People in DC don't ask questions

Jeff and I recently went to a talk about DC, and one of the funny things about DC is that people don't actually want to ask questions. I've seen this at lots of different talks, but most recently at the "Cultural Diplomacy" talk which featured a panel taking about Dave Brubeck's Jazz Diplomacy tour to Eastern Europe, India, Afghanistan, and other places during the 1950's. Anyway, at the end of the panel, they asked if anyone had any questions. Lots of people raised their hands.

Now, to be fair, these people are professionals, and many of them seemed to work at the state department and do things related to cultural diplomacy or diplomacy in general. Anyway, person after person began their "question" only for it to turn into a five minute speech about their own experience and opinion.

After a few of these "questions" the moderator said that when he planned the event, he had only arranged for three panelists, but now he was up to about nine. Oh, DC.