[Newspoetry] Joke...

[John]

yes, it is an old joke, but a lot of truth resides in it.  I have heard it
mainly with Jews in place of Iraqis in the punch line, and aging Nazi war
criminals in the place of Bush and Powell.   (The "this time" actually makes
more sense in that context.)  In most tellings I've heard, instead of a
bicycle repairman, there's usually somebody famous, like say, Brittney
Spears.  But regardless, it's distracting enough you can actually usually
get the person you're telling it to to participate by saying out loud "Why
so and so?"

I think we are conditioned by society to ignore large masses of people, and
pay more attention to the individuals.

> President Bush and Colin Powell are sitting in a bar.
> 
> A guy walks in and asks the bartender, "Isn't that Bush and Powell sitting
> over there?"
> 
> The bartender says, "Yep, that's them."
> 
> So the guy walks over and says, "Wow, this is a real honor. What are you
> guys doing in here?"
> 
> Bush says, "We're planning World War III."
> 
> And the guy says, "Really? What's going to happen?"
> 
> Bush says, "Well, we're going to kill 40 million Iraqis this time and one
> bicycle repairman."
> 
> The guy exclaimed, "A bicycle repairman? Why kill a bicycle repairman?"
> 
> Bush turns to Powell, punches him on the shoulder and says, "See, smart
> ass! I told you no one would worry about 40 million Iraqis!"
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> (I forward this anonymous message for your wry amusement, not as a
> Newspoetry submission. I didn't write it. Nor did I laugh. I just nodded
> sadly.)