Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The Wit of A President

Excuse me, but there is something rather troubling about the wit and wimsy of a president who makes light of his own ignorance with sarcasm disguised as light hearted banter:

Slice one:
Q (Question is asked in Arabic.) If I may, Mr. President, it's been a scathing attack from top officials of your administration on Syria yesterday for allowing foreign fighters to cross the border. We heard yesterday from Ambassador Khalilizad. Is this an escalation on the pressure that you're putting on Syria? And what more can you do when you say that all options are open?

PRESIDENT TALABANI: May I?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Please, yes. You might want to try it English. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT TALABANI: Well, I say it in Iraqi because the question was in Arabic. (Answers the question in Arabic.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Oops. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT TALABANI: (Continues answering in Arabic.)

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not sure if I agree, or not, but...
Slice 2:
Final question, Mr. President. Q Mr. President, I hope you will excuse me, since you've never had Kurdish -- spoken Kurdish. I put my question in Kurdish. (Question asked in Kurdish.)

PRESIDENT TALABANI: With your permission, Mr. President, he's from America and his voice, American voice in Kurdish -- I must answer in Kurdish. PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes. Answer his question -- perfect.

PRESIDENT TALABANI: (Question answered in Kurdish.)

THE PRESIDENT: On that cheery note, the press conference is over. (Laughter.)

Thank you, Mr. President, good job.
Good Job? If these remarks were meant to be funny, why is my heart sick over them?

1 comment:

Dr. Forbush said...

Bush obliviously believes that the American people find the ignorance of not understand other languages funny. The sad thing is that this is largely true. When I was trying to decide whether to take German or French in High School my mother offered that I take neither, after all how useful could either language be? She wasn't able to foresee my living in Germany for three years.