Explanatory dictionaries explain the meaning in different ways, but always note the negative emotional coloring of the term. Proceeding from the root of “watered”, it becomes clear that this is the name of the person who is engaged in the activity of precisely the field of politics. We will figure out what the negative coloring of the term is connected with and what kind of application it has received in our time.
Clarification of the concept
In any dictionary, he is defined as an unprincipled statesman, indiscriminate in the means used to achieve the goal, weaving intrigues, a demagogue and a populist. A politician is a person rushing into power structures in order to satisfy his personal selfish motives.
From ancient times to the present, two categories of people have always sought power. Some wished for the prosperity of the state, others pursued only selfish goals; such as personal enrichment or the opportunity to become famous. Politicking involves the use of dishonest methods of struggle. How is this manifested? Everyone knows situations where in the election race they often make unfounded promises that are not possible to fulfill. They got the name "populist" (from the Latin populus - people), since their only goal is to attract the attention of as many electors as possible.
The Oxford Political Dictionary interprets the term “demagogy” as statements and statements that use lies, speculation and methods of manipulating consciousness to achieve political goals.
Populism and demagogy in the struggle for power are often supplemented by political intrigues (games). This concept means covert activity aimed at achieving the desired visible result.
A lot has been said about the manipulation of public consciousness. It is worth noting only the factor that in our age of information technology and the unlimited accessibility of the media, the capabilities of manipulators are multiplied.
So, a politician is a person who uses to satisfy his own selfish interests:
- populist statements;
- demagoguery;
- political games;
- manipulation of the consciousness of the masses.
Famous politicians
The annals of history forever included people whose activities have become classics of the genre. It is enough to recall Guy Julius Caesar and his opponent Mark Junius Brutus, who were not embarrassed in choosing means in their confrontation.
The synonym for dishonesty in the political struggle of the Middle Ages was the family name of the Borgia family, which at the cost of extreme measures held power in Italy for several centuries.
Application in the current realities
In modern Russia, the political term was widely used in the post-perestroika years, when people who were absolutely incompetent in matters of state structure issued false promises to the politically illiterate electorate and speculated with public consciousness in order to gain power in a morally fragmented country. That's when the expression came into use: "So this is another politician!"
Fortunately, times are past when it was easy to deceive the people. The current population of Russia is better versed in matters of state structure and has gained some “immunity” to the activities of politicians, although, undoubtedly, individuals of this category will always be eager for Olympus of political power.