Agitator Shorts
Description: This is a popular quote from the late great American naturalist, writer, and legendary icon of the west - Edward Abbey (1927-1989). If you have not yet read his masterpieces, Desert Solitaire or The Monkey Wrench Gang, go treat yourself right now. I promise you will not regret it!
Description: In "provocateur," a word borrowed directly from French, one sees the English verb "provoke." Both "provoke" and "provocateur" derive from Latin provocare, meaning "to call forth." Why do we say "provocateur" for one who incites another to action, instead of simply "provoker"? Perhaps it's because of "agent provocateur," a term of French origin that literally means "provoking agent." Both "agent provocateur" and the shortened "provocateur" can refer to someone (such as an undercover police officer or a political operative) whose job is to incite people to break the law so that they can be arrested. A person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.