HARD to blame Umno president Najib Razak for blaming his former mentor Dr Mahathir Mohamad for crossing the line and all the ills that have visited Malaysia. 

Why?

Because we all are guilty of finding fault with somebody or something. Think about it.

We blame red-tape and bureaucracy when we indulge in corruption.

We blame the “system” when we justify our decision not to go out to vote.

We blame the other motorist who drive and switch lanes recklessly.

We blame our teachers or the education ministry for our less than stellar results.

Finding fault is what we do well. It is much easier and palatable to blame someone else than to own up to our mistakes and shortcomings. 

It is easier to demonise one person or one group than to have a serious and honest discussion on why we have not succeeded; on why cost of living is shooting skywards; what ails Malaysia, etc.

Dr Mahathir employed such a strategy during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. He blamed George Soros and currency speculators for the run on the ringgit and the collapse of the financial system.

He needed to do so because the alternative was unacceptable. The alternative would have been to accept that the excesses of the system had made it vulnerable. And the excesses were the result of government policies.

Soros and speculators were the bad guys at the Umno assembly in 1998. 

Remember then when the catchphrase was that everyone else was jealous of our success. 

Today and over the next few days, Najib and Umno men will paint Dr Mahathir as the bad guy. He will be blamed for everything. Perhaps the DAP leaders too because they are seen as puppet masters of Amanah and Bersatu. 

Don’t blame Najib and Umno for taking this route. It is just easier and politically expedient to lay all the blame on someone else and turn him into the bogeyman.

Deflect. Find Fault. Blame Others. – December 7, 2017.