North Korea Praises Bush for Use of 'Mr.'

[Kadie]

North Korea Praises Bush for Use of 'Mr.'
By BURT HERMAN, Associated Press Writer

Friday, June 3, 2005

(06-03) 08:44 PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) --

North Korea gave rare praise to President Bush on Friday, welcoming his use of the honorific "Mr." when referring to leader Kim Jong Il and saying the softened tone could lead to its return to nuclear arms talks.

snip...
"If Bush's remarks put an end to the scramble between the hawkish group and the moderate group in the U.S., which has thrown the Korean policy into a state of confusion, it would help create an atmosphere of the six-party talks," an unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

At a Tuesday news conference, Bush defended his focus on using diplomacy to try to resolve the standoff.

"It's a matter of continuing to send a message to Mr. Kim Jong Il that if you want to be accepted by the neighborhood and be a part of ... those who are viewed with respect in the world, work with us to get rid of your nuclear weapons program," Bush said.

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/06/03/international/i084452D40.DTL

[UCLA Dem]

1. Whatever works I guess?? Very strange indeed.

[wtmusic]

2. I thought this was going to be an 'Onion' spoof

We live in some crazy times :crazy:

[gordianot]

3. Probably used the term "Mister" in a sarcastic sneer lost in translation.

Of course it is hard to tell when Bush smirks

[elehhhhna]

5. Bank on it. Plus I heard "Buster".

[lonestarnot]

4. bushitler working on vocab improvement...a step....LOL Mr.

[Igel]

6. Obeisance works.

One wonders what the honorific used in translation implies.

[seriousstan]

7. North Korea Praises Bush for Use of 'Mr.'

By BURT HERMAN
The Associated Press
Friday, June 3, 2005; 11:44 AM

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea gave rare praise to President Bush on Friday, welcoming his use of the honorific "Mr." when referring to leader Kim Jong Il and saying the softened tone could lead to its return to nuclear arms talks.

The United States wants the North to end its nuclear weapons development, and is working with China, Japan, Russia and South Korea to persuade Pyongyang to return to disarmament talks last held in June 2004. The North has stayed away from the table citing a "hostile" U.S. policy and claimed in February that it had nuclear weapons.

"If Bush's remarks put an end to the scramble between the hawkish group and the moderate group in the U.S., which has thrown the Korean policy into a state of confusion, it would help create an atmosphere of the six-party talks," an unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

At a Tuesday news conference, Bush defended his focus on using diplomacy to try to resolve the standoff.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/03/AR2005060300643_pf.html

[ET Awful]

8. What did he call him? Mister Il?

:P

[spooked911]

9. Bush used Mr.! Now THERE'S diplomacy for you

[The Witch]

13. Hey. Sometimes that stuff matters.

Just like abusing a holy book means more to the Muslims than it does to the Christians. It's called cultural competence-- the understanding that things you may not consider important may be of paramount importance to other cultures, and working in such a way that cultures feel respected.

If that's what will keep North Korea at the table, then I'll give the Shrub his due props for doing it. Doesn't mean I'm an apologist or a freeper, though, so hold your circular firing squad, please. We're the party that is OK with differing opinions, remember?

[LiberalVoice]

16. What props?

* probably had no idea that calling him "Mister" would do anything...Its probably that for once he actually put Mr in front of Jong-Ils name instead of the word tyrant or some other insult. HE gets no props for being lucky.

[spooked911]

19. I agree with you. I was just being sarcastic. Let's hope that Bush

actually was TRYING to be diplomatic.

[ozymandius]

10. Kim Jung Il is laughing at *.

This is hardly worth a news write beyond Mr. Kim's apparent gooning of shrub.

[4_Legs_Good]

11. It's amazing how low expectations for this guy are...

Today George Bush Jr. didn't rape any kids!

BEST PRESIDENT EVER!!!

:puke:

david

[madeline_con]

12. So, Kim's not o.k?

I wonder if we can get DUH-bya to say "Ms. Rice" in reference to "Condi"??

[ckramer]

14. Who's smarter? boosh or ill?

[Blue_In_AK]

15. It bugs me when ** calls Putin Vladimir...

It's demeaning to refer to a world leader by his first name in public.

[Straight Shooter]

17. If only he had called Saddam "Mr. Hussein"

Just think, that little diplomatic move on his part could have spared the world the agony of the War in Iraq.

"Fuck Mr. Hussein, we're taking him out."

:eyes:

[drdtroit]

18. Amazing, we have sunk so low in the world's opinion that

just by * using the most minute modicum of decorum he is praised.
Oy!

[NNN0LHI]

20. Don't sell North Korea's ability to use sarcasm on the world stage short

Because this is an example of geo-political sarcasm at its best.

Don

[Deja Q]

21. 'those who are viewed with respect in the world'

Keep in mind * is the same administration telling other countries that their elections aren't valid due to corruption...