Satiricus was never surprised by the mud thrown at his favourite politician, Nagga Man. That came with the territory, Satiricus figured. For a fellow like himself without much wattage upstairs, folks just assumed he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t even bother to comment. But with a brain-box like Nagga Man, they were always imputing negative motives to his actions. For some reason which Satiricus couldn’t fathom, they figured he was a “smart fly”.
Take this latest accusation that Nagga Man was INTIMIDATING the folks running Chronic – the People’s Paper. What stuff and nonsense!! Nagga Man was such a sweetheart…how could he possibly INTIMIDATE anyone?
But Satiricus knew exactly when the whole rigmarole started. It was when that Chronic cub reporter had filed a story “Govt bludgeoned the Opposition”. All Nagga Man did when he ran into the reporter (NOT “ran down” the reporter, as the gutter press reported snidely) in the corridors of power, was to tell him gently the headline should rather have been, “Government blundered against the Opposition”.
Now, Nagga Man didn’t have to do this…he could’ve let the reporter be ridiculed. But as a one-time journalist, out of the kindness of his heart, he volunteered to help the young man. Unlike 60 years ago when he’d come to town from Berb Ice and no one lent him a helping hand. But not used to such generosity of spirit, the press immediately claimed Nagga Man was “berating” the reporter.
In the media feeding frenzy that followed, Nagga Man merely explained “guvnment” owned the Chronic. Satiricus was still amazed how the press persecuted Nagga Man for not saying “state owned”. Nagga Man was a man of the people…a son of the soil, as anyone looking under his nails could tell. What do the people know about “state” and “guvment”? They were more worried about the state of the guvment.
And now this latest accusation Nagga Man was “intimidating” the Chronic staff when he and his shill met them weekly. Here again, it was all because no one appreciated the kindness of Nagga Man.
He could’ve easily had the Board meet the editors – it was their job. But he wanted to pass on his wisdom as a son of the soil (not “soiled son”, as some said) to the new editors since the old ones had all retired.
How could that be “intimidation”? It wasn’t as if he hinted they too might be retired.
