Satire is enjoyable when written with tongue in cheek. J Alter (of the Economist) was entertaining with his bizarre hypo of some virtual principles, which he names as The Law of Premature Predictions, and The Media Oscillation.

Let us apply the same (lightly enough) in Dhaka politics and national affairs. But first get rid of Washington's Iraqi bitchiness. President Bush's pre-Xmas coup in officially capturing Saddam is understandable--he was looking for the right timing. The trial of Saddam is not going to be straight forwardlook what happened to Milo... the Balkan genocide leader with the number 200,000 (or two lakhs) on his neck. You can't do good to yourself trying to be good to others, specially when you are a politician of some calibre. Apply the same Alter principles on Blair of Downing Street, and the curtain comes down. The EU has to stand up to take a firm stand from its sitting position; while the UK decided long ago not to sit on the fence and watch the tamasha.

Let us come down to deshi stuff. Both the major political parties, the Awami League and the BNP are fast approaching the point of no return, in the fast changing world of politics, local or international. They have to take a major decision on the future role of the party; because at the point of no return there is no decisionit is too late.

The top leadership is under test on posterity. Old style politics will not sustain the parties on charismatic props. There is nothing called negative production. There are two sides: the survival of the party; and its public performance. There is no point in being obsessed with the former and neglecting the other. Sustainability is self-propelled; as is leadership. No props, no trimmings.

Today's leaders grab more than what they give voluntarily. Acts of sacrifice are very much visible; however indirect. Now the dissenters are at the very top of the society, and those grumbling cannot be ignored by the isolated and the insulated leaders. Another form of insulation is to be surrounded by rings of sycophants, who lack weight, anchoring, and direction. Sustainability at the top is daunting (as Saddam and Bush have realised). The people cannot be short-changed (although we have a lot of soiled GC notes in circulation).

These thoughts after the recent Victory Day exuberance follow naturally, realising the sad plight of the local political culture today. The point of concern is that whether the very foundation of politics needs to be replacedit would be disastrous to build the new structure over the old and corrupt foundation. The founders are in short supply, while the demand for revitalised and clean politics is echoing around. Today the ordinary routine lies are not safe, and the political masters look so helpless in their ranting.

We need silent dedicated workers working behind the scene. The front stage is too crowded. There is a negative competition between Rajuk and the DCC, for its notoriety (see DS Dec 20 on the land grabbers). The home ministry is sitting at home while the triggers are happy firing away at the ordinary house folks (DS Dec 20). The records of the JS Standing Committees are gathering dust. The mantras in the Education sector are not working (compare the soothsayers' parroting (DS Dec 20). The FFs (freedom fighters) have been split (for warfare), and the government hospitals cannot cure without medicines in stock (DS Dec 20). We have become a society of sadists, the way child workers are tortured as housemaid (news report).

The AL lacks variety in news breaks--the monotonous tirade against BNP day in and out. BNP has run out of ideas and is living in the past. We cannot handle the present and the futureeven with black wealth in the concrete jungle (DS Dec 20).

It is time to quit. The question is how and how.