A collection of meaningless rules, forms, red tape, and office workers. Best envisioned as a squid where each tentacle has its own goals, most of which either duplicate, or run completely contrary to, the goals of most of the other tentacles. Exemplified by the well-molassessed machinery known as Boston "the first two letters in bureaucracy are BU" University.

Also a rather groovy Infocom text adventure game by Douglas Adams. The aim of the game was to get the post office to acknowledge your change-of-address.

The 4th seasons of the Discordian Calender. It is named after the current state of human affairs, as is laid out by Discordian belief.

The 5 states in the cycle of the world are: Chaos, Discord, Confusion, bureaucracy, and Aftermath. The 5 discordian seasons are named after these stages of society.

The Patron Apostle of this month is Zarathud. The Holiday is, as always, on the 5th day of the season, and is called Zaraday.

The season of bureaucracy begins on the standard day of August 8th and ends on October 19th. The 50th day is the seasonal holiday and is called Bureflux.

Bu*reau"cra*cy (?), n. [Bureau + Gr. to be strong, to govern, strength: cf. F. bureaucratie.]

1.

A system of carrying on the business of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system.

2.

Government officials, collectively.

 

© Webster 1913.