PARTLY FACETIOUS: ‘Are the two equal or one is more equal than the other?’

“All are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

“Yep that’s a much quoted line from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell but if you are referring to key differences in administration between say Nawaz Sharif and The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless….”

“Nah, that will be comparing bananas and beetroot…”

“Hey, that’s not the right expression – it’s apples and oranges.”

“I am sorry we in the Land of the Pure are currently the trailblazers in the world with panache of who runs what and apples and oranges do not fit the two people you referred to. And I think I know who the beetroot is …”

“Be careful my friend, careful; what panache? And how are we the trailblazers?”

“Well to have a non-representative government take decisions, I mean I ask you which of three major European countries heads of government are representing the majority of their people – Starmer is floundering all over the place, macron’s party lost, but he cobbled a coalition to keep out the Far Right as will Germany though the lost candidate OlafScholz is the one leading Germany into negotiations on Ukraine…”

“But to allow the Far Right…”

“I am as much against the Far Right’s racist policies as the current heads of these countries governments, but if that’s the way the general public of that country feels then doesn’t democracy dictate that they be allowed to come to power.”

“That, my friend, is the least subtle support to the establishment in countries around the world that I have ever heard!”

“I hope you are not being sarcastic in the land of the Pure but going back to Orwell’s much quoted line let me give you some examples: Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN) is more equal than any other member of the party. As is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (BBZ)…”

“Well, I agree but one observation: NMN and daddy’s pictures grace Lahore streets though the tribunals have yet to rule on the election results’…”

“Hmmm I heard accidents are up in…”

“Shut up anyway, BBZ does not listen to his daddy as much.”

“Right but then there is The Brown Pope and Faisal Vawda – one heads a powerful ministry and the cricket board while the other is the narrative maker…”

“So are the two equal or one is more equal than the other?”

“I think the question is who is more important and who is more successful.”

“Can we bring in other…other ingredients into the pot?”

“That’s the problem with you politicians – you must learn to keep the recipe simple.”

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