Hypothetically yours

By Susan Merrell

Dr. Susan Merrell

There comes a time when something oft-repeated becomes a 'truism'; when regardless of its authenticity it becomes widely believed as the truth.

Such is the scenario painted by my critics who are, most likely, disciples of Belden Norman Namah.

It goes like this:  The heroine was bedded, the expected payment went begging, then she was unceremoniously dumped, (like the proverbial sucked mango) while the hero strode off, loins girded, looking for ever more greener pastures.

It's a fanciful tale suggestive of the heroine being 'a girl of the night' but then when you want to discredit a woman you call her sexually promiscuous.  On the other hand, when you want to turn someone quite ordinary into a 'Bik Man' you also make him sexually promiscuous – a lady killer.  Go figure! 

And of course there we have the crux of the matter and the point to the rhetoric:  Discredit Susan Merrell and create a young, vibrant and virile hero out of someone who bears little resemblance.

But realistically, the imagined scenario has serious ramifications for Belden Norman Namah because of his national status and political ambitions. 

Let's go through the story again.  I will use the third person because to insert myself into these imaginings is totally offensive and ever so slightly nauseating to me.
Hark:

A fabled and fractured fairytale.

The heroine is seduced by the boyish charms of the Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea – or is she?  If she's a 'lady of the night' perhaps it was just business.  (No matter, I can work with both possibilities.)

With his charms (or maybe his money) the hero seduces the heroine. 

BUT WAIT:      What is a Senior Minister in the PNG government and a leader of his people who openly espouses Christian values and is a married man doing committing adultery? 
Adultery is a statutory offence under the laws of PNG. Are the creators of this scenario suggesting that the DPM places himself brazenly above the law?
Adultery is also a violation of the PNG leadership code. Furthermore, what does the Seventh Day Adventist church teach? 
Clearly this would have been JOY of a completely different kind to that which appears on the PNG party's slogan.

Then, in the aftermath, all bets are off.

BUT WAIT:    Supposing the hero's money had proved more attractive than his dubious charms and if a deal was struck: that Belden Namah then welched on the deal says more about his lack of integrity than his honour.  Isn't a honourable man's word his bond – especially if he is known to be the Deputy Prime Minister of a Christian country? Apparently not, according to the myth creators.

The heroine is dumped without so much as a "thanks, it was nice knowing you."

WAIT UP AGAIN:      Clearly, the storytellers do not believe that polite social interaction and gentlemanly behaviour should be a hallmark of one of their leaders. Yet, surely, there would be an expectation of a modicum of social grace knowing the responsible position that the hero holds. Once again, clearly, manufacturers of this urban myth have failed to take this into account. 

The hero replaces the broken-hearted heroine with another.

HOLD ON:    Please read the above and apply.  Not only is the hero's behaviour aberrant, he is also a serial offender with no remorse.

So you see, anyone who believes that they are defending their Deputy Prime Minister
by fabricating such a story to discredit one of his political detractors are barking up the wrong tree and doing far more damage than they can imagine.

But hey, go for it.  We all like a juicy tale and, as they say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. 

With friends like Namah has, he really doesn't need enemies, does he?