PARTLY FACETIOUS: Thinking about and planning for future, not just the present

“It’s all relative, isn’t it! I reckon double think is the right phrase to use – a phrase used by George Orville in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four, which he defined as a process of indoctrination in which one is expected to simultaneously accept two conflicting beliefs as the truth.”

“Right like the narrative that the Russians are losing badly in Ukraine while at the same time stating that once the Russians take over Ukraine they will then declare war on the rest of Europe with the intent of annexation…”

“Indeed, but I was looking for double think closer to home. How about The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless is no longer popular, but once he comes out he can generate enough momentum to create a law and order situation……”

“Or that his party is splintering into hundreds of groups or is slowly self-destructing, but The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless, not yet convicted, quite unlike Trump who is convicted multiple times and was allowed to canvass, cannot even be let out on bail…”

“Hmmm there is one other lesson that America can learn from us. Overturning convictions by the courts.”

“Why plural? Why convictions? Besides, in the US, the president can pardon any crime.”

“Well we are a greedy nation – once we begin to level charges against any one person we don’t like we kinda go over-board in the number of charges, but anyway do you think like in the US we should empower our president to pardon anyone he or she wants?”

“That would require forward-thinking, and there is no capacity for that.”

“I don’t get you.”

“Forward thinking defined as when, not if, but when the administration changes.”

“Hmmm anyway, we have our tried and tested system now – convictions overturned sounds better than a presidential pardon, especially if you want to remain in politics.”

“Yeah so let’s give Americans credit for allowing Trump to canvass in spite of his convictions; I mean given that we have taken the lead on some many other fronts for example levelling charges of rigging/election fraud after losing an election, the concept of First Daughter began here and…”

“OK, another example of double think is The Maulana and his party stalwarts claiming that they clipped the Draconian clauses of the twenty-sixth constitutional amendment and, its pole opposite, their acknowledgement that their vote was not needed anyway.”

“That’s not double think, that’s going the US route — double standards – you know human rights are relevant for China and Russia, but not in Gaza and….”

“Don’t get me started about double standards in practice amongst our politicians – from u turns to…”

“Gotcha.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024