Corruption manifests itself in many ways. The most common, of course, is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power. There is material corruption and emotional corruption. Emotional corruption was demonstrated through the melodramatic methods of snake oil salesmen of old. Without their cure-all potion, you were doomed. They were con-men, but always with a smile; much like our Prime Minister actually. Not only did our PM save the lives of eighty thousand NZers three months ago, but suddenly she has the urge to save the lives of the other four million, nine hundred and twenty thousand of us that exist within her team of five million. Wasn’t she doing a little dance a few months ago celebrating the “eradication” of the virus? But that was before an ensuing election.
It is time to reintroduce emotional manipulation. This is her strong suit; no, it’s her only suit! The exaggerated compassion she exhibited in Christchurch was outrageous and the way she has manipulated people’s fear of COVID-19 is extraordinary. To suggest she is a drama queen is too kind. She is the catastrophiser extraordinaire. She hijacks the minds of the emotionally vulnerable, chews them up and spits them out once having used them as accessories to her own glorification. Just look at the poverty stats and the carnage in the economy. The next chapter is about to be written in the continuing drama of emotional corruption: “The Second Wave”. But instead of snake oil, she is peddling masks. As the election beckons, the sales pitch is about to head into overdrive. Lest we forget: without emotional manipulation, she has nothing.
It has been suggested we have a “mask day” where we all wear masks as a practice run in anticipation of the inevitable “second wave”. I wonder at times if our leaders are the full quid? Dress-up is not an election issue nor is COVID-19. Pop-up testing stations suddenly reappear, mask sales are through the roof and yet the nation has never been in better health.
To hell with the economy. It’s only money, and the salary of the PM is not the least of it, but it must be preserved. She is nothing and has achieved nothing. That is why the COVID-19 fantasy must be extended up until the election. Emotional corruption is her election strategy. It doesn’t get any more shameless than that.
