Tony and Dubya - human Californias

English translation: W Bush

14:03 Sep 13, 2007

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.

English term or phrase: Tony and Dubya - human Californias

...And somehow we find it hard to quite believe in so many of our political leaders; Tony and Dubya are human Californias.

Is Dubya the nick of president Bush? and can you explain that "human Californias"?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Anita M. A. Mazzoli KudoZ activity Questions: 92 (1 open) (2 without valid answers) Answers: 298 United Kingdom
Local time: 13:16

Selected answer:W Bush

Explanation:
Yes, Dubya is Bush's nickname (from George W Bush) - "double you".

As for human Californias that is a bit harder to explain...they seem to be saying that these political leaders are human versions of California - a state of America where things that are hard to believe happen, where people live the dream, where Hollywood has become reality...

Selected response from:

Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 14:16

Grading comment

Perfect! Many thanks to you and to everybody!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +3

Bush and Blair are human embodiments of what California means to the rest of the US

Alexander Demyanov

3 +3

W Bush

Mark Nathan

Tony = Blair + Dubya = Bush

Ulrike Kraemer

3 +1

below

Mark Berelekhis

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

tony and dubya - human californias

W Bush

Mark Nathan
France
Local time: 14:16
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Perfect! Many thanks to you and to everybody!

10 mins confidence:

tony and dubya - human californias Tony = Blair + Dubya = Bush

Explanation:
http://news.aol.co.uk/best-of-the-web-tony-blair/article/200...

Ulrike Kraemer
Germany
Local time: 14:16
Native speaker of:

German

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

tony and dubya - human californias below

Explanation:
Yes, 'Dubya' is Bush, and Tony by all accounts should refer to Blair.

You know expression 'human xxx' -- where xxx designates the property or quality that is dominant in that particular individual. A similar expression to "he's a lean, mean fighting machine" and the like. Some examples from the net:

'Onscreen, he's a human sunbeam. Offscreen, who knows?'

'He's a Human Dynamo.'

So, in this case, the property of 'California' is apparently dominant in both Bush and Blair, and this obviously has a negative connotation. Being from the East Coast myself, I can't be entirely certain, but the main negative aspects of our perception of Californians tend to be: vain, 'slow,' easy-going, too confident for their own good.

Seems like that's what the author is trying to say.

Mark Berelekhis
United States
Local time: 08:16
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian,

English
PRO pts in category: 8

19 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

tony and dubya - human californias Bush and Blair are human embodiments of what California means to the rest of the US

Explanation:
Actually, quite a lot of people, it would appear, which just goes to show how far we have plummeted. Bywater is not sure who to blame for this but is inclined towards the baby boomers, the generation that had it all, from sex without the consequences to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. It's baby boomers, he says, such as Tony Blair, who are now running the country. Blair appears twice in his book, first in tandem with George W Bush, where they are described as "human Californias", and secondly - again with Dubya - where he is dismissed as "less substantial than Homer Simpson". But do we not have here a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Is not Bywater himself a baby boomer...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20061210/ai_...

I'm not 100% sure what "California" here means as a philosophical concept. Probably, "everything in excess", "things beyond normal", "made up reality". It's been said many times that Bush lives in his own invented reality. It's been also said more than once that Blair mimics Bush in some aspects.

Alexander Demyanov
Local time: 08:16
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 8

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