Plain English Campaign awards Rumsfeld the Golden Bull
The award is for this statement by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to journalists at a press conference:
Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me because, as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. 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.
There is nothing on earth the matter with that, is there not, or is there? It does not seem more or less unclear to me than any below average utterance or above.
Red Woodward
1 comment:
___________________________
If the words in italics represent a quote, then it is patently clear the man is mad.
Post by : Varlet O'Dara (1cust65.tnt4.ottawa.on.da.uu.net / )
___________________________
Rumsfeld is usually very transparent. Being shameless he makes no effort to obfuscate. He must have been lying on this occasion.
Post by : Mal Castro (webcachew02b.cache.pol.co.uk / )
___________________________
It all makes perfect sense dwarlings until the last line. There are unknown things that we don't know we don't know. I wasn't aware there were things I didn't know I didn't know. I thought I knew that I didn't know the things I didn't know. I know I know the things I do know and I know I don't know the things I don't know, but whether I don't know that there are things I know I don't know.... oh my how confusing. What was that man on when he said this? Did he know that there are somethings that are best left unsaid or was that one of those things that he didn't know he didn't know, or did know that he didn't know.
Argh... pass the gin.
Post by : Tallulah Bonkhead (82-35-26-7.cable.ubr04.hari.blueyonder.co.uk / )
___________________________
To talk about unknown unknowns and known knowns is tautologous. They are simply unknowns and knowns. And to describe not knowing something as knowing that one does not know something is tautologous too. So the whole statement is crap. It is just a longwinded way of saying there are some things we don't know. He could have summarised it as "We don't know everything."
His problem starts when he states a false premise: "...as we know, there are known knowns..." We do not know any such thing: a known is a known, it is not a "known known." He then fangles the rest of the permutations according to the same faulty template.
Post by : Flann (host81-128-134-155.in-addr.btopenworld.com / )
___________________________
yOU havee tiwisded mey wrebs!!! Io, ai#'#m nopyt a welel madsn!!! asadnd yuoyu aresae ntot helling.
cvheres!!!
Post by : REd (host81-128-134-155.in-addr.btopenworld.com / )
___________________________
Mona?
He's locked himself in the office again.
Post by : Feargal (host81-128-134-155.in-addr.btopenworld.com / )
___________________________
What about the things we don't know we know? Why's Rumsfeld keeping quiet about those? What's he hiding?
I think we should be told.
Post by : Tom (gateway.aon.co.uk / )
___________________________
And the things we knew we knew but said we didn't know and the things we said we knew but didn't know at all.
Post by : Barbara (webcacheh12a.cache.pol.co.uk / )
___________________________
Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College
“…Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise.'
Post by : Thomas Gray (host81-128-134-155.in-addr.btopenworld.com / )
___________________________
Post a Comment