brainsnorkel.com

I sometimes lament that the perjorative definitions of bureaucracy and politics have eclipsed more useful definitions of these words.

Of course the English language owes some of its success to its ability to survive and embrace mutation. English thrives by absorbing the most commonly mangled syntax, spelling, semiotics and semantics into a kind of practical working set that eventually becomes codified in dictionaries and literature. There’s comedy gold in reading modern statements and interpreting words with their traditional definitions. Take politics for example…

> Indeed, Mr. Bush showed no sign of backing away from the Bolton nomination. Speaking before the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, he brought up the subject in the first moments of his address, saying, “I welcome you to the nation’s capital, where sometimes politics gets in the way of doing the people’s business.”

> > * Bolton Gets Unequivoval Backing From Bush, but Not Powell NY Times 21-April-2005

I find humour in the implication that the President doesn’t do politics. He’s simply a polititian who is interested in doing the “people’s business.”

Politics is the process and method of making decisions for groups. Although it is generally applied to governments, politics is also observed in all human group interactions including corporate, academic, and religious.

> > * Wikipedia: Politics

“We mean by “politics” the people’s business — the most important business there is.”

> > * Wikiquote: Adlai Stevenson (5 February 1900–14 July 1965)