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A reader, OKJimm,  asks:

“Did you come up with the phrase “word salad”?

Alas, no. Wish I had, but I took it directly from the link in yesterday’s story about the latest Palin slaughtering of coherent thought.

I had, to be sure, heard of the phrase before, but in a medical sense.

Word salad is simply the collection of random words, put into phrases that appear to have some meaning, when actually they have, upon examination, none.  In other words it’s what Palin does all the time.

There are a number of medical illnesses that can result in this, such as dementia and schizophrenia. The person believes they are making sense, but the words, taken together, make no logical sense.

Yesterday we referred to Palin’s statement about Egypt. It would be helpful to read her remarks at length

Now, reading it, leaves you dizzy, of course. The words meander around in circles, repeating themselves, and then abruptly end in a period, somewhere, because, oh I don’t know, it just looks like a good place for one.

Let’s examine what thought if any is behind the words.

“Remember, President Reagan lived that mantra trust but verify. We want to be able to trust those who are screaming for democracy there in Egypt, that it is a true sincere desire for freedoms and the challenge that we have though, is how do we verify what it is that we are being told, what it is that the American public are being fed via media, via the protestors, via the government there in Egypt in order for us to really have some sound information to make wise decisions on what our position is.  Trust but verify, and try to understand is what I would hope our leaders are engaged in right now.

Sarah here seems to be asking how can we know what is in the mind of all these people, the protesters, the media, and the government. For some reason what we get is via the media, who get their information from the protesters, who get their information from the government. That’s what all those vias mean. Surely she is mistaken here.

What Sarah seems to be concerned about is how we process the information. Although she has also claimed that since she has a journalism degree, she is ready to help the mainstream media understand how to do their job, she seems unable to understand the concepts of critical reading and critical thinking. That is how we “understand” if this is a true “screaming” for democracy.

And if they are not screaming for democracy in a way that you think is appropriate? I mean, I know you want to know, but it’s THEIR COUNTRY.

Who’s going to fill the void?  Mubarak, he’s gone, one way or the other you know, he is not going to be the leader of Egypt, that that’s a given, so now the information needs to be gathered and understood as to who it will be that fills now the void in the government.  Is it going to be the Muslim Brotherhood?  We should not stand for that, or with that or by that.  Any radical Islamists, no that is not who we should be supporting and standing by, so we need to find out who was behind all of the turmoil and the revolt and the protests so that good decisions can be made in terms of who we will stand by and support.”

Now Sarah wants to know how this will come out? Who will be the new leader? She assumes Mubarak will fail to retain office, apparently even in the short run, but shares no information as to why that is. She wants information gathered as to who will replace him. Does she have evidence that this is not occurring?

Shockingly of course, she throws out democratic principles of free choice by the electorate, claiming that we cannot tolerate a government run by radicals. Thus she announces the Palin Doctrine–we will not tolerate governments in the world that are not in our self-interest. Democracy apparently is only for Americans.

Again, she pleads for information.

“It’s a difficult situation, this is that 3am White House phone call and it seems for many of us trying to get that information from our leader in the White House it it seems that that call went right to um the answering machine. And nobody yet has, no body yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak. . .”

Sarah seems here to suggest that Obama has no information, that he was not asking questions or talking to either Egyptians in the government or from other foreign governments. Yet no facts are offered to support this otherwise snotty remark. She then suggests that she has a right to know whatever the WH knows, and she infers they know much more than they are telling. But of course, no facts to prove this inferred allegation are presented. Does she really think Obama knows who will replace Mubarak? How silly is that notion?

What she evinces is a shockingly childish understand of the world of diplomacy. Sarah seems to want to know everything we know about “them” even if it means telling what we know that they don’t know we know. But if we do that, then they might know how we know what they know that they don’t think we know, and that would be bad Sarah. Unless you are suggesting that we scrap the method of international communication in use for thousands of years, I think you should just hush here.

. . .and from DC in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And in these areas that are so volatile right now because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House.  We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with.  And we do not have all that information yet.”

Yes, we do need strength and sound mind. Yours would not be the one we would want. Again there is the inferred criticism that we don’t have that now, but nothing but innuendo is offered.

Inexplicably, she tells us that the WH? needs to explain “what it is that America stands for.” Well, yes, but I thought you were the queen of explaining the constitution and our freedoms and liberties? I thought you KNEW what America stands for? You tell everybody you do, and you tell all those who you don’t think understand. So I’m really confused now.

I thought the information about what we stand for is in our Declaration and in our Constitution? Am I wrong? Or are you hopelessly muddled once again dear girl?

Sarah, look, I know you love money and being in front of cameras. But pleeeeeeze, SHUT THE HELL UP! I mean good grief, I know the call that went to your answering service. . .the dictionary people asking for a recent photo to put next to the word–WORD SALAD.

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