September 29, 2005--Driving Miss. Saud
It is encouraging to take note of the fact that the Bush administration is now actively engaged in solving two of our most pressing, interrelated problems: The “dire picture of American public diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim world” (to quote from yesterday’s NY Times—link below); and our over-consumption of gasoline (a second link below).
It is however not encouraging to think about the ways in which he is working on these solutions. Let me take them in turn.
In regard to the former, the President apparently sees this to be more a public relations problem than something deeper. Thus he named his former “communications advisor,” Karen Hughes, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy with the assignment to fix the way the US is viewed in the Middle East.
Ever energetic, she took right to the road. The Under Secretary spent her first day in Egypt where she communicated the need there to foster the advance of electoral democracy. That taken care of, in just one day no less, she moved on to Saudi Arabia to secure rights for women. At a public event with a hand-picked audience of 500 university students, faculty, and professional women, she held out the promise that if the Saudis would only embrace freedom and democracy, women would be allowed to “fully participate in society,” even be able to secure drivers licenses. (The price of gas there would not be too much of a problem, if you understand.) To her surprise, her message was not all that well received. Many in the audience said, thank you very much, “We’re pretty happy.” Noting that Ms Hughes was wearing Western-style clothing, one 21-year old student said, “I love my abaya. It’s convenient and it can be very fashionable.”
I do not know the rest of her itinerary, but I hope it includes stops in friendlier and more fashionable places such at the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Back home in the USA, the President himself is working directly on the gasoline problem. You recall that earlier this week he urged Americans to limit their driving to just what is most essential. He was quickly criticized for his own inessential travel--burning up so much fuel and money during his many trips to the Gulf States in Air Force One. (Seven since his belated first visit there after Katrina.) So he’s cutting back on those and will take fewer White House gas guzzlers with him next time.
But more important, he directed his staff to turn down their ACs, form car pools, and turn off photocopiers (actually since the Pentagon Papers I thought they had been banned from the White House). There is the question, though, about Vice President Chaney—will he in fact agree to turn down his AC? Recall, in 2001 he said, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy.” He said this while on his way to a meeting with his infamous Energy Task Force (subpoenas to follow).
Chaney again is of course correct. But he did say to Under Secretary Hughes that she should tell those Saudi women that when they get their drivers licenses they should keep the AC set at 78 degrees.
It is however not encouraging to think about the ways in which he is working on these solutions. Let me take them in turn.
In regard to the former, the President apparently sees this to be more a public relations problem than something deeper. Thus he named his former “communications advisor,” Karen Hughes, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy with the assignment to fix the way the US is viewed in the Middle East.
Ever energetic, she took right to the road. The Under Secretary spent her first day in Egypt where she communicated the need there to foster the advance of electoral democracy. That taken care of, in just one day no less, she moved on to Saudi Arabia to secure rights for women. At a public event with a hand-picked audience of 500 university students, faculty, and professional women, she held out the promise that if the Saudis would only embrace freedom and democracy, women would be allowed to “fully participate in society,” even be able to secure drivers licenses. (The price of gas there would not be too much of a problem, if you understand.) To her surprise, her message was not all that well received. Many in the audience said, thank you very much, “We’re pretty happy.” Noting that Ms Hughes was wearing Western-style clothing, one 21-year old student said, “I love my abaya. It’s convenient and it can be very fashionable.”
I do not know the rest of her itinerary, but I hope it includes stops in friendlier and more fashionable places such at the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Back home in the USA, the President himself is working directly on the gasoline problem. You recall that earlier this week he urged Americans to limit their driving to just what is most essential. He was quickly criticized for his own inessential travel--burning up so much fuel and money during his many trips to the Gulf States in Air Force One. (Seven since his belated first visit there after Katrina.) So he’s cutting back on those and will take fewer White House gas guzzlers with him next time.
But more important, he directed his staff to turn down their ACs, form car pools, and turn off photocopiers (actually since the Pentagon Papers I thought they had been banned from the White House). There is the question, though, about Vice President Chaney—will he in fact agree to turn down his AC? Recall, in 2001 he said, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy.” He said this while on his way to a meeting with his infamous Energy Task Force (subpoenas to follow).
Chaney again is of course correct. But he did say to Under Secretary Hughes that she should tell those Saudi women that when they get their drivers licenses they should keep the AC set at 78 degrees.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
11:20 AM
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