Alexander Downer Radio National Interview with Fran Kelly

Here's an interview from November 6 on ABC Radio National breakfast by Fran Kelly with Downer where he discusses Iraq and Rudd being a showoff with his Mandarin. Done for the facebook group "Alexander Downer is made entirely of pudding."http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4899397886

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Alexander
• Downer
• pudding
• politics
• Kevin
• Rudd
• Iraq
• Fran
• Kelly

[viciousai]

(5c) greater fluency in his chosen language. You "did" a language course in French but are you "fluent"? So, actually, you are right, it does say something about the two of you; and you come off worse, I'm afraid.

Quick question - Are you simply feeling threatened because Rudd is threatening to steal your precious title of Queen of Smug - and Rudd actually has something to be smug about?

[alexmillier]

Wow, that's a comprehensive appraisal of his efforts! I agree. A basic grasp of French (and in his case it's pretty basic) is no comparison with a language like Chinese. Ah but comparisons are odious and this guy's on the nose. Time he was going....

[Wilshire101]

lol what a wally.

[kiera2]

"THE PEOPLE OF CHINA - WAIT FOR IT - DON'T VOTE IN AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERIAL ELECTIONS!!"

Mate, that was the point he was making.

[redmonkey808]

What a complete douche!

[viciousai]

Lol thanks ... I'm not tryign to say french is easy or anything, just easier than Chinese. " Ah but comparisons are odious and this guy's on the nose. Time he was going.... "I agree =p thanks for putting this up

[viciousai]

(5a) "I did the French language course and Mr Rudd did the Chinese language course. I did mine in two months and he did his in two years, that could say something [about] him and me or something about the two languages. I think the former but that sounds a tad partisan."

And you accuse Rudd of being smug and a show-off??? Chinese is actually a lot more difficult than French; The Foreign Service Institute of the Department (FSI) of State (cont.)

[viciousai]

(4) This is my favourite: "I don't think, realistically, there are a lot of votes in the People's Republic of China for Kevin Rudd to win." NEWS FLASH DOWNER, THE PEOPLE OF CHINA - WAIT FOR IT - DON'T VOTE IN AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERIAL ELECTIONS!! WOW!!!! And even if they could, I doubt they wouldn't vote for Rudd, because he has spent time in China as a diplomat and they are very impressed with his grasp of Chinese.

[viciousai]

(3) the "thousands upon thousands of Australians" who speak another language don't all have the opportunity to be television in the coutnry of their language; if they did, I'm sure they'd put their hard work to use and speak their audience in their common language.

[viciousai]

(1) If someone goes to the trouble of becoming FLUENT in Mandarin Chinese - an extremely difficult language, not least because of the tonal system and characters - then why shouldn't they use it if they have the chance?

(2) If you are speaking on a CHINESE TV STATION, presumably to PEOPLE IN CHINA whose grasp of Chinese is usually better than their grasp of English, all the more reason! Why should you use an interpreter when you're fluent in the language??