they used to say we would not make it (hinduism)

Here then was the paradox of the President's speech. We normals - aided, doubtless, by our wish to be fooled - were indeed well and truly fooled ("Populus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur"). And so cunningly was deceptive word-use combined with deceptive tone, that only the brain-damaged remained intact, undeceived.