The Irony Killed Me. I'm Dead Now.

Back in September, I mentioned that former US presidential candidate and zany wee nutbag H. Ross Perot had put up for sale his own personal 13th-century copy of the Magna Carta. And then, as is his wont, Bill Wolfrum wrote a great bit of satire about its imminent sale.

But, once again, reality reminds us that satire is dead. Boom.

A 710-year-old copy of the declaration of human rights known as the Magna Carta — the version that became part of English law — was auctioned Tuesday for $21.3 million, a Sotheby's spokeswoman said.

The document, which had been expected to draw bids of $30 million or higher, was bought by David Rubenstein of The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, the spokeswoman said.

The Carlyle Group. Pearl of the global military-industrial complex. You've got to be fucking kidding me. That would be the same Carlyle Group which was co-founded by Bush family fixer James Baker, has employed both George Bushes, counts the Bin Laden family among its investors, and, by virtue of its weapons company subsidiaries, is effectively one of the largest defense contractors in the US and has profited handsomely off Bush's wars.

This Carlyle Group. This Carlyle Group. This Carlyle Group.

Wow.

Via Echidne, who notes that although the objective of the Carlyle Group "sort of clashes with what the Magna Carta is ultimately supposed to reflect," there is the possibility that "the Carlyle Group could be just a bunch of very nice people who love the concept of habeas corpus and its roots in the Magna Carta. I guess there is no way to tell." Sob.