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ETWolverine · Apr 27, 2009, 09:52 AM

“It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup'.”

---------Barack Hussein Obama, July 2008

So far, Obama has visited quite a few countries throughout the world. He has given numerous speeches on a whole host of topics and themes (well, one topic and theme --- that the USA is responsible for all the evils of the world). I have heard quite a few clips of his speeches. And to the best of my knowledge, not a single one of them was in a language other than English. In some cases it was very poor English, but it was English nonetheless.

I'm just wondering when he plans on speaking another language so that he doesn't have to be embarrassed.

Perhaps he should learn to speak Austrian... he won't be embarrassed then.

Yeah. Even aside from the fact of electing the first African American President and whatever one's partisan views this is a guy whose IQ is off the charts...
--- Historian Michael Beschloss, on Imus in the Morning, 11/10/08

Uh huh. Yeah. Right. He's frikkin' brilliant. An IQ that's off the charts, multiligual, and a deep knowledge of foreign cultures.

Elliot

speechlesstx · Apr 27, 2009, 10:24 AM

Yes, Obama is brilliant. No, make that the "superpresident," the president who "rocks and rules," the only man who can send a thrill up Chris Matthews' leg, the guy who can say with deep humility, "I have a gift." As long as he and TOTUS are in sync.

speechlesstx · Apr 27, 2009, 02:47 PM

I'm' sure those of you in NY heard about this brilliant move approved by the White House...

White House apologizes for NYC flyover

President Obama's White House was forced to issue an apology Monday after a photo opportunity gone wrong — an Air Force 747 plane did a low flyover lower Manhattan, prompting terrified citizens to flee from their offices and high-profile accusations of government insensitivity.

White House Military Office director Louis Caldera issued a brief statement.

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," he said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, its clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

The panic started Monday morning when a backup 747 used as Air Force One flew by lower Manhattan with a fighter jet closely following, rattling windows and causing some limited evacuations.

The late afternoon statement came as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — an Obama ally so far — said he was outraged.

A few hours earlier, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had dodged questions about the incident, saying he hadn't followed it closely.

An administration official said the Federal Aviation Administration was informed this would be taking places, and notified Mr. Bloomberg's office on April 22.

The problem was the FAA was told the information was classified and did not alert the press to warn the public.

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer blasted the FAA in a Monday press conference, calling the chain of events "absolutely outrageous and appalling" given the vivid memories New Yorkers still have of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Mr. Schumer said the FAA seems to be "directly responsible for the public panic."

"In New York of all places not to warn the public that one of the largest jets in the country tailed by a fighter jet is going to fly low over their community defies logic and really borders on being either cruel or very very stupid," the New York senator said. "We cannot allow this to happen again."

I'd venture a guess that it was very stupid. But leave it to Schmucky to blame the FAA instead of the White House for telling them to keep it quiet.

Skell · Apr 27, 2009, 04:40 PM

I agree. You guys should change your laws and allow our guy Kevin Rudd to run your country. He speaks fluent Mandarin which makes him a real hit with the Chinese President. All their meetings are held using a majority of Mandarin dialect.
Its about time you guys stopped electing 'dufuses' to the role of running your country. But I suppose that's what you get when it all comes down to who has the most money. You won't agree but your whole election system seems completely flawed to me. But that's a whole other topic.

P.S. Rudd can speak Australian as well. That must be very similar to Austrian? :)

earl237 · Apr 27, 2009, 05:32 PM

I'm from Canada and many people here speak French in Quebec and New Brunswick especially. I never understood why Americans consider it elitist to know French, look at John Kerry in 2004. I've heard it is widely spoken in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Louisiana so what is wrong with a politician knowing French? Most European leaders know English.

speechlesstx · Apr 28, 2009, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by earl237

I'm from Canada and many people here speak French in Quebec and New Brunswick especially. I never understood why Americans consider it elitist to know French, look at John Kerry in 2004. I've heard it is widely spoken in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Louisiana so what is wrong with a politician knowing French? Most European leaders know English.

Nothing wrong with knowing French, I took two years myself. It's more an issue of knowing "the French." :D

NeedKarma · Apr 28, 2009, 05:36 AM

Je reviens justement d'une exposition de 4 jours complètement en français. C'est un atout très important d'être bilingue. C'est le pourquoi que j'ai eu une promotion dernièment. Je me considère chanceux d'avoir voyager un peu autour du monde et rencontrer des gens de toutes sortes de cultures et qui parlent toutes sortent de langues variés - cela m'a appris que nous sommes vraiment pareil autour du monde.

tomder55 · Apr 28, 2009, 05:54 AM

It's just that those French have a different word for everything (Steve Martin)

excon · Apr 28, 2009, 06:30 AM

Hello again,

This post again shows how much the right DOESN'T understand diplomacy, OR the world. They think it's about photo ops, and bows and smiles and stupid crap like that. They think it's about "shock and awe", belligerence and telling the world what to do.

Good thing Obama ain't like that.

excon

ETWolverine · Apr 28, 2009, 06:37 AM

There's no problem with knowing French. It happens to be a very pretty language, and the country happens to be a beautiful country. France would be such a nice place if not for the French.

BTW, did you know that the French city of Nice is pronounced "NEESE"? THat's because there's no word for "nice" in French.

And have you seen the new French battle flag? A white circle on a white background.

In the old days, British military officers used to wear red coats so that if they were wounded, the blood wouldn't show and demoralize the troops. The French military officers wear brown pants.

Nevertheless, putting the French aside for the moment (I wish we could put them aside forever) what I have an issue with is not whether someone learns to speak French or not.

It is the idea that speaking multiple languages somehow makes one a better, more worldly person. And the idea that if you don't speak multiple languages, it's because you are too arrogant and/or too stupid. And that those who travel to other countries but do not speak those languages are an embarrassment.

And all this coming from a guy who doesn't even know that Austrians speak German, not "Austrian".

THAT's what I have issues with.

I happen to speak three languages to varying degrees. But I do not believe that someone who travels abroad and DOESN'T speak a foreign language is "an embarassment".

I DO believe that a President who claims polyglots as the elite but is not himself a polyglot is a fool.

BTW, George Bush spoke Spanish. Bush actually gave speeches in Spanish. Since I don't speak Spanish at all, I have no idea whether he's good at it or not. But the fact that Bush did so puts him one up on Obama by Obama's own standards.

Elliot

tomder55 · Apr 28, 2009, 06:38 AM

Good thing Obama ain't like that.

If that is so then why didn't Obama speak French when he conducted a faux town hall meeting in France during his apology tour ?

ETWolverine · Apr 28, 2009, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Hello again,

This post again shows how much the right DOESN'T understand diplomacy, OR the world. They think it's about photo ops, and bows and smiles and stupid crap like that. They think it's about "shock and awe", belligerence and telling the world what to do.

Good thing Obama ain't like that.

excon

All right, Mr. Expert. What exactly is diplomacy about? If it ain't about photo ops and bows and smiles and stupid crap like that, why does Obama spend so much time doing those things?

FYI, excon, diplomacy IS about telling the world what to do... in as polite but firm a manner as possible. It is also about dealing with those nations that disagree so that we don't come to blows over the disagreement. And when diplomacy fails, that's when the military steps in.

But the topic of this post ain't diplomacy. It's the fact that Obama, is claiming that all Americans should be polyglots or else be embarrassments to the Nation... while at the same time being capable of only a single language himself. (And not particularly good that that language either... he gets "I" and "me" screwed up all the time.) In essence, the topic is about Obama's hypocrisy and double standards.

Elliot

tomder55 · Apr 28, 2009, 06:47 AM

Squanderer in chief - Los Angeles Times

tomder55 · Apr 28, 2009, 06:59 AM

White House apologizes for NYC flyover

Guess it never occurred to them that NYers would be sensitive to low flying planes around our iconic sites.

Maybe the President was going to use the photo op as backdrop to explain to us NYers how to save energy... you know... proper inflation of tires... places to construct windmills etc.

ETWolverine · Apr 28, 2009, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by tomder55

Guess it never occured to them that NYers would be sensitive to low flying planes around our iconic sites.

Maybe the President was going to use the photo op as backdrop to explain to us NYers how to save energy ....you know......proper inflation of tires .....places to construct windmills etc.

Wait a second. The Obama White House apologized for something... and there was no foreign head of state in attendance?

How novel.

Elliot

tomder55 · Apr 28, 2009, 07:31 AM

This post again shows how much the right DOESN'T understand diplomacy, OR the world. They think it's about photo ops, and bows and smiles and stupid crap like that. They think it's about "shock and awe", belligerence and telling the world what to do.

Sarkozy: Obama Weak, Inexperienced and Badly Briefed - The Page by Mark Halperin - TIME.com

excon · Apr 28, 2009, 07:43 AM

Hello tom:

Since when did you rightwingers care what the French think?? Oh, I got it. When they agree with YOU, the French are cool. Otherwise, not. Doncha think you look a little hypocritical? Nahh, you don't.

excon

speechlesstx · Apr 28, 2009, 08:00 AM

It's not just the French, seems a good bit of Europe is not so enamored with Obama's foreign policy. As Glenn Reynolds says, "they told me that if I voted for John McCain, we’d continue to alienate our allies through diplomatic arrogance. And they were right!"

ETWolverine · Apr 28, 2009, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by excon

Hello tom:

Since when did you rightwingers care what the French think??? Oh, I got it. When they agree with YOU, the French are cool. Otherwise, not. Doncha think you look a little hypocritical? Nahh, you don't.

excon

Nah... the French are NEVER cool. But based on the law of averages, they have to occasionally get something correct by mistake. Even a broken watch is right twice a day.

galveston · Apr 28, 2009, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by ETWolverine

So far, Obama has visited quite a few countries throughout the world. He has given numerous speeches on a whole host of topics and themes (well, one topic and theme --- that the USA is responsible for all the evils of the world). I have heard quite a few clips of his speeches. And to the best of my knowledge, not a single one of them was in a language other than English. In some cases it was very poor English, but it was English nonetheless.

I'm just wondering when he plans on speaking another language so that he doesn't have to be embarrassed.

Perhaps he should learn to speak Austrian... he won't be embarrased then.

Uh huh. Yeah. Right. He's frikkin' brilliant. An IQ that's off the charts, multiligual, and a deep knowledge of foreign cultures.

Elliot

Yeah. Not bad for a Kenyan.