Politics is derived from the Greek word Politiká, which mean “affairs of the cities” or “civic affairs“. Put differently, politics is about governance, the power of governing, or the “organized control over a human community, particularly [by] a state.” Politics, as per the dictionary, means the art and science of government. Therefore, a politician, by extension, is a person who participates in politics and manages the affairs of the cities, or holds control over a community. This is the universally accepted definition of politics and politicians.

“We are your overlords. First, vote us in; then, bend over.”

However, have you noticed that most politicians are really not involved in civic affairs, but are mostly into anti-social affairs? Managing the affairs of the cities is the last thing on their mind. They are more into practicing divide and rule, scheming and conniving, playing on our worst fears, looting the treasury, starting illegal wars that kill millions of innocent people, bombing brown people, toppling democratically elected governments, spreading democracy that ends in destroying nation states, raping, sleeping with porn stars, seducing interns in a blue dress, over promising and under delivering, offering cash for play, etc.

Politicians hoodwink people into believing that they—the politicians—are looking out for their—the people’s—interest. Humans throughout the ages have thirsted for a savior to save them from their miseries. Politicians understand that human foible very well; they appeal to that emotional need and exploit it to the fullest. Ideally, the politicians and their constituents should share a symbiotic relationship. However, the relationship between politicians and their constituents are actually parasitic. The parasite, in this case, being the politicians. It seems that this particular parasite can only survive by gradually sucking the life out of the host—the constituents or the people—it represents.

Therefore, after watching this parasite in action for a while now, I feel that there is something in the classical definition of politics and politicians that doesn’t sound right. I don’t know, but I do get the feeling that something’s missing. There must be a word that would be more apt to describe this class of parasites. I feel that the word, politician, fails to correctly identify the scums of the planet. After spending some time thinking about it, I think I may have come up with a better word for these group of notorious reprobates.

Along came Polly

The dictionary definition of ‘poly-‘ is, “a combining form which means much, many, several, muti-, more than one.” For e.g., polygamy, polyandry, polyethylene, polychrome, polygyny, etc.

And, ticks are ectoparasites that survive by feeding on the bloods of mammals, birds and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. Therefore, if we take the word ‘poly-‘ and combine it with the word ‘ticks‘, we get the word Poly-ticks or Polyticks. It thus follows that polyticks would mean much, many, several, multiple, or more than one tick involved in an activity. And polytickcians could mean much, many, several, multiple, or more than one tick involved in the activity of feeding on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Ectoparasites and politicians

If you watch politicians closely, you will notice that they behave exactly like ectoparasites, i.e., they feed and survive on the blood and toil of the plebes who elect them. Just like the ticks, politicians are vectors for myriad diseases such as hatred, racism, casteism, misogyny, gluttony, avarice, greed, war, anger, covetousness, envy, pride, lust sloth, theft, etc., that afflict humanity.

More often than not, they destroy whatever they touch. Similar to ticks, politicians have a hard exterior that’s difficult to crush and an inner self that is devoid of a heart, soul, or conscience. Most politicians through their actions can inflict pain and suffering without any remorse. In that regard, they can be considered a psychopath or a sociopath. Most politicians are intransigent fools who do not even have the mental fortitude to manage their own affairs, forget civic affairs.

Polyticks | Politics

Therefore, I think we should change the nomenclature for describing the art and science of government and its participants from politics and politicians to polyticks and polytickcians.

Polyticks—multiple ticks controlling a human community in the name of governance.
Macro image of the tick by Richard Bartz – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link

Polyticks—multiple ticks controlling a human community in the name of governance.

Polytickcians—multiple ticks practicing the art and science of polyticks. Banding together to feed and survive on the blood and toil of the electorate.

Doesn’t the word polytickcians correctly describe what generations of politicians have done and are presently doing—acting as a parasite and surviving by feeding on the bloods of mammals (humans)? How they band together to form a cabal, which then prey on the very people who had placed their trust on them by electing them? I think it does.