THE ONION scoops the 'serious' press - when the 'truth' is funnier than the spoof.

[Surya Gayatri]

Iran nuclear deal: Satirical website The Onion accidentally breaks story about the US offering missiles to Israel

Spoof news site breaks weapons offer the day before everyone else


A satirical website has accidentally broken a real news story – by revealing that America offered Israel “a nice, big shipment” of weapons to try and salve its anger of the Iran nuclear deal.

A spoof news story on The Onion, headlined “US Soothes Upset Netanyahu With Shipment Of Ballistic Missiles”, appeared 24 hours before reports emerged that this had actually happened in real life.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz noted the similarity to its own story, published the following day, which carried the headline, “After Iran deal, Obama offers military upgrade to help Israel swallow bitter Iranian deal”.

Barack Obama had offered Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu “immediate talks to upgrade the Israel Defense Forces’ offensive and defensive capabilities”, the paper reported last week.

Later, Haaretz graciously admitted in a blog post that: “There’s no other way around it: the fake newspaper broke the story.”

By contrast The Onion quoted a fake State Department spokesman, who said: “Bibi always gets a little cranky when he sees us talking to Iran, but a few dozen short-range surface-to-surface missiles usually cheer him right up.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-nuclear-deal-satirical-website-the-onion-accidentally-breaks-story-about-the-us-offering-missiles-to-israel-10404684.html

_______________________

Bwaahaaaa! The Onion called it in advance. The US pumps up Israel's already bulging arensal to placate Bibi.

“Of course, we try not to spoil him by giving him a whole new tactical ballistics delivery system every single time he throws a fit, but our guy’s pretty good at getting his way. At least we’ll have a couple months of peace and quiet around here."

[KamaAina]

1. The Onion is not satire. It's prophecy!

[Surya Gayatri]

2. Their resident tea leaf reader got it right this time! LOL!

[erronis]

11. Truth is not *always* stranger than fiction.

But in the realm of diplomacy, fiction and truth are often malleable according to the moment, and the money.

[gcomeau]

12. Very much so...

From the first day of Bush's presidency:

http://www.theonion.com/article/bush-our-long-national-nightmare-of-peace-and-pros-464

[underpants]

15. Jon Stewart on W's seizing power day "Houston, we have your problem"

Wow that Onion piece was dead on.

[gcomeau]

24. It was eerily prescient wasn't it?

The headline is on point enough, but then you read through the details in the artile and it's

"Yep, that happened...... that too.... yup that too... and that..."

[underpants]

25. Yes it is

[awoke_in_2003]

27. I remember when that came out

they nailed almost everything

[iandhr]

17. True

Remember black man given nations wrost job

[valerief]

19. True that! nt

[Faux pas]

3. Oh yes

arming the whole world has really helped the USA...NOT. We are a whole lot stupider than we look.

[Surya Gayatri]

4. But, but AIPAC, don't cha know?

[Faux pas]

30. Yeah, I know

but I don't have to like it.

[tularetom]

5. Oh no, we are definitely not stupider than we look

It would not be possible for any nation to be stupider than we look at the moment.

[Nevernose]

8. A large portion of our once great nation is gearing up

To vote for a reality TV star to be president. Not because he's qualified in any way, but because they know him from TV and it makes them chuckle whenever he acts like an asshole.

[asjr]

21. I don't about that. We may send someone to change Bibi's diapers.

[Faux pas]

31. I was trying to be kind

to all the stupid ones. lol

[bluedigger]

13. The business of America is business.

Get with the program!

[Faux pas]

32. But but but

do I have to?

[Binkie The Clown]

6. By definition...

a world where you can't tell the difference between absurd satire and actual reality is a world gone insane. It is a world were the absurd is taken seriously and necessary is treated as if it were absurd.

[Surya Gayatri]

7. "...a world gone insane." Looking more and more like the inside of the asylum everyday.

[Hydra]

26. For decades now

I used to cringe when Pat Buchanan said something sane back in the day. Now I have to do it when when the IMF does.

Clearly, we've hit the bottom level of insanity and got the shovels out.

[awoke_in_2003]

28. I am reminded of a quote I will butcher

They said I was insane, and I said they were insane. I was outnumbered. Reminds me of a certain exchange between Wilson and O'Brien in 1984

[Cosmic Kitten]

9. Tragic comedy

[yellowcanine]

10. But was a cake shaped like a key and a Bible part of the deal?

Republicans would like to forget about that little episode from the Exploits of Saint Ronald but we remember.

[underpants]

16. I have to look that one up

[yellowcanine]

35. Look up Iran Contra Cake Bible

Reagan sold arms to Iran to free hostages, took the money and used it to fund the Contras fighting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua after Congress refused to appropriate money for the Contras. Yeah he could probably have been impeached for that but he claimed he didn't know and maybe he didn't. Reagan did sign the Bible which was presented to the Iranians as a good faith gesture - so he knew something, that's for sure.

[underpants]

36. Funny I was just reading a NYT article from Jan. 11 1987

Robert McFarlane and the key cake. 10 fake passports probably carried by Ollie North.

I was 20 years old at the time.

[yellowcanine]

37. Ollie North likely embezzled taxpayer money and got away with it.

I never did buy his "I had a metal box in my closet containing $15,000 in loose change which I used to buy a car."

Seriously, he made that claim.

[underpants]

38. Jeffrey Toobin's "Opening Arguments"

Great book from inside the Walsh team.

[yellowcanine]

39. Congress really screwed up by giving North immunity for his testimony.

Allowed him to skate on a technicality. He could have been nailed for embezzlement, accepting bribes, conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and maybe treason.

[underpants]

40. Yep

If memory serves it was Biden who was the deciding vote to let Ollie wear a uniform during testimony.

Toobin's book details the enormous steps they took to never see or hear Ollie's testimony. Cut out newspapers etc. Ollie beat the rap because Silberman's court was dominated by him and he let Ollie walk.

[NCjack]

14. The good news is that Israel will pay US dollars for the arms. Good deal!

Oh, wait. We are giving them military assistance dollars.

[Scurrilous]

18. You would think making the middle east a bit safer would call for less weapons to Israel etc.

[kelliekat44]

20. Making the ME safer? For whom? nt

[A Simple Game]

22. And the conservatives on DU say liberals are the ones that want ponies from our government. n/t

[red dog 1]

23. God bless The Onion!

[Major Nikon]

29. GD was also scooped by the Lounge!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018782575

[treestar]

33. The Onion is starting to actually be the news

I recall the time a Chinese newspaper published an Onion article, unaware that it was satire. Now they can just do it. lol

[raouldukelives]

34. Lies have become the truth and truth has become the lie. nt