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The sound of my head banging on my desk

hashemi.jpg

Remember this cat?

He's Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, former ambassador-at-large for the Taliban.

Here's an interview he gave in March 2001 about "why blowing up the Buddah statues is not such a big deal".

So what's he doing now? He's attending Yale University on a Student Visa.

thud,thud,thud,thud,thud,thud,thud,thud,thud...

Here's a few things that are rattling through my skull as I sit here banging my head on my desk.

1. Is there any ROTC at Yale? Any military recruiting allowed on campus?

2. Are there any students at Yale who's mother or father died on 9/11? Any children of NYC fireman at Yale?

3. Any non-Taliban Afghani refugees in Yale? Any of them women?

4. I wonder what middle american working class kid didn't get into Yale because our friend here managed to make the cut.

5. What was his entrance essay? "Buddah - not really a diety, but asias fat bastard lawn ornament." or "Burka and Barbie, which is really the worst form of cultural imperialism?".

6. Just exactly what kind of entrance policies do they have at Yale? I always thought it was hard to get into Yale but apparently it isnt all that hard. Under what circumstances could you possibly be excluded if this guy gets in?

7. Yale Feminist Student groups - Call your office!

8. So this is why Osama Bin Laden has been so hard to find, he hasn't been in the hills of afghanistan, he's been attending an east coast ivy league school picking up his masters degree in romance languages.

9. Who...let this guy into the country much less gave him Student Visa? I'd say Heads-will-roll but in light of the person involved here, it wouldnt be proper.

10. thud,thud,thud,thud,thud.

11. Was this his "A" school choice, or did he have to settle? Was Harvard just full this semester or what?

12. God help us all, he's not studying NUCLEAR PHYSICS is he? Tell me we don't let Ex-Taliban members come to the US so they can study biologicaly warfare, computer encryption, theoretical physics or anything like that, right?

13. Any "reporter" want to find out whos funding our friend here? If there is a dime of Government funding supporting this cat, I want to know about it.

14. It occurs to me that compared to many people in the Yale student body, he's probably considered quite moderate towards the US.

15. First as a student, then graduate student, then associate professor, then...a fully tenured professor. Very nice...

One of the biggest complaints about the Bush administration and the "Ports Kerfuffle" was that no matter if it was right or wrong, they had to know it would look bad. This is going to make the "ports Kerfuffle" look like Bush was getting an award from the Rotary Club by comparison.

Posted @ February 26, 2006 10:04 PM

Comments

Personally, I'm far more concerned about him getting in the country than I am about him getting into Yale. (I don't entrust national security issues to ivy-league universities -- ask me how much I don't entrust them with it!! -- but I *do* depend on the Federal government for such things.)

If the government gave this kid a visa, I can easily see that as being good enough for Yale, clearance-wise. (I wouldn't mind knowing more about his merits, though, or his course of study.)

15. First as a student, then graduate student, then associate professor, then...a fully tenured professor. Very nice...

Actually, that would be fine by me. Keep him where we can see him, and all that.

respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline

Posted by: Daniel in Brookline at February 27, 2006 08:19 AM

I made my comment on Hyperbole Airlines before reading this post. You were ahead of the curve.

Posted by: PDS at February 27, 2006 08:54 AM

I think you're looking at this from the wrong vantage point. Isn't it significantly more efficient for students to be admitted to Yale already hating the United States than convincing them to hate the United States after they begin studies there? Think of all the valuable faculty time that can be saved!

Posted by: Dave Schuler at February 27, 2006 01:51 PM

but of course! thats it! where else can you find the very best in anti-american dogma but an american upper class school!

We're #1, we're #1!...

Posted by: frank martin at February 27, 2006 02:21 PM

I've tried to post a very tame or maybe even lame comment to this thread. It has been rejected for questionable content each the four attempts. I am at a loss.

Posted by: freeartist at February 28, 2006 01:56 PM

Point 5. Sweeeeeet!!!!

ROTFLMAO.

Posted by: Igotbupkis at March 1, 2006 11:56 AM