| Date: | November 7, 2006 / year-entry #377 |
| Tags: | non-computer |
| Orig Link: | https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20061107-06/?p=29093 |
| Comments: | 28 |
| Summary: | Many years ago, the local public radio station invited the three candidates for Seattle Port Commissioner to take part in a program on the upcoming election. Each candidate was given some time to address the voters directly. Here's how it went, roughly. Candidate 1: "We need an experienced person to find solutions for our region's transportation... |
Many years ago, the local public radio station invited the three candidates for Seattle Port Commissioner to take part in a program on the upcoming election. Each candidate was given some time to address the voters directly. Here's how it went, roughly. Candidate 1: "We need an experienced person to find solutions for our region's transportation problems while still protecting the Sound against environmental damage." Candidate 2: "We need to make the port more attractive to cruise ships by lowering fees. I assure you that the fact that I own a cruise ship company is purely coincidental." Candidate 3: "We need to shorten the work week to avoid layoffs. We must forgive all third-world debt. And the United States must pull its troops out of East Timor." Once again, this was an election for the position of Seattle Port Commissioner. (It reminds me of my graduate school days where the undergraduate student government passed a resolution condemning the government of El Salvador. Yeah, that'll show them. I can imagine a meeting down there in San Salvador: "Ooh, we'd better get our act together. Those college students in the United States are really upset with us.") |
Comments (28)
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During my time at the University of Leicester (England), the Old Coffee Bar was renamed the Mandela Bar. Within seven years, Mandela was free. We all felt very proud to have played such a crucial role in this historical event.
And what was the outcome? Did candidate #2 win as I would expect?
"And what was the outcome? Did candidate #2 win as I would expect?"
Everyone loves to bash democracy. Especially if they are in the 3rd candidate’s camp.
Well, I personally agree that a shorter work week would be agreeable.
In Berkeley, CA we are voting on a resolution to impeach the president. Kind of has the same kind of feeling. I can picture Karl Rove saying to Bush tomorrow morning, ‘I’m sorry, Mr. President, it is time for you to resign. The people of Berkeley have voted to impeach you."
There was a columnist for the Des Moines Register who wrote that Iowa City had the only city council in the state with a foreign policy. Sounds like the same sort of deal.
While these types are normally quite silly, there are times when they can be effective. South African apartheid comes to mind.
On a related note, although it is something we as a nation have totally disregarded, the soft power of dimplomacy is often much stronger than the hard power of military threats — and although I am sure I have been pegged as a wooly headed pacifist, it is true.
When I was in college, it was all, "Free Tibet." I thought that once the rock stars got involved, China would have to back down–how can a communist government stand against the combined might of a bunch of American college students attending a rock concert?
Surprisingly, it turns out I was wrong.
It used to be said that New York City had a foreign policy as regarded the "I" states: Ireland, Israel, and Italy.
I don’t think that it’s really that usual for someone to run for elected office just to get a platform for make a political statement about some unrelated topic. Take for example Stan Lippman, who is running for Seattle City Council this year. I think you wrote about him in a recent blog posting. He runs for office all the time because he feels "compelled to spread the word
about dangerous vaccine mandates by running for office." He was once almost fatally injured by a vaccine. He gets his message in the voters guide that is mailed to every household in the city. Cheaper than printing out your own mailing, that’s for sure.
James: Amazingly, the awesome power of youths attending rock concerts has also failed to rid the African continent of AIDS and hunger.
I just think that in most people’s mind (be it voters or dictators so that is not specific to democracy), the economy argument almost always wins against the ecology argument.
Coach,
I’m curious as to when exactly the soft power of diplomacy has produced any long term wins? Have any examples?
East Timor only has troops from Australia, New Zealand and Portugal. So it’s not very strange, but twicely strange…
Yep. Very strange – but he could say he kept his promiss on that one though. ;-)
Regarding East Timor, Portugal is there at their request (East Timor is a Portuguese ex-colony, and the Portuguese people never gave up ‘fighting’ for their independence from Indonesia) and it’s not troops we have there, but the GNR (militarized police).
The Australians troops weren’t very keen on keeping the order when things started going down hill, so Xanana Gusmão (the East Timor President) specifically asked for an independent Portuguese police force.
Unlike others, we don’t pour into foreign countries unless invited. Guess that’s why we are welcome everywhere, hehe. ;-)
What I don’t understand is why the position of Port Commissioner is voted on by the public. Surely, the vast majority of voters couldn’t care less who does that job. It’s not like you could ever have a despotic and megalomaniacal Port Commissioner. Is this sort of thing normal in the U.S.?
"why the position of Port Commissioner is voted on by the public"
Well, power. To set rates (as with the tour boat guy), to favor contractors who know where to contribute, to set policies favoring labor or not, to spend money on more dredging or to economize with less. Also patronage, an important aspect of power.
If you want an exhaustive example of what power can attach to dull-sounding positions, you can try reading The Power Broker, a life of Robert Moses written by Robert Caro.
3 Candidates for Seattle Port C’mish
Cheaper, too. It halted NK’s nuclear program, openned China to the west, and tends to keep europeans from killing one another.
This is related to what the "Right To Life" party does, at least here in New York. It’s their goal to get someone on the ballot for every race, no matter how insignificant, and for that someone to push the RTL agenda. So you get things like this:
Name: Joe Slobotnik
Running for: Tax collector
Current job: Gas station attendant
Q: "If elected, what will you do about taxes?"
A: Saving the lives of unborn babies is the most important thing in the world. I will make sure no abortion is ever performed again on the face of the Earth.
We talking Adair and Cass, or further afield (Wisconsin)?
"What happens in the U.S." is largely a local issue. Many states and municipalities have wide differences between which positions are elected and which are appointed. There have also been varying changes at these levels over the years, and varying points of view on whether it’s better to elect or appoint.
Further, in some states, counties, towns, school boards, etc. etc., positions are not allowed to partisan. In other words, you don’t state what party you might be registered or not registered with and it officially doesn’t factor into the election.
So, for some reason that probably has interesting historical background, this position in this municipality is elected.
Wait, so is he promising to relocate the procedures to:
1) Orbital facilities
2) Airborne facilities
3) Subterranean facilities
4) Submarine facilities
Not "on the face of the Earth" is just to vague. I would totally support a tax man pushing for subterranean facilities, that just cost effective. And orbital facilities have a certain style, so might go for that but submarine facilities are just dumb.
I’d worry that the RTL tax collector might use his powers to audit everyone who has an abortion or something. I’m pro-life myself, but I would seriously object to the powers of Taxes being used to intefere in the domain of Death. The two spheres of Inevitability need to stay firmly seperated.
Isteran, he’s not TRYING to get elected. He just wants his point-of-view out there.
Yup, some of those things are laughable. Another one occured when France refused to help reduce the level of freedom in Iraq. When the U.S. changed its name for fried potatoes from French Fries to Freedom Fries, someone suggested that Japan should change its word for corned frankfurters from American Dog to … [Oh no, I forgot what the suggested replacement was.] Anyway, that sure should have persuaded the U.S. not to invade Iraq. Can’t imagine why it didn’t work.
So ummm, which candidate won?
Back a few weeks ago this Raymond Chen posting got me to thinking about Iowa City. In the comments I