What is Econopolitik ?
6.28.2004
I'd like to create a word for my own use, and perhaps for others use as well. You know sometimes some words are just not enough to contain what you mean, or are not colorful enough to highlight what you need to say. That word is Econopolitik. (Mass Noun, Abstract, must be used Sparringly as it has a negative connotation, but may be used quite possitively under certain occasions)
It's a coined term that is: The root words are economics and politick. I dropped the 'c' because I thought it most economical ;-), and differentiated from the original word. It also gives it a Russian(?) feel, which gives it a certain KGB - CIA bureaucracy kick. (Tolly says it's German)
I like it to define one's cache of beliefs that predisposes one's political biases toward what is most economically feasible and most beneficial to a particular political agenda. Politics, politicking, or Politick does not quite capture the essence of Econopolitik. (Which can be written as econo-politik, depends on whether you want to highlight the economic side of any political decision or not) ;-)
I seriously believe it is timely, and most appropriate to give birth to such a word right now. It's the zeitgeist. While technology and media ever-increasingly affect the manner of feedback and communication, and the speed by which information and news and it's dissemination is much faster than can be verified, the potential for making an unpopular political decision has reach a threshold, wherein any action, or lack thereof, or delay, can be interpreted in so many ways, and therefore too volatile, that politicians will choose to defer action rather than risk getting any feedback.
That is to say decision makers: modern politicians, business leaders, managers included, have their careers on the line. Never has there been a point in history, (as far as a non-historian like me is concerned) that their minds been put under such tremendous pressure.
At the same time, having such careers at risk of being cut short immediately by popularity, acceptance, and peer standards, among other circumstances, these decision makers will decide on the basis of pratical economy and political gain. This includes personal economic, or political gain or a combination of both.
In the heirarchy of words I would consider this word that I created to be above graft and corruption, or political strategem, or political misdirection and disinformation. As it represents a certain bias, without necessarily degrading the DO-er of the action, Econopolitik becomes a philosophy that would have defined the actions of 21st Century business leaders, politicians and even institution leaders as well. It must be differentiated from a Machiavellian decision, or any other sort. This is because econopolitik focuses on the practicality of any action, or inaction, in the expectation of a continued benefit, or continued experience of being able to exercise the same at a later date, or that is to say, to be able to retain the power to execute the same decision.
Econopolitik is amoral. One's cache may contain one's morality or not, but in the end, the decision is made on the basis of being able to sustain the power to exercise the option. In business, it maybe best to describe as the belief system of a CEO's decision to sack a fallguy for a quarter slump, in order to satisfy the Board; a team owner's decision to trade a good aging player even at his prime and even against popular concern; or a President's decision to avoid raising residential taxes because it is unpopular. Under ALL three examples there is - 1: Pressure to Decide, 2. Gain or Loss involved, and 3: A disregard for a party in the decision, either oneself, popular opinion or a party to be affected by the action Such actions can be deliberate, and are done only on economical and political grounds. There is no ethics in deciding whether it is right or wrong. The only question is whether the decision is economically or politically timely or not.
People who want to understand Bush and why he invaded Iraq and why now need not go far, there is a word for that: Econopolitik/Econo-politik. You want to have a word about why GMA delayed using her economic know-how when she had her 4 years available to her? It's her Econopolitik that stopped her. These are the more obvious ones.
Now, please. use "econopolitik" in a sentence. I'm sure you will not fail to have a use for one. It's a crazy econopolitik world we live in.
Labels: Economics
posted by Jdavies @ 6/28/2004,
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J.Davies
Jdavies lives in Quezon City, Philippines and has been blogging since 2002. A brand manager in a leading technology company and a freelance new media/web strategy consultant, he has refocused his blogging from personal, political & sociological observations, to marketing-related efforts and Internet trends that are relevant to his career and branding advocacies.
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