PARTLY FACETIOUS: The Town Crier

“One lesson learned is kinda obvious.”

“Depends.”

“I don’t think I said anything where you could add a conditional clause.”

“Well a lesson learned depends on who you are addressing. If you are addressing a specific individual or those associated with a specific profession, then I would argue that a lesson that is obvious to you and me may not be to that individual or to someone associated with a particular profession.”

“You want to clarify?”

“Well yes I mean governments — be they selected or elected — have all, barring none, followed one route – poor economic policies, passing on the onus of their poor performance onto the public through raising utility rates and not only trying to put an end to their political opponents, which I can understand, but actually believing that they have achieved this task and are there till death do them part. And this is kinda baffling given lessons that we, the public, have learned from our long past and recent past political history.”

“Another is that they reckon ordinances are there to stay forever; legislation cannot be reversed though that only requires a simple majority.”

“Hmmm, I agree. The Khan made this mistake as did his predecessors.”

“Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, with Maryam Nawaz’s ear who has daddy’s ear or daddy?”

“Well, I would say the key in what you say is The Ear, you know not mere mortals.”

“The ancient Greeks had Zeus as the King of the gods, the Norsemen had Odin, the Egyptians had Isis and so what if the PML-N has Maryam, The Khan has his Third Wife, Zardari sahib’s political career was birthed after he married…”

“What about The Maulana?”

“He does not represent a national party, perhaps because his inspiration is not a woman.”

“Reminds me the former interior minister, now The Town Crier. I reckon he would not accept a female as a source of inspiration – first there was the establishment, then there was…the establishment…and now perhaps there is not…”

“I thought establishment was gender neutral.”

“Maybe in your dictionary but not that of The Town Crier.”

“He knows how to grovel and those who delve in the intricacies of politics in this country cannot resist a groveler.”

“That’s true.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022