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Politics: Time for Different Words

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You Cannot Fix Stupid
You Cannot Fix Stupid, But you can vote it out. Photo: Heather Mouton

The ‘game’ of politics is a strange one – the citizens get to vote for whomever they choose (theoretically) as their leaders. And, right there we have a problem word – LEADERS.

In the historical sense of the word a leader leads, a leader determines the direction to take and his followers follow. In the business sense a ‘supreme’ leader is one who provided the capital and whose livelihood depends on the success of the business.

In the political sense of the word, someone who is voted into a position of power (a leader) is placed there because the voters want the ‘leader’ to carry out their wishes and instructions. In essence the ‘leader’ is an employee of each and every single person that voted him/her into that position of responsibility.

So, should they still be called leaders then?

Maybe the correct term would be SERVANT/EMPLOYEE?

All political parties seek power and for many different reasons. These desires are normally expressed in a slogan, a rallying cry to the population.

Let’s look at four:

  1. “A Better Life for All”
  2. “One Nation, One Future”
  3. “Our land and jobs now”
  4. #AIMFORCHANGE

Which of our political parties is living and breathing their own slogan?

Just for fun lets look at some political words and suggest new ones:

Leader – Servant
Left-Wing – Urbanised
Right-Wing – Rural
Bipartisan – Patriots
Partisan – Narrow Minded
Public Servant – Public Servant
Caucus – Secret Meeting
Dark Horse – Alan Straton
Gerrymander – Cheat
Grass Roots – For the people
Incumbent – Employee
Red Tape – Protected Employment
Stump – Fact Finding

Add your own versions should you feel the urge.

Ward 7 Independent Councillor

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.