The FT Morphs into the Onion

An actual headline in the Financial Times: “Technocrat from Mexico will bring flair to OECD” That’s not quite as bad as “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative,” but it’s close. Readers are hereby encouraged to suggest the subhead that would do the best job at providing a concrete example buttressing that headline. My suggestion: “Proposes International No-Limit Texas ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

An actual headline in the Financial Times: "Technocrat from Mexico will bring flair to OECD" That's not quite as bad as "Worthwhile Canadian Initiative," but it's close. Readers are hereby encouraged to suggest the subhead that would do the best job at providing a concrete example buttressing that headline. My suggestion: "Proposes International No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament to Allocate Agricultural Subsidies." [Does the FT provide any evidence of flair?--ed. According to John Authers: Unlike many other Mexican technocrats, Mr Gurr?a also has great personal skills and should be a flamboyant leader for the OECD. He also has links with the European media as a former director of Recoletos in Spain. His aim for the OECD is to turn it into a ?knowledge bank? that international economic leaders can use. ?The OECD is an extension of the civil service,? he told the FT last month. ?Everyone should feel comfortable with it. It?s like a family.? [Zzzzzzz--ed. Yeah, I know. Flair might have been the wrong word choice here.]

An actual headline in the Financial Times:

Technocrat from Mexico will bring flair to OECD

That’s not quite as bad as “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative,” but it’s close. Readers are hereby encouraged to suggest the subhead that would do the best job at providing a concrete example buttressing that headline. My suggestion: “Proposes International No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament to Allocate Agricultural Subsidies.” [Does the FT provide any evidence of flair?–ed. According to John Authers:

Unlike many other Mexican technocrats, Mr Gurr?a also has great personal skills and should be a flamboyant leader for the OECD. He also has links with the European media as a former director of Recoletos in Spain. His aim for the OECD is to turn it into a ?knowledge bank? that international economic leaders can use. ?The OECD is an extension of the civil service,? he told the FT last month. ?Everyone should feel comfortable with it. It?s like a family.?

[Zzzzzzz–ed. Yeah, I know. Flair might have been the wrong word choice here.]

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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