Politics & Society

Ableism is the theater director’s favorite method: casting disabled people as the perfect scapegoat on society’s stage. It doubles as a miracle cure for both the able-bodied person’s ‘benevolence’ and ‘insensitivity,’ turning real hardship into punchlines. It not only erects physical barriers but glorifies the disdain for those who must overcome them. The more one preaches understanding and empathy, the finer the web of unintentional exclusion becomes.

An absentee ballot is a form of remote-controlled voting, allowing one to cast a vote from home or designated locations while proudly avoiding the pilgrimage to the polling station. It embodies the marriage of convenience and laziness: one can proclaim "I participate" without confronting long queues. While touted as a bastion of fairness, it doubles as a factory for mysterious missing ballots and miraculous double votes, much to the delight of interested parties. Ultimately decided behind the curtains of post office counters under the noble pretense of exercising citizens’ rights, it remains a paper trove of pouches and envelopes. If you care about the final tally, offer a prayer to the nearest mailbox.

Accession is the social rite of willingly submitting to new constraints under the guise of joining a circle. Branded as international leagues or trade agreements, in practice it becomes a towering contract of endless conditions and annexed obligations. The more you join, the deeper your control drifts into the hands of the founding few, relegating your voice to the sidelines. The so-called 'unity' is but enforced uniformity at best, a cage constructed under noble slogans. Yet none can resist the lure of inclusion - that is accession's true sorcery.

Accountability is the grand theatrical prop by which those in power adorn their excuses and blur the locus of fault. Claimed to unmask truth, it actually serves as the most effective tool for buying time and deflecting blame. This indispensable courtroom gadget weaves lies and ambiguity, sidestepping criticism like an aerial ballet and offering perpetrators an escape hatch. In the end, the transparency named accountability is the most opaque almond craft imaginable.

Activism is the art of waving the banner of justice while fervently refreshing a Twitter feed. Its practitioners bombard hashtags under the guise of changing the world, yet often find themselves riding the emotional rollercoaster of retweets and likes. They may stand on soapboxes decrying societal ills, all while carefully curating their own moral brand. It's a delicate skill to vilify the system without antagonizing one’s own social graph. In the end, activism is a public performance balancing noble ideals and personal affirmation.

Advocacy is the orchestra of pretended righteousness conducted through self-congratulation and proxy voices. It loudly criticizes opponents while borrowing others’ shoulders to proudly claim rights in a social performance. In reality, it is a festival of vanity dancing between slogans and hashtags. Under the pretext of goodwill, the number of supporters becomes the barometer of credibility. Ultimately, those who are supposed to represent the voiceless often vigorously promote their own interests.

affirmative action, n. A public band-aid to slightly patch up inconvenient wounds, yet it cannot conceal the deep scars. Companies and universities allocate seats in the name of diversity, savoring a guilt-laden relief. However, the system rarely addresses the structural barriers, leaving fundamental inequities intact.

Ageism is a social exorcism born from the absolute worship of youth and deep terror of aging. The young are dismissed as inexperienced, while the old are branded obsolete. Under the pretense of fairness, it tramples both energy and wisdom. This paradoxical bias builds walls between generations, elevating a fleeting youth to eternal value. Eventually, victims and perpetrators alike find themselves sitting on the same bench of fate.

An alliance is nothing more than a circular conspiracy pact between parties. It binds their security together while trust remains as thin as ink on parchment. Rally under grand slogans and unity holds—until shifting interests reveal the cracks. The most peaceful-looking pact often contains the seeds of its own discord.

An ambassador is a traveling dignitary funded to win friends and influence governments, though primarily preoccupied with polite cocktails and evasive smiles. Expert at praising one nation while implying its neighbor is incompetent in the same breath. Draped in the regalia of his homeland, he swallows local inconveniences with a smile, airing delicate complaints only in private reports. His 'courtesy visits' are performances that simultaneously stir national pride and diplomatic dread. Upon return, he boasts of 'progress' while foreign honors become souvenirs gathering dust.

A clause in the constitution that serves as a magical DIY kit, allowing incumbents to mix and match governance ingredients at dawn like breakfast cereal. It promises the thrill of spicing up the recipe of rule while masquerading as a call for justice. Outwardly democratic, it often harbors the seeds of a homemade coup. Usage example: Legislator A chants "In the name of the people," all while sneakily appending a term-extension amendment to the constitution.

anti-corruption, n. the alchemy of morality that denounces the murk of power while padding its own pockets. the squeaky-clean performance to win public favor often serves as camouflage for systemic graft. the banner of justice, so trusted, frequently becomes a tool in the tug-of-war over spoils. what remains in the end are the ruins of apathy and self-justification buried beneath the mask of anti-graft fervor.