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From: pennsays
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  • They're saying "Czar" with tongue-in-cheek tone. They're not being serious.

  • Czar has been used with every President since Nixon. But who cares? It's still a stupid name, although it's an even more stupid reason to attack Obama or his administration in particular. Of course, it's even more stupid than that to think that these "czars" aren't going to make every power grab they can, under this administration or any other.

    Also, "freedom fighter dress"? Doesn't that snag on the light artillery?

    And what is it with New Englanders saying "gut" instead of "got"?

  • There is Zero you can do to stop it folks. All medical providers in the United States had to register for a NPI number back in 04'-05' if not you could not practice in the United States. NPI = National Provider Identification Number

    This was the precursor to Nationalized Health Care. Any practitioner could tell you about the NPI number. It was done way before people even knew who Obama was.

    There is no Democratic Party or Republican Party. Only Corporate Sponsored Spokesmen. They are the same..

  • One of the earliest known usages of the term was for 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

  • Has any 'czar' ever really solved the problem they were in charge of?

  • Has any politician solved any problem they were in charge of? That's the real question.

  • @masonkiller666 Nice one.

  • I don't think President's actually call people "Czar".

    It's more of a media thing.  The media is @$%ing stupid.

  • Exactly right, Penn! Check out "Fully Informed Jury Association" to see the most powerful check on abusive government.

  • The press created the quasi-macho title "czar" because they didn't want to use the 8-word real titles like "senior chairperson of the horticultural irrigation council." These are mostly stressful and thankless cat-herding jobs, so we could call them "the Drug Schlemiel," or the "Immigration Shitty-End-of-the Stick-Holder" instead.

  • Penn should get his facts straight on this one. The first president to introduce the Czar title in American was the Goober Ronald Reagan. So stop blaming Obama for all this bullshit

  • Czar is a bad word kids..

  • I swear, you sound just like an ancient Roman, saying that kings are bad (if you don't get it, look it up) Regis mal est!

  • FDR has czars and he was one of the dumbest fuckin presidents in history. He inprisoned germans, italians, and japanese, guilt by association I guess, and id so unlawfully. He bailed out bad companies and was about to cause an economic collapse until oh, a world war came and saved our economy. He brought in Social security to pay off the Federal reserve interest incurred by us borrowing our own fuckin money from a private bank. In conclusion, czars suck, and Obama and FDR, and BUsh are retards.

  • u dont know shit about history. FDR was one of the best presidents we have ever had. He had to deal with the greatest economic collapse in US history AND the largest war in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD and he and Truman got us out of it wile making us one of the earth's 2 superpowers. And he did this without the use of his legs. So the next time you look at a dime, ask yourself "has any other president gone through that much shit and came out looking so good."

    though ill agree that bush is a retard

  • FDR the best president ever? Don't make me laugh. He created a depression from a recession by creating a lot of socialist programs, oh, and he bailed out bad businesses. American was asuper power until the Cold War when we started making technological breakthroughs, and I don't recall FDR directing troop movements, I believe the Generals did. I believe they should rename The New Deal to The New Shitty Deal. If you want proof, Obama is doing what FDR did and it isn't working for shit.

  • Yes Ronald Reagan, he made the US the only world superpower.

  • R U being sarcastic?

  • yes i am.

  • Well, there ya go. You all wanted a black President, well now you have one.

    I wish people should've thought this through.This is why I hate politics

  • we need 304,059,724 obama czars

  • I think the name is the best part of that sort of position. At least they're being honest. I certainly don't see a "Czar" as a good thing.

  • this internet safety "czar" will be in charge of battling hackers and "cyber-terrorism" not censorship so, don't worry. I agree Czar is a shitty name to call the position

  • The defininition of czar is emperor. We now have 33 i think. Unelected emperors is what we have. America you better wake up soon.

  • Yes the have lost all common sense

  • Anon IS the internet

  • I agree with Penn. 'CZAR' denotes a supreme ruler. Obama is an elected official, a fact conveniently forgotten by much of the press. Elected officials of a democratic government serve the people, not rule over them.

  • Exactly.

  • We need catch phrases, buzz words.  Like the excellent introduction of your show.

  • Anon is the tsar of the internet clearly.

  • We need to keep all these Czar's in line, let's appoint a Czar emperor...

  • Thinking that Healthcare Fuhrer might not go over too well. But is that to Penn's point?

  • I hate when the media starts repeating a word or catch phrase over and over again...

    Obama should appoint a Media Pharaoh to keep them in line.

  • So calling Elvis "The King" is wrong too? lol just kidding.

  • Now all we need is a Healthcare Führer and a Gun Safety Pope.

  • Thank you for this commentary. I was mentioning the same thing to some friends, the other day, about the evil of the title Czar in America. I'm glad someone with a bigger voice and larger following is doing the same. Words matter!

  • So kings and czars, or more of the Orwellian language we're accustomed to? Both are bad, but at least they're starting to be honest! Ok, I'm getting cynical.

  • Does anyone else find the crackle intro way too loud?

  • Oh fuck yeah. I totally agree with this. I loved the Princess part. Right on.

  • All of you make excellent points. Most of you seem indifferent on the term "Czar." However, what about Penn's earlier note about when people say they won't do something then they probably will be. Do you see this new position as someone meant to protect the public or spy on it?

  • "However, what about Penn's earlier note about when people say they won't do something then they probably will be."

    I agree that it is often the case (it would be cynical and fallacious to say that it is always the case, although it is more often the case from politicians). When I managed a technical support team I became aware of a similar behavior behind the word "basically". Very often, the real meaning is, "I don't know, but since you don't either, try this interesting fabrication".

  • Internet "War Lord"?

  • Some mechanics call themselves Car Czars. lol

  • I believe it is a very powerful moment in our history when Atheists and Mormons both agree we have lost control of our government.

    "Dogs and cats living together"

  • All good points. There was a recent interview with our drug "czar" that I either read or watched where I remember him stating he wasn't really a czar in any respect of the word.

    So why are you fucking using the word then??

  • Asking someone not to use a word is a whole lot different than passing/advocating a law to prevent use of that word.

  • Seriously? You are trying to tell us what words we can't use? After all the libertarian ideas you put forward, you are trying to impinge on our right to free speech? Really?

    Don't tell people what words they can and can't use. You are just a juggler who like to talk a lot, and who is no better than anyone else. Don't play the authority please.

  • He stated his opinion and gave the reasons for it. I don't think he was going to try to send men with badges and guns to your house.

  • Nobody said anything about guns or going to anyones home. He is a huge promoter of libertarian ideas, rants about personal freedoms, and then tries to tell us not to use a word? Give me a break.

    Yes, he has stated many times that he is a hypocrite, and he has also said many times that he is a liar and should not be listened to. He also presents his views with great passion.

    That is my issue, be true to your passions and don't become the thing you rail against. Don't just say it, do it.

  • Dude, Penn's not stopping you from using the word, he's stating his mind. There's a huge difference.

  • Dude, I have stated my point on this twice. If you dont get it by now, you never will.

    Huge, gigantic hypocrisy.Period. End of story.

  • I see what you have stated and don't see the hypocrisy.

  • He has also said before that word choice matters. His concern is for our country's increasing comfort with words that have a very specific connotation, particularly given the massive number of other titles that could have been used in place of "czar."

    Allow me to quote Siddhartha Gautama to illustrate his point:

    "The though manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care."

  • Are you telling him what he can or can't say?

    Freedom of speech means you can say you don't like stuff, and ask people not to do it. And they have the right to tell you to get stuffed.

  • I like the use of Czar, but then again I am a free market capitalist, so the word "Czar" has a very negative meaning.

    Capitalism is simply the legalization of acts between consenting adults. Remember that socialists want to use violence as a means to the entirety of their ends.

  • Very well put Penn.

  • A king is merely a different type of ruler, with a different style of human livestock management. Monarchy is generally considered outcompeted nowadays, in the age of free-range human livestock, but it does have its advantages.

    For one thing, a king would be incentivized to preserve the long-term value of his country. He couldn't create something like the Federal Reserve, because the long-term losses through decreased productivity would always outweigh the short-term gains in legislation sales.

  • You must be a fan of Lew Rockwell.......as I am.

  • I wonder who the Czar of the money is.

  • The last guy Rod Beckstrom was Cyber Sercurity CHIEF quit saying he was afraid that the "policies" of the new administration would cause the end of the republic...

    Protesting it or anything else is considered terrorism now.

    I said the American People would never allow this... I apparently give them too much credit and have grossly over estimated them.

  • Czar

    1. an emperor or king.

    2. (often initial capital letter) the former emperor of Russia.

    3. an autocratic ruler or leader.

    4. any person exercising great authority or power in a particular field: a czar of industry. never good in a FREE country

  • Reagan started using the "Czar" term.

  • We've seen how Obama sticks to his promises. And I just love it when these "official" govt. statements come out.

    Ex: Their "new" Cyber Security Office is headquartered at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, where I reside. But it has been in existence for two years, recruiting hackers, techs and even psychologists (to analyze us terrorists). Oh, and BTW, if you just watched this, you're considered a potential terrorist in their spying eyes for seeking alternative news sources. Big bro's watching!

  • I suppose you will object to your kids playing "king of the mountain" too.

  • But, this is not kids playing. it is our country, and we are the ones getting played.

  • "Czar" is just another example of the media promoting idiotic catchphrases. Probably 90% of the public have no clue where the term comes from, and just how heinous a title it really is.

    Reminds me of the Mad Max film in which the main bad guy was deemed the "ayatollah of rock and rollah"

  • I think Penn is missing the point here. Obama wasnt talking about general internet usage of the public. He is talking about sensitive government data which, after investigations were found to be poorly protected from internet hackers. Penn needs to check himself & remember that even thought the government lies, it doesn't always lie; "We will invade Iraq etc. And about his problem with the use of the word Czar, he should re-watch his Profainity episode of Penn & Teller's Bullshit, its quite good

  • Actually the whole internet czar shit is based not on government but on pro-ip. Downloading copyrighted material will be a felony on level with selling cocaine and heroine.

    There were news stories about this a couple months ago and that is what it will be used for.

    The only real question now is how are they going to enforce the coming bullshit. Best case everything stays the same only some fucker is making to much money.

    Worst case: China.

  • This could be the case, but will not affect the majority of Americans, only those downloading copyrighted material and shouldn't encroach on civil liberties. However, it should be closely scrutinized because it is exactly the kind of guise that can be used for such a thing. But to dismiss it entirely as some sort of Orwellian conspiracy like Penn is, is a little over the top; may be even for Penn! I live in England atm and we get a LETTER delivered to us if caught downloading illegally XD

  • you also get spied on by your government like no other country on earth. Do you feel free with those cameras always watching and talking back at people. Threatening them for littering and such.

    I have always worked for the betterment of my family but now the jobs are gone. (13% unemployed) I have never been it trouble with the law. but, the draconian measures of my own government put good family people in prison for victemless non-crimes when it suits them.

    NOW YOU ARE UNDER CONTROL!!! RATM

  • Dont get me wrong man, Im not in favour of what they are doing, but thats not what Obama was talking about anyway. Our government isn't spying on us, CCTV is used almost entirely for identification purposes after serious crimes on the streets. Not for monitoring what you had for breakfast. We even stopped terrorist bombings in London using CCTV, saving many many lives. This has not happened anywhere else. The problem is not the cameras, but for what purposes they are being used & under what laws

  • Government spies on its people all the time— especially the US Gov.

    See how the government teams up with corporations

  • Yes it could be said that all governments "spy" on their people although its more like monitoring. They arent interested in everything people get up to on a day to day basis. They target suspected criminals & monitor their activity and always have done so for hundreds of years. We were just saying that the CCTV use in the UK, although excessive, does have some merit because it has helped solve crimes and prevent terrorist bombings. It is our job to keep the government in check using voting power

  • Except a majority of people are downloading copyrighted things. Hell youtube is built around it. Currently you get a letter in the U.S also but who knows in a year.

    Pretty sure he is going on about the word itself being used and not what some asshole would do with the title. He is very Anti-Czar it would seem.

  • Hey, at least calling them czar is calling it for what it is

  • Penn is right. Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution notwithstanding, even if the title is only propagated by the Morons of Media, Czar is just too cheery and wistful. I suggest a switch to something more accurate for modern-day America. Maybe Overlord. Or Despot. Or Tyrant. The Information Despot. Yes, much more accurate.

  • Yeah I agree, I'm in Canada and I hate how we're still part of the commonwealth. Fuck Elizabeth II.

  • I KNOW! I never got why we use the term czar!

  • i think czar was a russian king or something

  • I know what the czar is! But I don't really want any government official with a term of any aristocracy, much less Russian.

  • the constitution is like a czar as well. Theirs a reason people rejected it. It was due to the fact they were replacing a tyrannical government with an even more tyrannical government.

  • "The constitution is like a Czar." WTF? Have you read it? Did you go to school? Can you read, or did you need help with that comment?

  • The constitution dictates behavior with the threat of force this is a remnant of religion. A piece of paper dictating behavior with the threat of violence.

  • This video a is win of truth

  • Uh dear. Last night, out of nowhere, my girlfriend told me that she's NOT cheating on me...

  • if they get this thhrough what will they be able to monentor it kinda of scary

  • Hahaha poor Moxie (atrocious spelling).

  • Damn. Keep a copy of Tor on your thumbdrives, this could get ugly..

  • I am the Czar of funk, lets boogie.

  • It all depends on what "securing the internet" actually means. If it's about suppressing freedom of speech and civil liberties, then I'm 100% opposed.

    However, if it's about preventing identity theft, or some radical wackjob from hacking into our nation's powergrid and causing blackouts across the country (or worse), then I'm all for it.

  • Czar - A totalitarian ruler.

    Drug Czar - enforcer of prohibition.

    Prohibition - Does not work, sends thousands innocents to jail at $48,000 each per year, all to protect corporate interests such as pharmaceuticals and tobacco.

    Internet Czar - Placed in charge of the internet by the us government to spy on all activity of it's own people and end net neutrality.

    This is Change? A nanny-state we can't afford that will make us slaves and limit our communication? NoBamma!

  • Al Gore.  lol

  • youre very right, just some odd verbiage can get us very comfortable with an idea, and it will consume us.

  • Not to sound like a crazed, threatening hillbilly, but I think this is why our forefathers included the second amendment. DEATH TO THE CZAR! (Not really, not actually advocating murder. Just trying to spur on a name change. If you're reading this, I apologize Mr. Internet Czar, Your Supreme Highness.)

  • "Americas digital infrastructure"

    wtf is that, the internet is the world....fuck this new position. Its only going to lead to nazi like tactics.

  • As soon as the Czar is in place then all he needs is enough whiners to say, "OMG WTF someones posted this awful media that is offensive." And then the Czar will flex it's bicep. Bad Nazi's!

  • the main purpose of gov't "czars" is to avoid congressional oversight-no advise and consent.

  • Everyday I'm more convinced that Obama is against freedom. So much for being "liberal", yet another slimy piece of politician's feces.

  • Right on Penn. And that's from a Brit. Hopefully one day we'll follow your lead, get rid of royal family and become a republic.

  • horse3185, it's very unlikely - everybody may grumble about Windsor House expenditures, but you can see the support for the Queen.

  • I'm a brit too, plus I also think the royal family is a useless entity that should be done away with. Do I think it will be done away with anytime soon? No.

  • I think we should use the word even more, but in it's pure form; "Caesar".

    I think we may look at it differently if we kept hearing about all the little "Caesars" that were in charge of us (but not elected by anybody). Maybe it would snap some people out of the fog that is the life of the modern boobus Americanus.

  • you're right i used to work at little caesars. you definitely don't want them in charge of you.

  • The word is repurposed and has lost its real meaning. Just as The king of pop or THE king are not royalty.

  • When the government first started with the "Czar" positions, it really irked me. A lot. Mainly for the reasons Penn stated, but also because it seemed like government folks were trying to sound so hip and badass, but ended up just looking stupid and pretentious. It's like the upper middle class high school principal who tries to look like s/he "relates" to the students by peppering speeches with "edgy" slang [usually already years out of vogue]. Oh, like gag me. Totally...

  • The royalty thing bugs da fuck out of me too. Even in everyday shit.  Royalty mean oppression as far as I can see.

  • If we're gonna have evil fuckin statist control we might as well give it an evil fuckin statist name - like czar, even if the statists don't realize what they're saying. To have a czar of something and call him something nice sounding would be even worse.

  • While I understand what you're getting at, Penn, I smirked at you saying Czar is a bad word for I was remembering Humbug. The episode where you and Teller tackle the notion of bad words.

  • Kings aren't always bad; I've won a lot of big pots with kings. Kings are only bad if a guy puts you all in before the flop and he's holding aces; cuz you can't fold then you're fucked. But most of the time kings are good.

  • A king isn't necessarily a bad thing--how about a LIBERTARIAN king?

    And democracy can be TYRANNICAL, as you very well know.

  • well said, Penn- thanks

  • I've always felt that way!!!! call it like overseer or something or maybe America colonel (like Kentucky colonel but for America)

  • How can he go on and on about how "czar" is a bad word to use and then not give a suggestion about what a good word to use would be?

  • I think the point is that czars shouldn't exist period especially not in America.

  • Du you need him to come up with a alternative word? or... Aren't you smart enough to think of one for yourself?

  • aww let your daughter dress up as a princess. Mine loves to.. after stories, and fantasy. She has a sword and I pretend to be a dragon and she kills me sometimes....sometimes I gnaw her legs off. ITS FUN!

    Never anywhere is it a statement to what nation she loves or wishes to be like. She likes to dream, and be something she will never be except in my eyes...a princess.

  • That wonderful. Now if only our country were make believe too. Then we could all be kings, & queens. Well, except for the jesters.

  • Hmm. First, czar is better than tsar because it has a "Z" in it. The title has connotations of unquestionable despotic authority that we really don't want to foster in U.S. govt. posts. But it just sounds so BADASS and cool, I'm not surprised it's getting so much play.

  • How about Internet Defence Commander or IDC. I think Commander is much cooler than Czar ot Tsar. Plus the title implies the mission. It is not vague or threatning like the word Czar. But I forgot, This is not for defence of the internet it is for policing of the Internet. so why not Gestapo?

  • Maby we can replace czar with tyrant.

  • although we don't see I to I on religion you speak the truth on czars who well be in charge them or the president?

  • hehehe =) Its good to be Czar even if it's a party of one. Are you your own master ? that's all it means to me.

    Peace Out

  • keep up the good work buddy

  • it's a media thing, it's not like the gov't says "czar"

  • my god penn, its like you pick the easiest argument to make and make a video about it, we all know tsars are bad, try making a video about something that matters, because its getting irritating when your consistently irrelevant.

  • Loved the Glen Beck comment

  • Tzar means somebody owning whole land and everything on, under and above it.

    He can kill you or sell you just like his cows or buildings. In Russia not much changed from Tzar's time... only now it's President (or temporary Prime Minister) Putin. I can understand why some people dream about Tzar times - they see themselves on the throne obviously.

  • Comment removed

  • Good rant.

  • Unfortunately, the internet will not do fine on its own. The most important function of this new office will be to ensure the security of government servers (which, as of right now, are so insecure that some 3rd graders could get illegal access with ease). Secondly, security efforts have often been led by government agencies in the past. If it weren't for the FBI running around and telling every security expert, we'd still be using WEP encryptions (which take about 4 minutes to crack now).

  • Heil Obama!

  • Why do you assume that my support for this addition is some sort of blind support to a political figure? I wouldn't care if it was Obama, McCain, or Ron Paul proposing this change; all it does is separate our public cyber security experts from those whose job it is to spy on us, which is exactly the problem Penn was complaining about. The average company's IT department is at best mildly incompetent when it comes to security, as TechDirt has pointed out repeatedly, and this solution makes sense.

  • Take it from me, someone who has been in the computer industry for a good while, monitoring private internet traffic is not what this new Czar is supposed to do. In fact, what this post is supposed to do is take cyber security out of the hands of the NSA, FBI, and CIA (who together have a monopoly on government security expertise), and instead place it in a more transparent office. If you value privacy, THIS CHANGE IS A GOOD THING.

  • Only idiots don't understand Internet Security.... Oh, I guess that means the enire Obama Administration is completely clueless!!! The business sector had been using AES and stronger encryption for two years before the government picked it up... WEP is wireless and has already been replaced years ago with WPA which uses AES... where have you been?

  • And it was replaced after the FBI went around to a series of security conferences to publicly demonstrate just how useless WEP is. And while most businesses have stopped using it, router manufacturers continue to include WEP support as if it is something more than a minor nuisance.

  • You sound like one of those nitwit political business men who have been involved in the "computer industry" more through paperwork than through actual experience with actual technology and a low-level understanding of just what makes a computer exploitable.

    The fact that you bring up WEP encryption as if its something even an elementary school kid wouldn't know indicates this. The issues with wep are old news. Everybody knows it is weak, now why don't we learn about something important?

  • Your appeals to authority are also a hallmark of the kind of people we have to deal with on a day to day basis.

    The people who are entrusted as technological experts at our schools, businesses and government agencies are so out of touch with what they are dealing with its disgusting. You have painted a picture of yourself that this is exactly who you are.

    This is extremely presumptuous but I had to rant because I am frustrated.

  • I am not and have never been on the business side of things. My degrees are in computer science, although security isn't my area of focus. The average person doesn't know their head from their asshole when it comes to security, though, and this is even more true when it comes to government bureaucrats, which is why it can be important for an agency to be able to tell them what you and I already know.

  • That depends on who your asking, as technology becomes a bigger part of or world its only natural that security will improve.

    That being said, the idea of keeping something secure is relative, what ill use isnt the best example, i not fare from NYC during 9/11, but it works well. The WTC was secure against guns and threats from the inside, like office workers going postal, but fly a plane into it and well, security flys out the fucking window. My point being its subjective to say "security"

  • In England the monarch is prity much the only thing preventing the government from going totally dictator happy.

    Its not like we have any form of democracy here anyway, no one in our current government has actually been voted in.

    So Czar and monarch's arnt all bad.

  • Aww, Penn, why won't you let your little girl dress like a princess? What's the worst it could represent, in this age? I spoiled figurehead?

    I can't even think of any real princesses today. Maybe there's one in Japan...

  • if we had someone who could turn off the internet, we'd be no different than Iran is right now. they aren't allowed to spread the news on anything!

    i don't want to be like that. if i wanted someone to control my internet, i'd live in a dictatorship.

  • Someone else that remembers and actually used the ARPAnet. High 5 !

  • I have no problems with czars. Just keep them out of my democracy.

  • Okay, I just dumped on your previous clip, but now you're doing a little better.

    Libertarianism, though, is still just another religion.

    ...Alex the godless Commie

  • Czar:

    Crazy

    Zealotry

    And

    Regulations

  • I wonder if we starting using Czar to fuck with the Russian/USSR during the Cold War.

  • You tell em, Maude.

  • Yea I'm not down with kings and czars and the like either.

    But sometimes a little girl wants to play princess because its fun. Doesn't mean she will develop into some sort of government suck-up.

  • "Please don't get comfortable with the idea of [...] any sort of government position."

    I made it more freedom-y.

  • gay used to meany happy and now it means homosexual. princess used to mean royalty and now it simply means priveledged. the meaning of czar has either changed or is changing. it's sad but you're just gonna have to get used to it

  • that's interesting about the princess thing. I always thought of it as a harmless notion like something out of legend of zelda

  • O wants government to regulate, saturate, control, and undermine everything. EVERYTHING. That is the socialist ethos. That is the plan. No "ifs ands or buts" - Congress and O want a socialist America. He can use whatever terms he wants - he can call WAR an "overseas contingency operation" BUT ITS STILL WAR. He can call a Czar, Captain Taco-pants,but it's still a fucking Czar! Czars only report to Obama and him only - they are not answerable to the People. That's called Tyranny in every language.

  • Obama is the boss of these people, and he IS answerable to the people, so vicarioiusly so are his subordinates. Obama can be impeached, and will be if it must happen. It is no more an example of Tyranny then it is an example of Democracy.

  • But it's appropriate for the job. Changing the title of the position isn't going to change what they do, which is the real issue. You could call it "Nipple Flicker McJones" and it wouldn't matter, except that it would be funny. Why are you more upset about title than about the power entailed in the position? Penn, you choose some strange things to get upset about.

  • I think we should call him a Czar, because many people distrust that title. And if we need anything, it's more distrust for the government.

  • Excellent. Monarchs are tyrants, they are bad. The bloke is commissioned by a democratically elected leader to be accountable for implementing a particular policy on behalf of the people so you need a title that suggests that commission for the people stuff.

    Got it. Commissar. Is that better? There's no negative connotations there, surely.

  • Damn straight. I always thought this was the strangest term to adopt, considering 1) where it came from, and 2) the kind of totalitarian philosophy it implied.

  • *coughFISAcough* he doesnt need to monitor personal emails its already in place. Im betting that this administration is the one that regulates the internet for America.

  • "you know pen, we aren't asking you to jump through hoops"

    What irks me more, is my last employer (at a resturaunt) would give me a pan and say "It doesn't have to be perfect, just do your best"...

    So I would take it to heart and scrub like hell, KNOWING that is not what she meant, but I take it as a personal challenge to DO MY BEST.

  • You don't understand this Penn x_x

  • glenn beck is so phony, i want to punch him in the throat.

  • Some comments here really make me sad.Being ignorant towards history really fails.

    Short history lesson,the term CZAR has nothing to do with the communist russia or the USSR.

    The term deviates from the title "caesar",the mutation appeared later,and was given by the byzantine emperors to the(not always but most of the times) migrator leaders which were guarding the border of the Roman empire.

  • So pen,from a historic perspective the term FITS LIKE A GLOVE!

  • That's one fight Penn won't win, little girls like to be princesses, not freedom fighters. How many Freedom Fighter Barbies are there?

  • I think czar is a very good word for describing these tyrants.

  • exactly, call it like it is.

  • "Maybe I'll cry now like Glenn Beck" LOL!

  • I like the government using the word "Czar" simply because it warns me to watch out for my wallet. And Penn, you forgot about the "Executive Salary Czar" Comrade Obama put into place just last week.

  • We use the word "czar" in America to describe a govt appointee with abnormally great power and authority over a particular area. It SHOULD be a shocking word. And that's probably why it was first used here that way. To prompt shock at the extensive power a single unelected person suddenly had. We've been desensitized to the term. "Something is wrong in area X? We need an X czar." Then in the re-election campaign, "When I saw area X going badly, I immediately appointed the X czar. Ta-Daaah!"

  • I think Czar is meant to be a pejorative; someone with dictatorial powers in one sector of the gov't

  • I think it is a good thing they use the word czar, because even if it wasn't called that the position would still exist, they'd just come up with some new orwellian name, at least you know that what they're doing is bad when they come right out and call it a "czar" .

  • god bless the The USSA .

  • You're absolutely right Penn, they are want-to-be mini-gods working for the want-to-be maxi-god.

  • Yup usually when they say that its not what theyre gonna do or say they did it for no specific reason, then thats the reason.

    I worked at a farmers market and there was a ice cream man with one of those push carts, the owner (white) kicked him out, then came up to me and said "i didnt kick him out because he was mexican", I didnt even ask. but after that i knew it was the reason