Pakistani Politicians’ Question to the Public: Are You Not Entertained? [Opinion]

Once upon a time, in the midst of a raging inferno that threatened to burn Rome to the ground, the decadent Emperor Nero, so the story goes, plucked tunefully on his fiddle, completely oblivious to the chaos around him. While the citizens of Rome tried frantically to put out the flames and save their homes and families, the unfeeling Monarch continued to play his music, apparently more concerned with his music than with the fate of the city.

The negative implication of his actions is two-fold, of course: that he was an uncaring leader and that he was ineffectual in the face of an existential crisis.

Many historians have condemned Nero for his callous behavior, but some modern observers now suggest there may be a need to revisit Nero’s tainted legacy. For those in the know, Nero was simply ahead of his time.

After all, in the midst of his subjects’ suffering, should he not, the argument goes, have been applauded for recognizing the importance of giving the plebeians some much-needed entertainment to take their minds off their – admittedly impending –destruction.

And in the same vein, if we had any sense of gratitude, should we not also be thanking our leaders – erstwhile, and current – for doing all that they can to keep us distracted from the constant worry of high food prices, looming default, job losses, spiraling inflation, and the seemingly endless litany of woes under which we labor every day? But ingrates that we are, we seem to have entirely forgotten the sacrifices our poor leaders are making to keep us entertained during these wretched times.

Our beloved leaders, it seems, instead of working together to address the dire economic situation that citizens are facing, are busy keeping our distracted minds occupied with their squabbling over who should be in charge. It’s like a game of musical chairs, except instead of music, we have endless debates, chaotic court appearances, and political posturing: perennial themes for any successful television drama, no?

Politicians Fiddle as Pakistan Burns

It’s the same story the world over, of course. As the world faces an array of existential threats, from climate change to nuclear war, world leaders seem more interested in their own personal pursuits than in addressing these challenges. While forests burn and glaciers melt, politicians fiddle around with petty squabbles and partisan bickering. It’s as if they’re more interested in playing their own tunes than in confronting the reality of the world around them.

Closer to home, our own leaders continue to sacrifice their own peace of mind by engaging in skirmishes that must leave them mentally depleted, and we don’t even have the good grace to say a simple thank you!

True, the (blame) game show – let’s call it “Whose Fault Is It Anyway?” – continues against a backdrop of economic meltdown and public despair. But how can our leaders be expected to sort out that mess and keep us occupied at the same time? We ask too much, surely?

Yes, ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet. They’re facing job losses, high debts, and rising prices for basic necessities like food and healthcare. And yes, our leaders may appear too busy arguing over who gets to sit in the big chair to notice. But leaders are leaders because they can see the bigger picture which we ordinary citizens cannot. When Rome burned, for example, Nero knew that the city had been designed inefficiently and only a cleansing inferno – and several thousand deaths – would allow him to recreate a more modern, better-planned, less plague-ridden city. See? Big picture thinking. Are our leaders today any less visionary than the hitherto reviled Nero?

Many of them have studied or lived abroad so may well have been exposed to the western philosophical theory posited by Nietzsche (or Lucretius, depending on which source you believe) that out of chaos comes order. If so, this means that there is method to their, ahem, madness. Let’s not forget that Nero, too, has gone down in history as a madman. In a couple of thousand years, perhaps there will be a similar readjustment in thinking about our leaders’ legacies. For our part, the least we can do is allow for the assumption that our masters know exactly what they are doing – taking the hard decisions that we, mere mortals, could never take, for our own future benefit.

And perhaps this might be the moment to mention that we, the people, might also not be entirely blameless. After all, it’s not just our leaders who are fiddling while the world burns. We’re all guilty of it to some extent. We distract ourselves with endless streams of cat videos and celebrity gossip, ignoring the fact that our nation – indeed the planet – is slowly but inexorably spiraling toward disaster.

Perhaps it’s time for us to put down our own figurative fiddles and take action to confront the challenges that face us. After all, if we continue to play around while the world burns, we may end up facing the same fate as ancient Rome.

But self-reflection isn’t really our thing, so maybe let’s not go too far down that uncomfortable rabbit hole!

So, back to our story.

Commentators can talk ad nauseam about how ordinary Pakistanis struggle to make ends meet, working multiple jobs just to pay the bills, facing unemployment and uncertain futures; having to make heart-breaking choices like whether to buy milk for their children or heat their homes so those same children do not fall sick. These armchair experts howl into the night about the sad state of affairs, lamenting the folly of our elected officials who, they say, care more about their own egos and power struggles than the well-being of their constituents.

But I’m here to tell you the truth! There’s no need to worry, folks. Our politicians have assured us that they have everything under control. They’re working tirelessly to come up with a solution to the economic crisis, even as they argue over who has the best ideas and who should be the one to implement them.

They may blame each other for the current state of affairs – and of course, critics would argue that they have a tendency to conveniently forget that they have been in power for years and have done little to address the underlying issues. But the fact is that even pundits and analysts acknowledge – albeit unconsciously – the truth of the matter. Do they not, after all, ponder daily between 8 and 10 pm on our TV screens that it’s almost like the politicians are trying to distract us from their own failures by pointing fingers and playing the blame game?

Exactly. Out of the goodness of their hearts, they are keeping our minds off our troubles.

To the uninitiated and uninformed, it may seem a truly sad state of affairs when the people who are supposed to be leading our country are more concerned with their own power struggles than the welfare of their citizens. But hey, at least we can take comfort from the fact that they’re well-fed and well-paid, even as we struggle to make ends meet. After all, it’s not like they’re suffering the same economic hardships as the rest of us, allowing them, therefore, to better concentrate on putting the world to rights without wondering where their next meal will be coming from.

Instead, let’s sit back and watch as our politicians continue to squabble over who should lead the country. It’s not like we have anything better to do, right? While our bills pile up, as our bank accounts dwindle, and when our hopes for a better future fade away we can forget it all and take comfort from the fact that we at least have a front-row seat to the greatest political show on earth.

Featured Image by Mike Luckovich