Comments on: Comments on 14364

Post number 14364

bittennails — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 08:02:05 -0800

Department of Peace vs. Bob Barr's war with the world... I found this really funny, but even I question what a DOP could hope to achieve, any ideas in a realistic sense.

By: Postroad

Postroad — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 08:46:04 -0800

Those of old enough can recall when there was a Department of War. Since, it has changed its name to Department of Defense. If we had a Dept of Peace, Bush would pick what big money-giving right-winger to head up the dept?

By: SirNovember

SirNovember — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 08:54:08 -0800

Um... hello? Reminding anyone of the Ministry of Peace? See Orwell's "1984". "Well, lets see... how can we achive peace? How about wipe everyone who's not 'us' off of the planet? That'd do it!" Department of peace indeed! :-)

By: MrBaliHai

MrBaliHai — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 09:16:37 -0800

First we get "Homeland Security" and now "Department of Peace". What's next, the Ministry of Information Retrieval?

By: bittennails

bittennails — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 09:28:04 -0800

Oohh thats a good analogy SirNovember, if I remember correctly the Ministry of Peace dealt with war...So another government department to deal with issues of war, under the guise of peace...doublethink anyone.

By: darukaru

darukaru — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 09:59:51 -0800

"Did you know,'' interrupted the ghostly figure of Orwell, fixing MetaFilter with a stern look, "that Earth has developed a very slight eccentricity in its orbit?'' MetaFilter didn't and found the information hard to concentrate on what with all the noise and the imminence of death and so on. "Er, no ... look,'' they said. "Me spinning in my grave!''

By: dhartung

dhartung — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 10:04:01 -0800

Actually, these guys really did want a department of peace-promotion. (People may indeed, as rumored, have permission to read the items linked, although by custom it doesn't seem they often do.) Barr may have been rather boorish and snarky in the way he responded, but that doesn't the grand assumptions the author of this page wishes them to imply real. And Barr may be the representative of his friend, but he is under no actual legal obligation to agree with everything his friend asks; and she's free to express her displeasure this November.

By: McBain

McBain — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 11:14:24 -0800

The Orwell responses are obvious. What percentage of America has read "1984" though? What percentage has even heard of it? In the post 9/11 sycophantocracy, who can argue with the "Department of Peace"?

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 12:00:36 -0800

Just about everyone at my high school was made to read it. Animal farm, too (but sadly, not "Keep the Aspidistra Flying!")

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 12:21:48 -0800

"Department of Peace" is as Orwellian as "US Patriot Act". "Sycophantocracy" is now my new favorite word (replacing "snarky").

By: coelecanth

coelecanth — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 13:13:02 -0800

We already have a cabinet-level department dedicated to preserving peace. Donald Rumsfeld runs it.

By: MrBaliHai

MrBaliHai — Fri, 01 Feb 2002 16:53:56 -0800

The Orwell responses are obvious. What about the Brazilian responses? I'm still waiting for Central Services to come over and fix my ducts. Have you got a 27B/6?