Monday, January 24, 2005
Not just a Nazi but also a Satanist
"Norwegians Confused by Bush Salute," reports Associated Press. I guess Norwegians - and Europeans generally - are frequently confused by President Bush's actions, so a minor gesture should not be an exception.
This time, it seems that a Texan sign of support for the University of Texas Longhorns team, known as "Hook 'em, 'horns!", got misconstrued as a Satanic "devil's horns" gesture, popularized by heavy metal fans in Scandinavia and elsewhere.
Some people, of course, already know that the President is a Satanist.
Hand gestures have a proud history of being misinterpreted or confused. I recall an anecdote about the turn-coat state security officials in Romania trying to show their democratic credentials to the anti-communist crowds after the overthrow of Ceaucescu by giving the "V for victory" salute popularized by Churchill during the Second World War. Alas, the Securitate men did it with their palms facing towards their bodies; a gesture which generally has the same meaning as "showing the (middle) finger". But fortunately not in Romania.
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