Davos debacle

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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am

The World Economic Forum is turning out to be good for a laugh:

With Iran’s vice-president and foreign minister in the room, the organizers began by announcing they had disinvited Swiss cartoonist Patrick Chappatte, one of the listed panelists, because the issues were too serious.

The star guest, U.S. Senator Joe Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, was missing. The organizers kept saying he was on his way.

Moderator David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, apologized for the fact that wine had been served, upsetting the Muslim guests. Waiters cleared the offending glasses.

Biden eventually turned up 80 minutes late, after going to the wrong hotel. Or maybe he just wanted a drink.

Posted by Tim B. on 01/30/2005 at 01:20 AM
    1. Link to Yahoo hits a brick wall.  Uuuugh.

      Posted by Aussie Old Fart on 01/30 at 01:41 AM • permalink

 

    1. Fixed. For some reason Yahoo’s links get changed by the redirects EE has, and I have to go in and recode them. By the way, I’d like to thank JorgeCurioso for the help with that.

      Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 01/30 at 02:05 AM • permalink

 

    1. Waiters are the trouble.  They should have gone to a cafeteria, and everybody gets what they want.  Pick up a tray and all the silverware that is allowed by your religion, and stand in line.

      Posted by rhhardin on 01/30 at 04:00 AM • permalink

 

    1. Sounds like Gitmo style torture, making the poor Muslims *gasp* watch infidels drink alcohol!

      Posted by Kevin on 01/30 at 04:46 AM • permalink

 

    1. Now lets see if we have that straight. No cartoonist because its serious, but Sharon Stone is ok?
      Or was she at some other place, leaping in front of the camera to ask for money for mosquito nets for Africa. While she is at it, how about getting all the AK-47s in Africa traded in for mosquito nets, and condoms?
      And if I go to a moslem country, which bit of their culture or behaviour am I allowed to be offended by, and get the function re-organised?

      Posted by blogstrop on 01/30 at 05:16 AM • permalink

 

    1. He he!  Senator Biden’s wife wore clothing contrary to Iranian standards.  Those hip hugging leather pants must have been what warmed up the room so quickly.

      Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 01/30 at 06:15 AM • permalink

 

    1. Ugh, we had all of these Muslim and western lefties in one room and the US didn’t sling a cruise missile in?  Hey, I’m pissed off about that, and I will be writing my congressman.

      Posted by David Crawford on 01/30 at 07:21 AM • permalink

 

    1. Next time I go to a public affair like that, instead of eating the vegetarian option and being happy, I’m going to denounce the hosts for offending me by serving treyf chicken to the non-Jewish guests.  Wanna guess what gets removed—the chicken or me?

      Posted by Attila on 01/30 at 09:09 AM • permalink

 

    1. Why wasn’t Tim invited to this lengthy and expensive LUNCH with WINE?

      Posted by Carl H on 01/30 at 10:17 AM • permalink

 

    1. If they couldn’t find Biden couldn’t they just have got Neil Kinnock instead?

      Posted by Ross on 01/30 at 04:47 PM • permalink

 

    1. Speaking of Davos, did anyone see the clips of John Howard kicking European butt on the news last night? (Naturally the ABC cut out the good bits.) He put the boot into France, Germany, and the BBC in particular:

      PM blasts ‘irrational, unfair’ Europeans

      It’s a pity that the article didn’t also pick up his attacks on the UN. I’m thinking we might see more of Howard’s real views now he has a senate majority.

      Posted by ArtVandelay on 01/30 at 07:59 PM • permalink

 

  1. To follow up, Howard’s comments on the UN:

    Mr Howard also backed Mr Bush’s invasion of Iraq as opposed to relying on United Nations action which he said was not always effective.

    “The reality is, and it was proved in Bosnia, it was proved in Kosovo, that if you rely entirely on the international institutions, it won’t work,” Mr Howard said.

    “I’m not anti the United Nations, I’m in favour of the United Nations when it works.”

    Fromnews.com

    Posted by ArtVandelay on 01/30 at 11:19 PM • permalink