--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: George W. Bush has gathered around him…" description: "\"George W. Bush has gathered around him upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/kurt-vonnegut-41_geography_george-w-bush-has-gathered-around-him-up_896094.jpg" --- # George W. Bush has gathered around him upper-crust… ![“George W. Bush has gathered around him upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/kurt-vonnegut-41_geography_george-w-bush-has-gathered-around-him-up_896094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/kurt-vonnegut-41_geography_george-w-bush-has-gathered-around-him-up_896094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/kurt-vonnegut-41_geography_george-w-bush-has-gathered-around-him-up_896094.jpg) > “George W. Bush has gathered around him upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out the lack of historical and geographical knowledge among elite advisors, implying poor decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Leaders surround themselves with uninformed experts. Key Takeaway Seek diverse, knowledgeable counsel. Themes leadership education competence Mood critical ironic reflective Type political critique social commentary When to use this quote - government appointments - education reform - media literacy Key Concepts elitism historical ignorance policy making Questions to Reflect On - How does expertise affect policy? - What can improve advisors’ knowledge? A Different Perspective May overgeneralize the competence of all advisors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Geography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geography/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) ## Related quotes > [This country was the moral leader of the world until George Bush became president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/this-country-was-the-moral-leader-of-the-world-until-george-bush/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [I miss you like George Bush misses cocaine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-like-george-bush-misses-cocaine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I still like and admire George W. Bush. I consider him a fundamentally decent person, and I do not believe he or his White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/i-still-like-and-admire-george-w-bush-i-consider-him-a-fundamentally/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [George W. Bush always said and did what he believed and he let it rip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-rendell/george-w-bush-always-said-and-did-what-he-believed-and-he-let-it-rip/) [Ed Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-rendell/) > [The BBC will always be attacked by whoever is in government. It is that George Bush thing of 'If you're not with us you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-norton/the-bbc-will-always-be-attacked-by-whoever-is-in-government-it-is/) [Graham Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-norton/) > [I think George W. Bush has a warm, engaging personality. But, you know, the presidency is more than just a popularity contest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-think-george-w-bush-has-a-warm-engaging-personality-but-you-know/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [George Bush has become something of an embarrassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-snow/george-bush-has-become-something-of-an-embarrassment/) [Tony Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-snow/) > [George W. Bush and his administration embarked on a full-scale assault on civil liberties, human rights and the rule of law, walking away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/george-w-bush-and-his-administration-embarked-on-a-full-scale-assault/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [We've had parallel lives. And frankly, I prefer mine to his. I would not like to be George Bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/we-ve-had-parallel-lives-and-frankly-i-prefer-mine-to-his-i-would-not/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [When I finished graduate school, the first George Bush was president, and I really wanted to get out of the country. 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That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [The president of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/the-president-of-the-united-states-of-north-america-george-w-bush-the/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [Women and children were slaughtered by the Taliban. You are going to sit down and negotiate with these folks? They never lived up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rogers/women-and-children-were-slaughtered-by-the-taliban-you-are-going-to/) [Mike Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rogers/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Bush quotes > [President Bush is a friend of mine. 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The Democrats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-s-policies-have-been-approximately-the-same-as-bush-s-though/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This country was the moral leader of the world until George Bush became president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/this-country-was-the-moral-leader-of-the-world-until-george-bush/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [We're half an hour from Toronto, which offers everything you could want from a city, and a couple of hours from beautiful vacation country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/we-re-half-an-hour-from-toronto-which-offers-everything-you-could/) [Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/) > [On election night 2000, I had never met then-Governor Bush, though I'd supported him for years. I believed he would be a strong, optimistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/on-election-night-2000-i-had-never-met-then-governor-bush-though-i-d/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [The president of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/the-president-of-the-united-states-of-north-america-george-w-bush-the/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [Obama and the Democrats were so critical of what Bush did, the interrogations, the secret prisons, Guantanamo and all of that, and even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/obama-and-the-democrats-were-so-critical-of-what-bush-did-the/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I remember when President Bush, George W. Bush, came into office, he focused on No Child Left Behind, and with - and before very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/i-remember-when-president-bush-george-w-bush-came-into-office-he/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) > [ If George Bush \[Jr.\] decided he was going to turn the troops loose on Syria and Iran after that he would last in office… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/if-george-bush-jr-decided-he-was-going-to-turn-the-troops-loose-on/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [I mean, look, no matter how you feel about Bush, watching him speak is difficult. It's like- it's like watching a drunk man cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/i-mean-look-no-matter-how-you-feel-about-bush-watching-him-speak-is/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It would be a tragic mistake for us out here to imagine that Bush represents the hearts and the minds of the majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breyten-breytenbach/it-would-be-a-tragic-mistake-for-us-out-here-to-imagine-that-bush/) [Breyten Breytenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breyten-breytenbach/) > [In the bush, trust no one you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/in-the-bush-trust-no-one-you-don-t-know/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [Leadership is about making decisions with the information you have, not the information people will have 12 years later, i kind of feel sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/leadership-is-about-making-decisions-with-the-information-you-have/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) Browse all 764 Bush quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "George W. 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