Goebbels-speak

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

- Joseph Goebbels

AAB’s spinmeisters, including the Johor and Trengganu MBs (Raja Petra Kamaruldin of Malaysia-Today blog in one article told us that the latter was ordered around like a subordinate by the SIL) are hard at work in damage control after Dr Mahathir did his kiss-and-tell, following the so-called 4-eyes meeting with the PM. Puteri UMNO also joined in the obligatory condemnation of Dr Mahathir.

But the best among the whole lot of the ‘kami sokong kami sokong’ choir was the Propaganda Minister – nowadays they call the office the Information Minister. Zainuddin Maidin tsk-tsk-ed Dr Mahathir for making the second drastic mistake in his political career.

Zainuddin averred Mahthir’s first political miscalculation was bringing his once-protégé, the firebrand from ABIM named Anwar Ibrahim, into UMNO, to groom Anwar as his political heir. But alas, Zainuddin lamented that the parachute stunt only damaged UMNO’s unity when those two had a serious falling out. In fact it was terminal for Anwar!

Zainuddin claimed Dr Mahathir’s second political miscalculation was revealing the substance (or, as KTemoc sees it, lack of) of his meeting last Sunday with AAB.

He averred that at a time when the Malays and Muslims were hoping for reconciliation, at least of opinions between the two leaders before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, if not for the two to be pally buddies, the Grand Ole Man upset the cempedak cart by revealing matters of a sensitive nature discussed at the meeting.

What sensitive nature?

Bullsh*t! Prior to the meeting Dr Mahathir had already announced to the world what he was going to say to AAB, and after the meeting he revealed nothing more than what he said he would say. And furthermore, he also revealed that AAB said virtually nothing other than to take down notes and declare his SIL and son were darling little angels – which we know AAB would.

So what was new and revealing, or sensitive?

Now this is the best part. Zainuddin said that following the doctor’s political miscalculation, according to Zainuddin's own Book, he (Zainuddin) conducted a random survey among his own officers of the Information Ministry a day after the meeting. Voila, very much to our astonishing surprise, Zainuddin said his staff gave mucho sympathy to AAB. Thus, Zainuddin declared AAB the winner!

He said the survey also found that the people were disappointed with Dr Mahathir's approach in making the open statement. Tell me why I am not surprised by Zainuddin’s survey finding.

I expect Zainuddin to reveal another fantastic finding of his personal survey (of his staff), that the most popular candidate to succeed AAB is …….. (only one guess, and sorry, no prize).