Thursday, February 24, 2005

"O's" Law of Political Shenanigans

I'm working currently on a review of the websites for the Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidates. Between sessions of banging my head on the desk, I believe that I've stumbled upon a Law of Political Shenanigans, er, Discussions.

Most of you, I hope, are familiar with Godwin's Law and the tradition that whomever mentions Nazis has automatically lost (or "Godwinned") the argument in the discussion.

Before we go further, I present "O's" First Principle of "Empowerment":

"Buzz Words" mean nothing.
And "O's" Second Principle of "Empowerment":
The use of "Buzz Words" indicates an inability or unwillingness to identify and address real problems.
With that in mind, I'd like to present "O's" Law of Political Discussion:
As a Political Discussion grows among an increasingly larger group of citizens, the probability that someone mentions a "Buzz Word" approaches 1.
And Finally: "O's" Extrapolation on the Law of Political Discussion:
Whoever mentions a "Buzz Word" has said nothing and has immediately lost the discussion.
Play the game at home on C-Span or, even better, at a community meeting. It's fun. Really. You'll be amazed (or not) at how quickly public meetings collapse.

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This Post Brought to You by: Sound and Fury, signifying nothing.

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