Call me up or call me down, but don’t call me “folk”
Cats: Canada, politics|I suppose it’s the dumbing down of American (Canadian) culture.
Politicians wish to be amongst us, the mere lumpen proletariat.
They flip burgers and nuzzle babies to make us think they are one of us.
The idea is that this will win them votes. Sweet huh?
Of course it’s just cliche and most of us can smell this cynical politicking a mile away.
The politician can’t wait to get out of the barbeque circuit and back into the hallways of power. (Canadians, think Stephen Harper or Peter MacKay)
But such is the banality of modern American/Canadian politics. Sometimes it’s sort of fun for us voters and citizens to torment them with banality on steriods.
But what I really dislike is when they call us “folks”
Excuse me? “Folks?”
I’m not a folk. And I’m certainly not a folk to some weaselly politician trying to sound folksy so he can harvest votes for himself.
These people aren’t my friends, they are my servants. And they should respect that by not calling me folk.
Folks diminishes the relation between politician and voter and it erodes the important rights of the voter, a citizen and a consumer.
Those words all come with rights and expectations.
You don’t have to respect someone you call “folk”.
Politicians do themseves no favours this this typist when they call her folk.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
These boneheaded poloticians should have to take a class that teaches them how to be good servants and pass a test before they can take office. If they can’t pass the test, then the job goes to the guy who lost. If he flunks, then the job goes to the guy who writes the test.
Just a thought…
Doc
September 17th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I so agree, and I didn’t realized that “folks” was as common in Canada as it still is here.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
So, to these politicians, you are basically saying, “Folk you”?
September 18th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The Merriam Webster dictionary definition doesn’t seem so off the mark. I say blame folk music for the contemporary perception. I can see where you are coming from though. I’ve been getting an overwhelming feeling of late that our polititians think they running a party instead of a country.
Main Entry: folk
Pronunciation: \ˈfōk\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural folk or folks
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English folc; akin to Old High German folc people
Date: before 12th century
1 archaic : a group of kindred tribes forming a nation : people
2 : the great proportion of the members of a people that determines the group character and that tends to preserve its characteristic form of civilization and its customs, arts and crafts, legends, traditions, and superstitions from generation to generation
3 plural : a certain kind, class, or group of people
4 plural : people generally
September 18th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
It’s what one calls people when one’s judgment is impaired by bbq fumes.
September 27th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Almost as bad as being called “dear” or “honey” at the checkout at the local grocery store. Can’t……stand……that………