Lucky... 0 #1 September 22, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czar_(U.S._political_term) The czar term derives from the title Tsar which was used to designate the Russian, Bulgarian or Serbian monarchs of pre-World War I Europe. One of the earliest known metaphorical usages of the term in the U.S. were 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.[1] In 1926, a New York City chamber of commerce named what the New York Times termed a "czar" to clean up the milk delivery industry.[2] In the United States, the term czar has been used by the media to refer to appointed executive branch officials since at least the early 1940s.[3] In 1942, The Washington Post reported on the "executive orders creating new czars to control various aspects of our wartime economy."[4] Positions were created for a transportation czar, a manpower czar, and a production czar, all to solve difficult problems in coordinating the resources necessary to fight World War II.[5] Not only did the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt advocate their creation; in December 1944, Republicans in Congress advocated that a "food czar" position be created that would have almost unlimited control over food pricing and distribution.[6] Since then, a number of ad hoc temporary as well as permanent United States Executive Branch positions have been established that have been referred to in this manner. The trend began again in earnest when President Richard Nixon created two offices whose heads became known as "czars" in the popular press: drug czar in 1971,[7] and especially energy czar in December 1973[8] referring to William E. Simon's appointment as the head of the Federal Energy Administration.[9] Nixon told his cabinet that Simon would have "absolute authority" in his designated areas, and compared the intended result to Albert Speer's role as the person in unquestioned charge of armaments for the Third Reich.[10] Simon found both the informal title "czar" and the Speer comparison unsettling.[10] However, at the height of the Arab oil embargo, Simon gave the position a good name by successfully putting into place a mandatory fuel allocation program and calming public fears about shortages without resorting to explicit gasoline rationing.[11] Other examples of this usage include "drug czar" for the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, "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. The term "czar" has also been applied to officials who are not members of the Executive Branch, such as Elizabeth Warren, named to a Congressional commission to oversee the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2009 and described as an "oversight czar",[12] and Senate-confirmed positions, such as the Director of National Intelligence, described as the "intelligence czar" in 2004.[13] ____________________________________________ So why all the anger of the use of the term? I don't recall all the furor over the term when Reagan appointed his drug czar, I guess liberals are less prone to hysteria. Just because its origin is Russian now we have to fear that? Look at all the French words and other words of foreign origin we use. Does soup dejure mean we're all going to be European socialists if we order the minestrone? How about carpe diem, what's going to happen if we seize the day? (I'm waiting for a conservative to suggest we will become Latino) Relax kiddies, just because Obama has appointed liaison's to his cabinet and uses a common term doesn't mean we're going to become Socialists or Communists; we'll still dole out our healthcare very carefully and not everyone, just relax. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #2 September 22, 2009 Quote So why all the anger of the use of the term? I don't recall all the furor over the term when Reagan appointed his drug czar, Don't think it's the term, think it's the large amount of no-talent ass clowns that keep getting appointed. Quote I guess liberals are less prone to hysteria. Or more gullible, but that depends on your perspective I guess. Quote Relax kiddies, just because Obama has appointed liaison's to his cabinet and uses a common term doesn't mean we're going to become Socialists or Communists; we'll still dole out our healthcare very carefully and not everyone, just relax. Well, it's a hard point to argue when he's appointing socialists and communists. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucky... 0 #3 September 22, 2009 QuoteDon't think it's the term, think it's the large amount of no-talent ass clowns that keep getting appointed. Who are you refering to? Why are they no-talent clowns? How are they less talented from previous admins? QuoteOr more gullible, but that depends on your perspective I guess. More gullible? Did you see the utube vid of the idiots at that Tea Party rally? Ar etehy really no representative of the conservative masses? I think they are. QuoteWell, it's a hard point to argue when he's appointing socialists and communists. Again, who? Why are they Socialists/Communists? WHat defines a Socialist / Communist in your mind? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justinb138 0 #4 September 22, 2009 First, the tea party thing is like the redneck they always seem to find to put on the news after a tornado. You know the ones I'm talking about. Second, man, lighten up for a little while. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites