Bush says all's fair in the war on terror

[bascule]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/11/08/BL2005110800679.html

 

Our country is at war, and our government has the obligation to protect the American people. The executive branch has the obligation to protect the American people; the legislative branch has the obligation to protect the American people.

 

Broop broop, this is the rhetoric police. You're under arrest for epistrophe abuse.

 

And we are aggressively doing that. We are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice. We are gathering information about where the terrorists may be hiding. We are trying to disrupt their plots and plans. Anything we do to that effort, to that end, in this effort, any activity we conduct, is within the law. We do not torture.

 

So as long as the cause is fighting the war on terror, Bush is convinced that we can do no wrong. Yikes.

[timo]

So as long as the cause is fighting the war on terror, Bush is convinced that we can do no wrong. Yikes.

I´m not a native english speaker so correct me if I´m wrong: Isn´t he saying that all actions taken were according to the law instead of saying that everything they do was ok because it´s for a "good cause"? My reading of the passage you provided is the former while your comment on it seems to imply the latter.

[LucidDreamer]

I´m not a native english speaker so correct me if I´m wrong: Isn´t he saying that all actions taken were according to the law instead of saying that everything they do was ok because it´s for a "good cause"? My reading of the passage you provided is the former while your comment on it seems to imply the latter.

It can be interpreted either way. I'm hoping, for all our sakes, that he meant it in your interpretation.

[Pangloss]

Broop, broop, it's the logical fallacy police! (grin)

 

[Severian]

I´m not a native english speaker so correct me if I´m wrong: Isn´t he saying that all actions taken were according to the law instead of saying that everything they do was ok because it´s for a "good cause"? My reading of the passage you provided is the former while your comment on it seems to imply the latter.

 

That is the inperpretation that I would made.

[timo]

^^ Which of both?

 

And in case my point didn´t become clear before: I don´t think it´s a good idea to judge people on one´s assumptions of what they might have wanted to say rather than on what they actually did say.

[bascule]

Broop, broop, it's the logical fallacy police! (grin)

 

It's not a strawman if what Dubya says is so assrapingly retarded I can't decipher what it's supposed to mean.

 

"to that effort, to that end, in this effort"? What the hell?

[Pangloss]

It's a legitimate opinion. But it's logically invalid to draw the conclusion that because he says things like "we have an obligation to defend our people" and "we are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice", that therefore he means that "we can do no wrong". When did you stop beating your wife, bascule?

 

It's also politically correct. The proof of that is that if you turn it around and use that reasoning on other world leaders (Jacque Chirac?), you'd be challenged and taken to task.

[bascule]

The proof of that is that if you turn it around and use that reasoning on other world leaders (Jacque Chirac?), you'd be challenged and taken to task.

 

Jacques Chirac is an asshole and a terrorist supporter...

[Pangloss]

Two wrongs don't make a right, basc. I was addressing a larger issue than your personal opinion.

[Royston]

Jacques Chirac is an asshole and a terrorist supporter...

 

I'd be interested to hear your argument supporting this statement.

[bascule]

I'd be interested to hear your argument supporting this statement.

 

It's a comment I'll happily rescind as I'd rather not waste my time and yours defending it. It was made in an attempt not to be stimeyed by "Why do you oppose the actions of this leader but not that one?" baiting. I'm obviously more concerned with my domestic leaders who have more of an effect on my life...

 

Anyway...

[Pangloss]

I'm not baiting you, bascule, and I'm not using two wrongs to make a right. I'm simply pointing out that there is a double standard and a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to popular opinion about George Bush. I think it's a valid opinion and we should simply, respectully agree to disagree on it.

[Douglas]

Jacques Chirac is an asshole ..

Agreed

[bascule]

It's a legitimate opinion. But it's logically invalid to draw the conclusion that because he says things like "we have an obligation to defend our people" and "we are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice", that therefore he means that "we can do no wrong". When did you stop beating your[/i'] wife, bascule?

 

You might find this funny, but I legitimately misinterpreted what the man was saying. As a self-agrandizing intellectual I guess I just have more trouble parsing his "down to earth" blather. You have to cut me some slack; the man simply has severe issues properly expressing himself in spoken language.

 

I mean, seriously, "Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." What the f***?

[H W Copeland]

My Grandmother used to say that "everything looks yellow to a jaunticed eye.":rolleyes:

[Pangloss]

Oh I'll cut anybody slack just for the askin' -- I'm just that kind of guy. (grin)

 

Bush is definitely not the smoothest-talking politician around. I think we'd all agree that that's not the most important qualification of an elected official, but I can understand that the specifics that come outta that particular pie-hole make people a little nervous sometimes.

[bascule]

I just wonder if the textbook use of epistorophe was Bush's own doing or that of a speechwriter (the latter being much more likely), in which case why was there so much ambiguity in the speech to begin with? Lousy speechwriters? Poor delivery?

[Douglas]

You might find this funny, but I legitimately misinterpreted what the man was saying. ***?

The thing that's interesting bascule, is that "misinterpretation" is a product of what people want to believe.........I too, am guilty.