Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving HOW NOT TO DO IT.

Summary

This quote is a criticism of the inefficiency and incompetence of the Circumlocution Office, a fictional government department. It suggests that the office has perfected the skill of identifying ways in which tasks should not be accomplished. This implies that the office is constantly avoiding taking action, finding excuses, or complicating procedures, leading to a lack of progress and effectiveness in the public departments it is supposed to support. Overall, the quote highlights the bureaucratic inefficiencies that hinder effective governance.

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