Steven Malcolm Anderson 4 GodsSelfSex (mail) (www):
Actually, the term "propaganda" is not necessarily synonymous with lies or distortions. In its original meaning at least, it simply means an attempt to persuade or to progate an idea or doctrine. I can't remember the full Spanish phrase, but the early Jesuits set up some sort of office for the Propagation of the Faith, which in Spanish is "Propaganda". Since the Jesuits (the Counter-Reformation) were universally vilified as a nest of evil conspirators throughout the Protestant world, the English picked up "propaganda" and made it a synonym for lies, just as they had "jesuitical" and "casuistry". America inherited that anti-Catholic tradition.

Pile on to that Josef Goebbels and Josef Stalin in the 20th century, both explicitly using "propaganda", and the meaning became fixed in most people's minds: "Propaganda = Lies"

So, when President Bush uses "propaganda" in its original meaning, his opponents now include that in their own propaganda against him.
5.31.2005 2:09pm
Steven Malcolm Anderson 4 GodsSelfSex (mail) (www):
That was "propagate" not "progate"! Anyway....

HAIL TO JAKE, THE ELDER PRINCE OF ALL EVIL!!!!
5.31.2005 2:13pm
Jerry K. :
I read it differently, but the meaning is still the same.

I'm going to try to draw a picture with text, lets hope it works..


Ok:

PROPAGANDA
PROPAGANDA
YOU PROPAGANDA TRUTH


So basically, the thing thats separating you from the truth is a bunch of propaganda. By repeating the TRUTH, the TRUTH effectively CATAPULTS over the PROPAGANDA and gets to you. So its a different way of saying the same thing that Jake did.
5.31.2005 2:55pm
Ara Rubyan (www):
Yeah, whatever.

The danger is that young Jake will learn that it's OK to skate by on sloppy verbal skills ... if your name is George Bush.

For example, there's this:
"It seemed to me [Amnesty International] based some of their decisions on the word of -- and the allegations -- by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble -- that means not tell the truth," Bush said.
I've always taught my kids that people do judge you by the words you use...especially when you are the President of the United States.
6.1.2005 1:29am
robert (mail):
I think so President Busch is honest man. And he want to talk what he think, not this what write his public-relation advisers. His is not very good orator and his speech sometimes are not absolutely clear. If you do not like Mr. Busch you can use his weakness against him.
Many people do it. It is all what I can to say.
6.1.2005 7:28am
Jerry K. :
I'd much rather have a smart man with poor verbal skills as POTUS (Bush) than an idiot smooth talker (Clinton) that could worm his way out of anything.
6.1.2005 9:29am
Rosemary, Queen of All Evil (mail):
Ara,

There wasn't ANYTHING sloppy about that quote. Not this time. Hopefully, my boys will learn more from me and Dean than they will from politicians. I certainly don't want my boys certain that blow jobs/anal intercourse aren't really sex so they don't protect themselves. I'm sure you wouldn't want to find out from your daughter that giving head is OK and not really sex. Would ya?
6.1.2005 10:38am
Ara Rubyan (www):
There you go again, talking about Clinton.

I keep telling you: George W. Bush is President now.

And stop talking about my daughter or I'm going to have to kick your ass the next time I'm in town.
6.1.2005 12:30pm
Ara Rubyan (www):
P.S. I'd be happy to accept your apology any time you have the decency to offer it.
6.1.2005 12:32pm
Rosemary, Queen of All Evil (mail):
What the hell are you talking about? I used your daughter as an example just as you used my son but somehow I offended you?

Well, I do apologize indeed.
6.1.2005 1:18pm
Ara Rubyan (www):
Thanks.

P.S. I still like you.

:^)
6.1.2005 2:37pm
Ara Rubyan (www):
My example didn't involve, ahem, fellatio. Yours did.

I'm just saying.
6.1.2005 2:38pm
Rosemary, Queen of All Evil (mail):
Not as liberal as you'd like us to believe...
6.1.2005 4:02pm
Ara Rubyan (www):
I am what I am and you can believe what you like.

:^)
6.1.2005 5:00pm
Alex (mail):
I'm sorry Dear Queen, but this is hilarious. Bush isn't exactly known for his quick wit, or his catchy turn of phrase, and unfortunately, I think he MEANT to say what you and your son saw, but that's not really what came out of his mouth. I read the sentence for the first time, and laughed my tukkus off. Which was great, considering I needed to shave off a few pounds anyway.

Sorry....but again, our President made another boo-boo. Albeit, a funny one, but a boo-boo nonetheless.
6.1.2005 6:52pm
Zippo:
Rose, I think your interpretation of "propaganda getting thrown away" is incorrect. If a person is to launch or hurl (catapult) something or an idea (propaganda), that person first must be in possession of that something or idea. For example, if you had a rock and I only had the catapult (noun, machine), nothing could get "get thrown far away."

Gramatically in the President's quote, the latter phrase, "to kind of catapult the propaganda" simply reaffirms or restates the meaning of the beginning of the sentence "in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in."

Therefore, Corn's literal interpretation (notwithstanding his partisan gibberish) of the President's words was correct. However I think President Bush, not known for extemporaneous speech, simply misspoke. I believe Bush truly meant "to kind of hurdle over the propaganda" of the left.
6.1.2005 10:32pm
jane m:
Puhleese, people. Bush was reelected despite his garbled syntax. He communicated with the voters and Kerry, with his vaunted "towering intellect" couldn't get his point across if his life depended on it.
So let's move on, please. You'd think that W was the only President who stumbled around with words when speaking extemporaneously. I lived through 8 years of Eisenhower (although I was only 10 when he was elected) and the country did just fine even if we never knew what he was talking about. When he sent the troops to Little Rock, the message was loud and clear.
6.2.2005 8:53pm