Rumsfeld's Epistemologies (Was: 'Foot in Mouth' Award)
J L Speranza
A bizarre comment by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the hunt for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction has been awarded the "Foot in Mouth" prize by Britain's Plain English Campaign.
Mr Rumsfeld, renowned for his uncompromising tough talking, received the prize for the most baffling comment by a public figure.
"Reports that say something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know," Rumsfeld told a press briefing.
"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.
"But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know."
John Lister, spokesman for the campaign which strives to have public information delivered in clear, straightforward English, said: "We think we know what he means. But we don't know if we really know."
Mr Rumsfeld, whose boss US President George W Bush is often singled out by language critics for his sometimes unusual use of English, took the booby prize ahead of a bizarre effort from actor-turned politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman," was the odd statement from the new California Governor.
== end forwarded matter.
Steven Bayne
Berel Dov Lerner
"The contagious people of Washington have stood firm against diversity
during this long period of increment weather."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"I promise you a police car on every sidewalk."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very, very low
crime rate."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"First, it was not a strip bar, it was an erotic club. And second, what
can I say? I'm a night owl."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington,DC
"Bitch set me up."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"I am clearly more popular than Reagan. I am in my third term. Where's
Reagan? Gone after two! Defeated by George Bush and Michael Dukakis
no less."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC [a hint for non-Americanists: see the 22nd amendment of the US Constitution
"The laws in this city are clearly racist. All laws are racist. The
law of gravity is racist."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"I am making this trip to Africa because Washington is an international
city, just like Tokyo, Nigeria or Israel. As mayor, I am an
international symbol. Can you deny that to
Africa?"
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"People have criticized me because my security detail is larger than the
president's. But you must ask yourself: are there more people who want
to kill me than who want to kill the president? I can assure you there
are."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"The brave men who died in Vietnam, more than 100% of which were black,
were the ultimate sacrifice."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"I read a funny story about how the Republicans freed the slaves. The
Republicans are the ones who created slavery by law in the 1600's.
Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and he was not a Republican."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because
they deem it necessary?"
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"People blame me because these water mains break, but I ask you, if the
water mains didn't break, would it be my responsibility to fix them
then? WOULD IT!?!"
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
"I am a great mayor; I am an upstanding Christian man; I am an
intelligent man; I am a deeply educated man; I am a humble man."
- M. Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
Peter King
> It seems Rumsfeld's 'epistemologies' (as per below) can be quite tricky to
> find illustrations for. Examples welcome. Cheers,
>
> JL
> jlspe...@aol.com
>
> ---
>
> From ABC News Online. Rumsfeld wins 'Foot in Mouth' award
> A bizarre comment by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the hunt for
> Iraq's weapons of mass destruction has been awarded the "Foot in Mouth" prize by
> Britain's Plain English Campaign.
> Mr Rumsfeld, renowned for his uncompromising tough talking, received the
> prize for the most baffling comment by a public figure.
> "Reports that say something hasn't happened are always interesting to me,
> because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know,"
> Rumsfeld told a press briefing.
> "We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some
> things we do not know.
> "But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know."
> John Lister, spokesman for the campaign which strives to have public
> information delivered in clear, straightforward English, said: "We think we know what
> he means. But we don't know if we really know."
The Plain English Campaign seems to have shot itself in the foot with this
one; Rumsfeld has said all sorts of things that are objectionable in all
sorts of ways, but this statement, though complex, is perfectly good,
plain English, and makes perfect sense (indeed, the Schwarzenegger
runner-up is perfectly plain -- that's why it's funny). Finding
illustrations of it is hardly taxing.
I can't remember the source of this (and I quote from memory:
There are those who know and know that they know (they are wise, learn
from them). There are those who know not and know they know not (they are
wise, teach them). There are those who know not and know not that they
know not (they are fools, shun them).
It's probably a Hallmark card, or something like that awful "Desiderata"
poster.
Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/philos-l.html.
Prolonged discussions should be moved to chora: enrol via
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/chora.html.
Other philosophical resources on the Web can be found at http://www.liv.ac.uk/Philosophy/philos.html