In order to be fair and balanced ...

In my "Reverse Culture Shock I" post, I invoked John McCain's problems with geography to illustrate how even leading American statesman don't know that much about the world. Lest anyone think that this blog isn't "fair and balanced," I'll be the first to concede that many Democrats are similarly challenged when it comes to knowing about the outside world. Lyndon Johnson, for instance, was notorious for his ignorance of other countries; indeed, had he been better informed and more sure of himself in this area, America might have been spared all that unfortunate business in Vietnam.

However, the best illustration of Democratic ignorance in this area is a comment I vaguely remember being made by Richard Daley, the late and unlamented mayor of Chicago. He famously insisted, "No man is an Ireland." Well, Ireland is an island, so he was sort of on the mark in saying this. And the statement is literally true, as no man is indeed big enough to be an Ireland!

This quote, along with other hilarious comments, like Thomas Watson's infamous statement, "There is a market for exactly one personal computer," is in Victor Navasky and Christopher Cerf's great compendium of expert misinformation, THE EXPERTS SPEAK (Watson, of course, was the founder of IBM). Indeed, this book makes for an excellent post-meal dinner party entertainment helper--one can amuse one's guests with similar comments like that made about Willie Mays ("a so-so center fielder"), Mick Jagger ("the lead singer will have to go"), and rock and roll music as a passing fad ("Maybe next year it will be Hawaiian music").