Saddam Hussein is visiting a school. In one class, he asks the students if anyone can give him an example of a tragedy".
One little boy stands up and offers that "If my best friend who lives next door was playing in the street when a car came along and killed him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," Hussein says, "That would be an ACCIDENT."
A girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying fifty Iraqi children drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved... that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explains Hussein. "That is what we would call a GREAT LOSS."
The room fell silent; none of the other children volunteered. "What?" asks Hussein, "Isn't there any one here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, a boy in the back raises his hand. In a timid voice, he speaks: "If an airplane carrying Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi, and Saddam Hussein were blown up by a bomb, *that* would be a tragedy."
"Wonderful!" Hussein beams. "Marvelous! And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly would be no great loss!"
One little boy stands up and offers that "If my best friend who lives next door was playing in the street when a car came along and killed him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," Hussein says, "That would be an ACCIDENT."
A girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying fifty Iraqi children drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved... that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explains Hussein. "That is what we would call a GREAT LOSS."
The room fell silent; none of the other children volunteered. "What?" asks Hussein, "Isn't there any one here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, a boy in the back raises his hand. In a timid voice, he speaks: "If an airplane carrying Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi, and Saddam Hussein were blown up by a bomb, *that* would be a tragedy."
"Wonderful!" Hussein beams. "Marvelous! And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly would be no great loss!"
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