Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
Alexander II's abolition of serfdom inspires us still. -_-
Quote from: Maximus on May 29, 2009, 04:46:25 PM
Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
It's an easy way to appoint someone in charge of something without having to go through the pesky process of congressional consent.
Quote from: Maximus on May 29, 2009, 04:46:25 PM
Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
They know going in the office holder will be incompetent and so they name the office accordingly.
Quote from: Maximus on May 29, 2009, 04:46:25 PM
Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
Wikipedia is your friend.
QuoteMetaphorical uses
Like many lofty titles, e.g. Mogul, Tsar or Czar has been used as a metaphor for positions of high authority, in English since 1866 (referring to U.S. President Andrew Johnson), with a connotation of dictatorial powers and style, fitting since "Autocrat" was an official title of the Russian Emperor (informally referred to as 'the Tsar'). Similarly, Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed was called "Czar Reed" for his dictatorial control of the House of Representatives in the 1880s and 1890s.
In the United States the title "czar" is an informal term for certain high-level officials, such as the "drug czar" for the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, "terrorism czar" for a Presidential advisor on terrorism policy, "cybersecurity czar" for the highest-ranking Department of Homeland Security official on computer security and information security policy, and "war czar" to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One of the earliest known usages was in "baseball czar", applied to Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was named Commissioner of Baseball, with broad powers to clean up the sport after it had been dirtied by the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Although other Commissioners have been described as "czars", the term is less used than it once was, due to the Commissioner's power being made inferior to that of the owners.[20]
Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 29, 2009, 04:52:55 PM
Alexander II's abolition of serfdom inspires us still. -_-
:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9aymPARQGU&feature=related
I'm still holding out for an appointment as the Drug Czar.
Quote from: Fireblade on May 29, 2009, 07:45:11 PM
I'm still holding out for an appointment as the Drug Czar.
but then you would be part of the cocaine mob. and I would have to kill you through asphyxiation.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on May 29, 2009, 05:04:10 PM
Quote from: Maximus on May 29, 2009, 04:46:25 PM
Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
It's an easy way to appoint someone in charge of something without having to go through the pesky process of congressional consent.
But why the name Czar? Do we really want to have our top officials associated with ineffective autocrats whose mistakes resulted in a bloody civil war and one of the worst totalitarian empires in history?
QuoteKenesaw Mountain Landis
Fucking hippie names.
Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on May 30, 2009, 01:29:29 AM
But why the name Czar? Do we really want to have our top officials associated with ineffective autocrats whose mistakes resulted in a bloody civil war and one of the worst totalitarian empires in history?
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.register123.com%2Fevent%2Faccounts%2Fregister123%2Fintheloop%2Fevents%2F2009abatours%2Fabraham.lincoln.jpg&hash=1a0d2d1aad240f3a0c710a926dd1965a959e4edb)
I saw Glenn Beck ramble on about Czars tonight. That fucker is nuts.
:huh: Syt, appointing Lincolns would smell too much of Caligula.
I think this policy will end once people figure out that the Czar and the Tsar are the same person.
It makes them sound evil.
Quote from: crazy canuck on May 29, 2009, 05:14:01 PM
Quote from: Maximus on May 29, 2009, 04:46:25 PM
Seriously, what the fuck is with calling every top official in the white house a "czar"?
They know going in the office holder will be incompetent and so they name the office accordingly.
:lol:
A step towards Obama declaring himself Czar of Czars....
Hopefully he declares himself Czar of all the Americas.
Quote from: Habbaku on May 31, 2009, 11:22:47 AM
Hopefully he declares himself Czar of all the Americas.
There is only one real America.
Quote from: Siege on June 02, 2009, 12:46:52 AM
Quote from: Habbaku on May 31, 2009, 11:22:47 AM
Hopefully he declares himself Czar of all the Americas.
There is only one real America.
Poor Siegy. You didn't get his refrence.
Quote from: Razgovory on May 30, 2009, 03:13:37 AM
I saw Glenn Beck ramble on about Czars tonight. That fucker is nuts.
Indeed. He makes Siegebreaker's persona seem lucid.
Yet another czar:
QuoteEnvironmental group's leader named Great Lakes czar
By JOHN FLESHER • ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 4, 2009
Cameron Davis, leader of a Chicago-based environmentalist group, has been appointed to oversee President Barack Obama's initiative to clean up the Great Lakes.
Davis is president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, one of many organizations that have pushed for a restoration program expected to cost more than $20 billion. He was appointed by Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
"I'm excited, and this is a real testament to the passion and work that so many citizens are doing to put the Great Lakes on the map," Davis said today. He said he couldn't comment further until after beginning his job as special adviser to Jackson next month.
He will coordinate efforts of about a dozen federal agencies working on the administration's Great Lakes project, which deals with issues such as invasive species, polluted harbors, sewage overflows and degraded wildlife habitat.
The Bush administration oversaw development of a wide-ranging strategy for protecting and restoring the lakes that was presented in December 2005, but little funding was provided afterward. Legislation to carry out the plan has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate.
During the campaign last year, Obama pledged $5 billion over a decade toward implementing the plan. His proposed 2010 budget seeks $475 million in new spending on the lakes.
Obama also promised to appoint a management "czar" and settled on Davis, a 23-year veteran of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, previously known as the Lake Michigan Federation. The group advocates for improving water quality and land use, conservation, habitat recovery and clean energy.
Earlier this year, Obama named J. Charles Fox to a similar post, directing restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.
In a statement, the EPA said Davis "will work closely with the administrator and senior staff on Great Lakes issues." The appointment and proposed funding "reflects this administration's commitment to protecting and cleaning up the largest freshwater lakes in the world," it said.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., sponsor of legislation to implement the Obama initiative, said Davis "has shown a commitment to ensuring our waterways are healthy and safe for drinking, swimming, and fishing. He has been a strong advocate for protecting the Great Lakes from harmful diversions by establishing sound water management strategy. He understands water policy and the importance of good policy."
Jack Bails, the alliance's board chairman, said Davis had helped put the Great Lakes "on the national radar" by taking their case to federal regulators, members of Congress and other policymakers.
Davis is "a coalition builder," said Jeff Skelding, director of a network of advocacy groups known as the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. "He knows how to talk the languages of the different federal agencies ... and the audiences that have a stake in protecting the lakes."
One challenge Davis will face is making sure the federal money is used effectively — particularly when the government already has about 140 programs dealing with the Great Lakes environment.
"I would think that would be at the top of the agenda for the person in this position — to take a look at these programs and recommend how they can be streamlined and made more effective," Skelding said.
Another crucial task for Davis will be serving as an outspoken Great Lakes advocate, Skelding said.
"If we protect the Great Lakes, we're revitalizing the regional economy, which has national implications," he said. "We have to be able to explain that. We need to see real action, measurable progress."
Despite his background as an environmental activist, Davis has been willing to consider the region's business interests, said George Kuper, president of the Council of Great Lakes Industries.
"I hope he'll reach out and get guidance on that," Kuper said. "We've worked quite closely on legislation and other things in the basin. He understands the value of multi-stakeholder participation."
Will Cleveland be: Potemkin Village?