2003

Have snorkel, will travel. I will gladly prune the river's fault in our goble leader on any Tuesday, for a steming bowl of Tom Kah Talay today!
posted by roboto at 11:10 AM on October 18, 2003

I just cast a spell on konolia. Watch out for snakes.
posted by angry modem at 11:38 AM on October 18, 2003

NewsFilter, BashBushFilter, AgendaFilter...

Did I miss anything, XQUZYPHYR?
posted by BlueTrain at 11:47 AM on October 18, 2003

trolling, derailing...

BlueTrain?
posted by mcsweetie at 11:53 AM on October 18, 2003

As an aside, in the long term I predict *something* of moment coming out of Thailand. The reason being that they are a highly assertive people, somewhat warlike, possibly like the Germans used to be.

kablam, you couldn't be more wrong. Ignorance about other cultures is universal and mine probably equals yours, but in the case of Thailand, I have a few years of direct experience.

Thailand has a complex and difficult-to-nutshell cultural character, but I would depict them as an extremely affable, kicked-back people with a lot of friendly curiosity about the rest of the world.

konolia, I find it interesting that you believe your hocus pocus is more powerful than their hocus pocus. Why do you suppose this is?
posted by squirrel at 12:00 PM on October 18, 2003

Trolling? Hardly...

He links to a 2 paragraph blurb about a curse being put on Bush and THAT warrants a front page post?

News: Plainly obvious.
BashBush: Hmm...almost had to think about that one.
Agenda: XQUZYPHYR is an admitted leftist who stands against current agricultural policies.
posted by BlueTrain at 12:08 PM on October 18, 2003

What I find interesting about this article is that at the end of the story, the rites are described as voodoo--which, well, they probably weren't, unless voudoun has spread to Thailand. Voudoun is a pretty darned interesting religion and it's really a shame that people think it's all zombies and evil rites.

However, I have to admit my first response was: "Dubya has a soul?"
posted by eilatan at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2003

konolia, I find it interesting that you believe your hocus pocus is more powerful than their hocus pocus. Why do you suppose this is?

I have a big God.

BTW, you are right about the Thais. Where Kablam got his info is beyond me.

For anyone interested, here is a fantastic source on
Thai culture, very entertaining to read.
posted by konolia at 12:30 PM on October 18, 2003

Naaahh he's already cursed, the curse of next election the most deadly curse of em all. Unless some evildoer patches diebold voting machines.

**Out Demon of Stupidity, Out !**
posted by elpapacito at 1:16 PM on October 18, 2003

I find it strange and interesting how disempowered people have a tendency to bring timeless, omnipotent spirits into their grudge matches. Imagine being surrounded by a sea of 2-year-olds who each want you to settle the matter of who breathed on who first.

If there is a God, is there any wonder he alternately creates and destroys us?
posted by squirrel at 1:22 PM on October 18, 2003

Self link to stories about Thailand.
posted by squirrel at 1:32 PM on October 18, 2003

BashBush: Hmm...almost had to think about that one.

Beef man!
posted by rushmc at 1:45 PM on October 18, 2003

That 'power' exists only so long as people are gullible enough to act on the assumption that the act has actual power in and of itself at all.

Gullibility equals power?
posted by rschram at 1:53 PM on October 18, 2003

Tax Cut Man!
posted by homunculus at 1:57 PM on October 18, 2003

I shouldn't have suggested "warlike" overtones, a poor choice of words. What I meant was a more cryptic "a people who are going somewhere, as opposed to being in cultural stasis, stagnation or in decline." In other words, "Thailand is doing something. What is it?"

I mentioned their drug problem because it is very "cutting edge" as a contemporary problem, as is their solution. Their military, likewise, is very capable and modern, in a very tough neighborhood. They could be a major player in any conflict in the region, if they chose to be. The rest of their culture is a bit enigmatic to me.

And all too soon, the ASEAN nations are planning EU-style trade treaties, with the intent of forming a gigantic trading bloc. And while Thailand is in the middle of it all, it is almost a silent partner.

What is the cultural dynamic here, and where is it taking the Thais? I hate having to guess about these things with only the movie Suriyothai as a guide.
posted by kablam at 2:01 PM on October 18, 2003

Agenda: XQUZYPHYR is an admitted leftist [...]

Arrest him! Burn him! Think of the children!
posted by Cerebus at 2:35 PM on October 18, 2003

i fucking despise the thais. i wish they would just die and burn in hell already. everyone else can fucking go to hell also. especially you mcsweetie, fucking idiot.

see mcsweetie, that's trolling.

as far as the topic of this post goes: yadda, yadda yadda.
posted by poopy at 2:39 PM on October 18, 2003

News: Plainly obvious.
BashBush: Hmm...almost had to think about that one.
Agenda: XQUZYPHYR is an admitted leftist who stands against current agricultural policies.
posted by BlueTrain at 5:08 PM on October 18

Just more proof that if enough right wing talk show hosts say "liberals are evil" enough times, people believe it. :)
posted by whirlwind29 at 2:55 PM on October 18, 2003

Gullibility equals power?

Well, gullibility turns people into power sources ripe for exploitation. So in a way, yes.
posted by PsychoKick at 3:33 PM on October 18, 2003

I find it interesting that you believe your hocus pocus is more powerful than their hocus pocus. Why do you suppose this is?


I don't presume to speak for konolia, but I think Napoleon once said: "God is on the side with the best artillery."
posted by electro at 3:51 PM on October 18, 2003

Maybe prayer works against black magic in the same way that placebo pills work against cooties. 100% proven effective.
posted by majcher at 7:17 PM on October 18, 2003

konolia's god and mine are one and the same. It's just that I choose to call my god something other than the Demiurge
posted by troutfishing at 7:17 PM on October 18, 2003

jaded, you live up to your nick and make me laugh heartily with your first sentence.

Imagine being surrounded by a sea of 2-year-olds who each want you to settle the matter of who breathed on who first.

If you kids don't stop your squabbling I'm going to turn this planet around right now!
posted by soyjoy at 8:10 PM on October 18, 2003

kornholia scared me so bad i got me a dead chicken and sprinkled its blood around.
posted by quonsar at 8:32 PM on October 18, 2003

News: Plainly obvious.

yeah. so? it's funny.

BashBush: Hmm...almost had to think about that one.

I think thats a bit of a stretch. if this had appeared on some online right wing rag everyone would've had a good laugh about it.

Agenda: XQUZYPHYR is an admitted leftist who stands against current agricultural policies.

the nerve! anyways, I didn't see this as a left vs. right thing at all. this isn't about how bush is dumb or bad (although lets be honest, he's both!), it's funny. maybe your concern for bush's soul overrode your sense of humor?
posted by mcsweetie at 8:37 PM on October 18, 2003

and the blue choochoo - able to spot picayune 3 year old original guideline departures at a glance, he's like a geriatric RIAA executive: years after everything about his environment changes, he's still popping up in threads, shaking his cane and shouting "analog on parafin was good enough for edison, what the hell is wrong with you people?!"
posted by quonsar at 8:44 PM on October 18, 2003

a geriatric RIAA executive

quonsar, if you're gonna be redundant, so will I:

I reread my comment and it looked like the line following my reference to jaded was gonna be jaded's quote. But that shoulda been separate. It was sloppily formatted. So now I'm just gonna copy and paste jaded's quote like I ought to have done in the first place.

Um, to stick GWB's soul in a pot at the bottom of a river...wouldn't they have drag it up from the depths of hell first?
posted by soyjoy at 9:51 PM on October 18, 2003

However, I have to admit my first response was: "Dubya has a soul?" --posted by eilatan

Yeah...that was my first reaction as well.
posted by dejah420 at 10:05 PM on October 18, 2003

If you kids don't stop your squabbling I'm going to turn this planet around right now!

Jesus, Judas, Thomas -- now no one's going to Disneyland! Is that what you want? Is it?
posted by scody at 10:41 PM on October 18, 2003

Fareed Zakaria: fire William Boykin.
posted by homunculus at 10:47 AM on October 19, 2003

Firing Boykin would be an enactment of that famous joke where the patient can't afford to set the broken leg, so the doctor retouches the x-ray.

Our problem isn't the appearance of evangelical wackos running foreign policy, it's the reality of evangelical wackos running foreign policy.
posted by squirrel at 11:53 AM on October 19, 2003

Joan Didion: Mr. Bush & the Divine
posted by homunculus at 11:54 AM on October 20, 2003