Is Obama already planning his re-election ?

[ironsides]

The AVERAGE would know more about Austria than you think. Things like the capital being Vienna and the Danube River running through and it's bordering Germany, Switzerland, Poland and (the old ) Czeckoslavakia.

Yukon Jack, I seriously doubt that the average American knows all this. You do because you are from that part of the world, but don’t judge all North Americans by what you know.

Americans have probably heard the name Vienna, but would be hard pressed to tell you which country it is located in. I doubt many of them will be able to tell you that it is in Austria, they probably know it is somewhere in Europe.

As to Danube running through it and bordering Germany (this one perhaps, many of them have watched Sound of Music), Switzerland, Poland etc.? Forget it.

I remember a while ago they did carry out a test like this, asked Americans several questions to test their general knowledge. It was quite amusing.

Many of them could not tell the ‘God given’ rights mentioned in the constitution, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (at least Al Bundy got two right, life, nudity and pursuit of happiness).

Many of them could not name their Senator, did not know how many Senators in the Senate and so on. You think they would know all this about Austria? Think again.

This subject, I totally agree with you, it is unfortunate that most schools in he U.S. have stopped teaching Geography, History, English. today you don't really see those subjects until college or possibly 11th or 12th grade in some high schools. Regulating Gym/Physical education to one or two days a week if at all. Cutting out the arts and music programs. Today, we are relying to much on others to teach our children and have lost the parental control we once had upon education.

 

[JLM]

I will take a poll today from the locals. I'm guessing that probably 75% will know it's not a language. Granted, we aren't Americans but we are far-right Albertans it should be close enough.

Throughout life I've found it's a big mistake to assume what people know or don't know. You just have no way of telling until you ask them. I've always been aware that Austrian isn't a language and neither is Swiss. Another thing I've learned in life is that a lot of the most knowledgable people are also the most ignorant. :lol::lol: Especially the only who thinks all important knowledge comes from books. One of the more intelligent people I've known had only a grade five FORMAL education.

 

[EagleSmack]

Humm let me see..

I at least give you the link so you can read the full article with date and reference.. Regardless it seems this would be a point if view and since Obama is holding his comments to the same I see nothing to change what I posted earlier. I guess time will tell whether your President is lying or will follow thru on his word.. And of course he would only be spedding up the agreement Bush had already completed..



CTV.ca | Obama visits Baghdad, says Iraq must take over

Obama promised a withdrawl of troops from Iraq and an end to Iraq right up until the Demcrat Primary. Once he secured the ticket he changed his tune and gave no timetable. Now 50,000 troops are going to stay in Iraq indefinitly.

This has nothing to do with Bush and finishing what Bush started and has everything to do with how Obama said HE would do it.

 

[YukonJack]

RE #137.

That quote in italics is not mine.

Anyways, what the general, average population knows or does not know is NOT the issue here.

The real issue is what you try your darnest to avoid, and spin and skirt around, is that the pathetic ignorance displayed by Obama is an embarrassment, which would have been ridiculed by the likes of you, had it been made by Bush.

And there is historical and undeniable proof that you take perverse pleasure in ridiculing conservative Americans (or Canadians, for that matter) for any minor gaffe or misspeak, while dismissing similar gaffes by liberals.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

This subject, I totally agree with you, it is unfortunate that most schools in he U.S. have stopped teaching Geography, History, English. today you don't really see those subjects until college or possibly 11th or 12th grade in some high schools. Regulating Gym/Physical education to one or two days a week if at all. Cutting out the arts and music programs. Today, we are relying to much on others to teach our children and have lost the parental control we once had upon education.

Ironsides, we discussed the same issue in the other forum. There I quoted an Ann Landers column I read several decades ago (in the 70s, when I lived in USA).

A woman had written in to illustrate how ignorant some Americans are. Her family was from Iowa. They went to New York to visit their friends. There somebody asked them where they were from.

The woman replied that they were form Iowa. Back came the reply

“Iowa? Oh yes. Except here we pronounce it as Ohio.

Mind you, I don’t think Canadians are much better. We have only eleven provinces as opposed to your 51 states, so I assume most Canadians will be able to remember the names of most provinces.

However, I wonder how many Canadians will be able to pronounce the name of the most recent province, Nunavut, properly, much less spell it. Or how many Canadians even know that we acquired a new province recently.

 

[JLM]

Ironsides, we discussed the same issue in the other forum. There I quoted an Ann Landers column I read several decades ago (in the 70s, when I lived in USA).

A woman had written in to illustrate how ignorant some Americans are. Her family was from Iowa. They went to New York to visit their friends. There somebody asked them where they were from.

The woman replied that they were form Iowa. Back came the reply

“Iowa? Oh yes. Except here we pronounce it as Ohio.


Mind you, I don’t think Canadians are much better. We have only eleven provinces as opposed to your 51 states, so I assume most Canadians will be able to remember the names of most provinces.

However, I wonder how many Canadians will be able to pronounce the name of the most recent province, Nunavut, properly, much less spell it. Or how many Canadians even know that we acquired a new province recently.

Well, that's pretty close- Iowa is only about three states over from Ohio and both are in the hog and corn belt.

 

[EagleSmack]

RE #137.

That quote in italics is not mine.

Anyways, what the general, average population knows or does not know is NOT the issue here.

The real issue is what you try your darnest to avoid, and spin and skirt around, is that the pathetic ignorance displayed by Obama is an embarrassment, which would have been ridiculed by the likes of you, had it been made by Bush.

And there is historical and undeniable proof that you take perverse pleasure in ridiculing conservative Americans (or Canadians, for that matter) for any minor gaffe or misspeak, while dismissing similar gaffes by liberals.

And believe me, Obama is making and has made PLENTY of gaffes.

Just the other day he bowed down to the King of Saudi Arabia! The President of the US bowing to a King!

In fact... I'm going to start a thread on that.

 

[lone wolf]

How do these people manage to converse with you?

Silence and polite nods....

 

[lone wolf]

And believe me, Obama is making and has made PLENTY of gaffes.

Just the other day he bowed down to the King of Saudi Arabia! The President of the US bowing to a King!

In fact... I'm going to start a thread on that.

Maybe all the defenders of freedom should get together and draw up a strict set of rules a President should live by. Mistakes? They're only for humans. As far as I have seen so far, nobody has been invaded, no economies have failed and nobody has died in any of Obama's faux pas.

 

[EagleSmack]

Maybe all the defenders of freedom should get together and draw up a strict set of rules a President should live by. Mistakes? They're only for humans. As far as I have seen so far, nobody has been invaded, no economies have failed and nobody has died in any of Obama's faux pas.

He has only been in for four months and...

Invasions are continued and the economy continues to fail.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

And believe me, Obama is making and has made PLENTY of gaffes.

Just the other day he bowed down to the King of Saudi Arabia! The President of the US bowing to a King!

In fact... I'm going to start a thread on that.

EagleSmack, there already is a thread on that, I think by Walter. It was mostly greeted with a yawn. But feel free to start another.

 

[lone wolf]

He has only been in for four months and...

Invasions are continued and the economy continues to fail.

Is it the fact that a President actually showed some respect again that piddles in the kibble?

 

[EagleSmack]

EagleSmack, there already is a thread on that, I think by Walter. It was mostly greeted with a yawn. But feel free to start another.

He must have posted at the wrong time then.

Greeted with a yawn by most? Got proof or are you just being you?

 

[ironsides]

This whole thing about President Obama bowing to a monarch is only news because it is the first time a United States President has done it. Next he will be dipping the U.S. Flag to another monarch or flag. It has not happened since out inception of the United States.

 

[lone wolf]

This whole thing about President Obama bowing to a monarch is only news because it is the first time a United States President has done it. Next he will be dipping the U.S. Flag to another monarch or flag. It has not happened since out inception of the United States.

Wow... That's a few firsts then because I doubt if Obama has met a lot of kings before either. Dipping the colours? Bit dramatic isn't it?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

He must have posted at the wrong time then.

Greeted with a yawn by most? Got proof or are you just being you?

It is just being me (objective, dispassionate and brutally frank). The thread has generated 10 posts in two days. By my standards, that is a yawn.

But perhaps you can do better.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

This whole thing about President Obama bowing to a monarch is only news because it is the first time a United States President has done it. Next he will be dipping the U.S. Flag to another monarch or flag. It has not happened since out inception of the United States.

I don’t see what the big deal is. It was a polite, empty gesture signifying nothing, giving away nothing. If it pleases the Muslim world, so much the better.

I would much rather Obama try to please Saudi king with a bow than Harper trying to please Bush by giving him a 1 billion $ propitiation offering in the softwood lumber dispute (as he did when he became the PM, that was one of his first actions), in the hopes of getting into Bush’s good graces.

 

[Cannuck]

14 out of 22 people I asked today knew that Austrian was not a language.

 

[ironsides]

I don’t see what the big deal is. It was a polite, empty gesture signifying nothing, giving away nothing. If it pleases the Muslim world, so much the better.

I would much rather Obama try to please Saudi king with a bow than Harper trying to please Bush by giving him a 1 billion $ propitiation offering in the softwood lumber dispute (as he did when he became the PM, that was one of his first actions), in the hopes of getting into Bush’s good graces.

It is a simple gesture, but you keep forgetting, it does give away ones dignity. I am tired of us or anyone trying to please others before ourselves. You want change, then you have to get the likes of Brian Mulroney back, get rid of Harper. Brian would have never made that timber deal.

 

[JLM]

14 out of 22 people I asked today knew that Austrian was not a language.

That's about what I would have thought, underestimating anyone's knowledge is one of the surest ways of winding up with egg on ones face.