My Idea of Fun

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returns to the University of Couldn't Get Into Harvard to explain why she's "laid-forward."

"I am somebody who finds a lot of fun in the possibility of being able to make decisions that have an effect on Americans, on our foreign policies and in trying to solve problems…"

Public service work can be more glamorous than people often expect, Albright said.

"Most lectures about public service…quote Mother Theresa and urge people to join the Peace Corps, that personally ambitious people need not apply," she said. "My message to you this afternoon is a little bit different. I urge you to see public service as a means of self-fulfillment and not self-denial."

A hopeful sign: At least one Yalie was unimpressed by the speech. "[F]or people our age, obviously there's the sense that NGOs and more small-scale stuff is more nimble and more responsive to the things we're interested in," said Jamie Hodariylsoh ('07), "whereas it was clear that [Albright] still views government as the pinnacle of public service, which I don't think is necessarily the case for most people at Yale."

Comments

[mediageek]

"I urge you to see public service as a means of self-fulfillment and not self-denial."

Kim Jong Il feels the same way.

No wonder Albright remarked that he didn't strike her as being a nutwhack.

[M'Tuklavier]

I am somebody who finds a lot of fun in the possibility of being able to make decisions that have an effect on Americans

What kind of sick, twisted SOB finds that "fun"? I guess its not fun to just do "it" to caged animals.

[Gimme Back My Dog]

At least she is honest that she gets her kicks telling other people what to do. Beats all that "public servant" crap that we usually hear from our overlords.

And where is our favorite little despot, joe, to tell us that it really is about public service?

[John]

"[F]or people our age, obviously there's the sense that NGOs and more small-scale stuff is more nimble and more responsive to the things we're interested in,"

My experience with NGOs is that they are mostly interested in the following things in order of priority; good hotels, the smug satisfaction of being dedicated to helping their lesser human beings in other countries; finding the nearest CNN camera to ensre that they can share their smug satisfaction with the rest of the world and also get funding for their continued smug satisfaction and of course good hotels.

[madpad]

Kim Jong Il feels the same way.

Well whadaya know...so does George W. Bush!

What kind of sick, twisted SOB finds that "fun"?

Well whadaya know...George W. Bush again!

In fact...I'd say at least 80% of everyone who's been elected or appointed to any political office feels that way.

[Simon9]

Interesting paradox that the kind of people that are attracted to government work are usually not the kind of people that a sane person would want to have in that kind of position of power over them.

Sigh.

[Simon9]

Interesting paradox that the kind of people that are attracted to high-level government work are usually not the kind of people that a sane person would want to have in that kind of position of power over them.

Sigh.

[M'Tuklavier]

And the ones that weren't elected or appointed...I'm trying to think of whom...

[Mike]

In fact...I'd say at least 80% of everyone who's been elected or appointed to any political office feels that way.

Not to mention anyone who has ever held any job that wasn't at the absolute bottom of the totem pole. But hey, whatever.

[Simon9]

I'm sorry. I had the hiccups.

[Captain Holly]

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returns to the University of Couldn't Get Into Harvard to explain why she's "laid-forward."

Sorry, Tim, but "Madeleine Albright" and "laid" are two words that should never be used in the same sentence....

[John]

I think this quote shows Albrights complete lack of depth as a human being. One of the best quotes I have ever read was from Eisenhower talking about how happy he was when he left the Presidency and what an incredible feeling it was not to have to make decisions that effected the lives of millions of people anymore. I think anyone who has ever shouldered real responsibility and has any wisdom or depth to their character is glad to see that responsibility come to an end. That a shallow twit like Albright was ever allowed anywhere near a postion of real responsibility is pretty depressing.

[gaijin]

self-important busy body...I have a mother already thank you Madeline.

[Lowdog]

It's all well and good to feel you have a civic duty, do your duty, and then get out and back to your personal life and the private sector. In fact, that's what our founding fathers had in mind.

Too bad most people that want to be pols nowadays don't get that. They don't feel it's a burden to be carefully considered, but a weapon to be swiftly wielded, which is indeed pretty scary.

[M'Tuklavier]

It's not just the king's perview anymore. I have rights here so I can issue decrees for my little kingdom that the little serfs must follow and so on and so on. It's so much fun to play king.

[Franklin W. Dixon]

Finally we can compare the two ads together: that IS the Carpet Humper in that Endless Pool. He's just wearing a dark blue swim cap. I knew it!

Oh, and Albright's a bitch.

[madpad]

And the ones that weren't elected or appointed...I'm trying to think of whom...

I was not distinguishing people elected or appointed to public office from the nonexistent folks who weren't (that just sounds funny, doesn't it?).

I was making a point that appointees are fundamentally indistinguishable from elected officials in this regard.

[Douglas Fletcher]

Personally, I think the greatest public service I can do is to stay out of public service.

[Stevo Darkly]

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returns to the University of Couldn't Get Into Harvard to explain why she's "laid-forward."

No jokes about being "laid-forward" versus being "laid backward"?

And no comments to the effect that being "laid backward" is illegal in some states, while being "laid-forward" is not, but should be illegal in all?

[joe]

Your silly incapacity to grasp Albright's meaning is of a piece with the reason nobody takes libertarians seriously as anything but drinking buddies.

[Lowdog]

So what is Albright's deep meaning then, joe?