Diplomats, soldiers, politicians and economists all love a good
acronym. Here are five of the most misleading, insulting, and just
plain annoying.
Kremlin.ru
BRIC
What does it stand for? Brazil, Russia, India, and China
What is it? In 2001, Goldman Sachs analysts popularized this term for referring to the fast-growing, populous developing countries that many think will become the world's dominant economic powers in the next century.
What's wrong with it: "BRIC" may connote strength or solidity to some, but it can just as easily bring to mind something inert, or brittle. It's also not exactly clear that these countries belong in the same category. Politically, Brazil and India are messy but vibrant democracies, while Russia and China are semiauthoritarian and completely authoritarian, respectively. Since the financial crisis, the four countries have followed different economic trajectories as well. Whereas Brazil, India, and China have been hurt, but look likely to continue growing at a slower but steady pace, the economic slowdown has hit Russia -- whose GDP is likely to shrink 6 percent this year -- like a ton of … well, you get the picture.
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PIIGS
What does it stand for? Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain
What is it? The countries on Europe's periphery that have been hit especially hard by the financial crisis and most in need of bailout money. (PIIGS at the trough.) The term "PIGS," describing the four southern European economies, was likely first used by a German banker in a private letter to a client and quickly became a favorite of the European press in 2008. The double-I version, which includes troubled Ireland, is now more popular.
Why it's bad: Even before the swine-flu outbreak, this acronym was a rather insulting name for the countries that just a few months ago were being called "tigers" for their high growth rates and pro-business economic policies. The PIIGS were once held up as the model of what European integration could achieve. Yes, they may have behaved irresponsibly during the bubble, but given the woes of "core" states such as Germany, whose export-driven economy has been decimated by the global slowdown in demand, no one in Europe is really in a position to be calling these countries swine.
AFP PHOTO/Sang Tan/WPA POOL
P5+1
What does it stand for? The permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany
What is it? The group of countries conducting ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program consists of Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States, as well as Germany, which is not a Security Council member.
Why it's bad: Although not strictly an acronym, the name itself is a testament to how outdated the U.N. governance structure has become. A five-country system excluding the axis powers might have made sense in 1945, but today this rigid structure isn't adequate for taking on most global crises. When organizational names start turning into equations it's time to give them up. Remember the G7+1?
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RINGO, BINGO, and GONGO
What does it stand for? Research and independent non-governmental organization, business and industry non-governmental organization, and government-organized non-governmental organization
What is it? As the influence and prominence of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has grown in international affairs, a subfield of civil society taxonomy has grown to distinguish abnormal NGOs. RINGOs (such as the Center for Clean Air Policy) and BINGOS (such as the European electricity industry's Eurelectric) come up frequently in climate-change discussions. GONGO generally refers to organizations set up by authoritarian governments to fake the appearance of civil society. Nashi, Russia's state-organized, pro-Kremlin youth group, is a great example.
Why it's bad: RINGOs and BINGOs just sound silly, bringing to mind a Beatles concert in a church basement more than and public-private partnerships to address emissions standards. Creating the designation BINGO also implies, inaccurately, that normal NGOs are completely independent from the interests of industry. In fact, many so-called independent NGOs rely on corporate donations for their activities. As for GONGOs, an acronym generally shouldn't directly contradict itself. Why not just call them what they are? Government agencies.
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SOFA
What does it stand for? Status of forces agreement
What is it? An agreement between a military and the foreign country where it is based. The best-known SOFA is the withdrawal agreement reached between the United States and Iraq in 2008.
Why it's bad: First of all, it's a fairly glib acronym for a fairly serious topic and tempts editors into writing awful punny headlines (getting off the SOFA, no SOFA to lean on, etc.). To Americans, the innocuous-sounding name also masks just how controversial SOFAs can be abroad. For many Iraqis, the "status" of U.S. forces is that of an occupying power.
