This clip triggered memories.
Gabbard.
From :41 to 1:07 are the relevant moments.
I lived and worked in DC for some time years ago but even then the signs were on the wall. When you went to a party you might as well had a tag that instead of reading "Hi, I'm X" might as well have read, "Hi, I know A,B.C,.....X,Y,Z" It was all about name dropping. The foreign embassy receptions I attended were mostly the same. While I was mostly ignored, while tolerated, those that were perceived to be closer to the checkbook were fawned over. The hookers of lesser skill were pointed in my direction while the top of the line were pointed towards those closer to the checkbook. (Skill has nothing to do with looks, it was all about grooming to achieve results and results are measured in terms of information extracted that can be used to achieve goals.) I got the naive ones and that was a learning process in and of itself. Being perceived as 'supercargo' does have it's advantages.
Subsequent to my living in DC I did a lot of business in DC and not only did things not change, they've gotten worse and that should come as a surprise to no one. The greater the money involved, the greater the concentration of interests, foreign and domestic, that want to stuff their hands in the taxpayer's pocket.
Somewhere along the way we lost focus on what was the best for the nation vs what was the best for me.
Gabbard.
From :41 to 1:07 are the relevant moments.
I lived and worked in DC for some time years ago but even then the signs were on the wall. When you went to a party you might as well had a tag that instead of reading "Hi, I'm X" might as well have read, "Hi, I know A,B.C,.....X,Y,Z" It was all about name dropping. The foreign embassy receptions I attended were mostly the same. While I was mostly ignored, while tolerated, those that were perceived to be closer to the checkbook were fawned over. The hookers of lesser skill were pointed in my direction while the top of the line were pointed towards those closer to the checkbook. (Skill has nothing to do with looks, it was all about grooming to achieve results and results are measured in terms of information extracted that can be used to achieve goals.) I got the naive ones and that was a learning process in and of itself. Being perceived as 'supercargo' does have it's advantages.
Subsequent to my living in DC I did a lot of business in DC and not only did things not change, they've gotten worse and that should come as a surprise to no one. The greater the money involved, the greater the concentration of interests, foreign and domestic, that want to stuff their hands in the taxpayer's pocket.
Somewhere along the way we lost focus on what was the best for the nation vs what was the best for me.
