Let's look at the U.S. commitment to civil rights. We care about civil rights, and even in spite of the doomsaying, there's been progress. And just look at who we've had as chairs of our Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - extremely distinguished, professional attorneys who have done a good and workmanlike job of enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws.
Under the Democrats - the distinguished Ida Castro.
Under the Republicans - the Honorable Naomi Earp.
And who runs the Italian government equivalent of the EEOC? Why, the Hon. Mara Carfagna, of course.
Hah, you probably think I'm joking, but I'm not.
Man, Dave Stoller was right about the Italians. They got it goin' on. Don't get me wrong, the U.S. is a *great* freakin' country. I've been a lot of other places and there's no other place I'd rather call home. And, were I a gambling man, I'd stack up the credentials of our EO Chairs against the Italian EO minister's any day. If I needed a lawyer in an employment case, I know who I'm calling.
But still, you have to give the Italians major credit here - they sure as hell know how to do things with a panache we simple and straightforward Americans will never posses. Good or bad, to hell with that - they have *style* in a way I can only barely appreciate, much less imitate.
7 comments:
Nice post.
Just in case others don't read the article from your link, the beauty is also an attorney.
Look at some of our Governors. Arnold and Jesse Ventura, both of whom I am pretty sure used a heck of a lot of steroids. So what, this woman decided to pursue a career in modeling, which probably paid pretty well, and then she decided to pursue politics. She is only 32 years old. Give her some time. By the time she is as old as the other two women you posted, she might know a lot more than those two do. Hell, she is only 32 and she already holds an office that it took those other 2 almost their entire lives to get.
By the way, I'm Italian.
Fabrizio, no offense meant, but I've known a lot of 32 year-old lawyers, and I've been a 32 year-old lawyer, and while I trust the legal judgment of a few 32 year-old lawyers, I don't know any of them whose broad policy judgments I would trust. It's a simple matter of life experience increasing with age. At 20, I knew everything. By 25, I realized I was an idiot. At 30, I started to suspect most other people are idiots too. At 35, I realized that, for damn sure, most other people are idiots. At 40, I've started to understand what it is that I know, and what I don't know. Some people get through that evolution a little bit quicker, but I haven't known many. I guess whether the Divine Ms. C. is a good fit for her position depends on the portfolio. If it is primarily either making pure legal decisions or functioning as a figurehead for an agency, then she's fine for it; if that agency has a lot of power to broadly set terms & conditions of employment within Italy, then I hope she has a gift for spotting talented policy advisers, she'll need it. Succeed or fail, I think the choice of appointing her is pretty spectacular.
FWIW, my mom's side of the family are mostly of Italian descent, some of them a generation or so 'off the boat.' Lot of good looking, brilliant, amazingly talented people on that side of the family, and very fine individuals. Oh yeah, and really snappy dressers.
No offense taken, and I agree with everything you said.
Me, I think that most people would be in pretty good shape if they came to terms with what they knew and what they didn't know, and then sought the proper advice from the proper person. Some of my clients always seem to know more than me about the law and taxes, and they insist on their positions. Just this past tax season, I had a couple insist on deducting personal credit card interest because their neighbors said it was deductible.
Hopefully, at age 32 she knows that she doesn't know enough, and that she will have to seek the proper people for the proper advice. Hell, the President of the United States and partners/members of large firms don't even know enough. That is why the President has a cabinet and the partners/members have associates to do all the legal research. LOL
Hope to meet you at a race in June or July.
Jim - wait till you reach 50 - your head will just explode. Kinda peacefull, actually.
Vive Italia!!! If it wasn't so darn expensive I would move there in a heartbeat and get dual citizenship :)
I often wonder how much serious respect she gets when she dresses up like that. Do guys think wow she is a great attorney with excellent policy prowess? or do they just want to bang her? Her dress leaves very little to the imagination and don't get me wrong she is a gorgeous.
VeloBella,
I am willing to bet that the pic with the dress is from her modeling days. In the article that Jim links to, she is actually wearing what looks to be a business suit and very little makeup.
Fab- I figured that, but apparently those are the pics circulating about the papers or rather recirculating.
What part of Italia is your family from? Mine is from Bari. I am thrilled to learn there are more Italians in the DC area!
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