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Vassal

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(pronounced vas-ul)  noun

Definition

1. a person who held land under the feudal system, rendering homage and fealty to a lord or superior in return for his protection; a feudal tenant. 2. somebody under similar control or domination, such as a subject, subordinate, servant, slave, etc.

Main Example

• Vladimir Putin recently sent shock waves through much of Eastern Europe when he said Russia would be justified in intervening in nation states just across the border if their Russian-speaking populations were facing suppression. Does it mean that all those countries which became independent in 1991 following the dissolution of USSR, many of which contain substantial Russian-speaking minorities, must keep looking over their shoulder and never take a step that might displease Putin? Because, if that were to be the case, many of these former Soviet states would, in essence, once again become vassals of the Kremlin.

Workplace Examples

• It would be folly for us to sign this “partnership agreement” as is. The way some of the clauses are worded, we would be reduced to the status of a vassal. By no means would we be an equal partner.
• For some reason, most people in Bob’s organization are really scared of him. For instance, they don’t speak up during meetings if he is present, and they don’t dare complain, no matter how much work he dumps on them. It’s almost as if they regard themselves to be his vassals rather than being full-fledged employees of the company. What’s going on?

Other Examples

• during a speech, this author saying humorously: “You constantly hear futurists opine that robots will inexorably be taking on more and more of the tasks that require intelligent decision making. Well, now that this juggernaut known as Google is acquiring one robotics company after another, is much of our world destined to become a Google vassal?”
• talking about one of your firm’s independent contractors, a colleague saying: “It’s true that we are Courtney’s largest customer by far, but that doesn’t mean we can demand that she cancel her other pre-scheduled meeting and attend our event instead. She’s not some kind of a vassal, somebody at our beck and call.”
• during its heyday, the British Empire’s numerous far-flung colonies in Asia and Africa being vassal states
• following Jeff Bezos’s acquisition of the Washington Post, many wondering if the Amazon.com founder and CEO would turn the venerable Post into a Bezos vassal or would he give plenty of editorial autonomy to its management

© 2014 V.J. Singal
No part of this may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author.

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