Syria Leone

[Nono]

There is nothing mysterious about George Bush when he comes to the annual General Assembly of the United Nations. He comes, he excoriates countries he doesn't care for and he leaves. Everyone knows the routine and while some other world leaders may spit his name, they sure know how to pronounce it. But the President, who used his appearance at the podium yesterday to call for a "mission of liberation" to bring democracy and human rights to countries under dictatorship or repressive rule, needs a little help in this regard. Heaven forefend that he mangles the names of Sarkozy, say, or Mugabe. We know this thanks to a snafu by the White House staff who mistakenly allowed a few journalists to glimpse a draft of the President's address complete with phonetic spellings in brackets to assist him with names of people and places. In the correct version for the press, they had been erased. Safe from Mr Bush's famously dyslexic tongue, therefore, were the Presidents of France [sar-KO-zee] and Zimbabwe (moo-GAH-bee]. The speech-writers, whose names and even telephone numbers were also posted at the end of the wrongly circulated version, also helped him with the capitals of Zimbabwe [hah-RAR-ray] and of Venezuela [kah-RAH-kus]. Yet, Mr Bush was sometimes left to his own instincts. While prompts were provided for Kyrgyzstan [KEY-geez-stan] and Mauritania [moor-EH-tain-ee-a], he was offered no such help with Sierra Leone or with Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader in Burma. He made two runs at the latter and mangled the former, seemingly renaming it Syria Leone. (A member of his axis of evil, surely.) (...)

Rest here: Revealed: script for Bush's mangled words - Independent Online Edition > Americas

[Milton Bradley]

Oh my, a wonderful example of the inner working of a bloody genious.


Thanks for that Nono.

[ruksak]

I don't understand the point of this?

Is this "proof" that GW is stupid? Get a hobby Nono.

[gallo]

Quote by: ruksak Is this "proof" that GW is stupid?

Well, it's pretty good evidence that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But we all knew that when he was first elected. A purported international leader that can't even pronounce the names of other national leaders, much less the name of the country - give me a break. How utterly stupid can one person be?

[ruksak]

Quote by: gallo Well, it's pretty good evidence that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But we all knew that when he was first elected. A purported international leader that can't even pronounce the names of other national leaders, much less the name of the country - give me a break. How utterly stupid can one person be?

Well he got elected President of the United States of America. What have you done with your life?

Standard protocol for any politician or ambassador when preparing for a public speech is making sure he/she knows how to pronounce the names/locations properly. To ensure that no snafus take place, they use bracketed pronunciations in the text. Its insulting to make a mistake of this nature.

Stop being so snide. They do this for ALL politicians, not just Bush.

Nono was a fool to post this. The article he quoted from is obviously disregarding the fact that this is standard practice in an effort to slam the President. Pathetic. Weak minded. Garbage.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: ruksak Well he got elected President of the United States of America. What have you done with your life? Standard protocol for any politician or ambassador when preparing for a public speech is making sure he/she knows how to pronounce the names/locations properly. To ensure that no snafus take place, they use bracketed pronunciations in the text. Its insulting to make a mistake of this nature. Stop being so snide. They do this for ALL politicians, not just Bush. Nono was a fool to post this. The article he quoted from is obviously disregarding the fact that this is standard practice in an effort to slam the President. Pathetic. Weak minded. Garbage.

The point is, of course, not the fact that bush is supplied with bracketed info on how to pronounce specific names and terms, but that, in spite of such prompting, he still manages to screw things up.

[ruksak]

Quote by: Zeebadee The point is, of course, not the fact that bush is supplied with bracketed info on how to pronounce specific names and terms, but that, in spite of such prompting, he still manages to screw things up.

OH MY GOD!!! He isn't perfect? WHAT?

I don't like him, by the way. I think hes a douche. But I laugh when I watch these pathetic attempts by pathetic little people to attach strings to his wrists and dance him around like a dumb puppet for their amusement.

Admittedly, GW isn't "the great communicator". But the article in the OP makes no mention of his lack of linguistic dexterity. It is a thinly veiled and grossly biased attempt to make Bush look like an idiot for having pronunciations included in his speech text. Any businessman, politician or presenter of any type will utilize this in order to prevent an embarrassing slip up.

In other words, this thread is the gay.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: gallo Well, it's pretty good evidence that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But we all knew that when he was first elected. A purported international leader that can't even pronounce the names of other national leaders, much less the name of the country - give me a break. How utterly stupid can one person be?

I think this applies more to the people who elected him, TWICE, than Bush himself.

We have more than our share of dopes in this country. It's just a matter of not ELECTING them.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: gallo Well, it's pretty good evidence that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But we all knew that when he was first elected. A purported international leader that can't even pronounce the names of other national leaders, much less the name of the country - give me a break. How utterly stupid can one person be?

I know people who voted Bush because those stupid qualities made him seem more human.

So yes then people themselves are stupid.

[Chancellor]

Quote by: gallo Well, it's pretty good evidence that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But we all knew that when he was first elected. A purported international leader that can't even pronounce the names of other national leaders, much less the name of the country - give me a break. How utterly stupid can one person be?

As stupid as the numerous young Americans who can't even tell you where New Orleans is (CNN.com - Study: Geography Greek to young Americans - May 2, 2006 and Don't Know Much About Geography).

[Scribbler1]

Try reciting some elements of the Constitution without naming the document. I'm betting you'll get more than one person who finds what you say quite unamerican.

[ruksak]

[butterbut]

The maps friggin awsome.

The sad thing is that Bush is smarter than the smartest democrat.

[gallo]

Quote by: ruksak Well he got elected President of the United States of America. What have you done with your life?

Served my country in other ways.

Quote by: Chancellor As stupid as the numerous young Americans who can't even tell you where New Orleans is

I know where New Orleans is. After the hurricane Bush had a bit of trouble finding it - at least he took long enough to get there. I also know where Vietnam is. That's another place that Bush wouldn't know about.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: butterbut The maps friggin awsome. The sad thing is that Bush is smarter than the smartest democrat.

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing, but on exactly what do you base that observation?

[ruksak]

Quote by: gallo Served my country in other ways.

I can respect that. I wasn't inferring that you are stupid. Only that to call the leader of the free world "stupid", just sounds ignorant and it slams our nation as a whole.

Stupid people cannot be President of America. Shoddy linguistics does not denote stupidity. Misguided foreign policies aren't a red flag indicating stupidity either.

[butterbut]

Quote by: Scribbler1 I'm not agreeing or disagreeing, but on exactly what do you base that observation?

Its just my opinion based on his policies compared to the democrats. I'm sure you disagree. Thats right, I base my assessment of intelligience on core beliefs, not stupid crap like pronounciation.

But its really sad becuase becuase Bush is a friggin idiot on some stuff. Like selling our port security to Dubai and letting illegal immigrants take over the country.

[The Decider]

Quote by: ruksak It is a thinly veiled and grossly biased attempt to make Bush look like an idiot.

Well, Bush is doing a grand job confirming the idiot stereotype, wouldn't you say? Syria Leone? The president was speaking before a world audience, or at least trying to.

But I do agree with your basic point about kicking a dead horse. The entire world knows that Bush mangles the English language and foreign words and names. It barely gets a laugh anymore. Frankly, if Bush would agree to stop this idiotic war in Iraq, I would let the man say Syria Leone anytime he wants to. Bush's worst traits are not linguistic.

[ruksak]

Quote by: The Decider Well, Bush is doing a grand job confirming the idiot stereotype, wouldn't you say? Syria Leone? The president was speaking before a world audience, or at least trying to. But I do agree with your basic point about kicking a dead horse. The entire world knows that Bush mangles the English language and foreign words and names. It barely gets a laugh anymore. Frankly, if Bush would agree to stop this idiotic war in Iraq, I would let the man say Syria Leone anytime he wants to. Bush's worst traits are not linguistic.

I find it amusing that all this attention is focused on Bush for a few geographic errors, when a man stood in front of them that preaches that the holocaust never happened. The Iranian tyrant took full advantage of his world stage to slam the US, all while keeping quite his desire to kill all Jews and Zionist.

Why are our priorities so screwed up?

Honestly, whats more relevant? Bush making a few geographic errors, or a man that wants death to all non-believers of Islam?


Hang your heads in shame.

[The Decider]

Quote by: ruksak I find it amusing that all this attention is focused on Bush for a few geographic errors, when a man stood in front of them that preaches that the holocaust never happened. The Iranian tyrant took full advantage of his world stage to slam the US, all while keeping quite his desire to kill all Jews and Zionist. Why are our priorities so screwed up? Honestly, whats more relevant? Bush making a few geographic errors, or a man that wants death to all non-believers of Islam? Hang your heads in shame.

All the more reason for Bush to speak eloquently and accurately--it's embarrasing when a tin-horn tyrant sounds more educated than our Commander-in-Chief.