“The split within a political party…” “Is fodder for the gods.” “What, are you pagan? Gods indeed.”

“That is an expression, food for the gods, fodder for the gods… I am not making a religious statement, for Pete’s sake.”

“I am so disappointed in you - I reckon…”

“Is that a technique to not let me say what I want to say.”

“No, it is to educate you on…?”

“Stop, you are trying to change the focus in an attempt to change the narrative, but I will have you know that you will not succeed.”

“Deflection is the name of the game when one’s narrative is weak.”

“Right, but it is critical to distinguish between delusion and deflection – the former means you have convinced yourself of a narrative that is neither based on past precedence nor is it based on ground reality, while deflection implies knowing the ground reality and insisting on an untruth.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“Antony Blinken and his boss Biden who is facing escalating cognitive challenges are delusional on all fronts – the Israel front, the Ukraine front and the South China front. Trump during the first debate, I would imagine, was into deflection.”

“Right, but what if a situation prevails where both salt and pepper are used – delusion and deflection.”

“Delusion as in thinking a party is splintered and breathing its last?”

“Don’t think that is the case here – controls are just as pervasive as ever.”

“Delusion as in overestimating one’s support?”

“If the gods are on your side, then who cares about the Plebeians.”

“That’s a term for Romans not us, when the chips are down we in the land of the pure get technical.”

“And why not! This is precisely why we have so many technical seats in our parliament and in spite of one technician after another exacerbating the issues of their portfolios when they leave yet…”

“Hmmmm, meanwhile deflection is ongoing by the keepers of the new estate, they keep harping on a narrative that has been visibly failing – I mean look at the 8 February results…”

“Is that the estate owned by those who drew or draw a salary at the taxpayers’ expense all their lives and who will not pay tax on the property that they were allotted again at the taxpayers expense.”

“Grapes are sour, my friend, for you are not favoured by the gods of fortune.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024