Originally Posted By: Bill S.
Is there a name for the art of wrong-footing others by saying something that really says nothing but sounds as though it contradicts what they have just said without actually contradicting it preferably with minimal punctuation so as to make its meaning as ambiguous as possible?
How about "The art of uncivil servantism"?--the kind practised by Sir Humphrey Appleby, one of the main characters, played by Nigel Hawthron, in the BBC TV series, YES MINISTER.

The corridors of power are awash with corruption, back-stabbing and uncivil servants as James Hacker, opportunistic Minister of the Department of Administrative Affairs, and his scheming Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, fight for control of the ministry.

Yes Minister Series
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Quotes from the dialogue

OPEN GOVERNMENT

"Two kinds of government chair correspond with the two kinds of minister: one sort folds up instantly and the other sort goes round and round in circles."

"If people don't know what you're doing, they don't know what you're doing wrong."

"It is sometimes difficult to explain to Ministers that open government can sometimes mean informing their Cabinet colleagues as well as their friends in Fleet Street."

"Minister's language: 'We have decided to be more flexible in our application of this principle' means 'We are dropping this policy but we don't want to admit it publicly'. "
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OFFICIAL VISIT

"A career in politics is no preparation for government."

"'The matter is under consideration' means we have lost the file. 'The matter is under active consideration' means we are trying to find the file."
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ECONOMY DRIVE

"Asking a town hall to slim down its staff is like asking an alcoholic to blow up a distillery."

"Politicians must be allowed to panic. They need activity. It is their substitute for achievement."

"The argument that we must do everything a Minister demands because he has been 'democratically chosen' does not stand up to close inspection.

MPs are not chosen by 'the people' - they are chosen by their local constituency parties: thirty-five men in grubby raincoats or thirty-five women in silly hats.

The further 'selection' process is equally a nonsense: there are only 630 MPs and a party with just over 300 MPs forms a government and of these 300, 100 are too old and too silly to be ministers and 100 too young and too callow. Therefore there are about 100 MPs to fill 100 government posts. Effectively no choice at all."

G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org