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Politics != government. "Politics (from Greek: Πολιτικά, politiká, 'affairs of the cities') is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions
by freddybobs 6y ago
Politics != government.
"Politics (from Greek: Πολιτικά, politiká, 'affairs of the cities') is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies politics is referred to as political science. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics
- Semiapies 6y agoPolitics is inextricable from government/the state. For that matter, what would it even mean to talk about "the failure of politics in the West" in a context beyond government?
- elmomle 6y agoOne might say, rather, that government is the apotheosis of politics. Much politics goes on without touching government, but a well-functioning government is the ultimate arbiter of disputes within a region, and is therefore the obvious final testbed (and most dramatic battleground) of political action.
- athrowaway3z 6y agoSomething like Trump's campaign is clearly politics and not government/state.
- hitekker 6y agoThat's a useful & intimate, definition of politics. I think a lot of folks are uncomfortable contemplating the power relations that rule their own social circles, so they unconsciously externalize that mess to outside, negative forces. They want to distance themselves from that unpleasant questions like "Who do I have power over? Have I ever abused my power? How have I abused it and who got hurt?" With enough gymnastics, "politics" becomes a scary game that faraway, bad people play to get ahead, whereas we, the good, close people who are all equal, have no need to think about power in our daily lives at all.