Rice opened her mouth and said "birth defect"

[ensho]

neo cons don't say anything by happenstance.

I think it was disgusting of her to use that phrasing. so why did they chose birth defect.

it doesn't fit the situation. are they trying to make the situation fit the words birth defect?

birth defect/woman, can't separate the two.

thus it is woman's fault?

what came to your alls minds when you heard her say birth defect?

[TwilightGardener]

1. Depends on the context.

[SoCalDem]

6. Context here..

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-2&fp=47ed019a803eb987&ei=MAntR4-AL5iMrAPvkpXZBA&url=http%3A//washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20080327/FOREIGN/598046217/1003&cid=1146452739&sig2=OyPuqekqrT_OenhmztnbNg&usg=AFrqEzdaFQ-TmyKbzcEyempyXKOeqSodzQ


She somehow finally felt the "need" to address slavery/race in 'Merika, and called it a "birth defect"..that our country was "born" of Whites & blacks, and only whites apparently deserved the full benefit of citizenship..

any way she tries to spin it, she's as stupid as ever.. she also made mention of the HORRIBLE injustices done to her family members (and still she happily took the benefits accorded her, and then joined up with the oppressors:eyes:..)

[TwilightGardener]

14. Well, I'm not a fan of Condi, but at the most it was poor wording. Not worth

beating someone up over.

[waiting for hope]

2. Cube Rat here -

missed it, in what context?

[ensho]

11. CNN this a.m. had a short clip of her sitting at a table talking about the economy

that america had a "birth defect"

I had just got up and was feeding cats and brewing tea so didn't catch every word - birth defect I caught!

[SoCalDem]

3. birth defect = accidental..an "oopsie"

[JohnnyLib2]

4. ?

Please explain.

[virtualobserver]

5. she was referring to slavery as a birth defect in terms of the birth of the country

[Lerkfish]

12. ugh.

just ugh.

[ensho]

13. sorry I thought it was about the economy - but still to use that term for anything

is bizarre

[sharesunited]

9. Hate to link to this POS rag.

It is just the right-wing press which is covering this comment by the SOS.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080328/FOREIGN/746301768/1001

[Lars39]

7. *We're racist by birth and we can't help it.*

[Nickster]

10. That's what my husb....uh the President says too!

[Lars39]

15. hehe

:evilgrin:

[Richardo]

8. That's quite a stretch - don't hurt yourself

Birth defect = woman? Who thinks that? How is slavery at the founding of the country a 'woman's' fault?

Looks like you're trying to manufacture some outrage here. It didn't bother me at all.

[ensho]

16. who do you think brings a "birth defect" into the light - a woman

it was a bizarre thing to say.

[Richardo]

21. But what 'woman' brought the birth defect of slavery into the light at the founding?

It makes no sense. You're looking for offense where there is none.

[ensho]

24. right, it makes no sense to use the words 'birth defect'

so why did the neo cons choose those words?

[Richardo]

26. No, I mean your interpretation makes no sense.

You take it as a given that 'birth defect' is some kind of code word for 'woman'. I don't accept that.

I merely think that Condi has a habit of using birthing imagery when talking about emerging (!) democracies and therefore an imperfect 'birth' would have 'birth defects'. Remember her statement about witnessing the 'birth pains' of democracy in Iraq?

It's a weird choice, I admit, but I don't detect evil intent.

[ensho]

30. I didn't say it was a code word.

birth defect/woman

can't separate the two

[Richardo]

34. I think most people DO separate the two.

Your main thesis is flawed.

[asthmaticeog]

32. When all you have is a hammer...

;)

[dmallind]

28. Whh?

What the heck have even REAL birth defects to do with women as causal factors in most cases? Either scientifically or linguistically. I'm not the most enlightened feminist of men nor the most careful with my language but even I would have never made that association. Birth defects are caused for the most part by some atypical development of the fetus or embryo. About the only time they are the fault of the mother is if they abuse drugs etc during pregnancy, but there are huge numbers of birth defects that are simple cellular midfires and nobody's fault at all. On the linguistic side I know some pretty chauvinist guys - way worse than my rather blasé thoughtlessness - and I've never heard any of them mention birth defects in the context of being women's faults.

[ensho]

29. no one has said it was a woman's fault - no one means that

nt

[Richardo]

31. Your OP said: "birth defect/woman, can't separate the two."

I think most people DO separate the two.

[Annces]

17. It is strange wording

Kind of makes sense, creation of something with a defect. Sounds like something an obstetrician would say, having births on the mind.

[LeftinOH]

18. Referring the creation of a new nation.. its within context (imho).

[ensho]

19. but women didn't birth this nation, men did

I'm sure those men didn't think they were birthing a nation. I'm sure they used other words to describe what they were doing.

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. Has nothing to do with "woman".

Has everything to do with "defective".

What she (thus the neocons/RW) is saying is that America was born defective. Therefore, the neocon/RW answer would be to jusifiably tear up the constitution and start from scratch.

Laying the case for a coup (in my paranoid imagination).

[Richardo]

22. That's another stretch

It was an odd choice of words, that's all.

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Admitted.

As I said, I'm paranoid.

[ensho]

25. I think you have hit it. defect is the word. but why add the word birth?

could just have said america was created with a defect

no need to add the word birth.

[Richardo]

27. Condi has a habit of using birthing imagery ...

... when talking about emerging (!) democracies and therefore an imperfect 'birth' would have 'birth defects'. Remember her statement about witnessing the 'birth pains' of democracy in Iraq?

[ensho]

33. thanks for that - then birth defect might spring from her mind

maybe she has issues.

[Richardo]

35. I think that's a more reasonable interpretation

:thumbsup:

[EstimatedProphet]

36. My first thought was "Why is ensho flying off the handle?"

[ensho]

37. word sensitive? words have meaning - Iraq birth defects have been

in the news recently