What's it like to work for Donald Rumsfeld?

[charlie and algernon]

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has done an admirable job building out a digital document archive from his time in the government on his website, Rumsfeld.com. While I was watching the events in Libya unfold, I decided to search his papers to see what he'd written on the country. In so doing, I ran across a document that left me flabbergasted. It's a message (probably an email) that Rumsfeld sent to then Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith on April 7, 2003. Here it is in its entirety:



http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/what-its-like-to-work-for-donald-rumsfeld/71521/


:wow: :wow: :wow:

Dear staff,

Fix the world. Get back to me by COB today.

Thx!

Rummy

[leftstreet]

1. That is so bad, you'd think it was from a SNL skit

Morons

:banghead:

[rosesaylavee]

2. And when you're done with that, I've got another list for ya. n/t

[klook]

3. It's snowing

Rumsfeld was known for tossing out random high-level directives with no details or analysis. His staff came to refer to them as "snowflakes," and when they started piling up they'd tell each other "It's snowing."

Problem was, he had a steel-trap memory for all these off-hand demands and would bear down relentlessly on each staffer, expecting impossible results.

Classic overbearing, capricious, abusive manager. On top of that, a murderous war-monger.

[charlie and algernon]

5. snowflakes?

:rofl:

I suppose if his staff ever got around to solve Korea, Iraq, and Pakistan, he'd then ask why they haven't solved the problem in Northern Ireland, then why there is still Communism in Cuba and China.

[klook]

6. I know -- all before lunch

Can you imagine the performance reviews? "Well, you toppled Sadam Hussein like I asked, but Castro is still in power. Also, Old Coke hasn't returned, and the Bills didn't win the Super Bowl -- AGAIN."

Here are a couple of references to Rumsfeld's "snowflakes" --
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR2007103103095.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/weekinreview/24shanker.html

[charlie and algernon]

8. not having actually worked for the man, that's pretty funny

but it must've been hell for those unfortunate TO work under him.

[sharp_stick]

4. Rumsfled was one of those arrogant

pricks that thought using a quaint old thing like a "stand up desk" made him look healthy and vigorous. In reality he was one of the most widely internally derided Defense Secretaries in history.

I would like to find even a single positive thing that came about because of his idiocy but I'd probably have to dig through far too many real dead bodies to discover anything.

If I'm lucky enough to outlive Donald Rumsfeld I promise that I will find where he's buried, drive all the way there, drink a dozen Sam Adams or other beverage of choice and proceed to urinate the entire result on the pile.

[warren pease]

7. Well, on the positive side, he's one hell of a poet...

... and he left us an invaluable body of work. See this piece in Slate for some of his greatest hits.


wp