Posted by Eugene Volokh:
<a href="http://slate.com/id/2112170/";>Bushism of the Day</a> at <i>Slate</i>:
Here's today's item:
"We need to apply 21st-century information technology to the health
care field. We need to have our medical records put on the
I.T."--Collinsville, Ill., Jan. 5, 2005
Here's the link that Slate provides to the President's full speech, so
readers can get some context:
Oh, wait, Slate, one of the leading online journals, doesn't actually
provide links to the full speech, even when it's on the Web, and even
when curious readers might want to know how the quote looks in
context. But we at the Conspiracy deliver what Slate doesn't; here's
[1]the link.
In any case, what exactly is "Bushistic" about the quote? "I.T."
stands for "information technology," in this case presumably
computers, networking, and the like -- a subset of one definition of
"[2]technology," which is "Electronic or digital products and systems
considered as a group." I can't say that "We need to have our medical
records put on the [information technology]" is the most eloquent
phrase in the English language. Maybe it's something of a slip -- "put
on the technology" is not quite idiomatic, though it's clearly
understandable, and probably technically correct given the definition
I quoted. And in context, it seems to be an ordinary, if bland, part
of an ordinary if bland political speech:
To improve health care in America, we need to expand the use of
health savings accounts. (Applause.) It's a product that lets you
save tax-free for routine medical care while keeping affordable
coverage against major illness. Small businesses must be allowed to
join together, to pool risk, so they can buy insurance for their
employees at the same discounts that big businesses are able to do.
(Applause.)
To address the cost of medical care, we need to apply 21st century
information technology to the health care field. We need to have
our medical records put on the IT. We need to make sure that we
speed up the delivery and arrival of cheaper generic drugs to help
control costs. We want to make sure our Medicare system still
allows seniors to have choice in the system.
Look, I've got to admit: Some Bushisms ("misunderestimated,"
"strategery") are funny and somewhat unusual malapropisms. But "We
need to apply 21st-century information technology to the health care
field. We need to have our medical records put on the I.T."? Is that
funny? To the extent that it's misspeaking, is it particularly
uncommon and noteworthy? (As I've mentioned before, I hate to read
transcripts of my own presentations, because they often have
grammatical and word choice lapses -- and I think that's true for the
overwhelming majority of all people, including the educated and
intelligent.)
And, to get back on my hobbyhorse, when Slate is trying to make a big
deal out of a quote, why not include a link back to the quote so that
readers can see it and its context for themselves?
References
1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050105-4.html
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=technology
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