Ottawa

Words, words, words – I’m so sick of words …

… I get words all day through,
First from him, now from you,
Is that all you blighters can do?

It is? Well, fine, then. Consider yourselves Worldled:

Wordle: Isiah Berlin Lecture - Michael Ignatieff (JUly 9, 2009)Wordle: Stephen Harper - Speech at Calgary Stampede

Explanatory note:

On top, a Wordle generated from the speech that Michael Ignatieff delivered on July 8th, at the annual Isaiah Berlin Lecture in London; on the bottom, the results from Stephen Harper’s remarks to Conservative supporters at the Calgary Stampede on July 4th, which is, sadly, not yet  available online, but which was very kindly provided to me by a Conservative after I lamented my lack of luck tracking down a similarly raison d’etre-y speech by the prime minister with which to compare Ignatieff ‘s remarks, Wordle-style.

If someone can find a more representative example from either leader, feel free to make your own Wordle. Heck, post the URL in the comments, and I’ll add it.

UPDATE: Oodles more Wordles after the jump:

UPDATE: From Commenter Stephen, “The Burden”, by Michael Ignatieff (New York Times 2003)
Wordle: Ignatieff's "The Burden" from the New York Times

For comparison, his subsequent mea(ish) culpa(sorta) on Iraq (New York Times 2007)
Wordle: Ignatieff on being wrong on Iraq (NYT 2007)

And just because it seemed to fit, somehow, Harper’s “firewall” speech (1997):
Wordle: Stephen Harper - The Firewall Speech (1997)

By popular demand, NDP Leader Jack Layton’s response to the 2008 Speech from the Throne:
Wordle: Jack Layton's response to the Speech from the Throne (November 2008)

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.