ETYMOLOGY: CRONY, CRONYISM
MERRIAM-WEBSTER nails cronyism as “partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications.” Furthermore, M-W defines a crony as “a … Continue reading
TREACHERY—AN ETYMOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
SEEKING AN example of unmitigated treachery, I offer Trump and DeVos’ recent proposal for educational aspects in the fiscal 2019 federal budget. According to whitehouse.gov, “The President is responsible for … Continue reading
VIKING MOJO
JUAN COLE is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, with a speciality in the relationships of the Muslim world with the West. I … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: BELLWETHER
IT SEEMS immodest to quote one’s own comment, but I believe I may have originated “Satire is the bellwether of the body politic.” (Googled, this truism cites SimanaitisSays as its … Continue reading
SYCOPHANTS? NAILED ‘EM, ONE AND ALL!
THERE HAVE been people called sycophants since 1575. But why are we so plagued with so many of them today? For just two examples, see Trump cabinet lovefest, June 12, … Continue reading
ON BEING BAMBOOZLED
WHAT A funny word “bamboozle” is. At first glance, it reminds me of that rude noisemaker blown at World Cup matches. (No, that’s the vuvuzela. On the other hand, if … Continue reading
ON THE KINGDOM OF NAMBY-PAMBY
I OFFER today’s SimanaitisSays as amelioration of the U.S. President’s U.N. covfefeing of two African nations, Namibia and Zambia, into “Nambia.” Nambia? I researched this illusive place. The earlier kingdom … Continue reading
DECEPTION, TO DECEIVE, TO BE DECEPTIVE
TODAY I add the word “deceptive” to my etymological thoughts on useful political descriptors. Recent pronouncements concerning Charlottesville, tax reform, dreamers, not to forget continuing компромат, bring the word “deceptive”and … Continue reading
CHAOS, IN THEORY AND PRACTICE, PART 1
ETYMOLOGY CAN offer good fun as well as therapeutic distraction in times of unease. Consider the word “chaos.” Come to think of it, in a Russell’s Paradox sort of way, … Continue reading
