Historical Feet in Mouths (1 Viewer)

[Spitfrnd]

For reasons that escape me there seems to be a perception that use of humor and wit to appraise our national leaders is potentially too offensive for the sensitive eyes of our little group. I find that disturbing since as I noted in poor Octavian’s deleted thread, what any historical figure says and does, as well as how they say and do it, would seem to be a simple fact of history that surely can be accepted for what it is, without rancor, distress, hostility or offense. Besides, as they say, to be ignorant of history is a recipe for repeating it. So in the spirit of a free and humorous appreciation that any person is human (i.e., subject to error), not matter what their color, creed, national origin or political persuasion, I thought I would help put Octavian’s amusing missing link in some perspective with some other observations of some of my favorite classic verbal miss ques. Perhaps others could offer some of their favorites.

I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.
Greg Norman

Half this game is ninety percent mental.
Danny Ozark, Philadelphia Phillies manager

Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious.
Alan Minter

Smoking kills, and if you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.
Brooke Shields - Anti-smoking spokesperson

I don't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs.
Nancy Reagan former First Lady

I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.
David Dinkins, NY City Mayor, (answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes).

Outside of the killings, Washington DC has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington DC

The police are not here to create disorder. They're here to preserve disorder.
Former Chicago mayor Daley during the infamous 1968 Democratic Party convention

The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it's only the people that make them unsafe.
Frank Rizzo - former Philadelphia mayor & police chief

China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese.
Former French president Charles de Gaulle

What a waste it is to lose one's mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.
Former U.S. vice-president Dan Quayle

Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.
Dan Quayle

If you don't disagree with me, how will I know I'm right?
Samuel Goldwyn

And then there are these classics; you will have to guess who said these?

"Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results."
"It will take time to restore chaos and order."
"They have miscalculated me as a leader."
"Natural gas is hemispheric... because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

Remember, not to have a mind is being very wasteful and anyway I am just here for the drugs; hey let’s be careful out there.

 

[Sans Culotte]

"Your words resignate with me."

Also, you remind me of what one of my student's co-workers once said: "Well, I'm not illiterate. My parents were married when they had me." :

 

[Louis Badolato]

For reasons that escape me there seems to be a perception that use of humor and wit to appraise our national leaders is potentially too offensive for the sensitive eyes of our little group. I find that disturbing since as I noted in poor Octavian’s deleted thread, what any historical figure says and does, as well as how they say and do it, would seem to be a simple fact of history that surely can be accepted for what it is, without rancor, distress, hostility or offense. Besides, as they say, to be ignorant of history is a recipe for repeating it. So in the spirit of a free and humorous appreciation that any person is human (i.e., subject to error), not matter what their color, creed, national origin or political persuasion, I thought I would help put Octavian’s amusing missing link in some perspective with some other observations of some of my favorite classic verbal miss ques. Perhaps others could offer some of their favorites.

I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.
Greg Norman

Half this game is ninety percent mental.
Danny Ozark, Philadelphia Phillies manager

Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious.
Alan Minter

Smoking kills, and if you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.
Brooke Shields - Anti-smoking spokesperson

I don't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs.
Nancy Reagan former First Lady

I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.
David Dinkins, NY City Mayor, (answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes).

Outside of the killings, Washington DC has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington DC

The police are not here to create disorder. They're here to preserve disorder.
Former Chicago mayor Daley during the infamous 1968 Democratic Party convention

The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it's only the people that make them unsafe.
Frank Rizzo - former Philadelphia mayor & police chief

China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese.
Former French president Charles de Gaulle

What a waste it is to lose one's mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.
Former U.S. vice-president Dan Quayle

Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.
Dan Quayle

If you don't disagree with me, how will I know I'm right?
Samuel Goldwyn

And then there are these classics; you will have to guess who said these?

"Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results."
"It will take time to restore chaos and order."
"They have miscalculated me as a leader."
"Natural gas is hemispheric... because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

Remember, not to have a mind is being very wasteful and anyway I am just here for the drugs; hey let’s be careful out there.

"That's funny . . . I don't care who you are"

-Larry the Cable Guy

 

[L Flowers]

I noticed the post by Octavian was ok until the political left started being implicated and/or talked about. That seems to be the trend here. Posts are placed here criticizing the political right, conservatism or Christianity but as soon as the political left starts taking its jabs, the moderators come in and invoke the no politics policy. Just my two cents worth. Now I will get off my soapbox.

 

[Scott]

"political left starts taking its jabs" I thought the post was deleted when the political right was challenged. I was surprised that a "military" forum even had politically left people.

 

[jazzeum]

I noticed the post by Octavian was ok until the political left started being implicated and/or talked about. That seems to be the trend here. Posts are placed here criticizing the political right, conservatism or Christianity but as soon as the political left starts taking its jabs, the moderators come in and invoke the no politics policy. Just my two cents worth. Now I will get off my soapbox.

"political left starts taking its jabs" I thought the post was deleted when the political right was challenged. I was surprised that a "military" forum even had politically left people.

The thread has been cleaned up (removed of political posts) and been restored.

 

[4th Hussar]

The thread has been cleaned up (removed of political posts) and been restored.

Cleaned up and restored are not the same thing. are we still worried about young children being offended - seems that was the last justification for censorship.

 

[Sans Culotte]

"political left starts taking its jabs" I thought the post was deleted when the political right was challenged. I was surprised that a "military" forum even had politically left people.

Myself, I'd rather be wrong than right..... wing.

 

[VanguardFC007]

Thank you for sharing this. Some very classic lines.

 

[Spitfrnd]

I really don't find right and left meaningful distinctions anymore (if they ever were). What we need more of are thinking wings. Besides, I have no respect for any political persuasion that claims it cannot make mistakes; afterall nobody's inflammable.

 

[Spitfrnd]

To return to our theme and assure no wing is unrepresented here are a few more gems; or as former Mayor Daley would say "Today the real problem is the future."

This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected.
Former California Governor Pat Brown

I believe that this country's policies should be heavily biased in favor of non-discrimination.
Former President Bill Clinton

If we don't make some changes, the status quo will remain the same.
Former senior Clinton staffer

If Lincoln were alive today, he'd roll over in his grave and Things are more like they are now than they have ever been.
Former President Gerald Ford

I didn't say that I didn't say it. I said that I didn't say that I said it. I want to make that very clear.
Former Governor George Romney

And then we have our most articulate VP Elect noting that
"We have two incredibly credibly witnesses here," during the confirmatin hearings for now-Supreme Court justice Thomas, who repeatedly denied "uncategorically" Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment.

Afterall, "Good communication is essential -- even if it isn't clear".