We need a new rule
...World leaders--particularly heads of government--should be required to be able to speak the language of their countries. Americans spent eight years cringing at a President whose frequent misuse of English was as much of an embarrassment as his cowboy "Bring 'em on" diplomacy. And now apparently the Japanese are dealing with a similar situation.
It would have been nice if the past eight years had prompted Americans to learn to speak better English. Instead, Bush's stupidity seemed to make him more popular with a lot of people. To add to the irony, it is usually the same people who can't speak English worth a damn themselves who are so self-righteous about requiring immigrants to learn it. Not that I would mention anyone by name, Governor Schwartzenegger.
Japan PM's reading blunders spark study spree
TOKYO - Reading Japanese isn't easy - even for the Japanese.
Take Prime Minister Taro Aso. He's made so many public blunders that an opposition lawmaker tried to give him a reading test during a televised session of parliament.
The Japanese leader bungled the word for "frequent," calling Japan-China exchanges "cumbersome" instead. Another time, he misread the word "toshu" (follow), saying "fushu" - or stench - and sounded as if he were saying government policy "stinks."
While the media and Aso's political rivals have been quick to heap ridicule, many Japanese have seen a bit more of themselves in Aso's goofs than they would like to admit. Since his missteps, books designed to improve reading ability have become all the rage.
Full Article...
It would have been nice if the past eight years had prompted Americans to learn to speak better English. Instead, Bush's stupidity seemed to make him more popular with a lot of people. To add to the irony, it is usually the same people who can't speak English worth a damn themselves who are so self-righteous about requiring immigrants to learn it. Not that I would mention anyone by name, Governor Schwartzenegger.
Japan PM's reading blunders spark study spree
TOKYO - Reading Japanese isn't easy - even for the Japanese.
Take Prime Minister Taro Aso. He's made so many public blunders that an opposition lawmaker tried to give him a reading test during a televised session of parliament.
The Japanese leader bungled the word for "frequent," calling Japan-China exchanges "cumbersome" instead. Another time, he misread the word "toshu" (follow), saying "fushu" - or stench - and sounded as if he were saying government policy "stinks."
While the media and Aso's political rivals have been quick to heap ridicule, many Japanese have seen a bit more of themselves in Aso's goofs than they would like to admit. Since his missteps, books designed to improve reading ability have become all the rage.
Full Article...