Artificial Politik

It is slightly hard to imagine that artifacts of human creation can have politics, but it is absolutely true. The most common example of this would be the stop sign. What is a stop sign? It is an octagonal sheet of metal, usually red, with four white letters on it, that sits on top of a metal pole. Even if the face of the sign is worn, letters nearly unreadable, drivers everywhere know what it is and what to do when they arrive at one--stop the car. The stop sign represents law and order, controls the way people drive their automobiles and interact with each other on the road. As a pedestrian, the stop sign protects us and watches out for us, a silent guardian. If a person does not see it or chooses to speed right past it, it also punishes us, bringing down the full power of the law (if there is a police officer around to see it). It is amazing what a sheet of metal can contribute to society, when infused with a little politics.