SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English, they will learn English. You need to make sure your child can speak Spanish.

``I agree that immigrants should learn English,'' Obama said. ``But instead of worrying about whether immigrants can learn English _ they'll learn English _ you need to make sure your child can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language.''

Obama's statement was clumsy, but he does have a point, We are worrying about whether or not illegal immigrants are speaking English while countries like China and India are making sure their kids are learning two, three and four languages. His point is we live in a global economy and it is important that our kids learn to speak other languages.

But, yeah, the way he said it won't fly well in the fly-over states.

erik Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ``I agree that immigrants should learn English,''
> Obama said. ``But instead of worrying about
> whether immigrants can learn English _ they'll
> learn English _ you need to make sure your child
> can speak Spanish. You should be thinking about
> how can your child become bilingual. We should
> have every child speaking more than one
> language.''

The reason most Euros speak two languages (their own plus English) is because English is the international language. Spanish is not.

Obama is clearly pandering to those who want to force the US to become a bilingual nation in order to accomodate the hordes of illegal aliens who would flood in under his presidency.

Can we concoct an even dumber non-issue?

hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation: \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\
Function: noun
Definition: A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

So here is what Senator Obama said:

"Instead of worrying whether immigrants can learn English — they’ll learn English — you need to make sure YOUR KIDS CAN SPEAK SPANISH."

And here is what Obama does:

Neither Barry (Obama), his wife, OR HIS CHILDREN speak Spanish . . .

. . . Any questions?

I've heard John McCain make alot of comments about the healthcare system. As far as I know, he's never worked in the medical profession. Does that make him a hypocrite, too?

USMC_sniper77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Neither Barry (Obama), his wife, OR HIS CHILDREN
> speak Spanish . . .
>
> . . . Any questions?


Neither George W. Bush nor Dick Cheney ever saw a day of combat, yet they sent our troops to war.

Any questions?

USMC_Sniper77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Obama is clearly pandering to those who want to
> force the US to become a bilingual nation in order
> to accomodate the hordes of illegal aliens who
> would flood in under his presidency.

If you really believe this, I'll have a hard time taking any of your opinions seriously.

It's just alot of dumbed-down fearmongering aimed at people who are too ignorant or indifferent to understand legitimate issues. It's what you do when you are angry that you no longer have a point people are interested in hearing.

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's just alot of dumbed-down fearmongering aimed
> at people who are too ignorant or indifferent to
> understand legitimate issues. It's what you do
> when you are angry that you no longer have a point
> people are interested in hearing.


Unfortunately the way Obama said it was stupid and the RNC machine is going to use it to scare dumbass rednecks who have lost their homes, jobs, health insurance and sons because of RNC policies into voting for Republicans.

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TheMeeper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's just alot of dumbed-down fearmongering
> aimed
> > at people who are too ignorant or indifferent
> to
> > understand legitimate issues. It's what you do
> > when you are angry that you no longer have a
> point
> > people are interested in hearing.
>
>
> Unfortunately the way Obama said it was stupid and
> the RNC machine is going to use it to scare
> dumbass rednecks who have lost their homes, jobs,
> health insurance and sons because of RNC policies
> into voting for Republicans.


As a veteran and a American (or for your liberal democrats A REDNECK DUMBASS) that has served and fought for this country i do not need nor want a president that panders to any group black, white, or purple that are not supposed to be here in the first place.

>> A REDNECK DUMBASS


+1

Liberal Democrat = Homosexual, Illegal immigrant, Baby killers.

I would rather be dumb

USMC_sinper77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Liberal Democrat = Homosexual, Illegal immigrant,
> Baby killers.
>
> I would rather be dumb


LOL!!!


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

USMC_sinper77 Wrote:
>>> I would rather be dumb


It certainly seems like you've already attained that goal.

;



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2010 01:19PM by inkahootz.

USMC_sniper77-

Your posts are making the point for me. You, and people like you, are voting against your own self-interest. Since 1980, only one President has been a Democrat, yet those issues you appear to be most concerned about - illegal immigrants, homosexuality and baby killers (I assume you mean abortion doctors) have flourished under the Reagan and Bush regimes. At the same time, the Bush Administration is cutting VA benefits like nobody's business.

You are clueless.

I don't think there was anything stupid or clumsy about the way Obama made the point. It's true--it IS embarassing. My wife is European and we just spent a couple of weeks in Europe visiting her family. All the members of her family speak multiple languages. When we all get together they all have to switch to English to accomodate me. Not only that, but when we have traveled to other countries where they don't speak the language they have a much easier time picking up a few key phrases and the local accent.

And by the way, I think somebody who isn't bilingual and who understands accutely how uncomfortable you can feel when traveling abroad is the perfect person to make the point. Imagine if John Kerry, who speaks fluent French, had "lectured" us all on the importance of learning a foreign language. You fucking idiot Republicans won't be satisfied until you've dumbed down the entire culture to your level.

Dude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My wife is European and we just
> spent a couple of weeks in Europe visiting her
> family. All the members of her family speak
> multiple languages. When we all get together they
> all have to switch to English to accomodate me.

That sounds like a tragedy of truly epic proportions!


> You fucking idiot Republicans
> won't be satisfied until you've dumbed down the
> entire culture to your level.

You're making me nostalgic for the good old days, before the Reagan administration, when most Americans spoke at least three languages.

Nobody referred to it as a tragedy, you dolt. I said it is is embarassing--and it is. If you prefer to believe that Americans are better off remaining ignorant of other cultures and languages then, by all means, don't bother educating your children beyond the basic readin', writin', and arithemetic. I'm sure they'll thank you one day.

You can't compare the U.S. to Europe with regards to languages spoken. Europeans can go from one country to another with a different language the way we go from one state to another. Hence, knowing multiple languages is of a much greater benefit to them than it is for anyone here.

The point is that he was and is pandering to illegal immigrants. I do agree that the speech was an elitist diatribe on how we don’t culture our children with riches of third world languages. However, if you think that sound byte that got out was not the message he wanted the illegal’s to hear then you don’t understand politics. He will do anything to get Hispanic votes to include pandering to communist illegal immigration groups like LA Raza.

http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=dc31ca4b-69ef-494c-ada6-5f19d6c10f5d&rss=tick

McCain was the one that led the drive last year to give amnesty to illegals.

You don't have a problem with that?

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> McCain was the one that led the drive last year to
> give amnesty to illegals.
>
> You don't have a problem with that?

I am an independent. However if I had to choose between a shit sandwich (Obama) and a shit salad (McCain), I'll take the salad. I wanted to vote for Obama, but his liberal elitist stances make me fear the ultimate! That US will turn in to one large flaming San Francisco.

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> USMC_sniper77-
>
> Your posts are making the point for me. You, and
> people like you, are voting against your own
> self-interest. Since 1980, only one President has
> been a Democrat, yet those issues you appear to be
> most concerned about - illegal immigrants,
> homosexuality and baby killers (I assume you mean
> abortion doctors) have flourished under the Reagan
> and Bush regimes. At the same time, the Bush
> Administration is cutting VA benefits like
> nobody's business.
>
> You are clueless.

I'm clueless! Who’s talking about tithe bush administration? Keep up junior. Is it a FU Forum thing to point out irrelevant history about opposing parties from the 90’s? Is this how we make arguments for a current presidential hopeful? Do me a favor and check out debating for dummies.

usmc_sniper77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TheMeeper Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > McCain was the one that led the drive last year
> to
> > give amnesty to illegals.
> >
> > You don't have a problem with that?
>
> I am an independent. However if I had to choose
> between a shit sandwich (Obama) and a shit salad
> (McCain), I'll take the salad. I wanted to vote
> for Obama, but his liberal elitist stances make me
> fear the ultimate! That US will turn in to one
> large flaming San Francisco.


And how do you believe that would happen? What process would a President Barack Obama need to put into place to turn everyone gay? I'm interested. I hear this stuff all of the time, but there is absolutely no way anyone's policies are going to turn the U.S. into "one large flaming San Francisco."

You really sound like an idiot when you make comments like that.

When he says he fears the ultimate, I think he really fears that the day is coming when ignorant white trash are forever marginalized in our society. Right now they somehow get this moniker that they are "real Americans", when really they represent the foulest people this country has to offer. Pretty soon they'll no longer enjoy that automatic sense of entitlement, and it scares them to think they'll be the bottom of the food chain. Why else cry "elitism"? Because they'll be on the losing end of things.

it just keeps getting better...


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Attachments:

I am American, but not white. It's very odd for an American hating Liberal to be so racist and narrow minded. Hopefully soon, if you get your liberal president you can smoke all these illusions away LEGALLY! The good news is that Julio will have no fear of persecution as he smuggles it across what was our border. This should cut the cost.

lol, like I said anything racist. lmao

usmc_sniper77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am American, but not white. It's very odd for
> an American hating Liberal to be so racist and
> narrow minded. Hopefully soon, if you get your
> liberal president you can smoke all these
> illusions away LEGALLY! The good news is that
> Julio will have no fear of persecution as he
> smuggles it across what was our border. This
> should cut the cost.


I think Obama is right. Your kids...or grandkids,..should learn Spanish. Based on your level of education, they will undoubtedly be working for a Spanish-speaking restaurant manager, mechanic or construction foreman at some point in their lives.

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
when ignorant
> white trash are forever marginalized in our
> society.

Last time i checked white is a race.

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I think Obama is right.


That’s a fun game. Lets se elf I can play. This statement alone tells me without question your level of education, your sexual preference, and your race. So the next time approach your drive threw joto assume I want fries with that. Also, no I don’t want to super size it for 30 cents more.

White trash is a social class, not a race, ya dummy.

Ever fill out a govt. form that had a checkbox for "White trash" listed as one of the races?

Or, ever hear a cop say "the suspect is a 30 to 40 year old white trash, last seen heading east on route 7"?

Of course not because it is not a race.

lmao

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> White trash is a social class, not a race, ya
> dummy.
>
> Ever fill out a govt. form that had a checkbox for
> "White trash" listed as one of the races?
>
> Or, ever hear a cop say "the suspect is a 30 to 40
> year old white trash, last seen heading east on
> route 7"?
>
> Of course not because it is not a race.
>
> lmao

Lazy Blacks, dirty Hispanic, and cheap Jew are now, according to you not racially offensive statements? Or does your logic only apply to whites?

I would never use those terms because I wouldn't want to sound like some stupid redneck.

This thread makes me think of the movie 'Idiocracy'!!!!!LOL


New FU hall of fame quote; "I would rather be dumb" (USMC Sniper)

TheMeeper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> White trash is a social class, not a race, ya
> dummy.
>
> Ever fill out a govt. form that had a checkbox for
> "White trash" listed as one of the races?
>
> Or, ever hear a cop say "the suspect is a 30 to 40
> year old white trash, last seen heading east on
> route 7"?

So, if I understand you correctly, anyone should be able to use the term "dumb black" and not be termed a racist since it's a "social class." Is that correct?

If a radio personality used the term "dumb black" you know as well as I do that the "Reverend's" Jesse and Al would be hovering and waiting to attack. But if the same personality used the term "white trash" who would stand up or oppose that statement? No one would, because I have heard the term "white trash" thrown around for years and I'm tired of hearing it. It amy not be "racist" by your logic but the undertones are certainly there because it only applies to whites.

It's a one way street and you know it.


>
> Of course not because it is not a race.
>
> lmao

SBS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can't compare the U.S. to Europe with regards
> to languages spoken. Europeans can go from one
> country to another with a different language the
> way we go from one state to another. Hence,
> knowing multiple languages is of a much greater
> benefit to them than it is for anyone here.



This is precisely correct. Due to the size of our nation, the fact that English truly is the internationallanguage of business (pilots and ATC are even required to use it in every nation, even foriegn carriers) and the fact that we are separated by entire oceans from most non-English speaking nations this is the main reason Americans in general are not multi-lingual. We can't just hop on the high speed train and be in 3 or 4 different countries in the same day like they can in Europe, either.

>> It's a one way street and you know it


It's called "being in the majority" so I'm not gonna complain about it.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
and the fact that we are
> separated by entire oceans from most non-English
> speaking nations this is the main reason Americans
> in general are not multi-lingual.

There's an ocean between us and Mexico????

Forget foreign languages. Our schools need to teach more Geography!!

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> American without a hyphen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> and the fact that we are
> > separated by entire oceans from most
> non-English
> > speaking nations this is the main reason
> Americans
> > in general are not multi-lingual.
>
> There's an ocean between us and Mexico????
>
> Forget foreign languages. Our schools need to
> teach more Geography!!


LOL +1

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> American without a hyphen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> and the fact that we are
> > separated by entire oceans from most
> non-English
> > speaking nations this is the main reason
> Americans
> > in general are not multi-lingual.
>
> There's an ocean between us and Mexico????
>
> Forget foreign languages. Our schools need to
> teach more Geography!!


Perhaps you didn't read it correctly. Take another look. It says "MOST" non-English speaking nations.

inkahootz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WashingToneLocian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > American without a hyphen Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > and the fact that we are
> > > separated by entire oceans from most
> > non-English
> > > speaking nations this is the main reason
> > Americans
> > > in general are not multi-lingual.
> >
> > There's an ocean between us and Mexico????
> >
> > Forget foreign languages. Our schools need to
> > teach more Geography!!
>
>
> LOL +1

You, too.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Perhaps you didn't read it correctly. Take another
> look. It says "MOST" non-English speaking
> nations.


Technically speaking, isn't virtually every country "separated by entire oceans from most non-English speaking countries?" That doesn't seem like a very good rationale to me.

Note to self: Never attempt to rationalize with irrational people.

In true FFU know-it-all form, rather than just admit, "yeah, I misread your statement" and move on, you need to put some other spin on something you know is true.

WashingToneLocian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Technically speaking, isn't virtually every
> country "separated by entire oceans from most
> non-English speaking countries?" That doesn't seem
> like a very good rationale to me.

Nope....http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeography/a/englishcountry.htm

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Note to self: Never attempt to rationalize with
> irrational people.
>
> In true FFU know-it-all form, rather than just
> admit, "yeah, I misread your statement" and move
> on, you need to put some other spin on something
> you know is true.


I didn't misread your statement. I chose to lampoon your foolishness. And what I said wasn't "spin" when it is technically correct. Your assertion was imbecilic.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WashingToneLocian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Technically speaking, isn't virtually every
> > country "separated by entire oceans from most
> > non-English speaking countries?" That doesn't
> seem
> > like a very good rationale to me.
>
> Nope....http://geography.about.com/od/politicalgeo
> graphy/a/englishcountry.htm


God, you are stupid.

Let me explain it to you.

India.

The Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean separate India from most non-English speaking nations. Same goes for China. And Japan. And Brazil. And any other country you can name, you dolt!

Foolishness?

Did you even bother to take a look at the list I provided of 59 nations where English is either the official or predominant language?

I'm through arguing semantics with you.

Go listen to Mike O'Meara or something.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Foolishness?
>
> Did you even bother to take a look at the list I
> provided of 59 nations where English is either the
> official or predominant language?
>
> I'm through arguing semantics with you.
>
> Go listen to Mike O'Meara or something.


I thought your argument was that the U.S. is separated by the ocean from most non-English-speaking countries. Why the hell are you posting a list of English-speaking countries? Did you get shrapnel in your head while in "The Nam," Lt. Dan?

Let me try and recap this for you since you aren't quite following.

I first made a statement that said due to the size of our country and the fact that we are separated from most non-English speaking countries by oceans most Americans are not multi-lingual.

You then chimed in and made the absured assertion that I said that Mexico was separated from the United States by an ocean and recommended geography lessons for me.

I then reminded you that I said the U.S. is separated from MOST non-English speaking nations by entire oceans.

You then said that "technically speaking, isn't virtually every country separated by entire oceans from most non-English speaking countries?"

I then provided you a list of 59 nations where English is either the official or predominant language. Many of those nations abut.

You then said "God, you are stupid.

Let me explain it to you.

India.

The Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean separate India from most non-English speaking nations. Same goes for China. And Japan. And Brazil. And any other country you can name, you dolt!"

It seems to me that according to that list that numerous nations in the continent of Africa speak English predominantly. Does an ocean divide Africa?

Like I said, it's all semantics anyway.

You know full well that the reason most people in the U.S. are not multi-lingual is because we are not easily accessible to nations where English is not the predominant language, except for Mexico and Mexico is nearly a third world nation. For political and, in particular, economic reasons it makes far more sense for Mexico to adopt English rather than the U.S. adopt Spanish. Many non-English speaking nations in Europe and beyond are the size of our states so it makes more sense for residents of those nations to speak different languages.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SBS Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You can't compare the U.S. to Europe with
> regards
> > to languages spoken. Europeans can go from one
> > country to another with a different language
> the
> > way we go from one state to another. Hence,
> > knowing multiple languages is of a much greater
> > benefit to them than it is for anyone here.
>
>
>
> This is precisely correct. Due to the size of our
> nation, the fact that English truly is the
> internationallanguage of business (pilots and ATC
> are even required to use it in every nation, even
> foriegn carriers) and the fact that we are
> separated by entire oceans from most non-English
> speaking nations this is the main reason Americans
> in general are not multi-lingual. We can't just
> hop on the high speed train and be in 3 or 4
> different countries in the same day like they can
> in Europe, either.

Right, blame it it on the oceans!!! That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. Look at Canada. In Quebec, where I lived, people speak French and English interchangibly and they have signage in both languages. Of course, you have some of the Quebecois, who have a French only attitude, but they know it's a battle they will never win. To sit here and say that, in an era of constant advancements and innovation in mediums of communication, technology, and travel, America's antipathy and disdain for learning others language's and culture is based on oceans and geographical isolation is ludicrous. This isn't the 1800's, and it doesn't take us months to sail to Europe; you can fly in a matter of hours. We are also no longer an isolationist country that stays out of world politics.
The French Canadian (or Cajun) settlers and descendents of the Acadians who migrated to Louisiana, mixed their culture and languages w/ those of the pure French (Creole), Spanish, African, and Native Americans in that area; thus creating the culture we know today as Creole. Many of these people spoke up to four languages in addition to the resulting amalgamated Creole language. This culture is almost totally lost, pushed further to the brink of extinction in a post Katrina Louisiana. You also have the Amish, Quakers, and Dutch Pennsylvanians, who in addition to English, speak Dutch, German, and other variants of dialect. The only reason they have not lost it, is they have never assimilated into the mainstream American culture. The reason Americans don't speak other languages is, that in a rush to assimilate (for fear of reprisals from already established American immigrants), old country language and culture, was 'lost in translation' and not passed down from first generation to second generation American immigrant families. This 'fuck immigrants who don't assimilate' attitude is the direct culprit for the monolinguistic society that we live in America today!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2008 06:26PM by inkahootz.

American without a hyphen Wrote:
>>> Like I said, it's all semantics anyway.
Attachments:

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let me try and recap this for you since you aren't
> quite following. I'm a fucking idiot...


What don't you understand????

How many non-English speaking countries are there in the world? 100? They are in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. You said oceans separate the United States from most non-English speaking countries. This is also true for virtually every other country on Earth. Most non-English speaking countries are separated from China by Oceans. Same goes for France. Or Uruguay.

And then in a totally clueless rebuttal, you bring up English-speaking countries, which have nothing to do with the discussion.

inkahootz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
, in an era of constant
> advancements and innovation in mediums of
> communication, technology, and travel, Americans
> antipathy and disdain for learning others
> language's and culture is based on oceans and
> geographical isolation is ludicrous. This isn't
> the 1800's, and it doesn't take us months to sail
> to Europe; you can fly in a matter of hours.

So, financially speaking, are you saying that most denizens of the world can afford to fly internationally?

All I'm saying is that it makes far more sense -and it may even be out of necessity- for someone who lives in Europe, say France or Germany, to be multi-lingual due to their small size, ease of landlocked travel, and proximity to other foreign speaking nations, than it does for an average American.

Why is this so hard to comprehend?

American without a hyphen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> inkahootz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> , in an era of constant
> > advancements and innovation in mediums of
> > communication, technology, and travel,
> Americans
> > antipathy and disdain for learning others
> > language's and culture is based on oceans and
> > geographical isolation is ludicrous. This isn't
> > the 1800's, and it doesn't take us months to
> sail
> > to Europe; you can fly in a matter of hours.
>
> So, financially speaking, are you saying that most
> denizens of the world can afford to fly
> internationally?
>
> All I'm saying is that it makes far more sense
> -and it may even be out of necessity- for someone
> who lives in Europe, say France or Germany, to be
> multi-lingual due to their small size, ease of
> landlocked travel, and proximity to other foreign
> speaking nations, than it does for an average
> American.
>
> Why is this so hard to comprehend?


I agree that it may be a factor, but not the lone cause. If that were the case, why do many Canadians speak French in addition to English?. Why do the indigenous peoples of Mexico speak several 'indian' dialects in addition to Spanish. Same deal in the Andean countries of South America. Go to the fucking Carribean; they are far more behind America economically, technologically, and in terms of transportion. They also happen to be completely surrounded by oceans and are further away (than the U.S.) to Asia and Europe. Yet, go to one of these small island nations and you will see that they speak English, French, and Spanish, or some other combination of several different languages.

Bottom line, what I wrote earlier is the real reason why most of America speaks only English:

The reason Americans don't speak other languages is, that in a rush to assimilate (for fear of reprisals from already established American immigrants), old country language and culture, was 'lost in translation' and not passed down from first generation to second generation American immigrant families. This 'fuck immigrants who don't assimilate' attitude is the direct culprit for the monolinguistic society that we live in America today!

Dude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nobody referred to it as a tragedy, you dolt.

If I were a 'dolt,' I would be unable to use subtle humor in my writing. I would be limited to lame, angry rants, mindless name-calling, and profanity.


> I said it is is embarassing--and it is.

Sounds like you embarass too easily. You should get out more.


> If you prefer to believe that Americans are better off
> remaining ignorant of other cultures and languages
> then, by all means, don't bother educating your
> children beyond the basic readin', writin', and
> arithemetic. I'm sure they'll thank you one day.

I don't believe anything of the kind.

Remarks by President Bush to the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education


U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.

3:50 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Madam Secretary, it's your building, you can give my speech, if you want to. (Laughter.)

But first, our nation sends our deepest sympathies to Ariel Sharon. He lies immobilized in an Israeli hospital. We pray for his recovery. He's a good man, a strong man, a man who cared deeply about the security of the Israeli people and a man who had a vision for peace. May God bless him.

Madam Secretary, thanks for having me. I'm here to let the good folks know here how strongly I support the national security language initiative. I've had a little problem with the language in the past, so -- (laughter.) If you've got room in the initiative for me, let me know. (Laughter.) Condi said, come on by, we've got a bunch of university presidents here. And I said, great, just so long as we don't have to compare transcripts. (Laughter.) She's the Ph.D., I'm the President. (Laughter and applause.)

She's a heck of a Secretary of State, though. And Don Rumsfeld is a heck of a Secretary of the Defense, and I want to thank you both for joining together on this initiative. It's interesting, isn't it, that the State Department and the Defense Department are sponsoring a language initiative. It says something about the world we live in. I felt certain that the Secretary of Education would be here. After all, we're talking about education. And I want to thank you for being here, Margaret. But I also find it's interesting you're sitting next to John Negroponte, who is the Director of National Intelligence.

In other words, this initiative is a broad-gauged initiative that deals with the defense of the country, the diplomacy of the country, the intelligence to defend our country, and the education of our people. And it's an important initiative, and I'm going to tell you why in a second. But thank you for joining your -- together to make this happen.

I want to thank Deputy Secretary of State Bob Zoellick, and I want to thank the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Lugar from Indiana. Senator Pat Roberts from Kansas is with us. I think you'll find this interesting: He has promoted the advanced study of foreign languages through the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program. Thanks for doing that.

And I want to thank Congressman Rush Holt for being here, as well. Thank you for coming, Rush. Thanks for taking time.

I appreciate all the Ambassadors who are here. I'm scanning the room. I see a few familiar faces, and thanks for serving. What the heck are you doing here? Like, you're supposed to be -- (laughter.) The deal was overseas. (Laughter.)

We're living in extraordinary times. I wish I could report to you the war on terror was over. It's not. There is still an enemy that lurks, that wants to hurt us. I hate to report that to the American people, but my duty is to lay it out as plainly as I possibly can. And that's the truth.

And so the fundamental question is, how do we win? What do we do? Well, in the short-term, our strategy is to find them and bring them to justice before they hurt us. In other words, we've got to stay on the offense. We've got to be unyielding and never give them a, you know, a breath of fresh air, never give them a hope that they can succeed. It's the only way to do it. We must defeat them in foreign battlefields so they don't strike us here at home.

And that's one of the reasons why the Secretary of Defense is here. He wants his young soldiers who are the front lines of finding these killers to be able to speak their language and be able to listen to the people in the communities in which they live. That makes sense, doesn't it, to have a language-proficient military -- to have people that go into the far reaches of this world and be able to communicate in the villages and towns and rural areas and urban centers, to protect the American people.

We need intelligence officers who, when somebody says something in Arabic or Farsi or Urdu knows what they're talking about. That's what we need. We need diplomats -- when we send them out to help us convince governments that we've got to join together and fight these terrorists who want to destroy life and promote an ideology that is so backwards it's hard to believe. These diplomats need to speak that language.

So our short-term strategy is to stay on the offense, and we've got to give our troops, our intelligence officers, our diplomats all the tools necessary to succeed. That's what people in this country expect of our government. They expect us to be wise about how we use our resources, and a good use of resources is to promote this language initiative in K through 12, in our universities. And a good use of resources is to encourage foreign language speakers from important regions of the world to come here and teach us how to speak their language.

You're going to hear a lot about the specifics of the program. What I'm trying to suggest to you that this program is a part of a strategic goal, and that is to protect this country in the short-term and protect it in the long-term by spreading freedom. We're facing an ideological struggle, and we're going to win. Our ideology is a heck of a lot more hopeful than theirs.

You can't have an ideology that works if you say to half the population in a part of the world, you have no rights. You can't say to a group of people, my ideology is better than freedom, and if you speak out you're going to get -- you'll be tortured.

You see, freedom is the ideology that wins. We got to have confidence in that as we go out. But you can't win in the long run for democracy unless you've got the capacity to help spread democracy. You see, we got to convince people of the benefits of a free society. I believe everybody desires to be free. But I also know people need to be convincing -- convinced -- I told you I needed to go to language school. (Laughter.) And you can't convince people unless you can talk to them. And I'm not talking to them right now directly; I'm talking through an interpreter on some of these Arabic TV stations.

But we need people in America who can go and say to people, living in freedom is not the American way of life, it is a universal way of life. We're not saying your democracy has to be like yours. We're just saying give your people a chance to live in a free society; give women a chance to live freely; give young girls a chance to be educated and realize their full potential.

And the best way to do that is to have those of us who understand freedom be able to communicate in the language of the people we're trying to help. In order to convince people we care about them, we've got to understand their culture and show them we care about their culture. When somebody comes to me and speaks Texan, I know they appreciate the Texas culture. (Laughter.) I mean, somebody takes time to figure out how to speak Arabic, it means they're interested in somebody else's culture. Learning a language -- somebody else's language is a kind gesture. It's a gesture of interest. It really is a fundamental way to reach out to somebody and say, I care about you. I want you to know that I'm interested in not only how you talk but how you live.

In order for this country to be able to convince others, people have got to be able to see our true worth in our heart. And when Americans learn to speak a language, learn to speak Arabic, those in the Arabic region will say, gosh, America is interested in us. They care enough to learn how we speak.

One of the great programs we've got here in America in terms of people understanding how we think and how we act is these scholarships we provide to our universities. I know this isn't the topic the Secretary assigned me to talk about, but it's one I'm going to talk about anyway. We want young kids from around the world coming to our universities. It's in our national interest that we solve visa issues and make sure that -- (applause.) We have been calibrating the proper balance after September the 11th, and I fully understand some of your frustrations, particularly when you say the balance wasn't actually calibrated well. But we're going to get it right, because the more youngsters who come to America to get educated, the more likely it is people in the world will understand the true nature of America.

You can't figure out America when you're looking on some of these TV stations -- you just can't -- particularly given the message that they spread. Arabic TV does not do our country justice. They put out some kind -- sometimes put out propaganda that just is -- just isn't right, it isn't fair, and it doesn't give people the impression of what we're about. You bring somebody here to college, it doesn't matter what's on TV, they see firsthand the compassion of the United States of America. They get to see firsthand that we don't discriminate based upon religion. They get to see firsthand the multicultural society in which we live, all united under the fabric of freedom. That's what they get to see.

And so I'm working with Condi, and she's working with others, to work with you, to make sure these youngsters are able to come to our universities. I'll tell you what's really neat, is to sit down with leaders from around the world, welcome them in the Oval Office or go to their office, they say, you know, Mr. President, I went to Texas A&M, or I went to Stanford -- like President Toledo of Peru. I mean, it is -- it makes it so much easier to conduct foreign policy and diplomacy when you've got that common ground of being able to talk about a university experience here in the United States. It makes it so much easier to be able to advance the interests of this country when you're dealing with a leader who doesn't have a preconceived notion about what America is all about, because he spent time studying here in the United States.

We're going to teach our kids how to speak important languages. We'll welcome teachers here to help teach our kids how to speak languages. But we're also going to advance America's interests around the world and defeat this notion about our -- you know, our bullying concept of freedom by letting people see what we're about. Let them see firsthand the decency of this country.

And so, Madam Secretary, in front of these presidents, you and I vow that we'll find that proper balance between security and letting people come to our universities for the good of this country.

I -- there is no doubt in my mind we will win the war on terror. There's no doubt in my mind that Afghanistan will remain a democracy and serve as an incredible example. For those of you in education, you might remember this was a country that refused to educate young girls. And now, young girls in most of Afghanistan are going to school.

Iraq -- we'll succeed in Iraq. It's tough. And the reason it's tough is because a handful of killers wants to stop the advance of freedom for a reason. Democracy in the heart of the Middle East is a major defeat to their ideology and their ambitions.

And it's hard work. What you're seeing on your TV screen is hard work. But we've done, as Condi said, hard work before. We have defeated fascism in the past. We defeated communism in the past. And we will defeat this ideology of hatred. But it's going to take all the tools at our disposal.

One of the stories I like to share with people is this. I -- one of my best buddies in international politics is Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. He's an interesting person. Elvis was his favorite singer, for example. (Laughter.)

Every time I meet with him, it strikes me as an amazing fact of history that Number 41, President 41, at age 18 fought the Japanese, and 43, his son, is sitting down with the Prime Minister working on keeping the peace. It's amazing to me. And something happened between 41 going into combat and 43 talking to the Prime Minister whether it be about troops in Iraq to help this young democracy flourish in the heart of the Middle East, or whether it be dealing with the leader of North Korea who is starving his people to death, and how do we solve that? What do we do about it?

And what happened was that the Japanese adopted a Japanese-style democracy. It wasn't an American-style democracy; it was Japanese-style democracy. And that society, that form of government was able to convert an enemy to an ally. And that's what's happening. I live it when I talk to the Prime Minister. I see it firsthand. It's a real part of my family's life.

Someday, an American President is going to sit down and thank this generation for having the willpower and the determination to see to it that democracy has a chance to flourish in a part of the world that is desperate for democracy. Someday somebody is going to say -- (applause) -- somebody someday will say we're able to more likely keep the peace because this generation of Americans had confidence in our capacity to work with others to spread freedom.

And that's what we're facing today, and the stakes are high. It's an exciting time to be here in Washington, D.C. It's a fantastic opportunity to serve our country. And I want to thank those of you who are serving it in government. And I want to thank those of you who serve it through higher education. There's no greater gift to give a child than the chance to succeed and realize his or her dreams. And you're doing that.

Appreciate you giving me a chance to come by and tell you what's on my mind. My God bless our country. (Applause.)

FUNdamental Wrote:
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> Remarks by President Bush to the U.S. University
> Presidents Summit on International Education

Obama has got me convinced!! Why not make the second language of this country Spanish? We should make the second language that of any country that decide to illegally enter America. I mean we shouldn’t we try to be as great as Canada or France right? My eyes are now closed to the border cities with unbearably high crime and drug epidemics. I mean if you are dumb enough to live in America but close enough to the border then dummy you’re just asking for trouble! I will no longer complain about the money it cost to house and or feed millions of trespassers. It’s not like we don’t have an abundance of food, gas, and jobs. It’s like Obama says “Change we can believe in.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/fbi-iraqis-bein.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/10/eveningnews/main562666.shtml

FUNdamental Wrote:
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> Remarks by President Bush to the U.S. University


You’re so right about this being a partisan issue. Nice pull, President Bush speaking on education is like you speaking on politics WORTHLESS!! It’s not about pandering to illegal’s, oh no it’s a republican democrat problem.

HE WILL NEVER GET ELECTED NOW!

Are we any better off now?