PARTLY FACETIOUS: Democracy, not revenge, is a dish best served cold

“Democracy is a dish best served cold.”

“That’s not the expression, its revenge is a dish best served cold.”

“That’s not what I meant but its good advice, this is especially true about politics in the Land of the Pure. When not in power revenge has to be timed out…”

“That’s not what the expression means – it means that it would allow you to plan better rather than take action hastily that may not be effective.”

“Yeah that’s the English version in the Land of the Pure you gotta wait and….”

“Didn’t Benazir Bhutto say that democracy is the best revenge?”

“Yeah but at the time she said it she was trying to transition the country from dictatorship to democracy. That doesn’t hold true anymore.”

“But….”

“Read my lips, it ain’t true no more.”

“I reckon the only elections that were not controversial was the one when Mian sahib got the heavy maindak.”

“Mandate not maindak – the latter means a frog in Urdu.”

“Sorry it just slipped out but even the split votes in elections…”

“OK but when I said democracy is a dish best served cold I wasn’t talking about Pakistan but about the West.”

“But there are similarities aren’t there! I mean we cast votes and elect….oops OK I get you.”

“Thank God, anyway once seated in the houses of parliament the will of the people is no longer considered when taking momentous decisions. The massive unrest in European countries today bears ample testimony to this fact that the will of the people is being ignored and policies followed that have the stamp of approval of their deep states at the cost of the general public.”

“Yeah give hundreds of billions of dollars to the most corrupt unrepresentative government of Ukraine, cut off cheap Russian oil supplies and thereby de-industrialise and raise the cost of energy for households and…”

“Ï have a solution to that.”

“What engage in diplomacy with Russia and…”

“No, give subsidies to the people, I mean it’s not as if these countries are on an International Monetary Fund programme like us which is barring us from extending subsidies to the exporters and…”

“Nah the government is again discussing and considering….”

“The same o same?”

“Familiarity breeds contempt.”

“Mark Twain added to that proverb – familiarity breeds contempt and children.”

“Right so the children….”

“Hush.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026