Calling all British! How do you define "fixed around?"

[El Supremo]

Americans may interpret "fixed" as in "throwing a game." Would you Brits only consider it to mean "fastened in place?" I think that since the word "But" starts off the sentence, it still means that it was an underhanded maneuver.

C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.

[bpilgrim]

1. SEX'd UP

but you might get yourself KILLED if you go n bring that up :evilgrin:

peace

[barbaraann]

2. Didn't Charles want to be "fixed around" Camilla's trousers?

Sorry, I couldn't resist. :evilgrin:

[Demit]

3. Arranged around. Like a turkey with all the fixings (very much so!)

[The Witch]

11. In which case the charge changes from creating the intelligence...

..to cherry-picking it.

Not quite as damning but still pretty damning.

[Demit]

15. The charge is bolstered by this in the memo: "but the case was thin".

All I can think of is Bush--and Cheney, and Rumsfeld, and Powell--saying "WE KNOW..." and "THERE IS NO DOUBT..." all along in the buildup to war. Their certainty is what swayed a lot of people. And it was built on nothing.

[Pryderi]

17. "cherry-picked" is what I interpreted as "fixed around". Let's say I have

a bag full of marbles. 100 of them are black and 10 of them are white. I show you all my white marbles, and point to the bag saying, "This is the amount of intelligence we have regarding Saddam's WMD program!

[comsymp]

4. That's what pisses me off about this. It. Doesn't. Matter.

This is another red herring the R's are playing to distract from the point.

Let's agree, for the sake of argument, that the intelligence wasn't being manipulated- instead, the intelligence and facts were being affixed around the policy... AS OPPOSED TO THE POLICY BEING DRIVEN BY THE INTELLIGENCE AND FACTS.

How is that any less damning?

/rantlet

[punpirate]

7. And, let's not forget the context of the rest of the minutes...

... all of which did more than just suggest that it was a done deal, they'd decided, and the only questions were of how to do it and make it look like it was legitimate.

All that, in the further context of the lies promoted by the entire Bush administration--including the threatening remarks about "mushroom clouds"--were intended to deceive.

This is just yet more evidence of that deception, to hide a conspiracy between two countries to invade a third, without provocation and without international consensus.

[comsymp]

10. Exactly.

Jesus H Tapdancing Christ on a pogo stick - isn't that enough!?!

[truebrit71]

5. "fixed" means...

..keeping the bits that bolster your case, and dismissing the ones that don't.

Fixed means fixed.

Plain English.

[BurtWorm]

6. It's not "fixed around." It's "fixed around the policy."

The intelligence was being fixed (corrected, modified, retrofitted) around the policy. It's plain English.

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. Exactly! That's why when Colin Powell stated "everything"

said they had WMDs (on TDS last night), it reinforced my thinking that they are now conducting the biggest dog and pony dance of their lives.

We know for a fact that statement is untrue. It was fixed and now that these minutes are out, they're in coverup mode.

[TyeDye75]

8. Jmatthan explains it pretty well

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=191x5121#5122

[El Supremo]

12. Thanks. I knew it must have been brought up before. n/t

[sabra]

9. wizbangblog tried the argument and failed miserably

http://wizbangblog.com

[BlueStateGirl]

14. I don't understand their point with this. If 'fixed around' dosn't mean

essentially the same thing in the UK as it does here, then why would there have been any controversy about the memo in the UK in the first place? Why would the Times of London published it? Why would Blair be questioned about it? Because if, like the REpubs are trying to spin, it menas the opposite of what we think it measn, the memo would in fact, support Blair and Bush, and they would be using it to show how they did not rush to war.

Am I crazy here? Does this make any sense? If it meant the facts and intelligence supported the administrations belief that there were WMD's this memo would be a huge asset to Blair.

[Postman]

22. excellent point.

the fact that it was explosive IN BRITAIN when it was revealed proves that "fixed" means just that, manipulated.

[sweetheart]

16. It means sheep shagging

In obscure middle english, "Are you fixing around my sheep" means
"Are you trying to impregnate my sheep." So clearly the memo means that
blair was fucking the public.

;-)

[rad23]

18. I think this should explain it

I thought I`d join but I do work for Paul....

Another scathing verbal attack by UK dj Paul Edge on this subject....

http://www.djpauledge.com/blog.php?id=91

Robin Niblett of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, says it would be easy for Americans to misunderstand the reference to intelligence being "fixed around" Iraq policy. " 'Fixed around' in British English means 'bolted on' rather than altered to fit the policy," he says.

Dear Mr Niblett.

I am English and have a degree in English Literature. I regret to inform you that you seem to have a basic misunderstanding of the English language, which for a Washington think tank (or should that be septic tank?) doesn`t surprise me.

However, far be it from me, an Englishman,to correct an American as to what our language means, but I`m afraid you have the definition of "fixed around" completely wrong, rather like the existence of WMDS eh?

Not to worry, I shall endeavour to put you straight whilst at the same time trying to refrain from excessive patronising sarcasm that your ignorance warrants, however, I am not too confident that I will be able to refrain from the latter...

Take Care

[JohnyCanuck]

20. And "around the bend means".........

well, around the bend.

In England we use "verb..around" in a number of ways. For example, a common phrase that is heard is "President Bush is around the bend"...This means, that President Bush is a psychotic lunatic who`s madness is a result of untreated alcoholism", it doesn`t mean, President Bush has been "bolted onto a turn in the road". Are you understanding yet Mr Niblett?

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Just like American English, the obvious meaning is 'illicitly altered'

And a highly educated and intelligent man (either the head of SIS, or the PM's secretary) would be aware of that meaning, and wouldn't use it if he meant 'collected' or 'put in place'. Note that when asked, Blair didn't say "fixed means something different in the UK", he said "the facts were not being fixed". He failed to say why his head of intelligence said they were, however.

[SmokingJacket]

21. If that were the case, there would be no story in Britain.

But this is a very big story in Britain.

They must mean exactly what we think they mean.

Clearly, someone is making a belated attempt to stifle the story.