# An Ignorant American Leader For The Unknowing Masses?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [March 6, 2000, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789 "2000-03-06T21:56:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mary\_Hart\_s\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mary_Hart_s_Legs)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/1 "2000-03-06T21:56:00Z")
George Bush Jr. is a class act!!
His ignorance of anything unamerican is astonishing.
He recently asked as to “reply to Prime Minister Jean POUTINE’s” endorsement of him.
The greatest trading partner america has, and good ol’ George doesn’t know who the leader is.
How can one blame the igonorant american masses for their blindness when the most likely candidate for presidency doesn’t even know the slightest in foreign issues.
God forbid America’s greater rise in world power for, what an ignorant world it would be!
---
### Author:  [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/2 "2000-03-06T22:10:00Z")
Wow! When did the election take place? I must’ve missed it!
---
### Author:  [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/3 "2000-03-06T22:13:00Z")
Is this a Great Debate? So George Dubya didn’t know the name of Mexico’s leader. Big effin’ deal.
(runs away)
---
### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/4 "2000-03-06T22:15:00Z")
ROFL!
---
### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/5 "2000-03-06T22:16:00Z")
Here we go again. Mary, you could have saved the moderators a wee bit of time and just posted this in the pit. You have to know it’s headed there.
Especially since this topic doesn’t seem to pose a debate. Enjoy the ride.
---
### Author:  [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/6 "2000-03-06T22:29:00Z")
Perhaps Mary’s trying to debate whether or not we should hold a “World Leader Spelling Bee” to determine our President. Hmm… probably beats the Electoral College system, anyway…
---
### Author:  [@Mary\_Hart\_s\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mary_Hart_s_Legs)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/7 "2000-03-06T22:51:00Z")
Originally posted by Mojo:
\*\*Is this a Great Debate? So George Dubya didn’t know the name of Mexico’s leader. Big effin’ deal.
Thanks for driving the point home.
---
### Author:  [@Mary\_Hart\_s\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mary_Hart_s_Legs)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/8 "2000-03-06T22:59:00Z")
The video evidence of George’s ignorance was aired on “This Hour Has 22 Minutes”, for anyone who doesn’t understand my OP.
But, then again, how could you expect to know the source of the video in question when america’s media ensures that some of you stay ignorant.
---
### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/9 "2000-03-06T23:00:00Z")
Mary, the “Mexico” thing was evidently tongue in cheek, as I thought you would have gotten.
While this does have Pitworthy aspects, it can definitely constitute a Great Debate. One would hope that a man who aspires to be the Chief Executive of this country would have some knowledge of what it is dealing with. I would not necessarily expect GWB to be aware of who the Prime Minister of Saskatchewan is, or perhaps even who is the current Chancellor of Austria. But the leadership of the two nations with whom we share land borders are certainly pertinent knowledge for him to have. (I spent too many Saturday evenings as a kid watching Hickey Night in Canada on CBC, Kingston’s CKWS-TV channel 11 being one of the two stations we could get.)
---
### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/10 "2000-03-06T23:06:00Z")
Hickey Night? Guess I’ve just been married too long . . .
---
### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2000, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/11 "2000-03-06T23:08:00Z")
“Hockey” was what they called it on the CBC. But when you’re in your early teens, and in a small town halfway between Syracuse and Mayberry RFD, you take what jokes you can get! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Lawrence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawrence)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/12 "2000-03-07T01:23:00Z")
I called out MHL as an America-bashing troll a long time ago. If y’all want to keep responding to her provocations, go right ahead.
---
### Author:  [@Freedomx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedomx)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/13 "2000-03-07T01:28:00Z")
Personally,
I want a president with vision, a president who invented the internet. A president who discoved Love Canal. A president who puts Bill Cinton right up there with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
I want Al Bore.
(this does seem to be a very pit worthy thread)
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/14 "2000-03-07T01:42:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by Mary Hart’s Legs:
> \*\*George Bush Jr. is a class act!!
>
> His ignorance of anything unamerican is astonishing.
>
> \*\*
Mary: the term you are groping for is “NON-AMERICAN”; not “UN-AMERICAN”.
The term “un-American” has a specific political meaning; distasteful in the extreme since the days of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.
“Non-American” simply implies that a thing , concept, or person is foreign to the United States of America.
Examples–
Celine Dion is NON-AMERICAN ; she is Canadian.
Benedict Arnold was UN-AMERICAN; he was a traitor to his country.
General DeGaul was NON-AMERICAN; he was from France.
Mary Hart’s Legs is UN-AMERICAN; for obvious reasons.
## By the way, Mary–why do yoy use the Internet/World Wide Web? It’s a product of evil, American , free-market capitalism. No good Radical such as yourself sholud taint themselves in such a manner… 😛
Bad manners? How should I know? I was raised by wolves.
---
### Author:  [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/15 "2000-03-07T01:58:00Z")
It’s not that Americans are ignorant about Candian things. It’s just that _we don’t care_.
* * *
**Gypsy** : Tom, I don’t get you.
**Tom Servo** : Nobody does. I’m the wind, baby.
---
### Author:  [@Freedomx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedomx)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/16 "2000-03-07T02:00:00Z")
[http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/goresharp.jpg](http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/goresharp.jpg)
[http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/gore.jpg](http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/gore.jpg)
[http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/sharp2.jpg](http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/sharp2.jpg)
Can’t you just feel the love?
---
### Author:  [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/17 "2000-03-07T02:01:00Z")
Be very wary of someone who wants to be the next Ronald Reagan.
* * *
It’s not how you pick your nose, it’s where you put the boogers
---
### Author:  [@Freedomx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedomx)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/18 "2000-03-07T02:01:00Z")
Oooppsss…
I forgot the [LOVE LINK](http://pw1.netcom.com/~angelo/gore-sharpton2000.html)
---
### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/19 "2000-03-07T08:23:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The term “un-American” has a specific political meaning; distasteful in the extreme since the days of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.
Please! We’re trying to get people to forget McCarthy was from here. Anyway, I believe HUAC was established well before Tailgunner Joe began his tenure.
> [@](#):
>
> Celine Dion is NON-AMERICAN ; she is Canadian.
Must…resist…Celine…Dion…slam!
But, the last time I checked, Canada was part of the Americas.
> [@](#):
>
> Benedict Arnold was UN-AMERICAN; he was a traitor to his country.
Benedict Arnold was a patriot; he served his country…his country being England.
Skewing off into a tangent, is it fair to call someone un-American for acts which took place before the country existed?
---
### Author:  [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2000, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789/20 "2000-03-07T08:30:00Z")
Freedom:
Are these people serious? Al Sharpton???
* * *
It’s not how you pick your nose, it’s where you put the boogers
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-ignorant-american-leader-for-the-unknowing-masses/17789.md?page=2)