Mel Black on Politics : A Kick Start

To give it a kick start, one should know the exact definition of the subject.

For starters, and for you beginners and scepticals :

Politics can be defined as the “art of ruling human societies” Or as the “Science of government" and the art of relationships of government, and is used to describe the group of affairs which concern the state or the manner followed by rulers. It is a process by which groups of people make collective decissions. However, politics can be observed in other group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of social relations involving authority and power and refers to the relation of public affairs within a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Source - Mel Black with the help from Wikipedia. 

That was complicated. Here's a simple but strong explanation of Politics in Malay literature.

Politik pada dasarnya adalah wadah yang murni, yang mulia dan status amat tinggi. Politik adalah ilmu tentang dasar dan kaedah memerintah sesebuah negara. Politik adalah suci.

Tapi bila ada yang mengucap bahwa dalam politik, sahabat boleh jadi musuh sertamerta, musuh boleh jadi sahabat sertamerta, sahabat dan musuh dalam politik tak pernah kekal, maka ternyata yang berucap itu cuba membusukkan politik yang suci lagi mulia itu.

-SHAHNON AHMAD, Sasterawan Negara dalam bukunya SHIT (TAHI).

Now it sounds interesting.