Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Dear Nancy,
I surely do appreciate how difficult it can be to navigate in a culture you don't understand. Boy howdy, have I learned the hard way that things that sound like a joke in Turkey are actually deadly serious. You better believe I won't be laughing the next time the subject of Turkish oil wrestling comes up.
So let me help you out, because I'm actually pretty good with American culture, despite not visiting all that much anymore.
In America, when you're a politician and someone asks you, "Does the Constitution give you the power to do that?"--well, that's really never a joke. Americans are incredibly touchy about that "Constitution" business, especially when it comes to politicians and what they're allowed to do.
I guess you've probably figured that out by now. But if you need any more advice, just give me a call. Always happy to help.
All best,
Claire
PS: Nancy, where exactly are you from?
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Unfortunately, a lot of Republicans don't care much about the Constitution, either.
How many of them vote for feel-good laws like Michele Obama's child nutrition bill or ethanol subsidies or the bill requiring broadcasters to modulate the audio volume of advertising? Small insults to the Constitution -but small insults add up.
Edited on Dec 14, 2010 at 10:47pmNov '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
In the words of Cal Lightman, "That's a classic diversion." She at a minimum knows it's contentious. She hopes it'll stand up in the Supreme Court, and she wants to make anyone who thinks it won't look like an idiot.
In fairness, however, I am not altogether convinced that most, if even many, Americans are that much concerned about the Constitution. The think their freedom comes from some laudable ideal. They don't understand the role of government in securing their freedoms, and they don't understand how the Constitution creates and restrains that government.
Oct '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Claire, I sure hope you're right about most Americans being touchy about their constitution--and I guess from the November Election it appears that a majority are, but I live in a college town in the middle of fly-over country and it might as well be foreign state. You try and say something positive about the constitution and people applaud your attempt at irony.
Anyways, on a more positive note, I eagerly await your upcoming post where you describe Turkish Oil Wrestling in more detail!
Edited on Dec 15, 2010 at 2:41amOct '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Nancy is from Baltimore. This makes her a Baltimoron. In fact she is the top Baltimoron as far as I know.
Dec '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
It sounds like by answering "are you serious" she meant to say "isn't that obvious", but it would have been a lot more convincing if she had just answered the question by explaining what part of the Constitution empowers her.
I see that you can format text over here, which is a major improvement over commenting on Facebook.
Jul '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Nancy lives in a Pacific Heights mansion in San Francisco among the other ultra-wealthy when she is not staying at her Napa Valley winery. You may recall she pressured the Air Force against regulations into parking her government jet at a nearby base so she wouldn't be subjected to the nuisance of being driven to SFO in a limousine. Saved her two hours. Or perhaps you didn't mean where physically she is from. In that case, Nancy lives in a bubble of political theory where the all-wise govern the stupid and malleable; kindly if possible, sternly if not. In a 19th Century novel she would be a Lady Bountiful. In a late 20th Century novel she would be a Mafia princess. Or, even earlier, a Medusa who turns the bowels of men to water.
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Douglas Pologe: It sounds like by answering "are you serious" she meant to say "isn't that obvious", but it would have been a lot more convincing if she had just answered the question by explaining what part of the Constitution empowers her.
I see that you can format text over here, which is a major improvement over commenting on Facebook. · Dec 15 at 5:06am
Welcome, Douglas!
Nov '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
There is nothing mysterious about this. Nancy Pelosi does not give a fat rat's bum about the Constitution. The Democrats have already seized enough power that they no longer need to honor the Constitution.
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
Apparently not. Checks and balances really work.
Oct '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
She is in fact from Baltimore and this is downtown in little Italy.
Nov '10
Re: Foreign Culture Tips for Nancy Pelosi
I just can't get over the fact that she has balls.
Update! Wikipedia fixed it....
Edited on Dec 15, 2010 at 11:16am