PARTLY FACETIOUS: ‘Deception is part of state craft, isn’t it?’
“Deception is part of state craft, isn’t it?” “Right Machiavelli wrote everyone admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep his word, and to behave with integrity rather than cunning.
Nevertheless, our experience has been that those princes who have done great things have considered keeping their word of little account, and have known how to beguile men’s minds by shrewdness and cunning. In the end, these princes have overcome those who have relied on keeping their word.“
“Prince; is that a reference to nepotism and U-turns and not adhering to manifestos and…?”
“All roads do not lead to our politicians. Look at all the deception that we have in our world today: the deception in reporting on Gaza that is being swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the Western media, look at the two narratives on the Ukraine-Russia war and…”
“It isn’t being swallowed by the Western media. I reckon its complicity by the news outlets, though we must acknowledge that neither in politics nor in everyday life is there only one narrative – a narrative indicates a difference in perception…”
“OK, but deception, deliberate or otherwise, is an attempt to look at only those facts that are regarded as in one’s best interests.”
“Hmmm in reference to the Indian narrative as to Pakistan being responsible for the attack on tourists in Illegally Occupied Kashmir, all I can say is that our response must expose this hogwash. I mean differing narratives rooted in deception is common place especially when there are two long time belligerents.”
“GPS says he, with his team, will give an appropriate response to the Indians and…”
“His team leader, is in London, and let’s hope he doesn’t do a Hegseth by calling him on WhatsApp and…”
“Well, GPS like Hegseth is not technically savvy.”
“Don’t be facetious, besides, GPS meant his team here in this country…”
“I wasn’t aware he could access a team without his counterpart…”
“Shut up, anyway, I reckon a tit-for-tat would be the way forward. If they have expelled one of ours from our embassy in Delhi, let us expel a comparable official…”
“The Indians say they have shut down all borders with Pakistan.”
“I wasn’t aware borders were open. But…but I was thinking what happened to Jadhav, the Indian spy convicted of subversive activities in Pakistan who was arrested on 3 March 2016, nine years ago and…”
“Don’t know – I reckon that’s not deception but…but…”
“Indeed.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025