Political horse trading
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="political">political</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span>”, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span>: “<span word="By">By</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Simply">Simply</span> <span word="put">put</span>, <span word="political">political</span> <span word="negotiations">negotiations</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Horse">Horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="wheeling">wheeling</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dealing">dealing</span>, <span word="using">using</span> <span word="cunning">cunning</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tricks">tricks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="get">get</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="engage">engage</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="Businesspeople">Businesspeople</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="board">board</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="firm">firm</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="agree">agree</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="A">A</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Chief">Chief</span> <span word="Executive">Executive</span> <span word="Officer">Officer</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="B">B</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="CFO">CFO</span> (<span word="Chief">Chief</span> <span word="Financial">Financial</span> <span word="Officer">Officer</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>), <span word="then">then</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="nature">nature</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="definitely">definitely</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span> <span word="if">if</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="C">C</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="qualified">qualified</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="job">job</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="Person">Person</span> <span word="C">C</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="CDO">CDO</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="support">support</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="board">board</span>, <span word="most">most</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="cronies">cronies</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="firm">firm</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="about">about</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="smell">smell</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="fishy">fishy</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="right">right</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span>?</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="connotations">connotations</span> <span word="ethically">ethically</span>. <span word="Originally">Originally</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="selling">selling</span> (<span word="trading">trading</span>) <span word="of">of</span> <span word="horses">horses</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="trading">trading</span> <span word="market">market</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="prevalent">prevalent</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seller">seller</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="represent">represent</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="better">better</span> – <span word="younger">younger</span>, <span word="stronger">stronger</span> – <span word="than">than</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fetch">fetch</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="price">price</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="weren">weren</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="shrewd">shrewd</span> <span word="enough">enough</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="cheated">cheated</span> <span word="afterwards">afterwards</span>.</p>
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