Mimi, I am unfamiliar with the term "Potemkin village" and had to look it up. (It means a fake village intended to fool visitors.) I am more familiar with the mutiny of 1905, in which Russian sailors took over the battleship Potemkin, and which became the subject of a famous silent movie in 1925, directed by Sergei Eisenstein.
The term is an idiom based on an historical myth, according to which there were fake settlements purportedly erected at the direction of Russian minister Grigory Potemkin in order to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787. According to this story, Potemkin, who led the Crimean military campaign, had hollow facades of villages constructed along the desolate banks of the Dnieper River in order to impress the monarch and her entourage with the value of her new conquests, thus enhancing his standing in the empress's eyes.Wikipedia.
Good analogy, though as I suspected not familiar to all.
Though I must say the image of a baby carriage plummeting down the stairs is also a good one for what will happen to health care and much else we hold dear should folks buy the facade these two have constructed!
Tobias, I thought the analogy would be more familiar, but perhaps it's due to my age...although Ormonde is my contemporary. ;-) The shared cultural references that different generations understand diminish. Perhaps it was always thus.
I like your analogy of the baby carriage plummeting down the stairs with a Romney presidency.
Well, the debate just finished - the false fronts of so many houses along the river COMPLETE ... Potemkin or Cecil B. DeMille, it all a lie from the GOP again. Siiiiiiggh! Now the only question is: is the Rmoney calculation that the vast majority of GOP regulars expect him to be moderate after using the extremists to get through the primaries correct? Will people say, see, he's not so extreme, it's "safe" to vote for him ... and fall for the act?
Well, Obama won the debate, but what it will count for is another matter. Romney literally sweated this one out, appearing to wish to be somewhere, anywhere else. He agreed with nearly all of Obama's positions on foreign policy and continually brought the discussion back to the economy, because he was obviously weak on foreign affairs. What was that long, meandering spiel on Pakistan about?
Romney changed his position on several issues again tonight, but who knows where he will be tomorrow?
Given his extensive (!) knowledge of World geography, I doubt very much that Romney could find his Potemkin village if he was sat on it. Syria is Iran's route to the sea? Reaaly, Mitt? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/22/fact-check-irans-route-to-the-sea/
Let's hope that his understanding of American history is a little better. Oh, hang on a mo(roni)....
I've read that he has had the mistake pointed out to him several times but continues to blurt it out. It really is akin to suggesting that Canada is Mexico's route to the sea. Or maybe he genuinely thinks that Iraq to no longer exists because he remembers hearing his fellow foot-in-mouth sufferer Dubya say he was going to wipe it off the face of the Earth - and believed him! Therefore his mental (sic) map goes 'Iran-No-Man's Land-Syria-the Med'.
Who can say? Romney is corrected multiple times, but he continues to repeat the same lies and misstatements time and again. He and his handlers may think it doesn't matter that he speaks untruths, and, indeed, to his true-blue supporters, truth may not matter.
Mimi, I am unfamiliar with the term "Potemkin village" and had to look it up. (It means a fake village intended to fool visitors.) I am more familiar with the mutiny of 1905, in which Russian sailors took over the battleship Potemkin, and which became the subject of a famous silent movie in 1925, directed by Sergei Eisenstein.
ReplyDeleteThe term is an idiom based on an historical myth, according to which there were fake settlements purportedly erected at the direction of Russian minister Grigory Potemkin in order to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787. According to this story, Potemkin, who led the Crimean military campaign, had hollow facades of villages constructed along the desolate banks of the Dnieper River in order to impress the monarch and her entourage with the value of her new conquests, thus enhancing his standing in the empress's eyes. Wikipedia.
DeleteLike a movie set.
Good analogy, though as I suspected not familiar to all.
ReplyDeleteThough I must say the image of a baby carriage plummeting down the stairs is also a good one for what will happen to health care and much else we hold dear should folks buy the facade these two have constructed!
Tobias, I thought the analogy would be more familiar, but perhaps it's due to my age...although Ormonde is my contemporary. ;-) The shared cultural references that different generations understand diminish. Perhaps it was always thus.
ReplyDeleteI like your analogy of the baby carriage plummeting down the stairs with a Romney presidency.
Well, the debate just finished - the false fronts of so many houses along the river COMPLETE ... Potemkin or Cecil B. DeMille, it all a lie from the GOP again. Siiiiiiggh! Now the only question is: is the Rmoney calculation that the vast majority of GOP regulars expect him to be moderate after using the extremists to get through the primaries correct? Will people say, see, he's not so extreme, it's "safe" to vote for him ... and fall for the act?
ReplyDeleteWell, Obama won the debate, but what it will count for is another matter. Romney literally sweated this one out, appearing to wish to be somewhere, anywhere else. He agreed with nearly all of Obama's positions on foreign policy and continually brought the discussion back to the economy, because he was obviously weak on foreign affairs. What was that long, meandering spiel on Pakistan about?
DeleteRomney changed his position on several issues again tonight, but who knows where he will be tomorrow?
Given his extensive (!) knowledge of World geography, I doubt very much that Romney could find his Potemkin village if he was sat on it. Syria is Iran's route to the sea? Reaaly, Mitt?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/22/fact-check-irans-route-to-the-sea/
Let's hope that his understanding of American history is a little better. Oh, hang on a mo(roni)....
Acolyte of Sagan, that was a whopper of a geography mistake. One wonders if Romney could find Iran on a map.
DeleteI've read that he has had the mistake pointed out to him several times but continues to blurt it out. It really is akin to suggesting that Canada is Mexico's route to the sea.
DeleteOr maybe he genuinely thinks that Iraq to no longer exists because he remembers hearing his fellow foot-in-mouth sufferer Dubya say he was going to wipe it off the face of the Earth - and believed him! Therefore his mental (sic) map goes 'Iran-No-Man's Land-Syria-the Med'.
Who can say? Romney is corrected multiple times, but he continues to repeat the same lies and misstatements time and again. He and his handlers may think it doesn't matter that he speaks untruths, and, indeed, to his true-blue supporters, truth may not matter.
Delete