# President Bush must be a really proud Dad! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 22, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552 "2004-05-22T19:02:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/61 "2004-05-23T21:54:45Z")
> [@Aldebaran](#): > > Well I’m sorry, but this sounds to me as an extremely easy studyfield. One one language - that is your own - and then even limited. Maybe it should be easy, but I certainly hear a lot of people complain that they’re “terrible in English” and “hate English.” Of course, part of that is the great divide between speaking your native tongue and writing in it. More than anything, English majors have to do a great deal of writing, and many go on to become professional communicators. Law schools also value the degree in applicants as it may be a good indicator of an aptitude for writing ability. At any rate, I’ll look for the debate in GD. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/62 "2004-05-23T22:10:29Z")
> [@aaslatten](#): > > Maybe it should be easy, but I certainly hear a lot of people complain that they’re “terrible in English” and “hate English.” Of course, part of that is the great divide between speaking your native tongue and writing in it. More than anything, English majors have to do a great deal of writing, and many go on to become professional communicators. Law schools also value the degree in applicants as it may be a good indicator of an aptitude for writing ability. > > At any rate, I’ll look for the debate in GD. Exactly. If writing in your first language is so easy, why is that I spend 4 hours a day tutoring college students on how to write in their first language? Sometimes I get papers so awful that they make me weep for the future. Writing English, especially in formal language, is much different from either reading or speaking and more difficult. People who are not already proficient with the written word would have a very difficult time as an English major. Also, English requires knowledge in several fields. History, sociology, psychology, politics, even science. I’ve learned more about history doing research for essays than I did in any history course. It requires sharp analytical skills. People who cannot read and analyze text do miserably in English courses. I’ve had a few that classes were simultaneously major requirements and general education requirements for all the students, and the students who took it for GE sucked. A lot. They couldn’t analyze short stories or poems on _any_ level. Which didn’t bother me because I sucked a lot in math and economics. The point is, despite how “easy” it sounds, not everybody can do it, and some who can don’t necessarily do it well. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/63 "2004-05-24T14:36:11Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > This is a guy who just bragged (over in GD) about how he “rather frequently” visits the U.S., as an indicator of how much he supposedly knows about the evils of our society . When I go to the USA that canb e for the folowing reasons: 1. because I have a family business there = I contribute to your economy and give US’ers jobs. 2. because I have firends there 3. because I go on holiday there It is not to study on the “evils” or eventually the “goods” of your society. It is also not to undertake a research on the education system/university programs. > [@](#): > > If one really wants to learn about differences in educational systems, one asks intelligent, non-loaded questions, instead of smirking about the graduation ages of Bush’s daughters as supposed proof that they are intellectually superior to their father. I give you credit on that in the sense that the fact that they have a degree at this age was of course an open invitation to compare with visible the lack of working brains of their father. > [@](#): > > And if one is sincerely interested in learning about graduate studies in English, one takes the trouble to learn more about exactly what they entail, before sneering about how it’s an “extremely easy studyfield”. I asked what it entails and the answer to that came. And showed to be indeed at first sight a very easy studyfield when I compare it with what I know of my university. That is why I said that a thread in GD would be interesting to go further into this. [quote)If an American made these sorts of superficial, dismissive and ignorant comments about another nation or culture, we’d say that person personified the stereotype of the “Ugly American”. It’s just as embarassing and unacceptable coming from a non-American.[/quote) You should have waited with your comments until that thread on GD was up and running. Which shall be in the coming days. We did not even start a comparison between US education system and other education systems worldwide. But as I know you, every “reason” to dismiss, attack and twist whatever I write on these forums is good for you. So I don’t hold my breath you participating in such a thread without giving in to your clear prejudices and without any other intent then disrail it into one long rant on what my “intentions” are in your misty mind. Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/64 "2004-05-24T16:11:20Z")
It is not relevant to expound on why you allegedly visit America. Here’s what **Tea Elle** asked you in your GD thread about support for Bush: “Aldebaran, given that you don’t live in the U.S., have admittedly not been to the U.S. in quite a while (if at all, forgive me for not remembering your entire CV) and could not possibly be as informed about the nuances of American politics as those of us who actually live here, why do you think that you have standing to question Americans on their political decisions in such an arrogant and condescending manner?” Your response was: > [@](#): > > TeaElle, > > I was in the US last month. (I’m rather frequently in the US, by the way.) So the obvious conclusion is that you have had ample opportunity to develop a knowledge base regarding the matters on which you expound, which can be neatly summarized as Amerika Sux. This thread confirms your ignorance on the subject of American education. > [@](#): > > I give you credit on that in the sense that the fact that they have a degree at this age was of course an open invitation to compare with visible the lack of working brains of their father. It crosses beyond ignorance into wilful stupidity when you continue to suggest that the Bush children’s age on getting a bachelor’s degree is some kind of indicator of intelligence, or that it proves that their father is not intelligent. It has already been pointed out here that Bush graduated from Yale University at age 21, an extremely common age for university graduation in the U.S., and that in any case age at graduation is a poor indicator of intelligence. You really should read before posting. > [@](#): > > I asked what it (graduate study in English) entails and the answer to that came. And showed to be indeed at first sight a very easy studyfield when I compare it with what I know of my university. > That is why I said that a thread in GD would be interesting to go further into this. Why promote the idea of a GD thread when you’ve already made up your mind on the subject? > [@](#): > > So I don’t hold my breath you participating in such a thread without giving in to your clear prejudices… Irony…gotta love it. If you get off on posting ill-informed, immature and xenophobic rants, have at it. Just don’t waste our time with these pitiful attempts at self-justification. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/65 "2004-05-24T16:17:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And how many years it takes to get one’s degree doesn’t equal more or less intelligence. I for one, took two years at a community college and transferred into a four year college as a sophmore. I also changed my major a few times, so I was 23 when I finally got my bachelor’s. > > Does that make me stupid, **Aldebaran**? > > :rolleyes: :rolleyes: No, getting a 4 year degree in 6 years does not make you stupid. Stop twisting his words. His point was that getting a 4 year degree in 3 years means that it’s very likely that you are intelligent. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/66 "2004-05-24T17:27:17Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > :rolleyes: No, getting a 4 year degree in 6 years does not make you stupid. Stop twisting his words. His point was that getting a 4 year degree in 3 years means that it’s very likely that you are intelligent. Without belaboring what the “point” was any further, the underlying assumption(s) are wrong. The Bush offspring are both 22 years old and graduated in the customary four years, [according to this account.](http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2004/05/06/bush_not_planning_to_attend_daughters_college_graduations) ---
**Author:** ![jellytoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@jellytoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellytoes)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/67 "2004-05-24T17:43:56Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Aha!!! > So, you don’t like elections and democracy huh? > Finally the proof we needed that the mods _are_ nazi/facist/commie/puppy-kickers. > > 😉 Not all mods kick puppies. Only the cool ones do. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552/68 "2004-05-24T23:54:51Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > This could be the most confusing thread ever. I’m pretty sure no one here has any idea of what anybody else is talking about. Goddammit, **Happy** , my shoes _do_ smell of peppermint! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-bush-must-be-a-really-proud-dad/246552.md?page=3)