Friday, October 26, 2007

Broken English

"Never a government fall down because of a throne speech."

Mike Duffy Live: Liberal Leader Stephane Dion explains why his party did not vote against the throne speech


But they fall down laughing when the Leader of the Opposition speaks.


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See:

House Divided

Does Bilingualism Matter?

Should Liberal Leader Be Bilingual

Dion Sucked

Kennedy And Dion


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5 comments:

Darren McEwen said...

Dion has his obstacles he's going to have to overcome but a little bad grammar never kept a man out of the Prime Minister's office.

Tell that to Jean Chretien -- in both languages -- and he'll likely agree.

kenchapman said...

There are two constants in politics, sin and taxes. When you put them together in a bilingual country you will often get some amusing syntax.

So what - If you didn't understand what Dion's point was you likely have an IQ approaching single digits. That is a more serious concern.

Eugene - elevate the substance -don't get captured by the silliness of style.

I read you regularly and often disagree but have to say I would have thought substance was more you style than the insignificant things like syntax in an unfamiliar language.

BTW - My French "stinques"...how is yours?

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

It is not a matter of style but of the politics of language in Canada. If Dion was an English politician whose French was as bad as his English he would be hounded by the media in both 'countries'. As Gerard Kennedy was. The reverse is not true. However in Dion's case the Conservatives as well as the media has made it an issue. As I have over the fact it is the hypocrisy of linguistic politics in Canada. And unlike his English counterparts it is clear after almost a year as leader he has made no effort to improve his 'presentation' style in English.

While Chretien used his language foible to his advantage, remember the pepper spray comment after APEC. He could turn a phrase. Patrician Herr Professor Dion cannot.

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Ken clearly my French stinques or I would have used La instead of Le in my blog title.

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Darren its not a little bad grammar. It is consistently bad grammar.