President Trump on Indian Prime Minister Modi: “He actually speaks very good English, he just doesn't want to talk right now.”
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) August 26, 2019
Audience and Prime Minister burst out laughing. pic.twitter.com/FimDRLYhFu
August 26, 2019
"He actually speaks very good English..."
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I was talking to Modi the other day on a help line.
He called me asking about defragmenting a disk and I told him "Thank you, come again!"
Bad English is saying SJW crap like "point of personal privilege" or made-up pronouns.
And Modi would have said “I speak English very well, thank you.”
Trump is going to get us into a nuclear war one of these days with these jokes.
Doesn't he know that India has the bomb?
I'm sure the racist NYTimes will report this as a textbook example of a xenophobic dog whistle.
The thing about Donald Trump is that he can be such a likable asshole!
Everybody burst out laughing.
Because they are racists.
Including the Prime Minister, who is racist against himself.
I suspect that this will come out, without the video, as PDJT insulting Modi.
In the video it comes off as Modi taking it as PDJT intended, as a friendly joke.
Good on both of them.
And it reminded me of this video from perhaps 15 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Ef5Aob4cE
John Henry
And in the meantime, after a weekend about how PDJT's brinksmanship with China is going to cause a recession, nuclear war, global warming and the end of the world as we know it:
China says Monday morning "Hey, let's talk about trade and tariffs. I'm sure we can work something out"
And Japan agrees to buy all our corn.
John Henry
I believe that English is a first language for many Indians, at least in certain classes and parts of India.
I wonder what Modi's 1st language is? Is it English?
He does speak it very well.
John Henry
Trump is so much better at everything about being president than Obama was.
It's so obvious that Trump really loves people. How anyone could call him hateful is beyond me. He is a people-person.
Look at the way Modi laughs and reaches out to grab PDJT's hand and Trump grabs back. It looks like a genuinely warm bond between the two. As if they actually like each other. Not fake, real.
For contrast look at this video of Obama and Modi. Nothing wrong with it, just very formal, all business, no warmth. Pretty typical of most interactions between heads of state I would say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ3p70S8t-k
John Henry
Big Mike said...
And Modi would have said “I speak English very well, thank you.”
8/26/19, 11:44 AM
If he had said this, I would have fallen off my chair laughing. In case decades of friendship with the WWE and professional comedians did not convince you, Donald Trump is more than capable of laughing at himself, and probably set up Modi in case he wanted to take this line.
Nonetheless. The left is going to be rather soft-spoken about this, mostly because they hate Modi as a proud Hindu nationalist violently opposed to Muslim terrorists who is also obvious friends with Trump. BRICS is increasingly an acronym denoting strong cultures with leaders who refuse to toe the line to SJWism. South Africa is the exception, but then their economic "growth" is going to disqualify them rather soon.
It must royal the hack-D American press and the Antifa thugs to see that foreign leaders like Trump.
Fernandistein reports: I was talking to Modi the other day on a help line.
Funny--these guys always tell me their name is 'Frank' or 'Brad' or something like that and I'm thinking, 'uh-huh'.
"I believe that English is a first language for many Indians, at least in certain classes and parts of India. "
This is true. It is also a class thing, somewhat like the private language of the Russian nobility was French.
English was Salman Rushdie's first language, though he was born in Bombay/Mumbai.
I don't think it was Modi's first language as he was of humble birth. Modi is quite an interesting character, largely self educated, or better put, one who organized his own education. In the US he would be one who obtained a GED and put himself through Community College and a State U.
This foreign language as upper class lingua franca thing goes back a long way.
Before English, in most of India one learned Persian for the same reasons.
So, he was actually responding to a query or statement, and placing a positive spin on it for his audience, and, apparently, its subject. Without a prevailing prejudice or phobia (e.g. low self-esteem), this is not an actionable offense, and it seems that there was not, and it was not, respectively.
Achilles: "Trump is so much better at everything about being president than Obama was."
LLR Chuck disagrees and claims obama gave us a "dream-perfect economy".
Which is amazing, since a "dream-perfect economy" has never before existed but LLR Chuck would have us believe obama did just that. No wonder LLR Chuck called obama "magnificent" and is very protective of all obama policies.
“I speak English very well, thank you.”
Is this supposed to be a point scored against Trump? He said Modi speaks "very good English." "Good" is an adjective and is correct here; "well" is an adverb and would be correct only in the way you've rearranged the words.
But I'm sure you knew that.
lol - roil
You know what's embarrassing, or should be? That a doufus like Trump can outperform all his highly Presidential predecessors, some of which were also just like Hitler, and on top of that he can outsmart the entire media, the FBI, the Congress, Hillary Clinton, the entire Republican and Democrat fields, all the never-Trumpers, and the previous administration who all tried their best to destroy him. Either we judge intelligence on the wrong scale, or it's not too important to success.
Trump can't fool me - that is what Hitler would have done!
Also what Bago said at 12:31PM with an exclamation point to the nth degree!
Modi has a good vibe. I like powerful folks who laugh easily.
India is a good American ally.
"Either we judge intelligence on the wrong scale, or it's not too important to success."
I don't think we know Trump's measured IQ.
Unlike Biden, Modi did not feel the need to reassure everyone he is not nuts.
"India is a good American ally."
India is not a US ally at all, other than, perhaps, in that both the US and India have common concerns about China. India is a country friendly to the US, but neither has any formal alliance obligations to the other.
Pakistan however actually is still officially a US ally.
Hypertechnical definition of "ally" my friend.....
"Hypertechnical definition of "ally" my friend....."
It is an ironic situation.
... and on top of that he can outsmart the entire media
These days a very low bar. The impression Althouse creates in my mind is of someone who remembers back in the day when the New York Times had a significant fraction of the world’s best journalists. They were biased, yes, but (1) biased in the same direction as her own biases, and (2) despite their bias, they were good. These days they are biased past the point of bigotry, ignorant, and really not very good. But she can’t shake her memories of the way it was in the glorious days of her youth.
Bromance spreads everywhere the Bad Orange Man goes these days. I guess the rest of the world has long since rejected being brainwashed by Masters of Communist Propaganda.
I thought the second language of India was Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
I am Laslo.
The nice thing about this short video is that it shows Trump without the jaded, cynical lens of the American mainstream media. It shows him as a comfortable guy in front of the camera (learned a lot from The Apprentice). So, it's refreshing.
If one seeks to learn about Trump through the distorted lens of CNN or NYT or most mainstream news outlets, you too will think Orange Man bad.
mockturtle said...Funny--these guys always tell me their name is 'Frank' or 'Brad' or something like that and I'm thinking, 'uh-huh'.
--
That's to curry favor.
Is there a 7-11 near the G7?
Modi is leading the revival of the Hindu state after being subjugated by Islam for almost a thousand years.
walter said: "That's to curry favor."
Another joke like that and you're banned, fella.
My memory is feeling very good when someone complemented my English speaking, soon after arriving here.
India's tremendous advantage acquired from 200 years of British rule is that just about everyone speaks English.
Two guys having a good time and liking each other. And here some nitwit in The Guardian was telling me this morning that nobody likes America or Trump anymore.
I had a best friend in college (many years ago) who was Indian. Through him I became friends with other Indians on campus. I often heard them discuss politics and current events.
They surprised me by being very positive not only about the US but also Great Britain. They were grateful for the British contributions to their country, while acknowledging the detriments of imperialism. Also, they didn't share the veneration of Gandhi that westerners did. They considered him a mixed bag at best.
They also resented being lumped in with "Asians" as a race. They thought it was ridiculous to be thought of as the same race as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. They were anti-PC, and had a good sense of humor about racial issues. (They also really didn't like American blacks. "Get over yourselves" was their attitude.)
Granted, these were wealthier Indians whose families could afford to send them to the US for college. But I still found their perspectives very interesting.
I'm not in touch with any of them. But my guess is that many such Indians would have a great affinity and respect for President Trump. They would see this clip and find it endearing. Modi is very popular, and like Trump does not belong to the elite club.
President Trump ought to impose severe sanctions on India until the Indian government shuts down all the businesses that do unregulated telemarketing calls into the USA.
As an addendum, I would say that these Indian friends of mine, while wealthy, were not globalists. They had a strong nationalistic streak. Trump's nationalism and populism would have appealed to them. Midi is in the same vein.
Modi, you goddam auto correct.
The Indian subcontinent has 17 distinct languages in the regions. Therefore to talk to one another they chose to all learn English in all state run schools from grade 1 up to Professional schools.It is like air traffic control's using a single language.
Their graduates hit the ground running here in the American promised land.
"Pakistan however actually is still officially a US ally.”
I think that Colin Powell told them that that all could change in a heartbeat if they did support the Afghanistan project. Powell should have gone with his first instinct.
the thing I noted about Rushdie, having read midnight's children, is he doesn't understand in English or hindi, key elements about his country's history,
[He] speaks good English and [he] invites you up into [his] room....
FTR: Indians are part of the original Caucasians. They migrated west into Europe as Huns, Slavs Magyars, and Goths. The behind the Glaciers folks emerged after the last ice age became the Norse, Franks, Fins,Swedes, Celtics, Picts, Saxons and Danes.
And here some nitwit in The Guardian was telling me this morning that nobody likes America or Trump anymore.
Stick around. You'll see the same thing in this thread by the end of the day.
Trump is very personable. Since day one of his Presidency that was obvious. In his early press appearances he even had guys like Acosta laughing with him. He has a way of setting world leaders at ease when he meets with them, except the ones like Merkel who have a stick up their ass. That doesn't mean all of his foreign policy is a winner, but other than the leftists the clips of him with other leaders seem good natured if not outright jovial. I think this is one of the things about him that drives the press crazy.
Granted, being a people person is only going to get you so far, but it is one of the traits I'd prefer in a President, and anyone who criticizes his demeanor is unserious.
Imran khan, on the other hand, may have been hit too many times with a cricket bat, is not an ally in any way shape or form, as he is a tool of the aapbara boys, (isi) and the Pakistani army.
That comment is enough - right there - to vote for China Joe, Crazy Bernie or that Fake Indian.
Also add that to the impeachment articles.
Damn! There is such a huge difference between the dot Indian and the fake Indian that it's hard to fathom the vastness of the difference.
Indians are part of the original Caucasians.
The IndoEuropeans, called "Aryans" swept through Iran, which is another version of Aryan, and got most of the way down in the Indian subcontinent. Probably the Brahmins were the most northern and light skinned. There is also a language distribution that is probably related to the IndoEuropean language.
The Muslim invasion was later.
pure hate emanating from a racist, bigoted, moronic hurricane-nuker
Wow-- just wow. I'm like, literally shaking right now.
Would be interesting to know if Modi used English in private conversation with Trump beyond pleasantries. My guess is no.
"Pakistan however actually is still officially a US ally.”
Officially, sure; but in practical terms they are the same as they've been for a very long time: our frenemy.
President Biden might refer to him as Mowgli.
With time, they could become butt buddies.
readering: "Would be interesting to know if Modi used English in private conversation with Trump beyond pleasantries. My guess is no."
Which just about guarantees that he did.
Automatic reflex.
Modi Operandi
different strokes for different folks --POTUS' modus
Szoszolo is correct.
Ambrose, I thought the same Dylan lyric.
"He actually speaks very good English"
So Joe Biden wouldn't have any trouble placing his donut order if Modi takes a job at a Dunkin Donuts or some Quik-E-Mart?
readering: "Automatic reflex"
That's what I believe your responses to the news of the day happen to be. However, with work I'm sure you can conquer this TDS affliction.
Good for Modi. Every other day I get a call from an Indian headhunter with an accent so thick that I often can't understand a word he's saying. Even worse, their reaction to my frustration is always to repeat what they said even faster. Especially their name and phone number. I understand that there are lots of Amerikans who just hang up the phone when they sense an Indian- accented English. I'm tempted myself.
"Automatic reflux" is what you get from eating at Curry In The Box too often.
I once complimented an Indian on his English, not realizing that many, possibly most, know English either as a first or second language. He responded, "Thank you very much, come again."
I used to work at a phone survey company with a Paki who called himself Robert Smith. He was a fan of The Cure. His English was very good, and probably could have passed as an American if he'd tried a little harder on the accent.
I'll bet there's a 7-11 in India the Indian govt would allow Sleepy Creepy Slow & Decrepit Joe Biden to manage.
Like all Life Long Liberals;
I'm getting SICK of having a President that is hated and despised by other foreign leaders.
Actually, Like Most Americans, i'm becoming more and more (And More, And MORE) impressed with our President; and I feel kinda sorry for the Life Long Liberals, who are getting depressed to the point that they are fondly remembering the "Dream Economy" That was around before Trump.
Must SUCK to be a LLL
http://meaninginhistory.blogspot.com/2019/08/germania-delenda-est.html
Actually, Like Most Americans, i'm becoming more and more (And More, And MORE) impressed with our President; and I feel kinda sorry for the Life Long Liberals, who are getting depressed to the point that they are fondly remembering the "Dream Economy" That was around before Trump.
Since when is 40% most?
That's to curry favor.
Nicely done, walter.
Not that many Indians speak or understand English.
In the US you get several slices of the high end of the Indian population.
Some of them are the upper class, or those of the haut bourgeoisie that managed a foreign education, or, note, Indians that filtered through some other ex-British colony like Fiji or Singapore or Trinidad (ex. - Naipaul). Those people generally speak excellent English.
The next level down are Indians of bourgeois origins that came through the upper tiers of Indian universities. A lot of these are H1b’s.
Their English is generally not as good, with fairly thick accents.
Next are Indians in India, also generally of bourgeois origins, who learned “Indian English”, with thick accents. These are the people who work nights in call centers.
Most Indians of the common people don’t speak English at all, other than a few words.
I suspect Modi spoke without an interpreter.
His native language is Gujarati, not a majority language, and to succeed in Indian politics he has had to learn at least two more, and excellent English to work the multilingual Indian system, and moreover to work the rather snooty Indian English language MSM. I suggest you look for Modi interview videos on YouTube, in English.
It’s interesting how many Asian leaders speak excellent English. Duterte for one, and he speaks three native languages as well as decent Spanish.
not sure why i'm responding to field marshal foolish;
but,
MOST americans ARE More Impressed with President Trump
Does that mean that Most americans support him? NO
Let me speak slowly, and try to use short words
If you used to think President was Really Really dumb, and Now; you think that he's just Really Dumb; This means that you are MORE Impressed with President Trump
Now, Hop on! Tell us how YOUR impression of President Trump has Actually Gone Down
Tell us about how YOU'RE Less Impressed now, then you were
OH! then tell us how MOST americans agree with you
Here's something President Trump DIDN'T Say....
I just spoke at Dartmouth on health care, at the medical school — or not — I guess it wasn't actually on the campus but people from the medical school were at the — I want to be clear, I'm not going nuts," he told the crowd.
A Russian would have said : He speaks englishly very well.
Hilarious and obviously silly.
If Trump were still a Democrat the media would love this stuff!
nbc news, is clearly in chinas pocket,
https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-meets-with-falun-gong-practitioner-other-survivors-of-religious-persecution_3006607.html
Kamala Harris could strike up a real brahmance with this Indian dude.
buwaya said...His native language is Gujarati, not a majority language, and to succeed in Indian politics he has had to learn at least two more, and excellent English to work the multilingual Indian system, and moreover to work the rather snooty Indian English language MSM.
Caste makes waste.
"Caste makes waste."
Caste is one thing, ethnicity is another, and subculture is something else again. And caste is not simply caste in any case.
Caste A in place X is not the same, socially, as caste A in place Y.
Modi is also fairly low-caste. The Indian government calls his type an "Other Backward Class", which is a step up from a "Scheduled class" (untouchables, etc.). OBC's are actually the bulk of the Indian population. Which is interesting for someone who has been seen as a Hindu extremist.
Consider Modi as a sort of Sarah Palin, going by the equivalent American caste/class/education path.
I'm old enough to remember when Obama said an Austrian spoke... Austrian.
And before that, Bush-43 referring to Grecian people.
Since when is 40% most?
Zogby has him @ 51%. Even more worrying to D's, Hispanics, this time around, were much more likely to approve of his job performance (49% approve/51% disapprove), while the president also saw his numbers jump with African Americans. This was his second straight poll with over a quarter support from African Americans (28% approve/70% disapprove.
https://zogbyanalytics.com/news/896-a-majority-of-voters-give-trump-thumbs-up-again-while-trudeau-lags-behind-at-43-job-approval-trump-s-support-with-his-base-has-increased-drastically-nearly-half-of-hispanics-approve-of-trump
Even passionate Trump lovers and Dem haters should wonder about Trump's activities in foreign affairs. Buy Greenland, Modie speaks good English? C'mon, if America really is the leader of the free world, it's leader can't be judged just on how well he manages to stick it to American progressives. There's complicated stuff going on out there and the States is not, or ever was, all-powerful.
"it's leader can't he judged just on how well he manages to stick it to American progressives"
Why the hell not? There's hardly anything else more consistently reliable in this life than "If American Progressives are for it, it is calculated to be the most damaging possible policy re: keeping America leader of the Free World."
Quinn: I have been tracking the media and several blogs and the content and comments have little to do with the issues and are mainly about sticking it the other side and chortling if they can be made to squirm. Great fun, but do really think this is a sign of a healthy democracy? Do you care?
@ John Henry (Darkisland) at 11:52 am: Funniest thing I've seen all day. Thanks!
readering said...
Would be interesting to know if Modi used English in private conversation with Trump beyond pleasantries. My guess is no.
Imagine if we could build a wall as impenetrable as readering's bias.
Not a matter of bias. A matter of thinking about the level of Modi's likely proficiency in English. But I am on record on my reaction to most Trump statements. He just says stuff.
Just pulling your leg, readering. Couldn't resist.
Yeah pretty shaky wall.
Great fun, but do really think this is a sign of a healthy democracy? Do you care?
Apparently, you think this started with President Trump. This has been going on since the beginning of the Republic. And I don't believe the Greenland proposal was in any way trying to "stick it to the progressives". There were certainly very serious strategic considerations behind it.
"Great fun, but do really think this is a sign of a healthy democracy? Do you care?"
This is not a healthy democracy and it hasn't been "healthy" in decades. That is the problem.
You cannot have normal politics - when you do not have normal politics.
Assume it is all broken - as it is. There are no common desiderata left, between the "sides".
It has all come down to a titanic power struggle between groups of people who passionately hate each others guts.
Then think of what reasonable behavior is under such conditions.
"A matter of thinking about the level of Modi's likely proficiency in English. "
Just a bit of research should answer your questions, or add information anyway - look for interviews with Modi.
Speaking in Sydney, Australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qic5TO-b4gw
buwaya: "Just a bit of research should answer your questions, or add information anyway - look for interviews with Modi."
readering doesn't go in for any of that fancy "researchin'" and stuff. Lefty talking points are more than sufficient for her/him/xim/xer.
Teleprompter speech. Any videos of conversation?
Lefty talking points on Modi's English!
readering: "Teleprompter speech. Any videos of conversation?"
LOL
Yep. That's all readering has left!
Why does Putin want Modi faking proficiency in English?!!! Impeach!!
Based my original comment on spending a month traveling the northern half of the country. Was surprised proficiency in English nowhere near as wide as I had assumed in advance.
This is not a healthy democracy and it hasn't been "healthy" in decades.
I disagree, and I'm not even an American. I don't think you are necessarily "the best country in the world" as your politicians like to say at election time, but you are far and away the greatest great power. Why do you keep having the problem of untold masses desperately trying to get to you? You are an incredibly decent country marked in most places by civility, respect for freedom, the rule of law and political continuity, and you continue to be a prosperous economic force despite decades of gloomy academic predictions that you will be overtaken. What more do you want? But ever since the Bush years, you seem to have been infected by a distemper that has pitted half of you against the other and has made both sides think that is the most important question in the world. Not healthy, be careful. But please wake up and stop whining about what a cesspool you've become. Half the time I want to wish you the best, but the other half I just want to slap you all.
I'm beginning to suspect Drago uses a random word generator.
readering: "Based my original comment on spending a month traveling the northern half of the country. Was surprised proficiency in English nowhere near as wide as I had assumed in advance."
A whole month!
Traveling in the north of India!
No reason not to extrapolate that to the sitting Indian Prime Minister!
#SolidLeftyLogic
Blogger Martin said...
And before that, Bush-43 referring to Grecian people.
Is that actually wrong? Perhaps not the common way of referring to "Greeks" or the "Greek people" but I think it is still semantically correct.
And the Dic says I am right https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Grecian
But no problem. Feel free to complain about Bush Bad!
John Henry
Blogger Peter said...
Great fun, but do really think this is a sign of a healthy democracy? Do you care?
Since the United States has never been and was never meant to be a democracy, why should I care if it is a sign of a healthy democracy or not?
John Henry
I once read that sometime after independence, perhaps in the early 50s the Indian government (I think it was) decided to do a big survey across the country to find out how Indians felt about the British leaving.
Something like 80% of the people surveyed responded along the lines of "Who were these British you speak of?"
I think the British never had more than 20,000 people, govt, military and civilian in the entire country at any time.
Most Indians had never seen a brit.
John Henry
But they are mad for their cricket!
Well then:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/26/japan-calls-us-trade-deal-very-valuable-denies-it-gave-trump-too-much/amp/
I once read that sometime after independence
I was about to bring that up.
As an organic chemist, I got to work with quite a number of Indian nationals during my career- they all spoke better English than I did, a hillbilly from Eastern Kentucky. Of course, for all of them, it was actually their first language like it was mine.
As an organic chemist, I got to work with quite a number of Indian nationals during my career
As did I, Yancy. And they spoke 'the Queen's English' but with an Indian inflection. My late husband and I also socialized with several Indian couples. My husband, being British, seemed to command more respect from them than did Americans. And they loved to talk cricket.
My husband played cricket in school. He was a 'fast bowler'. I never really understood--nor wanted to understand--the game. "Silly mid in", that sort of talk.
Peter: it's leader can't he judged just on how well he manages to stick it to American progressives... you seem to have been infected by a distemper that has pitted half of you against the other
"Peter" chimes in to ask the rape victim to stop making such a fuss, he has an early morning.
Sod off, "Peter"
The Indian press is treating Trump's remark as a warm joke between friends. Yuge win for him there.
Does that mean an end to the military occupation in Kashmir? Or anything?
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