News satire is all the rage these days.  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is the main, or even only, source of news for some.  The Colbert Report is a derivative, seemingly also successful.  I have no doubt that spinners who want to get their message out take seriously the opportunity to appear on these and similar programs.

The Onion has been around for awhile, as a published “news” paper, and now, of course, online.  I recall several years ago seeing its headline following the passing of Jerry Garcia, front man for the rock group The Grateful Dead:  “Head Deadhead Dead!”

Today I happened across the online version of The Onion, and laughed my way through the article “Former President Carter To Be Tried For Peace Crimes.”  Some of the other articles posted on the site were “All Seven Deadly Sins Committed At Church Bake Sale,” “Area Man’s Pop Culture References Stop At 1988,” and “Deficit-Racked Maryland Decides To Call It Quits.”  So, you get the idea of what we’re dealing with here.

The Carter article, while a few years out of date, still is relevant, as the former president recently made a trip to the Middle East to talk with disputing factions, a visit not sanctioned, sponsored, or welcomed by the Bush Administration.  Still, ol’ Jimmy was out there trying to get people to overcome their differences.

In The Onion, faux quotes such as this one set the tone:  “The former president, described as ‘relentless in his naked pursuit of everlasting global peace,’ has been sought by peace-crimes officers in the international war-making community for decades. Police apprehended Carter on July 25 in South Florida, where he was building low-income housing as a part of a Habitat For Humanity project. Shortly thereafter, he was extradited to Geneva, where he will be prosecuted for ‘grossly humane acts against all nations.’” 

Continuing to state the case against the former president, the article “quotes” an analyst who “said,” “Carter is one of the worst enemies the forces of destruction have known since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his non-violent rampages of the '50s and '60s. Even today, in his capacity as an ex-president, [Carter] continues his pursuit of non-aggression. He must be stopped now, before another terrible war is avoided and more lives are saved.” 

There is little to say in defense of Jimmy Carter against these charges.  After all, the article points out, the stated goals of The Carter Center, which he established following the conclusion of his presidential administration, are “Fighting Disease,” “Building Hope,” and “Waging Peace.” 

While the whole notion of the article is ironic in nature, it kind of reminds me of the old saw, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”   

Sometimes irony is a part of that idea, as well.