Comments on: Speak loudly and carry a small stick http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:50:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Adam Roberts http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175838 Adam Roberts Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:21:04 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175838 "...our President's proclivity ...' Not <i>my</i> President, thanks very much. “…our President’s proclivity …’

Not my President, thanks very much.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175665 engels Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:46:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175665 Pretzels can be pretty effective too. Pretzels can be pretty effective too.

]]> By: engels http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175664 engels Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:46:31 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175664 Pretzels can be effective dangerous too. Pretzels can be effective dangerous too.

]]> By: Matt Kuzma http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175538 Matt Kuzma Sun, 15 Oct 2006 20:01:44 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175538 Help! Stick... metaphor... overload. Help! Stick… metaphor… overload.

]]> By: bob http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175523 bob Sun, 15 Oct 2006 18:37:53 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175523 The Dalek Emperor: 'Reasons are irrelevant. Failure is unacceptable.' The Dalek Emperor: ‘Reasons are irrelevant. Failure is unacceptable.’

]]> By: Jacob Christensen http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175495 Jacob Christensen Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:53:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175495 President Clinton, as I recall it, became most famous for using a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_A_Cigar" rel="nofollow">cigar</a>. Regarding political speak, though on a smaller scale, I recently noted that the Danish prime minister took to repeating the phrase <em>"jeg er nødt til at sige, at..."</em> (in English roughly "I have to say that..." or "I am forced to say that...") in a speech where he addressed complaints about changes in the financing of local government authorities (In a Danish context this issue is just as complicated and potentially even more deadly than Iraq). The aim was obviously to depict his counterparts (mayors, the Local Government Association, Social Democrats, the ususal suspects, etc) as people who wouldn't stand by an agreement and thus forcing the PM to state the obivous, but when the phrase appeared something like eight times in one minute during the speech, I started to find it not just annoying, but <em>unacceptable</em>. President Clinton, as I recall it, became most famous for using a cigar.

Regarding political speak, though on a smaller scale, I recently noted that the Danish prime minister took to repeating the phrase “jeg er nødt til at sige, at…” (in English roughly “I have to say that…” or “I am forced to say that…”) in a speech where he addressed complaints about changes in the financing of local government authorities (In a Danish context this issue is just as complicated and potentially even more deadly than Iraq).

The aim was obviously to depict his counterparts (mayors, the Local Government Association, Social Democrats, the ususal suspects, etc) as people who wouldn’t stand by an agreement and thus forcing the PM to state the obivous, but when the phrase appeared something like eight times in one minute during the speech, I started to find it not just annoying, but unacceptable.

]]> By: Timothy http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175480 Timothy Sun, 15 Oct 2006 10:00:54 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175480 Yes, apparently Bush's "Stick" is quite small I just had to say that sorry :( . Yes, apparently Bush’s “Stick” is quite small I just had to say that sorry :( .

]]> By: bad Jim http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175470 bad Jim Sun, 15 Oct 2006 06:42:40 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175470 Whether Clinton wielded a zucchini, a carrot or a cuke, it's clear that he (or any president or prime minister of an assortment of nations), no matter how small his (or her) army, wields an impressive array of weapons of the category nuke. Which is why our nations continue to negotiate with North Korea, and why we mere citizens continue to hope that our nation(s) won't attack Iran just because ayatollahs are scarier than commissars. We can't use the nuke, and it's not just that Japan would object to our using nuclear weapons again, is it? Whether Clinton wielded a zucchini, a carrot or a cuke, it’s clear that he (or any president or prime minister of an assortment of nations), no matter how small his (or her) army, wields an impressive array of weapons of the category nuke.

Which is why our nations continue to negotiate with North Korea, and why we mere citizens continue to hope that our nation(s) won’t attack Iran just because ayatollahs are scarier than commissars.

We can’t use the nuke, and it’s not just that Japan would object to our using nuclear weapons again, is it?

]]> By: roy belmont http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175461 roy belmont Sun, 15 Oct 2006 03:20:56 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175461 Shut up and pretend you don't have a stick. Shut up and pretend you don’t have a stick.

]]> By: "Q" the Enchanter http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175454 "Q" the Enchanter Sun, 15 Oct 2006 01:31:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175454 "You can make jokes about Clinton’s carrot if you like. Doesn’t change a thing." Nice preemption. “You can make jokes about Clinton’s carrot if you like. Doesn’t change a thing.”

Nice preemption.

]]> By: Adam Kotsko http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/comment-page-1/#comment-175453 Adam Kotsko Sun, 15 Oct 2006 01:29:55 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/10/14/speak-loudly-and-carry-a-small-stick/#comment-175453 From what I recall, Clinton actually carried a cucumber. From what I recall, Clinton actually carried a cucumber.

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