snopes.com: Axis of Just as Evil

Claim: Monty Python trouper John Cleese penned a satirical article about the formation of an "Axis of Just as Evil."

Status: False.

Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2003]

Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil," Libya, China, and Syria today announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil," which they said would be way eviler than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of his State of the Union address.

Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new axis as having, for starters, a really dumb name. "Right. They are Just as Evil ... in their dreams!" declared North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "Everybody knows we're the best evils ... best at being evil ... we're the best."

Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil.

"They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

[Click here to view the complete article]

Origins: Echoing a line from President Bush's 2002 State of the Union address in which he referred to states such as Iran, Iraq, and North Korea (and their terrorist allies) as an "axis of evil," this bit of political satire plays on the humor of a jealous Libya, China, and Syria forming an "axis of just as evil." Unlike his fellow Monty Python member Terry Jones, however, John Cleese isn't penning political articles about the current situation with Iraq — this piece comes from the archives of SatireWire.

Last updated: 6 September 2007

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