[OPE] Bit of humour: what is politics?

adsl675281@tiscali.nl

A colleague at work forwarded me this joke (translated):

A boy asks his father, "Dad, what is politics really?". Father answers "son, I will try to explain it simply to you, using an example you will understand." 

"Let's take our family. I bring home the money, so I represent CAPITALISM, right. Okay, so your mother manages the money, which means she represents the GOVERNMENT. Granddad just keeps an eye on things to ensure that everything here will happen in an orderly way, so he is the STATE. The maidservant does the housework, so she is the WORKING CLASS." 

"We all have the same goal in mind: your wellbeing. So you are THE PEOPLE. Your little brother is still in nappies, so he represents THE FUTURE. There you are, do you understand it better now, my son?". The boy pulls at his hair, and answers, "I think I will have to sleep on it, I will tell you in the morning." 

At night, the boy is woken up by his little brother who has shat his nappies, and is crying loudly, waaaaahhhhh. Because he doesn't not know what to do about it, the boy decides to go to his parent's bedroom. There he sees only his mother, so soundly asleep that he cannot wake her up. So he decides to go to the bedroom of the maidservant, where he sees his father on top of her in the bed, cavorting in strange ways. Granddad sits at the window sill, looking disinterestedly out the window. Everyone seems to be so preoccupied, that no one notices the boy. Disheartened, the boy decides to go back to his own bedroom, plugs his fingers in his ears, and and tries to sleep anyway.

Next day, his father asks him, "Well son, can you now explain to me, in your own words, what politics is?". "Yes, I can", says the boy. "CAPITALISM takes advantage of the WORKING CLASS while the STATE looks the other way, and the GOVERNMENT is sound asleep. The PEOPLE are totally ignored, and the FUTURE is full of shit." 

Finally a sensible explanation about a very complicated subject :-)

Jurriaan

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