tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post8470478800201257163..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: SOTUJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-64131080471236170812011-01-27T14:00:13.290-06:002011-01-27T14:00:13.290-06:00@Bijan Parsia
You're right. Thanks for cleari...@Bijan Parsia<br /><br />You're right. Thanks for clearing that up for me.<br /><br />I think of 'Russia' as a European country, whose Asiatic possessions are no more a part of it than British India was a part of Britain. But that's not standard these days, so Obama was right and I was wrong.David Tomlinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-82106224771129310522011-01-27T02:52:34.081-06:002011-01-27T02:52:34.081-06:00David,
Huh. Well, if parsed as "(Countries i...David,<br /><br />Huh. Well, if parsed as "(Countries in Europe) and Russia, which isn't entirely in Europe" then it's correct, right? (Or more likely, the sets are Europe with and without Russia.) It also seems to <a href="http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3794" rel="nofollow">be</a> <a href="http://www.msuglobalaccess.net/geo/countrylist.php" rel="nofollow">used</a> <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_4_countries_in_europe_and_russia_that_use_one_forth_of_there_land_for_tradin" rel="nofollow">elsewhere</a> so maybe is sorta standard?Bijan Parsiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07024418532546914722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-24791828257606480792011-01-26T19:27:23.590-06:002011-01-26T19:27:23.590-06:00I've read a lot of SOTU commentary, and I have...I've read a lot of SOTU commentary, and I haven't seen a single mention of Obama's geographical gaffe - 'Countries in Europe and Russia'. It's remarkably similar to Palin's rumored confusion over whether Africa is a country or a continent. It has gone strangely unremarked.David Tomlinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-78218170600785632782011-01-26T12:30:59.077-06:002011-01-26T12:30:59.077-06:00The speech was a calculated attempt to send a mess...The speech was a calculated attempt to send a message, to wit that the Republic, while not quite flourishing as it ought, is far enough removed from the precipice for ceremonial boilerplate to be the appropriate rhetorical stance.<br /><br />It appears to have succeeded.Davis X. Machinahttp://davisxmachina.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-29046415273471284882011-01-26T09:05:56.379-06:002011-01-26T09:05:56.379-06:00Gosh, I had no problem with the SOTU. Its rhetoric...Gosh, I had no problem with the SOTU. Its rhetorical purpose was to define Obama as the adult supervision in the upcoming congressional food fight, and it did so.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16932015378213238346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-5681270052849236452011-01-26T07:33:54.598-06:002011-01-26T07:33:54.598-06:00In many ways Obama is a terrific President, but I ...In many ways Obama is a terrific President, but I can never shake the impression that he is far too reliant on intellectuals, and last night was no exception. Does anyone else envision Obama giving a directive to his sterling-credentialed speechwriters, to make a compelling case to close America's growing technological achievement gap?<br /><br />One of the smartypants in the room would have pointed out that, in a similar situation, Eisenhower channeled Sputnik to call America to scientific action...'great!' says another, we'll have a "Sputnik moment", and none of the slobs in flyover country will think we're being too clever by half. <br /><br />Even better, says a third, I read that South Korea has better broadband coverage than America, and even though Korea is a tiny, densely populated peninsula with a strong central government, Americans (who live in a nation with vast empty stretches of land and a - relatively - decentralized government) will be as threatened by that development as they were by that first Soviet satellite! (Good one, fellas!)<br /><br />This blog has discussed the impact of staff inexperience on Clinton's early WH years. In a strange way, though, picking outsiders may have been a strength, as it may have avoided the pretentiousness that only intellectuals can muster. Seriously, 'Sputnik moment'? Does anyone imagine a guy like James Carville signing off on that crap?CSHnoreply@blogger.com