'Gullible rube' Ron Johnson buried in mockery over explanation of how Greenland got its name

[catbyte]

Tom Boggioni
March 22, 2021

Critics of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI ) had a field day on Sunday night over an interview the controversial Republican gave to a local TV station about the naming of Greenland to make a point about climate change.

In the interview, reported by the New York Times, Johnson suggested , "You know, there's a reason Greenland was called Greenland. It was actually green at one point in time. And it's been, you know, since, it's a whole lot whiter now so we've experienced climate change throughout geologic time."

As the Times notes, "In the interview on Thursday, Mr. Johnson was still misinformed about the etymology of Greenland, which got its name from the explorer Erik the Red's attempt to lure settlers to the ice-covered island," adding Johnson continued, "I could be wrong there, but that's always been my assumption that, at some point in time, those early explorers saw green. I have no idea."

Those quotes, along with a GOP operative who worked on his first campaign describing to the Times his "muscular ignorance" led to a deluge of jokes about Johnson with one critic calling the Wisconsin senator a "gullible rube."

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/ron-johnson-2651167843/

[arlyellowdog]

1. I think he doesn't look as evil as Cruz or Rand Paul

Or Trump or Taylor Green. He’s just so basic.

[TheBlackAdder]

26. Con Man: How can I sell real estate parcels in that frozen wasteland. Ron Johnson: Call it Greenland

[SheilaAnn]

2. OMG, best thread I've read in a while. LOL. n/t

[Siwsan]

3. When I was in Iceland I was told this about the naming of Greenland

It was named Greenland to lure people AWAY from immigrating to Iceland, which is actually pretty 'green', in parts - more so back then.
It's certainly FAR greener than Greenland.

True or not, I like that theory.

[lagomorph777]

5. That's exactly how I learned it in school.

[MiHale]

31. That's how I heard it...

on a layover at Thule AFB. while in the Army.

[dchill]

4. It's really, really not funny...

...that this guy is somehow a U.S. Senator.

[patphil]

15. The fact that he is a Republican Senator sure takes away from his laughable idiocy.

In the end, he's just one more roadblock to the Democrat's agenda.

[Nasruddin]

17. Not unique

And probably not even the most ignorant

[rickyhall]

6. Did Wisconsin get it's name from making whiskey or stupid senators?

[littlemissmartypants]

25. Or sinning conmen?

[liberalla]

7. Ron Johnson - This advice is meant just for you! . . . "It's better to keep one's mouth shut and

be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Take this advice to heart!
It will serve you well.

[HighFired49]

28. He was right about one thing

The last sentence of his inanity: "I have no idea." He should have started with that, and stopped with that.

[dalton99a]

8. Fucking moron from Wississippi

[Hekate]

9. "Muscular ignorance" LOL

[ToxMarz]

10. A fine example of the "common sense wisdoms" espoused by sarah palin

Explains everything about these rubes, q anon and such. If my mind conceives of it, then it's the truth. If my religion or peers says so, then it's so. Alternative facts and all.

[Peregrine Took]

20. They were elected on the culture wars - not their smarts....

and that's a critical difference between them and Dems who are elected on their ability and qualifications.

[Ziggysmom]

11. Does Russian Ronnie wanna buy Greenland like Russian Donnie did??

[BobTheSubgenius]

12. I don't feel entitled to mock him.

This is embarrassing to admit, but after all these years, I still have no idea what a Sudeten looks like.

[catbyte]

35. You and me both.

Or what a Switzer is.

[BobTheSubgenius]

41. Noice!

[yonder]

13. Those comments are brutally funny, unfortunately.

"Ants".

Whisk on son, whisk on.

[Sancho]

14. How dumb can you be? Planes that landed during the revolution flew over Greenland...

...so they knew it was DEVESTATINGLY icy! Ron Johnson must be confused with the BOWLING GREEN massacre that occurred during the last ice age.

Thank goodness that Gov. DeSatan in Florida wants to teach all kids civics so that they know that racism never happened in the US.

[ananda]

16. ROFL -- These are great!

[AllaN01Bear]

18. why does twitter repeat , why does twitter repeat, why dose twitter repeat?

and these people are our hem"leaders"? from wikipedia,, the Norse were the first non-Inuit who came are settled down here. It was also the Norse people, spearheaded by Norwegian Viking Erik the Red, who gave Greenland its name, because they wanted other Norse people to settle here. yet another marketing ploy. wonder what feringi rule of aquisition this falls under ?

[orleans]

29. to show you what the reply text is replying to n/t

[AllaN01Bear]

33. thanks for your information.

[catbyte]

36. I know it's a little annoying and I wish i could delete the original when posting

multiple responses, but unfortunately it isn't possible.

[Orrex]

19. Although this is indeed hilarious

I distinctly remember being taught several different times over the course of years in school that Greenland was so called because of the lush green landscape that Vikings found there.


So, yes, he's an ignorant asshole, but this particular quirk of ignorance has been formally taught in public schools.

[hunter]

34. The "Little Ice Age" of 1250 to 1850, combined with unsustainable farming practices...

... made Greenland a little less green, but it was never very green to begin with.

European culture died there because it thought it was better than the Inuit.

Alas, to the great misery of all, European culture returned to Greenland in the 1700s.

[johnthewoodworker]

21. ThisRepublican/Nazi, senator moRon Johnson, is a Wi. Nazi dream. He's a stupid, racist, and lies.

[twodogsbarking]

22. The Grand Tetons do not give milk,

but are still grand.

[Fritz Walter]

23. Didn't he comment on Ireland last week, too?

Perhaps saying on St. Patrick’s Day that country’s name was derived from citizens who were angry because they never found the pot of gold at the end of the 🌈?

[PatSeg]

24. Johnson's "muscular ignorance"!

Oh, that's a keeper.

[Tommy Carcetti]

27. Funny how they'll use lame, repurposed "Blonde" and "Pollock" jokes for AOC...

...in a pathetic effort to paint her as an idiot, and yet we have this actual idiot as Exhibit A for stupidity standing right in front of us.

[momta]

30. Fun fact...

Ron Johnson is a dick, which is how he got his name.

[Warpy]

37. If you want to know how dumb he really is

there is a You Tube interview in which he discusses "Atlas Shrugged," a book he clearly has never finished.

Yeah, he's a Randorrhoid.

[Klaralven]

38. In the fjords settled by the Vikings there were meadows.

The Vikings in Greenland raised cattle and sheep. They continued to do so even after the climate turned colder. The died out because they failed to change the basis of subsistence to fishing and hunting sea mammals like the Inuit.

See "Collapse" by Jared Diamond.

[IcyPeas]

39. we have such ignorant people running this country. /nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

40. The problem is, Johnson will believe anything a northern European tells him

even if it was a thousand years ago. With people of other ethnicities, he may hesitate. I can't think why he makes such a distinction ...

[struggle4progress]

42. Let's cut to Johnson's bottom line: "I have no idea"