Reply
Tue 23 Mar, 2004 07:21 am
(1) What is "popular funds" here, esp. "popular"?
I suspect it means:
Of, representing, or carried on by the people at large
Context:
That underscored the complicated political calculus presented by the measure, which was dominated by popular funds for U.S. forces but also sparked questions about Bush's postwar Iraq policies and record budget deficits at home.
(2) Does the "best" mean "the best members"?
Context:
"Some of the best have fallen in service to our fellow Americans," he said. "We mourn every loss. We honor every name. We grieve with every family. And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders."
Your first example is silly, the use of popular funds is unclear, almost to meaninglessness. In the second example, there is insufficient context, but it is likely a pious pronouncement that the best of our soldiers have fallen in service to their country, a rather thoughtless comment, because of what it implies about those who have not fallen.
I got blushed at sight on your reply, and then got cheeky because of AP has been involved...
Quote: popular funds for U.S. forces but also sparked questions about Bush's postwar Iraq policies and record budget deficits at home.
"As the president said time and time again, we will not walk away from Iraq," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, a leading author of the bill. "We will not leave the Iraqi people in chaos, and we will not create a vacuum for terrorist groups to fill."
In the latest blow to Iraq's U.S. occupiers, 19 Americans were killed there on Sunday. That included 16 soldiers who died when a missile brought down a U.S. Army transport helicopter west of Baghdad, a crash in which 20 other Americans were wounded.
"Our country is being tested," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said in a statement released in Crawford, Texas, where the president spent a long weekend. "Those who seek to kill coalition forces and innocent Iraqis want America and its coalition partners to run so the terrorists can reclaim control."
He said the money, coupled with assistance from international donors, will help make Iraq more secure and help the transition to self-government for Iraqis. The money also will help Afghanistan become a peaceful, democratic and stable nation, he said.
On Monday, Bush brought a crowd to its feet in Birmingham, Ala., when he declared: "The enemy in Iraq believes America will run ... America will never run."
The president did not mention it specificially, but it was clear that the Americans killed in Sunday's crash were on the minds of the people gathered for his speech.
"Some of the best have fallen in service to our fellow Americans," he said. "We mourn every loss. We honor every name. We grieve with every family. And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders."
Now it makes more sense, although i will continue to assert that it is badly written. It means that the funds voted for use in Iraq, being seen by the public at large as a measure to support American troops, are popular.
My understanding got improved a bit, but still remains poor condition after reading your explanation 3 times.
Could you rewrite this --
"That underscored the complicated political calculus presented by the measure, which was dominated by popular funds for U.S. forces"?
Basically, people liked the fact that funds were going to support U.S. troops. The funding itself was popular (well-liked).
That underscored the complicated political calculus represented by the measure, which was dominated by the popularity of the funds appropriated for the use of U.S. forces.
As is said, that is very badly written.
Hi Sozobe and Setanta,
With your reply I thought the meaning of the word "popular" again and again. I could not understand it very well even now.
Because, so many Americans at home are against the war on Iraq, how could the funds be popular? (Also from what Setanta has rewritten, it seems that the funds have enjoyed the popularity, which is positive noun with commendatory meaning for good things, after all.)
Yes. The funds enjoyed popularity. That's positive.
I find that I am happy you think that so many Americans are against the war in Iraq -- in fact, many support it. Of the people who are against it, many still support the troops -- the actual soldiers. And of the people who are against it, many are against it partly because the Bush administration is doing a bad job -- there are not enough soldiers, not enough supplies, not enough money.
As in, this shouldn't be happening at all, but if it has to happen, at least it should be done right.
That is why the Congress okayed the appropriation.
Thanks Sozobe.
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