# George H.W. Bush doesn't get it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 18, 2005, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264 "2005-09-18T21:42:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/101 "2005-09-19T07:28:46Z")
If I would have caught this earlier I simply would have said: No, I think “neighbors” was perfect. It paints a picture of all of us living in one great big American village. And some of us, our neighbors, need help, so let’s help them. The “our” was also a nice touch, as GHWB wasn’t talking to us just aa an ex-President but as an inhabitant of that village. Very warm, and inclusive. But after all these posts and your ridiculous refusal to see that you might have had a moment of emotion clouding the brain (as we all have had, I’m sure), I’d like to point out what your options now are: A) Admit that your observation was a little ridiculous and move on B) Keep digging ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/102 "2005-09-19T08:12:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You: I don’t like the Pit because they do X there. > Me: They don’t do X there. If you spent more time in the Pit, you’d see this. > You: That’s why I don’t go there! > > Um… Um… Actually, your comment was “you don’t really understand what this forum is about.” Consequently, I said “this is why I avoid it”. The confusing part is? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/103 "2005-09-19T11:36:49Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Um, dumbass, you’re an American, you’re a former President, you’re appealing to the rest of the country to help _fellow Americans_. They are not neighbors…they are not “those people over there”…they are _us_. Calling them our neighbors implies that they are not part of this country, that they are another people not attached to his country. What do you call the people who live near you? What word did Jesus use to refer to all other human beings? What planet are you from? > [@Omniscient](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks this phrasing is another example of the Bush family’s inability to divest themselves from this “us and them” mentality. It appears that you are, indeed, the only one. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/104 "2005-09-19T19:31:09Z")
First of all, I’m yet another Bush-hating Bush-bashing liberal who things that this is a ridiculously stupid OP. Which brings up an interesting point: to the conservatives of the board, do you read this thread, see one Bush-basher bashing Bush for a ridiculously silly reason, and walk away with an impression of “those darn liberals, they’ll bash Bush for any ridiculously silly reason”, or do you read this thread, see many people who frequently bash Bush who are saying “MAN this is a stupid OP” and walk away thinking “huh, I guess that most of those darn liberals DO sometimes not bash Bush. Maybe they actually ARE capable of reason.”? And is anyone else tempted to write a sequel to the **Butter Battle Book** called **Bush Bashers Bashing Bush**? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/105 "2005-09-19T20:56:52Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Your neighbors are people in your neighborhood They’re the people that you meet. When you’re walking down the street. The people that you meet. [sub]Each day.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/106 "2005-09-19T21:19:28Z")
As a member of Bush Haters of America (member #126743219), this OP is patently idiotic. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/107 "2005-09-19T22:53:51Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Which brings up an interesting point: to the conservatives of the board, do you read this thread, see one Bush-basher bashing Bush for a ridiculously silly reason, and walk away with an impression of “those darn liberals, they’ll bash Bush for any ridiculously silly reason”, **or do you read this thread, see many people who frequently bash Bush who are saying “MAN this is a stupid OP” and walk away thinking “huh, I guess that most of those darn liberals DO sometimes not bash Bush. Maybe they actually ARE capable of reason.”?** That’s often my take. Until the poster starts another one of these kinds of threads. 😛 Really, though, this is one of those things I can’t understand people bitching about. (How many Clinton bashers are complaining about this?) If you have a problem with a person’s political leanings/ideals/goals, knock yourself and the keyboard out. But trying to find an angle on a guy doing what he can to help destitute people? Just sad.\* \*[sub]The above paragraph is in no way directed to \*\*Max \*\* personally.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/108 "2005-09-20T01:05:10Z")
I get the impression that Mr. Rogers once said, “No, not _you_, Omniscient.” ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/109 "2005-09-20T01:17:55Z")
Bush’s statement was a coded message. He never said which Gulf, did he??? Clearly this was a subtle reference to the war in Iraq! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/110 "2005-09-20T11:58:43Z")
This just reinforces my belief that for some people a Bush can do no right. Could the term Neighbors refer to the states, being next door to Texas? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264/111 "2005-09-20T16:48:52Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > This just reinforces my belief that for some people a Bush can do no right. Sheesh. Have you even _read_ the thread? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-h-w-bush-doesnt-get-it/322264.md?page=5)