We think we know what he means. But we don't know

Quack Handle

[quote:post_uid0]Rumsfeld Ramble Wins UK 'Foot in Mouth' Award
Mon Dec 1,12:20 PM ET Add Politics to My Yahoo!



LONDON (Reuters) - A comment last year by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the hunt for Iraq (news - web sites)'s weapons of mass destruction was awarded the "Foot in Mouth" prize Monday by Britain's Plain English Campaign.


Reuters Photo


Related Links
• The Foot in Mouth Award (Plain English Campaign)



Rumsfeld, renowned for his uncompromising tough talking, received the prize for the most baffling comment by a public figure.


"Reports that say something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know," Rumsfeld told a news briefing.


"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."


John Lister, spokesman for the campaign, which strives to have public information delivered in clear, straightforward English, said: "We think we know what he means. But we don't know if we really know."


Although Rumsfeld's comments were made at a news briefing in February 2002, they were nominated for this year's award.


Rumsfeld, whose boss, President Bush (news - web sites), is often singled out by language critics for his sometimes unusual use of English, defeated actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) for the booby prize.


"I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman," the new California governor said.
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Silly Americans... ::xmas::

Drunksader

Yes, because Tony Blair is the master orator of our generation. You = teh winnar.

Quack Handle

oo touchy, touchy. :0

::xmas::

Drunksader

Not touchy at all - it's just hysterical how you love going after America when your own country has more than its own share of idiocies. Like soccer.

Quack Handle

lol how was I attacking America? Plus I only live in the UK, doesn't make me somehow connected with it emotionally or anything or responsible for anything. I just thought this piece of news was Amusing, and "Soccer" as you call it, is the most widely played sport in the world, and the most watched.

::spinoff::

Drunksader

Oh it's amusing, but your "Silly Americans" comment on the end of it is just one of a long string of the jabs you take at the US. Which is fine - you're entitled to your opinion. Just realize that regardless of whether you like it or not, you are in part defined by where you live and the culture of the nation that you've been brought up in, so you cannot deny a connection to the UK. My point is that if you're going to take a shot or poke fun at idiots in America (or if America isn't the sh*t in "int'l sports" but let's not get back into that), just realize that there are just as many in the UK, yet few if any people on the board feel the need to bring it up on such a consistent basis. You're just trolling - you're looking to start something.

Randy Orton

WC's Resident Alchoholic

i agree with drunksader

IRALB

[quote:post_uid0="Drunksader"]Not touchy at all - it's just hysterical how you love going after America when your own country has more than its own share of idiocies. Like soccer.[/quote:post_uid0]
Soccer is an artform of a sport, only the ignorant fail to see that. When there's no contact or constant back and forth "excitement" it sucks right?

Drunksader

[quote:post_uid0="I*Ride*A*Little*Bike"][quote:post_uid0="Drunksader"]Not touchy at all - it's just hysterical how you love going after America when your own country has more than its own share of idiocies. Like soccer.[/quote:post_uid0]
Soccer is an artform of a sport, only the ignorant fail to see that. When there's no contact or constant back and forth "excitement" it sucks right?[/quote:post_uid0]
It was a joke - see DDG and I's debate over the nuances of the sport in the post of how America is so bad at "international" sports. I'm not going to rehash it here.

Dr. Giganto

Does anyone remember the Deion Sanders commercial where they showed him playing a bunch of sports, and when he was playing soccer he picked up the ball and started running with it. then, when the ref gave him a yellow card, he pulled out a pen and autographed it? That was hilarious