POLL: Condi Rice is ...

[Stiff Upper Lip]

OK so I'm trolling, but hey this is big news....Our new Secretary of State is an expert on Russia who also happens to be born again. She likes strong coffee, sunset, and walks on the beach with her favourite man: George. Her loyalty and strong sense of self-preservation has been richly rewarded with a key position...look out Kissinger...here comes CONDI....!

 

[Weisse Luft]

You forgot to add:

Figure skater

Concert pianist

Ballroom dancer

Speaks fluent Russian

She is the female equivalent of John Ryan, the Clancy character.

 

[Saucy]

Dear Condi,

Reading a Memo/Brief - Lesson One

When the title of the memo/brief says "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S", well that means that Bin Laden is determined to strike in the U.S. You may want to do something about this kind of memo since you are the National Security Advisor.

Failure to follow Lesson One means you are a dumbass. End lesson.

I didn't know she was "born again". It all makes sense now.

 

[MountainPro]

You forgot to add:

Figure skater

Concert pianist

Ballroom dancer

Speaks fluent Russian

She is the female equivalent of John Ryan, the Clancy character.

Man, she is obviously in the wrong job then...perhaps she should join the circus.

do any of her talents actually extend to diplomacy or politics?...surely that would be more helpful

 

[Bikerman2004]

Dear Condi,

Reading a Memo/Brief - Lesson One

When the title of the memo/brief says "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S", well that means that Bin Laden is determined to strike in the U.S. You may want to do something about this kind of memo since you are the National Security Advisor.

Failure to follow Lesson One means you are a dumbass. End lesson.

I didn't know she was "born again". It all makes sense now.

Dear Saucy,
Is this the same information that Clinton had? It was so important that he passed it on to the next administration. Failure to take action because your to busy working on your 'legacy' means you are a dumbass.

 

[Weisse Luft]

Man, she is obviously in the wrong job then...perhaps she should join the circus.

do any of her talents actually extend to diplomacy or politics?...surely that would be more helpful

Well, other than the fluency in Russian, her diversions only prove she is no slacker.

 

[FredC]

You forgot to add:

Figure skater

Concert pianist

Ballroom dancer

Speaks fluent Russian

She is the female equivalent of John Ryan, the Clancy character.

You left out tightrope walker

 

[copwatch]

The media and the left seem to strongly oppose Dr. Rice.
That can only mean she's an excellent choice for the position.

 

[Carrera]

You hit the nail on the head. That's the problem - politicians aren't trained for the role they are expected to perform. In most countries, politicians are fairly educated characters who can perform a number of feats but usually lack understanding of the world around them.
The Greeks who invented democracy and various other forms of government recommended years of training for politicians and that included oratory, military studies, some philosophy, statecraft and various other skills.
Sometimes the rule got broken with unpleasant consequences. I guess the Romans did well under rulers like Trajan, Hadrian and Claudius but they had real problems with rulers like Caligula (who upset Israel with his plan to put his own statue in Jerusalem).
My favourite was Commodus (featured in the Gladiator movie). He believed he was a god, fought as a gladiator in the arena, kept hundreds of concubines and invested in as many gladiator shows as possible to keep the masses happy.
George Bush doesn't believe he's a god, of course, but just claims he has a direct phone- line for the odd chat with the Almighty (when he wants to discuss foreign policy).

Man, she is obviously in the wrong job then...perhaps she should join the circus.

do any of her talents actually extend to diplomacy or politics?...surely that would be more helpful

 

[copwatch]

As a foreigner you wouldn't understand that the USA is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy.

Further, why would Americans on the left, right or otherwise care who foreigners think should be in our government? I hardly care who the Minister of Dog **** in Hyde Park, or the Lord High Commisioner of Raising Taxes on Tea in another country is.

You seem to suffer from Post Election Selection Syndrome. The best therapy for a PEST cyclist is to get out and ride more.
Hope the riding weather's fine where you are

You hit the nail on the head. That's the problem - politicians aren't trained for the role they are expected to perform. In most countries, politicians are fairly educated characters who can perform a number of feats but usually lack understanding of the world around them.
The Greeks who invented democracy and various other forms of government recommended years of training for politicians and that included oratory, military studies, some philosophy, statecraft and various other skills.
Sometimes the rule got broken with unpleasant consequences. I guess the Romans did well under rulers like Trajan, Hadrian and Claudius but they had real problems with rulers like Caligula (who upset Israel with his plan to put his own statue in Jerusalem).
My favourite was Commodus (featured in the Gladiator movie). He believed he was a god, fought as a gladiator in the arena, kept hundreds of concubines and invested in as many gladiator shows as possible to keep the masses happy.
George Bush doesn't believe he's a god, of course, but just claims he has a direct phone- line for the odd chat with the Almighty (when he wants to discuss foreign policy).

 

[MountainPro]

Well, other than the fluency in Russian, her diversions only prove she is no slacker.

Russian? didnt you get the memo?...the main enemy is now the Arabs...

does she speak Arabic? that would be helpful..

 

[FredC]

Russian? didnt you get the memo?...the main enemy is now the Arabs...

does she speak Arabic? that would be helpful..

Very interesting point indeed. Nobody claims to speak Hebrew. Is that possible??? Blow your shofahs please.

 

[limerickman]

Condi Rice is ......................a geebag.

 

[Ssushi]

IN the voice of Ali G: Is it 'cos I is black?

 

[davidmc]

Russian? didnt you get the memo?...the main enemy is now the Arabs...

does she speak Arabic? that would be helpful..

It is a demotion of sort's because she was'nt even aware of her duties as NSA, or her recommendations were diregarded by Cheney, I mean Bush. She should have the decorum to resign. What was her reply?... "I was'nt aware that National Security was in my job description. Come on now !!! How disengenuous is that. Maybe someone from the lock-step, right will accept that response but not anyone else w/ a modicum of intelligence. Condi, do yourself & the nation a favor & step aside/down.

 

[Carrera]

I came across a writer by the name of Adrian Goldsworthy who made 2 interesting observations. These particular points he makes led me to conclude that Condoleeza Rice is basically an educated spokeswoman for an old line of thinking that was abandoned by Europeans after the second world war.
This is fairly simple to understand.
Goldsworthy points out that (prior to the European world wars), there were many scholars or doctors such as Miss Rice who advocated imperialism and the spread of Christianity. Of course, Miss Rice also happens to be a bible scholar as well as a linguist. But here is what Goldsworthy says about this particular ideology:
"These scholars were produced by a society which believed that the rule of "civilized peoples" of the world over the "uncivilized" was beneficial .......the great empires were an improving force, spreading education, the rule of law and Christianity."
I put some of these terms in quotations as I question the whole idea that Iraq is basically "uncivilized" and the West "civilized".
Anyhow, this is basically what Condoleeza Rice and the neo-conservatives advocate, together with the idea that Christianity and imperialism go hand in hand.
Now here is what Goldsworthy has to say about post world war 2 European scholars:
"The rapid demise of the European empires following the second world war led to an almost equally rapid condemnation of all that they had stood for, an unquestioning assumption that empires were, by their very nature, wrong. These scholars emphasised the greed and brutality of the imperial powers."
I think most people can follow this argument O.K. It also sums up where the rift between Europe and the U.S. actually lies.
The Bush Administration has basically adopted the old European philosophy of imperialism and has likewise recruited biblical/theological scholars who are capable of making a solid intellectual argument for the specific idea of American Imperialism. With regard to the Middle East it involves invading Iraq, Iran and Syria and attempting to impose the ideas of Christianity and democracy on the native peoples. This is what Miss Rice advocates and why she is currently so popular.
However, Europe is no longer imperialistic so that European scholars reject the whole ideology they themselves advocated in the past (especially France and probably Britain). I think this is essentially where we're at, at this given moment. I didn't really see it that way till I started reading Goldworthy's take on the history of imperialism and his idea that scholars attempted to justify it. The whole idea of recruiting Condoleeza was to try and convince the world that this is the correct approach to the Middle East.

 

[Carrera]

I forgot to add that I think Condoleeza Rice is essentially wrong in her defence of this particular ideology although she is clearly intelligent and well-educated. I guess Margaret Thatcher came close to having similar views (the English speaking peoples should rule the world) but Mrs T didn't share the same religious outlook.

 

[FredC]

I forgot to add that I think Condoleeza Rice is essentially wrong in her defence of this particular ideology although she is clearly intelligent and well-educated. I guess Margaret Thatcher came close to having similar views (the English speaking peoples should rule the world) but Mrs T didn't share the same religious outlook.

Goldsworthy wrote that in a completely different era. Mr.T and Reagan's concern was with Communism, and the threat of it. What happened inside the USA I know not, and I can only state that MrsT was hellbent on destroying the unions in this country because she felt, rightly or wrongly that they were a hotbed of communist subversion in the Nationalised Industries. She did destroy the unions, and she also destroyed the basic stability of whole communities at great socio-economic cost to the country. She wrecked the production of coal, steel, docks, all absolute essentials. Then she sold off the Rail system, and smashed that union. She sold off social housing at a knockdown price. When I worked in a very responsible boring job for the country, my pals and I invented a game, and it was based on the premise that who could keep their facilities/infrastructure intact in the case of war. The UK came last every time. Name of the gameplayers HM Customs & Excise ground staff. The game was good. Left the job thru boredom. Shame really.

 

[Weisse Luft]

"Punish France, ignore Germany and forget Russia." My kind of answer but alas, these are the words of Dr. Rice.

 

[Ssushi]

"Punish France, ignore Germany and forget Russia." My kind of answer but alas, these are the words of Dr. Rice.

Punish the country who liberated you from those damn English and praise the country who you was liberated from... is that it? WOW she's **** hot this bird ain't she!

PS Carrera, great post - great to see more in depth analysis, thinking, contenplation etc...

Weisse - again , you are a *****!