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July 9, 2008Obama: Europeans so much better than Americans!That’s the way to run for president, by telling Americans how much better people in other nations are!
Don’t miss the video. I’m all for people, especially when they’re young, learning other languages. I’m doing a Rosetta Stone in Italian right now, myself. But my goodness, comparing 300 million Americans (many of whom have no need to learn “French, German,” and rest because our own country is so vast and interesting they feel no need to leave it) to much smaller countries, interconnected on a continent (where learning other languages seems necessary) is a rather low blow, and it does not take into account the following not-so-subtle fact: Americans did not need to speak French to save that nation…twice. Is America perfect? No, far from it, but I’m damned sure we are not so awful, so pathetic, so ignorant and backward that a presidential candidate needs to get up on stage and jeer at his country and countrymen for their lack of so-called sophistication to his “sophisticated” and self-hating supporters. Sophistication is empty and insubstantial. It does not save lives. It does not free people. Sophistication simply dresses well and knows not to choose the chianti. All very important in these serious times, right? I don’t know, this guy is supposed to be so brilliant, but every decision he makes, he decides was probably not the right one (”yeah, I won’t let my kids be interviewed anymore…” - hey…good idea!) and he doesn’t seem to like his country or his fellow Americans very much. I’ll take the dumb, liberty-lovin’ Texan and his moist-eyed patriotism over this fellow’s schtick, anyday. Meanwhile…would someone kick McCain in the ass and tell him that he’s being served one softball after another by Obama and the single-digit approved Congress, and he’s letting them all sail over the plate? Egad, what an election! What candidates! I’m sorry that this is sloppy…I should know better than to write mad, and in a hurry, (my husband calls it “writing while Irish”) but I had to get it out! Ace says: Be quiet, don’t embarrass Obama!. Obama Related: http://theanchoressonline.com/2008/07/09/obama-europeans-so-much-better-than-americans/trackback/ 21 Responses to “Obama: Europeans so much better than Americans!” |
July 9th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Sloppy? I don’t know about that. (Certainly not so much as the “sloppiness” of smuggling classified documents in your socks, but I digress.) This would do well read aloud, actually. Tempting to do so.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I think you write very well mad and in a hurry (and also happy and in no rush!). Great entry. I have to confess getting irritated every time I go to the ATM and they ask if I want to conduct my transaction in English or Spanish….
July 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am
The only French our soldiers needed to save that nation was the expression all the pilots and paratroopers were taught for when they were in trouble behind enemy lines: M’aider (”Help Me”–the origin of the international call of distress “MayDay.” It was the French who were supposed to do all the “Merci Beaucoup-ing. McCain should point that out to Obama.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Anchoress - I agree that our presidential options are not inspiring. Recently my younger brother, who has been quite critical of him, said if he could he would vote for Bush again. I will be forced to vote for McCain out of fear for our soldiers’ lives. I’ve decided to get through this election by saying the rosary once a day, and it has improved my general outlook considerably.
The thing we should remember is that Bush tried to deal with many of the problems that are larger now, and got nowhere with Congress. Our country is not going to get anywhere until the vast moderate population takes to beating Congress over the head with reality. That’s when things will improve.
I agree that Obama looks more clownish by the day.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I know MOM, people forget how obstructionist the Dems were before they got back into power in ‘06 and stopped doing anything at all, while blaming “obstructionist” Reps. They forget that Bush tried to form an energy policy, to upgrade our grids and so much more. They still haven’t confimed many of his judges to the fed bench, and they know they don’t have to because they know that the American public is unaware and convinced that Bush is an evil moron.
One of my brothers, who has had nothing good to say about Bush for a while, has also said he’d rather seen 4 more years of him over these two candidates.
Rosaries are good! Adoration, too!
July 9th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Senator Obama seems to have an absolute genius for disdaining the people from whom he wants a job, don’t you think? If I went into a job interview with this troll’s attitude, I’d be unemployed in perpetuity!
Senator Obama needs to smarten up (as in really learn what the people of this country are all about - not just his bunch of snooty pals in San Francisco and elsewhere), educate himself on reality, develop some humility and most of all, develop the good judgment of people that is required by the job he seeks. Until then, I don’t want to see him, hear from him or find people campaigning for him for anything.
Here’s a fascinating idea - why doesn’t he do the job he was elected to do 3 years ago? That would be the job of Senator from Illinois - a job to which he has paid precious little attention!
And just for the record: I speak 4 languages plus English and I wouldn’t hit a dead dog in the rear end with 99% of European idiots!
July 9th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
“he doesn’t seem to like his country or his fellow Americans very much.”
Just like John “Francois” Kerry!
As for McCain, I totally agree! I should say to him, “Man! You stood up to thugs who just about turned you into a human pretzel! Why can’t you stand up to that false Messiah? Really!”
July 9th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Gayle, I love your comment about the pooch’s rear! Right on the money, honey.
July 9th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I think Obama is being very clever here.
Many will see it like the Anchoress does. However some will go overboard and it will become sort of immigrant bashing by the usual suspects.
So I am not thrilled with this controversy.Because I think it will backfire.
I think Obama of course said it wrong and in fact perhaps indicates an view of American that is a a tad sad.
However I cannot really disagree with this when he says:
“You know, no, I’m serious about this. We should understand that our young people, if you have a foreign language, that is a powerful tool to get ajob. You are so much more employable. You can be part of international business. So we should be emphasizing foreign languages in our schools from an early age, because children will actually learn a foreign language easier when they’re 5, or 6, or 7 than when they’re 46, like me”
Are people really arguing against this? Myself I would love to bring Latin back. That was a part of a education back in the days and it makes it easier to pick up other Languages.
However I suspect Obama is not thinking on that track
Should Kids learn Spanish? Well I guess so. Japan is shutting down and Europe is birth controlling themselves out of existance. Latin and South American is where our trade shall be. Look at Houston that is now the Finacial and Capitial Trade gateway to South American.
The fact that Obama recognizes this but is against the Columbia Free Trade Agreement of course is another irony all together
July 9th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
No one is arguing that anyone should not learn other languages. There isn’t really any serious argument to make against anybody learning another language, whether out of interest or necessity. What is objectionable here is that a candidate for president has declared his countrymen “embarrassing.” (And aren’t we lucky that a man who is so embarrassed is nonetheless willing to gift the poor ignorant masses with his leadership?)
Obama apparently feels so untouchable these days that he’s not even bothering to temper his terms. He’s giving the America-hating lefties exactly what they want, full strength, with no fear of being called on it. And he’s quite right — he won’t be.
McCain and his advisers are obviously terrified to take on Obama directly, but I can’t figure out what they’re so scared of. How could they be doing any worse by calling Obama on the stupid things he says than they are by sinking into invisibility? I’m not a McCain fan by a long stretch, but I never thought he’d roll over like this — particularly not for such a lightweight.
The lefties scream that McCain is just the “second coming of Bush.” Geeze — I wish.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
The dude ain’t one of us.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
[...] The Anchoress weighs in on good ol’ Barack’s scolding us for not being a nation of [...]
July 9th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
[...] A good grasp of English includes comprehension and the man is all form over substance. Sheesh! The Anchoress says: Is America perfect? No, far from it, but I’m damned sure we are not so awful, so pathetic, [...]
July 9th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
[...] The Anchoress is - how shall I put this? - rather ticked at the Senator too, with good reason. Is America perfect? No, far from it, but I’m damned sure we are not so awful, so pathetic, so ignorant and backward that a presidential candidate needs to get up on stage and jeer at his country and countrymen for their lack of so-called sophistication to his “sophisticated” and self-hating supporters. [...]
July 10th, 2008 at 12:24 am
OK, I am going to learn another language. Which one should I learn? French - spoken in France, Quebec (sort of), part of Switzerland, some former French colonies. German - spoken in Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. Swedish - spoken in Sweden. Spanish - well, there is a choice. Spoken in Spain and most of Central and South America. Chinese - spoken by many, many Chinese. Russian - spoken by a lot of people in Russia (not all of them), and reluctantly by people in former Soviet colonies.
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On the other hand, I have traveled literally around the world, visiting over a dozen countries, speaking only English, and I survived. I would have had to learn more than two dozen languages to speak to all of the people I met in their native languages. Not everyone spoke English, but enough did that I could get by.
Besides, I can travel from Key West, Florida to Anchorage, Alaska, a distance of over 5000 miles by road, and at least 90% of the people I meet will speak English. Travel that distance almost anywhere else in the world, and you will have to know many languages (or just English
July 10th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Whenever there is a scientific conference it is conducted in English. Whenever someone publishes a paper it is normally written in English. I support knowing two or three or more languages, but why make this such a negative issue on the US?
July 10th, 2008 at 9:07 am
[...] The Anchoress rips Mr. Obama a new one. (ooh - did I say that?) Here is a taste, go read the whole piece. [...]
July 10th, 2008 at 10:40 am
[...] But I am getting off on a rant and need to get back to my point. Since you said I should learn a little history, I figured I would return the favor and educate by sharing with you some history that The Anchoress pointed out in response to Barry’s embarrassment. [...]
July 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am
John McCain Needs To Get In Touch With His Inner Maverick…
The man started bothering me way back in the day with his Maverickness schtick that I felt was a load of B.S. Doesn’t a maverick carry a weapon–not necessarily to commit acts of aggression, but to at least defend himself……
July 10th, 2008 at 11:50 am
[...] is freed to get the job done, solid infrastructure and the notion that America is great and strong. The Anchoress synthesizes the irritation: Meanwhile…would someone kick McCain in the ass and tell him that [...]
July 12th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
And to add insult to injury, John McCain has called us ‘whiners’….. sheesh… we just can’t win with anyone!!