**The tongue is the most volatile weapon to leave lasting impressions. It could be positive or negative, but hardly neutral.
MORE often than not we seem to thrive on negative leadership through negative criticism of the other players in the field. Add to this negative cunning, the raking of the past of the opponents; seeking other sickly baits during the trapping exercise; nothing that virtues sink to the bottom, and vices float up as pollutants, and move with the tides of the times. Some tend to live in the past, restless about the present, and indifferent about the future; taking a bohemian attitude — that the future would take care of itself. Playing-proxy with the future invites bugs.
However, the sardonic pleasure is the fact that the future does take care of itself, but impartially. It is the Law of Compensation. so far unchanged in the history of civilization. Timeless laws are of course independent of time: and Time is the greatest reckoner.
This back-biting through monitoring oT the panorama of
the past is another form of blackmail and/or character assassination. The reason for depending on the past is that the critics have nothing positive about themselves to offer, to balance the negative qualities of the opponent. There are proverbs in every society on this type of human weakness — looking for the mole in others' eyes and forgetting the mole in one's own.
Our politics is at present passing through this phase, but it is taking too long to come down to the normal residual level as noticed in other 'normal' societies; (this term 'normal' has gained wide acceptance, even in the vernacular, in our present day society at the popular level). The political leaders are quick to quote circumstantial evidence for this lingering malignity in our society; moaning the absence of the proper foundation or base for the cultivation of the fine art of political fencemanship.
Bickering is not a monopoly, but a human trait. It may be due to lack of raw materials or tools in one's armoury to corner the opponent In a planned and credible way. as the lawyers do in a court (the knights of the courts have a natural inclination towards politics as a pastime). But lawyers are crafty word-smiths, and try to defend the clients, right or wrong, proving that language is a much abused and overused tool in the moral and' ethical market. Since language is pliable, it is dangerous to that extent, and may be harmful to the user and the target. Earthquakes sway the tops of buildings; and 'mirthquakes' shake up the belly. Ask what are the specifications suitable for the versatile politicians, who always rest under dynamic conditions.
Another human frailty or pastime is looking for alibis, to condone or condemn. This may be done to suit the mood of the moment, or it is pompously
classified as circumstantial exigency. This type of defensive mechanism is also seen in children standing trial before parents for micro naughty mishaps. All these types of human weaknesses apply mostly to the common man. whereas a leader is supposed to be above the common stream of consciousness.
The politicians use a versatile tool to sway the masses. The longue is a multipurpose weapon to eat the opponent, without digesting him; and eat the goodies leaving the wrappers as evidence. It can lie flat after the truth escapes; and it can twist a lie to provide smooth evidence. It causes war when it beckons peace, and causes confrontation when peace is declared (as in E Timor). The tongue is the most volatile weapon to leave lasting impressions. It could be positive or negative, but hardly neutral. Therefore it is not advisable to depend on lip-service.