This is democracy, the opportunity to understand each other in a plain common language and get along with each other. But with the liberation of the world by the barrel of the gun, for the American Free Market the common language to understand each other has reached the lowest point with the appointment of President Bush at the White House.

On Wednesday I was surprised to hear that President Bush has not won the "Foot in Mouth Award;" instead, this award has been won by his secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld who provided his usual big Weapon of Mass Distraction at his news briefing of February 12, 2003.

At this briefing, Rumsfeld was asked the question if Iraq had attempted, or willing, to supply terrorists with weapons of mass destruction and he answered:

"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."

Congratulations for your "Foot in Mouth Award" Mr. Misleader Rumsfeld!

References

Pertinent articles published in Ensign

Plain English Campaign Donald Rumsfeld 'honoured' for confusing comments Press releases (2003) December 1, 2003 http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/pressrelease.html

United States Department of Defense DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers February 12, 2002 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2002/t02122002_t212sdv2.html

deSantis, Mario Understanding and Peace is a matter of Integral Language, Dementia and War is a matter of Policed Brainwashing July 9, 2003 Ensign http://www.ftlcomm.com:16080/ensign/desantisArticles/2003_800/desantis812/brainwashing.html