Donald Rummsfeld~Wally of the year for the following quote!

[Swing This!]

..."As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know..."

[felixcharlock]

here's a couple of contenders from idiot savant manchild george w. bush...

"As you notice, when there's a hole in the ground and a person is able to crawl into it in a country the size of California, it means we're on a scavenger hunt for terror, and find these terrorists who hide in holes is to get people coming forth to describe the location of the hole, is to give clues and data. And we're on it."

"I think war is a very dangerous place."

"I appreciate people's opinions, but I'm more interested in news. And the best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what's happening in the world."

"Security is the essential roadblock to acheiving the road map to peace."

be afraid.

be very afraid.

[Manouche]

..."As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know..."

My collegues at the Radio4 website have had a tribute to Rumsfeldian pearls of wisdom for a while now at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/bh/rumsfeld.shtml
Here you can hear the above quote and many others, I quite like "..I didnt say Iraq!"

[djangology]

i'd like to see any of you guys talk for 12 hours a day and not say anything wrong... lets be realistic here. its not Bush that you should be scared of. you should be scared of nothing less than the entirety of the American people, driven by money, mindlessly affecting the world. most of all, everyone is this world should be scared of "themselves" because, if you were living as Americans, you would be doing and thinking the same things. its all about greed and "EVERYONE" has got it. its NOT exclusive to american peoples. if its not greed because you HAVE the money, it its greed because you WANT the money. on the flipside you would be probably be saying the same STUPID things AND by comments such as these, in a way, you and the rest of the world actually are.

[Plowboy]

:D

here's a couple of contenders from idiot savant manchild george w. bush...

...be afraid.

be very afraid.

I'll say,,,he apt to go "nukular" on that ass!

[nwilkins]

okay, I'll bite. The "be very afraid" statement clearly means that we should be scared that people who often seem so very dumb have so much power. I would totally disagree with the statement that EVERYONE is driven by greed and a desire for money. I think Djangology is underestimating the intelligence of many people (including Americans) by saying this. Although overconsumption is highest in America (and pretty high in Canada), and most of the developed world consumes far more than its proportion of resources, but there are people everywhere who are working to change this.

I don't understand this comment: "if you were living as Americans, you would be doing and thinking the same things" Surely all Americans don't think and do the same things? Not every American likes George Bush - he wasn't even elected by the majority of voters.

[djangology]

I am mostly just talking for the fun of debate and a little bit of devils advocate.

What I meant by that is that if randomly selected persons outside of the US came to the US and took our place instead, then their combined diversity of thought and opinion would add up to the same diversity of thought and opinion that currently exists (aside from migration of culture which would change things obviously). Its obvious that there is diverse opinion and thought in the US, and more so than any other country, but its the combined effect of how everyone thinks and acts that creates the net effect that the US has on the world. Just because you live in a different country doesn't mean that the way you think is any healthier or better. Americans have good intentions on the most part, just like every one else in the world.

The problem is that the US cannot be controlled "economically", especially by one person such as Bush or 500 people such as Congress. The US is "pushing" on the international world due to the combined effect of the entire culture and the combined affect of a few million persons who have money and interest "outside" of the US, which in turn the US thinks that it has to protect, which is where I begin to disagree. I think that if anyone in our country wants to risk international business then its not the internal governments job to protect them, but in fact the US seems to think so, probably because corporations pay off politicians with bribes. Corporations "push" for increase in size of the military and then "use" it to protect their own interests abroad. I wish they would just spend taxpayer money domestically and then let international interests work themselves out independently or with cooperation with foreign governments on their own.

Too much to cover on this subject. I will stop here but go ahead and give the final few words if you like.

[Northern-Neil]

...I thought this was the 'humour' section?

[Swing This!]

...I thought this was the 'humour' section?

Well, it sure used to be...don't think that Djangology quite knows what "Taking the Piss" means, maybe he needs some more examples?!?

[djangology]

despite being completely off-topic, i definitely thought the opening comment on this thread was funny but I had to step in when I saw potential for things to get out of hand. there is a difference between just being "funny" and then ganging up against my country...

as you all are discovering, I will just come out with it and say what I think rather than be a "lurker"... its no big deal, i'm just "pissing" back and I love all you guys regardless of what you say, so don't feel like you can't say stuff back at me... my opinion is just mine and not anyone elses.

[felixcharlock]

I think you need to lighten up a little, Djangology, my friend. This is 'taking the piss'--not 'Hardball' or 'Frontline' or some shite... Perhaps a few more quotes from our beloved leader are required to insure enlightenment.

These quotes are verbatim, by the way...as difficult as that is to believe. Without furthur ado, I introduce, poet laureate, George W. Bush:

"My trip to Asia begins here in Japan for an important reason. It begins here because for a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times."

"They misunderestimated me."

"It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet."

"More and more of our imports are coming from overseas."

"I recently met with the finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, and was very impressed by his grasp of finances."

"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."

"And we'll be tough and resolute as we unite, to make sure freedom stands, to rout out evil, to say to our children and grandchildren, we were bold enough to act, without tiring, so that you can live in a great land and in a peaceful world.... And there's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail."

"I had a cordial meeting at that meeting last night. We greeted each other, cordially."

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"

"You know, if you find a person that you've never seen before getting in a cropduster that doesn't belong to you, report it."

"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."



Happy New Year Everybody

Jesse

[djangology]

i don't understand how posting a bunch of quips from someone else somehow makes you guys experts on humor as compared to me. i am certainly more humorous than you. the proof is in the fact that your probably laughing right now at what I am saying.

if you came up with something funny of your own then I might laugh, but I dont find the humor in disrespecting a important political figure. i could WASTE peoples time and plaidgerize "cute" remarks from the internet all day long if I wanted to, but I don't.

[Plowboy]

..."As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know..."

To get back to the premiere post in this thread....I can honestly say that I actually understand what Rummy's saying. In fact, I wonder why he never covered the other permutation/combination of known/unknown...
unknown knowns. Of course that would be people's religious and/or political beliefs (known to the individual but usually better unknown to others).

Hmmmm? Undertanding Rumsfeld--a lifelong bureaucrat? Should I find that humorous or should I be very, very afraid?
Do I have a future in politics? As a bureaucrat, perhaps? I wonder.

[Plowboy]

"They misunderestimated me."

In fairness to G Dub, Jesse, this particular malapropism was intentional on his part. Just a little self-deprecating humor.
Say what you will about the man, he can laugh at himself. And I guess that means it's ok if we do, too, 'ology.

(My bet is that he knows what the definition of "is" is, also....hmmmm...on second thought --bet's off)

[djangology]

well, one thing that I love to debate happens to be politics and it got the best of me this time. sorry about having that not very well placed "political moment". its time to drink some champagne and wake up in the morning in a new year, which I am beginning to feel will be a good one, full of jazz and swing.