Czar Czar
Isn't it long passed the time we stopped using the title "[fill in the blank] Czar" to refer to the person being assigned to tackle whatever urgent issue he or she is supposed to tackle. Based on the success rates of past "Czars," my optimism about the future of health care is waning by the moment.
Let's ditch the title and just address the problem. Or least come up with a new title that doesn't reek of abject failure (or past p.r. ploys). Caesar or Pharaoh, perhaps?
Let's ditch the title and just address the problem. Or least come up with a new title that doesn't reek of abject failure (or past p.r. ploys). Caesar or Pharaoh, perhaps?
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Both the Russian "Czar" and the German "Kaiser" are derived from the Roman and Byzantine title "Caesar", which itself originally came from the name of Julius Caesar. The use of the term "czar" for the heads of various US programs has always sounded wrong to me, too.
November 19, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. I had no idea, although looking at the words now I'm surprised I never made the connection.
November 19, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not fond of the term "czar" myself. If I remember my history correctly, the Russian CZARs were for the most part, really horrible people who oppressed the people, especially the Jews and just basically sucked. Which is why the Bolsheviks came to power.
I wish they would pick a different term. Even Godfather would be better.
C
November 19, 2008 9:45 PM | Reply | Permalink