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Samizdata quote of the day

· Slogans & Quotations

America has “Czars” because there are still a few respectable people using the titles of “Capo” and “Don”

– Commenter CJF

September 4th, 2009 |

11 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • RRS
    September 4, 2009 at 11:32 am

    We accept the use of such titles (promulgated by our much-beloved media) to recognize the formaliztion of hierarchies of our expanding bureaucracies.

  • Brad
    September 4, 2009 at 8:01 pm

    I don’t have a problem with these folk using the term Czar, invoking imperial Rome, so long as we are afforded the same courtesy when we show our displeasure with them – dragging their corpses with hooks to the Potomac.

  • Paul Marks
    September 4, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    Barack Obama is angry with Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and others who call his unaccountable (and unconstitutional) high “advisers” (with their unknown budgets and powers) “Czars” (“just because I have more of these officers than any other President…..”)

    And I agree with Barack Obama – they are not Czars. Given their position (outside the legal structure but powerful – with no clear limits) and their political opinions (not just of Van Jones but of most of the 33 of them) and Obama’s own political opinions……..

    The title “Commissar” is more fitting.

  • tarpon
    September 5, 2009 at 12:04 am

    The czars are just a scam to avoid public scrutiny and Senate confirmation. That way Obama can have any ex-convict, crook and liar he wants and Congress can’t do anything about it.

    For the most part it is an unconstitutional usurpation of power.

    Note how our ACLU responds … chirp chirp

    People power …

  • Plamus
    September 5, 2009 at 1:50 am

    Brad, Czar is of Slavic etymology: czar is the Slavic word for king. Hence, Paul Marks gets a beer – kommissar (Slavic for commissioner) is the better term. It is from a more relevant historic period, and there never were multiple czars, but there were quite a few all-but-omnipotent kommissars.

  • Alisa
    September 5, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Plamus, ‘czar’ is the Slavic version of the Greek and then Gothic versions of the Latin word ‘Caesar’, but Paul gets a beer nonetheless:-)

  • Laird
    September 5, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    I agree that Paul gets a beer. However, in keeping with the Russian theme might I suggest that we agree to adopt the spelling “Kommissar” (using a “k” rather than a “c”)?

  • Alisa
    September 5, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    A beer for Laird, too. Oh, what the heck, a beer for everyone:-)

  • Michael Jennings
    September 5, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    I am happy to give Paul a beer any time he asks for one. I would rather give him a column in a national newspaper, but alas, that is not in my power.

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