Smart Power
Syrian President Bashar Assad must have a lot of illegitimate children-in the US government. As his troops massacre hundreds each day, our leaders (and Europeans as well) are tying themselves into knots trying to figure out what they should say-or not say. Instead, Hillary Clinton, our feckless secretary of state, is talking about "smart power".
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/16/clinton-passes-up-chance-to-call-on-assad-to-step-down/
Of course, Clinton knows that calls for Assad to step aside, hold elections, or adopt a pet are being greeted with laughter in Damascus. Why word was leaked that we were "about to call" for Assad to step down is a mystery to me. Meanwhile.........
Dozens more have been killed in the past day.
We also learn that Syria has an honorary consul in Newport Beach, who is also on the UC-Irvine Foundation board, and who has issued a statement that he is sorry to see unarmed people die or whatever. Some are calling for him to step down, which hasn't happened yet either.
In addition, Leon Panetta, our secretary of defense, has just informed us that "Muammar Ghaddafi's days are numbered." I think we first heard that about 5 months ago.
But enough about foreign affairs. On the domestic front, there is a rumor that the Obama administration is thinking of establishing a complete new department in Washington........
The Department of Jobs.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/16/white-house-considers-government-reogranization-amid-big-spending-criticism/?test=latestnews
"Ah wunnerful, ah wunnerful, ah"
Design for Dept. of Jobs HQs in Washington DC
(Apologies to Albert Speer)
"Now allow me to introduce our first Secretary of Jobs, Mr Van Jones"
You want to see unemployment skyrocket? Establish a federal Department of Jobs. They'll do for employment what the Department of Education has done for education.
Dredging up Karl Marx's handy reference that history repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second as farce, I see a new pair:
ReplyDeleteLeni Riefenstahl
and
Gary Fouse.
All architecturally heavy attempts at humor aside though, I'd be happy to get rid of the Department of Education and let a hundred schools compete. I doubt anyone will seriously push for a "department of jobs," but it would be a stupid idea, because it assumes we will be chronically short.
If you are referring to the architectural model, it was designed by Albert Speer. Leni Riefenstahl was an actress turned film producer, who made the Triumph of the Will of the 1934 Nuremberg rallies.
ReplyDelete(At least you didn't bring up Julius Caesar.)
You don't rate in Julius Caesar's league Gary. I know who Albert Speer was. He designed the architecture, but Leni splashed it on the screen as "Triumph of the Will."
ReplyDeleteYes, but the architectural picture I posted was a plan for Berlin. Riefenstahl filmed the party grounds at Nuremberg in Triumph of the Will.
ReplyDeleteYou got your history mixed up, expert.
Siarlys,
ReplyDeletePls come back to earth. The picture of the Berlin building was a spoof on big government and the possibility of a Dept of jobs. Nothing more, nothing less.
I suggest you will your brain to science.