Remembering ‘Comical Ali’

Living doll?

Last week’s Diary (what do you mean you haven’t read it?) reported on Sony’s efforts to copyright the phrase “Shock and Awe” as a potential title for one of its Playstation games.

This week’s Diary brings you the story of ‘Comical Ali’, the new doll from Hero Builders, a US toy company.

The twelve-inch action figure is based on Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the former “Iraqi Dis-information Minister”, who had us all reeling with hysterical laughter during the Iraq war.

In what was either boundless optimism, deliberate fabrication of the truth, or a stand-up comedy routine, al-Sahhaf became a global phenomenon for his repeated insistence that Iraq was easily winning the war, and that the US troops were fleeing in their billions.

The doll is a tribute to the hours of joy he gave us.

While no-one will miss Saddam Hussein, The Economist judges, “his information minister will be recalled with a certain affection.” His “surreal” press briefings “always seemed a little ludicrous,” it says, but “it was in Arabic that his true demented genius shone through.”

“The Scheherazade of Baghdad” (as the publication calls him), has been credited with restoring archaic Arab vocabulary. Al-Sahhaf was prone to referring to the invading forces as “animals”, “thugs”, and, most famously, “ulag” (“louts”).

Provided he can cheat death and prosecution for war crimes, the Economist says, the hope is that he will “be given his own talk show on al-Jazeera.”

Until then, fans will have to content themselves with playing with his doll. His likeness is available at $24.95 a pop. For an extra $11 you can buy the talking version. Apparently, it says things like “There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!” and (the Diary’s particular favourite) “Our initial assessment is that they [the US forces] will all die.”

The BBC says that the doll can be dressed in pink dresses or bondage outfits.

All it needs now is shoes that the owner can throw at it.

Meanwhile, in Britain (the other half of the coalition), the Daily Telegraph reports that low-budget airline Ryanair has used al-Sahhaf in an advertising campaign designed to lampoon its rival Easyjet.

One advert has a picture of al-Sahhaf under the headline “New! Easyjet’s Head of Information.” In full military uniform and with his hands held out in his customary manner, Al-Sahhaf says ‘We’re winning the war!”, “We’re beating the americans!” and “Easyjet have the Lowest Fares!”

(Main source for item: BBC Online)

Just don’t do it

It’s one of those cases that get the anti-globalisation movement drooling like Pavlov’s dogs.

The US Supreme Court is set to decide on whether Nike, the global sportswear giant, can be sued for making false claims about its impeccable corporate responsibility.

At issue is whether the company misled consumers by denying its shoes were manufactured in Asian sweatshops. The case was originally brought against Nike in 1998 by Marc Kasky, a Californian consumer activist. Kasky accused the company of selling itself to the public as a “model of corporate responsibility” through advertising and a massive public relations campaign, when, in fact, conditions of workers in Vietnam, China and Indonesia were far from acceptable.

Ever heard of freedom of speech? say Nike.

“Speech is commercial in its content if it is likely to influence consumers in their commercial decisions,” ruled the California Supreme Court last year. “For a significant segment of the buying public, labour practices do matter in making consumer choices.”

Nike maintains that there is a clear divide between corporate statements on matters of public interest and commercial speech designed to sell its products. According to them, say the BBC, “the case should be dismissed because all its statements were part of an international media debate on issues of public interest and should be protected as free speech.”

Reuters say that Nike is backed by big business, the news media, the American Civil Liberties Union and the largest group of unions in the United States.

Opposing Nike is the state of California and seventeen other states, and environmental, consumer and human rights groups.

It should be some showdown. The business world is watching closely.

(Don’t miss openDemocracy’s debate Corporations: Power and Responsibility) (Also see About Nike and the Nike Corporate Accountability Campaign)

Bush, the new FDR?

A report in the New York Times this week described how President Bush is likely to fight his campaign for re-election.

According to the article, the plan is to stage the latest ever nomination convention in the history of the Republican party.

Why? So that the campaign will tie in with the third anniversary of 11 September, of course.

Providing Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t challenge his Commander in Chief for the nomination, Bush will give his acceptance speech on 2 September 2004 at the Republican convention, held, of course, in New York, home of the biggest terrorist attack on the American homeland in its history.

Cashing in on terror? The NYT reports how “Bush’s advisers said they chose the date so the event would flow into the commemorations marking the third anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.”

The campaign, described as a “sprint to re-election”, “is being built around national security and Bush’s role in combating terrorism,” Republicans said. What’s more, “they said they hoped it would deprive the Democratic nominee of critical news coverage during the opening weeks of the general election campaign.”

Of course, the lateness of the campaign gives Bush more time for fundraising. According to the NYT report, “Bush’s advisers say they are prepared to spend as much as $200 million” on advertising and campaign expenditure in the primary season leading up to the September convention. That, for the record, is twice what was spent on Bush’s first campaign.

Campaign laws in the US state that candidates get about $75 million to spend between nomination day and Election Day. The Democrats have scheduled their convention for late July 2004. Their bucks are going have to spread further, and more thinly than Bush’s.

As the Times notes, the Republican campaign is counting on the threat from terrorism not receding.

Some Bush advisers are likening the campaign to FDR’s re-election to a third term in 1940. Then, they say, as now, America was facing a moment of intense national insecurity and engagement with a global conflict.

Surely Bush would never seek a third term though, right?

Live Aid II

Finally, to Ethiopia, where Live Aid is coming back. Only this time, the Ethiopians are doing it for themselves.

Some 11 million people in Ethiopia are facing starvation. One million Ethiopians died in the 1985 famine. The Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia raised some $60 million.

The concert, known as ‘Birr for a Compatriot’, is scheduled for 25 May in Addis Ababa. The hope is to raise $1.7 million for famine relief. Tickets cost one birr (roughly ten US cents).

“If we are going to get out of this situation every citizen must take some responsibility in fighting poverty,” says Selome Tadesse, the woman taking the Bob Geldof role. “We need to ask what are we doing ourselves – not donors – but what Ethiopians are doing ourselves.”

“With the current world situation, we might be the first ones on the list when it comes to aid flow, so if we do something we hope that it might motivate donors,” she added.

The United Nations has highlighted the danger of the international community ignoring the needs of some 40 million people facing starvation across Africa. In the present circumstances, it warns, all humanitarian eyes are on Iraq, at the expense of others.

(Source: BBC)

Quotes of the week

“He who is shaken or whose faith is in question should remember that all hard times come to an end.”
The last words of Saddam Hussein? (Taken from the last video footage of Saddam Hussein as President of Iraq on 9 April)

“No to America. No to Saddam.”
The chant of Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the streets of Baghdad.

“You are masters today, but I warn you against thinking of staying. Get out before we force you out.”
Ahmed al Kubeisy, cleric of the Abu Haneefa Al Nu’man mosque in Baghdad, warning Americans.

“De facto allies of Saddam Hussein.”
Ahmad Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, on France and Germany.

“Let them arrest him. It’s not important to me. What can I do with Tariq Aziz?”
Selma Dawood, aunt of Tariq Aziz (former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister), on her nephew.

“My job is done. I found the mass murderers I was looking for. I survived all of them.”
Simon Wiesenthal, who announced his retirement this week.

“I do not want to serve those who look good in a suit and behind them are the bearded ones and the fundamentalists. I don’t want to be a window display, a facade. I plead for true Islam and I am going to play in a comedy? Why?”
Dalil Boubakeur, head of the Paris Mosque, who is threatening to quit his new post as head of France’s fledgling National Council of Muslims before its first meeting. The elections to the Council were unexpectedly dominated by more fundamentalist Muslim organisations than Boubakeur’s moderates. (See last week’s Diary)

Contact the Diary Editor: dominic.hilton@openDemocracy.net