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GEORGE BUSH????
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
who actually thinks he's a good president? & can his ignorance be excused?
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His personal ignorance can be excused and corrected. The president doesnt act alone, he has hundreds of advisors to help him along so he doesnt need to be a brainbox.
Remember that its his job to do whats best for America. If he does something that some girl from the UK doesnt like then that means nothing. He isnt your president. He has approval ratings of around 80% in the states. Despite what you might think, not all Americans are thick and ignorant so he must be doing something right to have that much support.
Do you just happen to hate the guy because he's waging war against terrorists? For one thing, he's not the supreme decision maker here in the US - there's a whole governing body of the Senate and the house that enacts legislature and has the power to deny his orders if that be the desire.
The fact is, very little opposition has been raised for this war on either side of the political fence. Our leaders (and yours) know that negotiation won't happen and that our deaths must be avenged by either killing every last one of those terrorist punks or doing whatever it takes to prevent future acts of terror.
He's doing the right thing, why not cite examples of his ignorance before you go bashing the guy?
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& just about the US system - I sont know much abotu it but I've just started studying it in politics - do you think it's right to have people with vested interests - and basicly all his friends from texas running things - coz they havent been elected.
Pakis..heh thats funny - hell Im sure he means that in an endearing way - you just want political correctness and well George is from Texas and well hes very blunt - which I admire.
No actually in Vietnam, the approval ratings for Kennedy through Nixon suffered through the war as did Clinton in his (crap) military operations.
No we re not ignorant. We're mad. Let your country be attacked and I'll be interested to see how you react to it.
and I know there are bodies that can stop him he has less power than our prime minister in his country. There was a whole load of opposition to the bombing over here actually. & anyway he was basicly voted in on DEFAULT!
The Pakis thing is totally understandable and totally forgivable. The word Paki is not insulting anywhere else in the world except Britain.
The word Paki is just a short version of Pakistani. Its the same all over the world, including in Pakistan. Its just us Brits who have a serious PC problem. Oh wait a minute, can I say Brits? Isnt that racist being that its exactly the same as Pakis.
The US system isnt perfect but then neither is ours. Our government is even more prone to nepotism or whatever. Blair has given away tons of important positions to his mates. Its nothing new and certainly not confined to the US.
Pakis is not a funny thing to say no mater how he meant it it was an insult - it's like your apologising for a chimp! - PRESEDENTS who are involved in diplomacy cant be BLUNT.
WE have been attacked throughout history & we've dealt with it! maybe it's just because you havent - and it's a very big shock.
Londonchick - listen, theres things about my country you don't understand - for one, we are a very friendly country - Pakis is nowhere near having the same connotations as the N word. A term of endearment nothing more - sort of like calling Polish folks Poles, Russians Ruskies and English well, Limeys...
Diplomacy has for too long been held down by words, flattery and outright asskissing. No - I think its better served when we re to the point - that way no lies exist.
Hmm we havent been attacked - I seem to recall Pearl Harbor as an attack we dealt with as well as several attempts by the Brits even after the Revolution....
of course - in your country it probably isn't to bad - but it wasnt a speach just to your country was it? and it is used alongside the N word here & is seen as just as bad it's nothing like poles or ruskies or limies.
you cant seriously think he tells the truth all the time?
ok, so why is this SO much worse than if it happened anywhere else?
NO politician tells the truth all the time.
Because the word "paki" is an insult to pakistani's in many countries. they sould be offended to be called that - technically it seems no different but there are certain things attached to it.
Paki is an insult nowhere on earth except the UK.
Ha never said he tells the truth all the time - hes a politician for Christs sake.
I'm not losing sleep over it really and noone besides yourself has really raised his calling Pakistanis Pakis before. Hell, I may even use that one sometime.
Here as in there in England? Sorry - Ive spent a lot of time over there and the racist comments I've heard from your countrymen and political leaders far exceed anything W says.
Whys what so much worse? you mean the terror attacks? thats because of the sheer numbers kid. My land was raped and anything we do to retaliate is a positive step forward.
YES IT IS! if you go to pakistan and call them pakis they will take offence!
Why are you so concerned if someone gets offended. Nearly 5000 of my people were killed in the attacks - Im more offended by that than upsetting any nations delicate sensibilities. <IMG alt="image" SRC="mad.gif" border="0">
Wow, a believer in nationalism. Or do we actually have God on the boards with us.
I am not talking about the terorist attacks I'm talking about George bush!! of course people dying is much worse ----I asked the questions can his ignorance be excuses? - can a leader of 'the words greatest nation' be ignorant like that - and on the most superficial level - shouldnt someone have noticed and given him a bit mor help in his speaches to stop him embarassing himself?
I take it youve actually been to Pakistan then Londongurl?
You are talking total crap. They do not take offense to the word Paki in Pakistan. Its only an insult here. I have several close friends, one of whom moved here back in the 80s and another who moved here from Kashmir in the early 90s. Neither of them took offence at Paki when they first got here. Not until people here started using it with racist intent.
LOOK. the offence caused or intent of the word is not my point! my point is - george bush has a limited understanding, interest or knowlegde of world affairs!? if he doesnt know certain things eg who the leader of a country with nuclear weapons it. - and his team must be pretty bad too
In the US its not seen as 'racist', however, only in this country.
Just grow up and see the real world. Im just glad Cl*ntons not still in power.
HELLOO - It was a speach to all over the world! - & my point is not about the intent or the meaning of the word - if you read the other messages you'd see that!
Yes I am a 25 year old nationalist if thats what Im to be called. I'll express the love for my country and hate for her enemies as fervently as those who want to wage Jihad against us.
Its rare for my age group - but our ranks are growing.
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Why are you suprised that the US has a leader without a knowledge of foreign affairs when he came into office?
We've had a bunch of them, Truman, FDR, Clinton, etc...just about any President that was astate govenor before he became President.
The UK has had some too...Neville Chamberlain certainly didn't have a grasp of the situation in Europe in 1938, did he?
Bush can't make serious decisions by himself..he has much less power than Blair does b/c his party doesn't necessarily control the legislature. He also has a team of advisors around him with impeccable credentials. His decisions are the product of alot of bargaining on many different levels of government.
Just the way I feel really. My families have been here since the early 1900s, descendants of Italian and Irish immigrants - I was raised to remember my European heritage and never forget why my ancestors emigrated to the US.
Because of this, and because I have travelled the world and even studied in England - I have an understanding of how other countries work, how their people value each other and how they live. Im not slamming anyone, but I prefer the US and for all the crap we've done in the past, I remain proud of my country.
My families, since they came here, have fought in every major war the US has been involved with up to my father in Vietnam. I only regret that my hearing loss keeps me out of the Marine corps.
You ask why I lay claim to this land as mine - I can only say its the only one I can call home, the one that shapes my values and my ideals. I love this country - I hope I wont be mocked for saying so - but Id gladly die for it as well.
I hope this answers your question.
Baldy & Kermit you are right that 'Paki' is only offensive in this country because of the way it is used as an insult. But LondonGurl is presumably from the UK and therefore will find it offensive. I certainly do and GWB should know that. As for the poles/yanks/ruskies/limeys thing, I don't think he'd use those words in an official speech and therefore he shouldn't use paki either. The word is Pakistani.
But on George W, I think he would flounder without his strong team behind him. But then again, he's not there to be the most intelligent person in the USA. He's there to be a puppet on a string, reading speeches, and shaking hands. He is very presidential, and he is loved in the US, but he is chronically ignorant.