In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
the Israeli executive.

What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
American use of the word?

--
Please say where you live, or what
area's English you are asking about.
So your question or answer makes sense.
. .
I have lived all my life in the USA,
Western Pa. Indianapolis, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Baltimore.

On 10/01/2022 16:21, micky wrote:
> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
> governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
> coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
> the Israeli executive.
>
> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
> works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
> American use of the word?

I suppose you mean "public sector" employees.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

In article <54notgdds23h0i35lvicdeg6j8gh5beku7@4ax.com>,
micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
> governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
> coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
> the Israeli executive.

> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
> works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
> American use of the word?

In the UK "Civil Servant" is the colloqial term. However, a friend, who was
quite a senior one, had his passport showing occupation as "Government
Servant" since "Civil" conjures up "City" and therefore "local authority
employee". Not that passports have that section these days.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On Monday, January 10, 2022 at 11:27:36 AM UTC-5, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> On 10/01/2022 16:21, micky wrote:
> > In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> > administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> > government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> > sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
> > governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
> > coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
> > the Israeli executive.
> >
> > What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
> > works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
> > American use of the word?
> I suppose you mean "public sector" employees.

Officials?

On 10 Jan 2022, bruce bowser wrote

> On Monday, January 10, 2022 at 11:27:36 AM UTC-5, Richard
> Heathfield wrote:
>> On 10/01/2022 16:21, micky wrote:
>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the
>>> executive, administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the
>>> ...well, the government, all the way down to a clerk in the post
>>> office or someone sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc
>>> most or all parliamentary governed countries, the "government"
>>> refers only to the governing coalition, and iiuc only the higher
>>> level policy-making officials within the Israeli executive.
>>>
>>> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent
>>> everyone who works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the
>>> equivalent of the American use of the word?
>> I suppose you mean "public sector" employees.
>
> Officials?

Not really -- a street cleaner employed by the local ouncil is a public
sector employee, but aside from inflated job titles isn't an
"official" in any meaningful sense of the word.

--
Cheers, Harvey

On Mon, 10 Jan 2022 11:21:01 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com>
wrote:

>In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
>administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
>governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
>coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
>the Israeli executive.
>
>What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
>works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
>American use of the word?

Bureaucrat.

On 11/01/22 03:21, micky wrote:
> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> sweeping the streets. But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
> governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
> coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
> the Israeli executive.
>
> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
> works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
> American use of the word?

In Australia, the Public Service. This includes all the public-sector
ministries, but not the ministers themselves.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org

On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> sweeping the streets.

No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.

In the US, a government is typically associated with a
elected legislative body and a specific geographical area. It
may or may not have an elected head of the executive or a
judiciary branch.

A state government in the US has the three legislative, executive
and judiciary branches. It makes *statutes* that are adjudicated
its courts.

A tribal government in a Native American reservation is similar.
Last year the supreme court ruled that about half of Oklahoma
is in a reservation. The legal consequence is uncertain, to say
the very least.

A county or municipal government has various structures. Its
legislative branch enacts *ordinances* based on the power granted
to it by the state. They may have a court system that adjudicate
its ordinances plus a subset of the state statues.

Various government agencies set *regulations*.

> But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
> governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
> coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
> the Israeli executive.

The corresponding word in US English is "administration", with
the difference that administration does not cover the
legislative branch. One has the Trump administration, or
the Cuomo administration is the state of New York.

> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
> works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
> American use of the word?

--
Tak
----------------------------------------------------------------+-----
Tak To takto@alum.mit.eduxx
--------------------------------------------------------------------^^
[taode takto ~{LU5B~}] NB: trim the xx to get my real email addr

Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> writes:
>No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the

"Government" simply refers to the man.

In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>> sweeping the streets.

> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
> a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.

This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to just
about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It includes
park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies, FBI agents,
NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.

> In the US, a government is typically associated with a

"A government" and "the government" are not the same thing.

--
What are you, Ghouls? There are no dead students here. This week.

Stefan Ram explained :
> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> writes:
>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>
> "Government" simply refers to the man.

That should be The Man.

/dps

--
The presence of this syntax results from the fact that SQLite is really
a Tcl extension that has escaped into the wild.
<http://www.sqlite.org/lang_expr.html>

On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
>>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>>> sweeping the streets.
>
>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
>> a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>
> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to just
> about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It includes
> park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies, FBI agents,
> NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.

As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.

When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
is from the government or that one has to pay the government.

--
Tak
----------------------------------------------------------------+-----
Tak To takto@alum.mit.eduxx
--------------------------------------------------------------------^^
[taode takto ~{LU5B~}] NB: trim the xx to get my real email addr

On Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:57:33 -0500, Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx>
wrote:

>When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
>is from the government or that one has to pay the government.

No, one usually says "Shit!"

On Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 2:57:38 PM UTC-5, Tak To wrote:
> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
> > In message <sribio$8hd$1...@dont-email.me> Tak To <ta...@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
> >> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:

> >>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
> >>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
> >>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
> >>> sweeping the streets.
> >> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
> >> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
> >> a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
> > This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to just
> > about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It includes
> > park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies, FBI agents,
> > NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.
>
> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.
>
> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
> is from the government or that one has to pay the government.

Unlike in some countries that are generously represented here,
the US has at least four functioning levels of government, and
we usually know -- and say -- which one goes with which activity.
Parking tickets are given by municipalities -- "the city," "the town,"
"the borough," "the village." The others, of course, are county,
state, and federal.

* Tak To:

> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
>> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
>>>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>>>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>>>> sweeping the streets.
>>
>>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
>>> a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>>
>> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to just
>> about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It includes
>> park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies, FBI agents,
>> NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.
>
> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.
>
> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
> is from the government or that one has to pay the government.

You also don't say "I go to the government office to buy stamps." But
that doesn't prove anything. If one sees a dog, one doesn't usually say
"there's a mammal", but that doesn't mean that a dog isn't a mammal,
just that conventions of language use require you to be more specific.

--
Dottie: Maybe you can give him a pep talk.
Tunde: He is a white man with money. God already gave him a pep talk.
-- Bob hearts Abishola, S01E10

In message <srknfe$ulv$1@dont-email.me> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
>> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,
>>>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>>>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>>>> sweeping the streets.
>>
>>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
>>> a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>>
>> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to just
>> about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It includes
>> park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies, FBI agents,
>> NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.

> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.

> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
> is from the government or that one has to pay the government.

Parking tickets are definitely referred to as things like "government
fundraising", no one has any illusions that parking tickets are not from
the government and issued by the government.

--
"You can think and you can fight, but the world's always movin', and
if you wanna stay ahead you gotta dance."

On 22/01/12 06;57 AM, Tak To wrote:
> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
>> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To
>> <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the
>>>> executive, administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of
>>>> the ...well, the government, all the way down to a clerk in
>>>> the post office or someone sweeping the streets.
>>
>>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in a
>>> pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>>
>> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to
>> just about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It
>> includes park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies,
>> FBI agents, NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.
>
> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.
>
> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it is from
> the government or that one has to pay the government.

Our (Australian) parking tickets come from the city council. We do not
consider that to be part of the government. That term is reserved for
state and federal governments.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org

* Peter Moylan:

> On 22/01/12 06;57 AM, Tak To wrote:
>> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
>>> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To
>>> <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>>>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the
>>>>> executive, administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of
>>>>> the ...well, the government, all the way down to a clerk in
>>>>> the post office or someone sweeping the streets.
>>>
>>>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>>>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in a
>>>> pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>>>
>>> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to
>>> just about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It
>>> includes park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies,
>>> FBI agents, NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.
>>
>> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.
>>
>> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it is from
>> the government or that one has to pay the government.
>
> Our (Australian) parking tickets come from the city council. We do not
> consider that to be part of the government. That term is reserved for
> state and federal governments.

I think nobody has brought up "the state" yet. In German, "der Staat" is
the closest I can get to a word that encompasses all organs of public
administration on any level, while the standard German translation of
government - "Regierung" - means the top level of the executive in the
federation or in a state, but not a municipality.

"The state" in this sense is also contrasted with "private enterprise"
as a component of the economy.

--
Somebody, your father or mine, should have told us that not many
people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and
are perishing every hour [...] for the lack of it.
-- James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room

Watch this space, where Ken Blake advised that...
> On Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:57:33 -0500, Tak To <takto@alum.mit.eduxx>
> wrote:
>
>
>> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it
>> is from the government or that one has to pay the government.
>
>
> No, one usually says "Shit!"

My response is, "Lost that bet!"

What's a lost city?

/dps

--
"That's a good sort of hectic, innit?"

" Very much so, and I'd recommend the haggis wontons."
-njm

In message <12mbifdqu1zdc.dlg@mid.crommatograph.info> Quinn C <lispamateur@crommatograph.info> wrote:
> * Peter Moylan:

>> On 22/01/12 06;57 AM, Tak To wrote:
>>> On 1/10/2022 5:40 PM, Lewis wrote:
>>>> In message <sribio$8hd$1@dont-email.me> Tak To
>>>> <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>>>>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>>>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the
>>>>>> executive, administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of
>>>>>> the ...well, the government, all the way down to a clerk in
>>>>>> the post office or someone sweeping the streets.
>>>>
>>>>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>>>>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in a
>>>>> pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>>>>
>>>> This is not at all correct. In the USA "The government" refers to
>>>> just about anyone who works for the government in any capacity. It
>>>> includes park rangers, social workers, postal workers, CIA spies,
>>>> FBI agents, NSA spooks, meter maids, and so on.
>>>
>>> As I said, pars pro toto in specific contexts.
>>>
>>> When one gets a parking ticket, one does not usually say it is from
>>> the government or that one has to pay the government.
>>
>> Our (Australian) parking tickets come from the city council. We do not
>> consider that to be part of the government. That term is reserved for
>> state and federal governments.

> I think nobody has brought up "the state" yet. In German, "der Staat" is
> the closest I can get to a word that encompasses all organs of public
> administration on any level

That does not work in the US. Saying "the State" pretty much means "the
state you live in which is one of 50 in the United States".

--
When treading water in a circle of sharks, a wizard will always
consider other wizards to be the most immediate danger. --The
Last Continent

In alt.usage.english, on Mon, 10 Jan 2022 17:22:14 -0500, Tak To
<takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:

>On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the executive,

You can change anyone to everyone, if that will make it better.

>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well, the
>> government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or someone
>> sweeping the streets.
>
>No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>governing body, not the individuals or departments except in
>a pars pro toto sense in specific contexts.

You can look at it that way, but almost nothing gets done unless a
person does it, and any person being paid by the government and doing
his job is acting as the part of the government. So I don't see much
of a difference.

I don't know what a pars pro toto means, a part for all? I don't know
how it applies, but it I guess it's enough for me.

>In the US, a government is typically associated with a
>elected legislative body and a specific geographical area. It
>may or may not have an elected head of the executive or a
>judiciary branch.
>
>A state government in the US has the three legislative, executive
>and judiciary branches. It makes *statutes* that are adjudicated
>its courts.
>
>A tribal government in a Native American reservation is similar.
>Last year the supreme court ruled that about half of Oklahoma
>is in a reservation. The legal consequence is uncertain, to say
>the very least.
>
>A county or municipal government has various structures. Its
>legislative branch enacts *ordinances* based on the power granted
>to it by the state. They may have a court system that adjudicate
>its ordinances plus a subset of the state statues.
>
>Various government agencies set *regulations*.
>
>> But in the UK or iiuc most or all parliamentary
>> governed countries, the "government" refers only to the governing
>> coalition, and iiuc only the higher level policy-making officials within
>> the Israeli executive.
>
>The corresponding word in US English is "administration", with
>the difference that administration does not cover the
>legislative branch. One has the Trump administration, or
>the Cuomo administration is the state of New York.
>
>> What is the proper or accepted English term to represent everyone who
>> works for or gets paid by the UK "government", the equivalent of the
>> American use of the word?

--
Please say where you live, or what
area's English you are asking about.
So your question or answer makes sense.
. .
I have lived all my life in the USA,
Western Pa. Indianapolis, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Baltimore.

In alt.usage.english, on Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:31:07 -0000 (UTC), Lewis
<g.kreme@kreme.dont-email.me> wrote:

>
>> I think nobody has brought up "the state" yet. In German, "der Staat" is
>> the closest I can get to a word that encompasses all organs of public
>> administration on any level
>
>That does not work in the US. Saying "the State" pretty much means "the
>state you live in which is one of 50 in the United States".

Or something malicious.

--
Please say where you live, or what
area's English you are asking about.
So your question or answer makes sense.
. .
I have lived all my life in the USA,
Western Pa. Indianapolis, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Baltimore.

In message <f6nstgp5okgvsepq6do2j455re921gmel5@4ax.com> micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
> In alt.usage.english, on Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:31:07 -0000 (UTC), Lewis
> <g.kreme@kreme.dont-email.me> wrote:

>>
>>> I think nobody has brought up "the state" yet. In German, "der Staat" is
>>> the closest I can get to a word that encompasses all organs of public
>>> administration on any level
>>
>>That does not work in the US. Saying "the State" pretty much means "the
>>state you live in which is one of 50 in the United States".

> Or something malicious.

That's the Deep State, bastion of conspiracy nutters and flat-earth
morons and anti-vaxxer scum.

--
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES BART A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES BART A DULL BOY
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES BART A DULL BOY
Bart chalkboard Ep. 1F07

In alt.usage.english, on Wed, 12 Jan 2022 05:26:36 -0000 (UTC), Lewis
<g.kreme@kreme.dont-email.me> wrote:

>In message <f6nstgp5okgvsepq6do2j455re921gmel5@4ax.com> micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
>> In alt.usage.english, on Wed, 12 Jan 2022 04:31:07 -0000 (UTC), Lewis
>> <g.kreme@kreme.dont-email.me> wrote:
>
>>>
>>>> I think nobody has brought up "the state" yet. In German, "der Staat" is
>>>> the closest I can get to a word that encompasses all organs of public
>>>> administration on any level
>>>
>>>That does not work in the US. Saying "the State" pretty much means "the
>>>state you live in which is one of 50 in the United States".
>
>> Or something malicious.
>
>That's the Deep State, bastion of conspiracy nutters and flat-earth
>morons and anti-vaxxer scum.

Even before someone coined the term Deep State, the state was often used
with a sense of foreboding, too much power.

Public sector seems like the best choice of words the case I'm working
on.

--
Please say where you live, or what
area's English you are asking about.
So your question or answer makes sense.
. .
I have lived all my life in the USA,
Western Pa. Indianapolis, Chicago,
Brooklyn, Baltimore.

On 22/01/12 03;44 PM, micky wrote:
> In alt.usage.english, on Mon, 10 Jan 2022 17:22:14 -0500, Tak To
> <takto@alum.mit.eduxx> wrote:
>
>> On 1/10/2022 11:21 AM, micky wrote:
>>> In the usa, the "government" refers to anyone working in the
>>> executive,
>
> You can change anyone to everyone, if that will make it better.
>
>>> administrative, legislative, or judicial parts of the ...well,
>>> the government, all the way down to a clerk in the post office or
>>> someone sweeping the streets.
>>
>> No. "(The) government" refers to the collective entity -- the
>> governing body, not the individuals or departments except in a pars
>> pro toto sense in specific contexts.
>
> You can look at it that way, but almost nothing gets done unless a
> person does it, and any person being paid by the government and
> doing his job is acting as the part of the government. So I don't
> see much of a difference.

You and I are very different in that respect. The person who dealt with
my recent car registration is an employee of the government, but that's
not the same - to my way of thinking - as being a member of the
government. He or she might even have voted against the present
government at the last elections.

In fact, now that I think of it, that person is not even an employee of
the government, but is instead an employee of the Public Service, an
organisation that continues to exist through changes of government. That
Public Service is a major contributor to the political stability of the
country, because it continues to do its job as politicians come and go.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org