Groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings rank high on every public official’s list of favorite things to do – public testament to their job-creation efforts.So consider it an act of political courage for Gov.Diplomatic indulgence
The United Nations building in New York City is something of a world of its own.
Exempt from city ordinances, the building didn’t have a smoking ban until 2008. Indeed, the culture of many of the world’s diplomats is reminiscent of a “Mad Men,” three-martini-lunch era.
The behavior is so noticeable, The New York Times reports, that one American diplomat issued this proposal: “Negotiation rooms should in future be an inebriation-free zone.”
Diplomats from some of the smaller nations are said to be some of the major culprits, while others note that Russians have been known to drink vodka in the U.N., while Canadians prefer whiskey.
A 2009 renovation of the building closed the Delegate’s Lounge, and the protests were so strong that a temporary bar opened. Now, diplomats are waiting to see whether the ongoing renovations will include a new bar.
