0:00:00.666,0:00:04.247 One of my favorite words in the whole[br]of the Oxford English Dictionary 0:00:04.271,0:00:06.114 is "snollygoster," 0:00:06.138,0:00:07.784 just because it sounds so good. 0:00:07.808,0:00:11.197 And what snollygoster means[br]is "a dishonest politician." 0:00:12.116,0:00:14.646 Although there was a 19th-century[br]newspaper editor 0:00:14.670,0:00:16.703 who defined it rather better when he said, 0:00:16.727,0:00:19.243 "A snollygoster is a fellow[br]who seeks office 0:00:19.267,0:00:22.850 regardless of party,[br]platform or principle, 0:00:22.874,0:00:24.382 and who, when he wins, 0:00:24.406,0:00:29.630 gets there by the sheer force[br]of monumental talknophical assumnancy." 0:00:29.654,0:00:31.183 (Laughter) 0:00:31.207,0:00:33.305 Now, I have no idea[br]what "talknophical" is. 0:00:33.329,0:00:35.131 Something to do with words, I assume. 0:00:35.155,0:00:38.430 But it's very important that words[br]are at the center of politics, 0:00:38.454,0:00:41.659 and all politicians know[br]they have to try and control language. 0:00:41.683,0:00:44.711 It wasn't until, for example, 1771 0:00:44.735,0:00:49.158 that the British Parliament[br]allowed newspapers to report 0:00:49.182,0:00:51.954 the exact words that were said[br]in the debating chamber. 0:00:52.454,0:00:54.751 And this was actually[br]all down to the bravery 0:00:54.775,0:00:58.084 of a guy with the extraordinary[br]name of Brass Crosby, 0:00:58.108,0:00:59.834 who took on Parliament. 0:00:59.858,0:01:01.936 And he was thrown into the Tower of London 0:01:01.960,0:01:04.054 and imprisoned, 0:01:04.078,0:01:06.887 but he was brave enough, 0:01:06.911,0:01:09.390 he was brave enough[br]to take them on, and in the end, 0:01:09.414,0:01:11.849 he had such popular support[br]in London that he won. 0:01:11.873,0:01:13.636 And it was only a few years later 0:01:13.660,0:01:18.531 that we have the first recorded use[br]of the phrase "as bold as brass." 0:01:19.061,0:01:21.085 Most people think[br]that's down to the metal. 0:01:21.109,0:01:24.939 It's not; it's down to a campaigner[br]for the freedom of the press. 0:01:25.551,0:01:29.737 But to really show you[br]how words and politics interact, 0:01:29.761,0:01:32.381 I want to take you back[br]to the United States of America, 0:01:32.405,0:01:34.769 just after they'd achieved independence. 0:01:35.209,0:01:36.957 And they had to face the question 0:01:36.981,0:01:39.686 of what to call[br]George Washington, their leader. 0:01:39.710,0:01:40.966 They didn't know. 0:01:40.990,0:01:43.946 What do you call the leader[br]of a republican country? 0:01:44.335,0:01:47.202 And this was debated[br]in Congress for ages and ages. 0:01:47.226,0:01:49.758 And there were all sorts[br]of suggestions on the table, 0:01:49.782,0:01:50.977 which might have made it. 0:01:51.001,0:01:53.238 I mean, some people[br]wanted him to be called 0:01:53.262,0:01:55.052 "Chief Magistrate Washington," 0:01:55.076,0:01:57.565 and other people,[br]"His Highness, George Washington," 0:01:57.589,0:01:58.823 and other people, 0:01:58.847,0:02:01.605 "Protector of the Liberties 0:02:01.629,0:02:04.680 of the People of the United States[br]of America Washington." 0:02:04.704,0:02:06.040 Not that catchy. 0:02:06.347,0:02:08.781 Some people just wanted[br]to call him king -- 0:02:08.805,0:02:10.311 it was tried and tested. 0:02:10.335,0:02:12.065 They weren't even being monarchical, 0:02:12.089,0:02:15.303 they had the idea that you could[br]be elected king for a fixed term. 0:02:15.327,0:02:17.591 And, you know, it could have worked. 0:02:17.615,0:02:19.473 And everybody got insanely bored, 0:02:19.497,0:02:21.571 because this debate[br]went on for three weeks. 0:02:21.595,0:02:24.585 I read a diary of this poor senator[br]who just keeps coming back, 0:02:24.609,0:02:25.857 "Still on this subject." 0:02:25.881,0:02:28.410 And the reason for the delay[br]and the boredom 0:02:28.434,0:02:32.049 was that the House of Representatives[br]were against the Senate. 0:02:32.073,0:02:36.290 The House of Representatives didn't want[br]Washington to get drunk on power. 0:02:36.314,0:02:39.401 They didn't want to call him "king,"[br]in case that gave him ideas, 0:02:39.425,0:02:40.765 or his successor ideas. 0:02:40.789,0:02:43.936 So they wanted to give him[br]the humblest, meagerest, 0:02:43.960,0:02:46.607 most pathetic title[br]that they could think of. 0:02:47.356,0:02:48.586 And that title ... 0:02:49.444,0:02:50.839 was "President." 0:02:50.863,0:02:52.927 (Laughter) 0:02:52.951,0:02:54.978 "President." They didn't invent the title. 0:02:55.002,0:02:56.324 I mean, it existed before, 0:02:56.348,0:02:59.013 but it just meant somebody[br]who presides over a meeting. 0:02:59.037,0:03:00.920 It was like the foreman of the jury. 0:03:00.944,0:03:02.780 And it didn't have much more grandeur 0:03:02.804,0:03:04.658 than the term "foreman" or "overseer." 0:03:04.682,0:03:07.555 There were occasional presidents[br]of little colonial councils 0:03:07.579,0:03:08.751 and bits of government, 0:03:08.775,0:03:10.540 but it was really a nothing title. 0:03:10.990,0:03:13.000 And that's why the Senate objected to it. 0:03:13.024,0:03:16.773 They said, "That's ridiculous![br]You can't call him 'President.' 0:03:16.797,0:03:20.216 This guy has to go and sign treaties[br]and meet foreign dignitaries. 0:03:20.240,0:03:23.795 Who's going to take him seriously[br]if he's got a silly little title 0:03:23.819,0:03:26.460 like 'President of the United[br]States of America'?" 0:03:26.484,0:03:27.495 (Laughter) 0:03:27.519,0:03:29.951 And after three weeks[br]of debate, in the end, 0:03:31.287,0:03:33.985 the Senate did not cave in. 0:03:35.366,0:03:40.226 Instead, they agreed to use[br]the title "President" for now. 0:03:41.056,0:03:43.840 But they also wanted[br]it absolutely set down 0:03:43.864,0:03:45.681 that they didn't agree with it, 0:03:46.969,0:03:52.418 from a decent respect for the opinions[br]and practice of civilized nations, 0:03:52.442,0:03:56.246 whether under republican[br]or monarchical forms of government, 0:03:56.270,0:03:58.384 whose custom it is to annex, 0:03:58.408,0:04:00.424 through the office[br]of the Chief Magistrate, 0:04:00.448,0:04:02.579 titles of respectability -- 0:04:03.252,0:04:04.499 not bloody "President." 0:04:05.382,0:04:08.104 And that, in the intercourse[br]with foreign nations, 0:04:09.010,0:04:12.257 the majesty of the people[br]of the United States 0:04:12.281,0:04:16.264 may not be hazarded[br]by an appearance of singularity -- 0:04:16.288,0:04:18.700 i.e., we don't want to look[br]like bloody weirdos. 0:04:20.485,0:04:23.090 Now, you can learn[br]three interesting things from this. 0:04:23.114,0:04:25.311 First of all -- and this is my favorite -- 0:04:25.335,0:04:27.771 is that, so far as I've ever[br]been able to find out, 0:04:27.795,0:04:32.099 the Senate has never formally[br]endorsed the title of President. 0:04:33.091,0:04:36.010 Barack Obama, President Obama,[br]is there on borrowed time, 0:04:36.034,0:04:39.174 just waiting for the Senate[br]to spring into action. 0:04:39.198,0:04:40.444 (Laughter) 0:04:40.468,0:04:41.920 The second thing you can learn 0:04:41.944,0:04:45.164 is that, when a government says[br]that this is a temporary measure -- 0:04:45.188,0:04:47.556 (Laughter) 0:04:47.580,0:04:51.951 you can still be waiting 223 years later. 0:04:52.854,0:04:56.370 But the third thing you can learn --[br]and this is the really important one, 0:04:56.394,0:04:58.118 the point I want to leave you on -- 0:04:58.142,0:05:02.074 is that the title, "President[br]of the United States of America," 0:05:02.098,0:05:05.403 doesn't sound that humble[br]at all these days, does it? 0:05:06.244,0:05:09.443 Something to do[br]with the slightly over 5,000 0:05:09.467,0:05:11.717 nuclear warheads he has at his disposal 0:05:11.741,0:05:13.914 and the largest economy in the world 0:05:13.938,0:05:16.457 and a fleet of drones[br]and all that sort of stuff. 0:05:17.537,0:05:23.506 Reality and history[br]have endowed that title with grandeur. 0:05:24.491,0:05:26.109 And so the Senate won in the end. 0:05:26.133,0:05:28.561 They got their title of respectability. 0:05:28.585,0:05:32.121 And also, the Senate's other worry,[br]the appearance of singularity -- 0:05:32.145,0:05:34.269 well, it was a singularity back then. 0:05:34.293,0:05:37.142 But now, do you know[br]how many nations have a president? 0:05:37.166,0:05:38.949 A hundred and forty-seven. 0:05:39.512,0:05:41.523 All because they want[br]to sound like the guy 0:05:41.547,0:05:44.099 who's got the 5,000 nuclear warheads, etc. 0:05:46.155,0:05:49.034 And so, in the end, the Senate won 0:05:49.058,0:05:51.515 and the House of Representatives lost ... 0:05:52.563,0:05:55.079 because nobody's going to feel that humble 0:05:55.103,0:05:56.790 when they're told that they are now 0:05:56.814,0:05:59.846 the President of the United[br]States of America. 0:06:01.243,0:06:04.009 And that's the important lesson[br]I think you can take away, 0:06:04.033,0:06:05.808 and the one I want to leave you with. 0:06:05.832,0:06:09.626 Politicians try to pick and use words[br]to shape and control reality, 0:06:09.650,0:06:11.308 but in fact, 0:06:11.332,0:06:16.512 reality changes words far more[br]than words can ever change reality. 0:06:17.242,0:06:18.507 Thank you very much.