Sunday 21 June 2009

Bullshit explained...

...


Pocket Oxford Dictionary, first printed July 1924. (Not as Polly Toynbee believes apparently, but then, who really cares what she says anyway).

REDACTION
n, Putting into literary or publishable form, editing or re-editing; new edition.

Balderdash, Parlour game, circa 2009...

REDACTION
n, (see below, I’m a bit pissed off with having to explain things all the time...)

1) An old word re-dug up by spin doctors in Whitehall, to describe how expenses claims are re-invented.

2) To say one thing but mean something totally different to appease ‘The Fees Office’ (a previously unknown organisation which apparently turns up on Thursdays and ‘vets’ how much MPs can get away with).

3) The art of concealing ridiculously inappropriate claims for non-essentials.

4) The business of trying to swindle the tax-payer and hope that because Gordon Brown’s in charge, nobody cares, or notices, because he’s got more problems than you can shake a stick at.

5) Diverting the gullible public from the real problem we face with our elected representatives.

6) The act of hatred of sponging politicians who are useless at their jobs and who will do anything to keep their personal gravy train in full pelt while the country suffers the worst depression for nearly a hundred years.

26 comments:

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Fleeters has linked something, which Lils answered and which has floored me for several seconds...

this is it...

lilith said...

Hey! You've got the link thing down! High five, my man :-) Bit of a fiddle, isn't it, but it makes things easier for the lazy reader....

Yes. Horrendous. But so very very plausible. HG has her own theories on Mandleson's part in this which are equally disturbing.

lilith said...

Or Mandelson...or Meddlesome

Philipa said...

You missed one:

Saving the public from worrying about the realities of life that are better left to government. In secret.

lilith said...

Yes Pip. I nearly vomited when I heard Nick Clegg say that the whole point of the EU is that we should all feel SAFE.

wv, megagg How do they know?

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Gals - Lis and Pips - you're in there with me thank goodness!

Must do more before I crash ou

Old BE said...

I hate that word so thank you for highlighting its ridiculousness. Whenever I hear some new or unusual word being used by politicos or their friends in the mainstream media I start to wonder what is going on. When Blair started to talk about "totality" I knew the war was illegal. When we started to hear about "redactions" I thought sleaze.

Can we have a little honesty, please?

rvi said...

H'actually, sir, this word is in fact a derivative of "red action" - an ancient technique of socialist dissimulation - but now having been masterfully conjoined by The Great Gordo in an effort to reduce global space wasting which you will agree is a most worthy cause. It does not of course need saying that global space wasting started in America.

I hope that is clear.

Philipa said...

rvi - I must get glasses, I thought you put cojones and The Great Gordo in the same sentence there.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

My thoughts as well Blues.

These spin doctors love making up new meanings, and diverting the public from what really goes on, in this case, a huge rip-off.

It hasn't worked this time, and as everyone seems to mistrust most politicians, as well as individuals in government, the word will come round and bite the spinners in the bum.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Lils, that really is disturbing...

Had I been awake yesterday, we could have made this one run and run, but as I was fast asleep with JRT, I missed everything!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Pips, I'd rather they actually did something as opposed to just piddling around the edges.

They really are a lazy lot.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

I couldn't agree more Reevers, yes, it isn't clear...

(nods and shakes head at same time).

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Pips, he did say that, and I'm wondering how to respond - except that I already have...

rvi said...

Pip: spelin neva woz me strong point et cet ordinateur a un spellchecker francais. Je m'excuse..

Scrobs: je suis tres hereux que cette effort n'est pas clair, n'est-ce pas?

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Aaaah; Ca va mieux Reevers...

lilith said...

Quoi?

Philipa said...

rvi - vous et excuse, ma crepes suzette. Bonjour.

Scrobs, I'm sorry I've lost the plot today. Not an easy day.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Lils, they were playing at The Pinetum a week or so ago!

Sold out to 5,000 rockers! YD asked me if I wanted to go, but as I can remember 'Pictures of matchstick men' coming out, I had to gracefully accept that it wasn't to be...

Dear Catherine Jenkins was there the following night, but sadly, only 2,300 went to see her...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Pips,

I hope today's a bit better eh?

Can I recommend a wild strawberry and blackcurrant diet, carefull added to a glass or three of Corbieres?

This somehow is making me walk about three inches off the ground...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Reevers,

I'm still trying to work out the first one; let alone the second...

Philipa said...

Thanks, Scrobs. I'm sure today will be better but wednesday will be revolting. Normal service etc.

rvi said...

Scrobs: PerhapsifIhadwrittenmyfirstpostlikethisthepointaboutglobalspacewastingmayhavebeenalittleclearer.

No?

SeeIgotthatallinonelinetherebyfreeinguplotsofspaceforothercontributorsGordowouldbesoproud.

rvi said...

Looks like you need bigger boxes!
The missing bits:

globalspacewastingwould
havebeenclearer

forothercontributors


wv:unclog!! I don't know how Blogger do thuis..

Anonymous said...

I would like to leap to the defence of out fine politicians... especially my old friend John Bercow...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

ReeversIcan'tthhinkthatIcouldreallybelievewhatyou'vejustdoneandwillescapenow...