Ratf**king

Ratfucking, it one of my favourite words, it just rolls off the tongue. A delicious term. The concept is also as low as one may go without getting into geek territory.

I was sitting in a pub sharing a bottle of wine with a friend one evening when I was reminded of the word. A word I'd not used in a long time. We were sitting there discussing this and that, when the barmaid came up and asked us if we’d like to partake in the quiz. We decided against it as we both had to leave at a reasonable hour.

Why is it that when you decide to not to take part in a pub quiz you seem to know all the answers. Sods law. If you were taking part it'd be impossible. Questions beyond your knowledge. We were sitting back enjoying another glass when the compere asked this question. ‘Which newspaper did Woodward and Bernstein write for?’ The quiz goers hushed, and in their groups discussed their possible answers.

Ratfucking came to mind. Ratfucking was a term coined by the lawyer Segretti to describe false flag operations used in the campaign to re-elect Nixon. Purposely distributing false information to discredit your political opponents.

Politics is a brutal game and to win you need to go to any lengths. In the words of Hunter S Thompson, ‘Politics is about fucking your enemies; winning is about fucking your friends’.

It amazed me that the contestants were having trouble formulating the answer. To me it was bloody obvious. Players in one of the major political scandals of all times. The downfall of a president. Nixon, unlike Clinton who was just caught with his pants down, was caught with his hands in about every dirty little pie going.

Woodward and Bernstein, two writers on the Washington Post exposed Watergate and the tissue of lies and deceit that underpinned it. Like the Titanic, this was just the tip of the iceberg. It brought down the president.

It was the sort of thing I thought everyone would know. Such a major event in history, But I guess times change, and if questioned about celebrities and popular culture you’d draw a blank with me.

At work meetings usually bore me rigid. Especially if a large group is involved and I only have one item on the agenda.

If you feel the same here’s a little game you can play. If you can get a couple of more players, all the better. Decide between you a set of words you have to drop in the meeting. Words like, Fuck, Felching and Frottaging are good. All the F’s. It’s harder than it seems and it takes guts, but if you manage to slip one in the results will be worth it. Those not in on the game will be taken aback by the slippage. Stunned. Unsure what to say. Did he really say that? By the time they have processed what they have just heard it’ll be too late to say anything.

Those in on it will be in stitches. Unable to keep a straight face in such a sober environment.  A double whammy.

Ratfucking, it’s a word I must use more often. Drop it in to conversations when people least expect it!

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