WAG THE DOG

Wag the dog comes from the longer expression the tail wagging the dog.

The tail wagging the dog is an American idiom that dates back to at least the late 1800s. For the tail to wag the dog, then and now, indicates a backwards situation where a small or unimportant entity (the tail) controls a bigger, more important one (the dog).

Wag the dog went on to develop its own specialized political meaning. In 1997, a film called Wag the Dog came out, based on a 1993 novel of the same name by Larry Beinhart. The plot revolved around efforts to distract attention from a presidential scandal by fabricating a war.

The story intruded into real politics not long after its release. In 1998, when Bill Clinton’s scandal regarding Monica Lewinsky broke, he was accused of “wagging the dog.” Three days after admitting he had inappropriate relations with Lewinsky, he ordered missile strikes against two countries, allegedly to divert public attention from his sex scandal.

We see this phenomenon often in the local political scene more than any. Whenever there's a "hot" issue, it's not uncommon to find a "fire" of sorts being lit in another direction/area. Quite obviously, it's to diffuse the attention of the People on the real matters, ie matters that actually are important, and ultimately, will decide on the political direction of the country. Take for example the time when we were informed that a 11 year old kid was shot at in 2017 because he was found driving a car in which there were parangs and other dangerous items. That was when the 1MDB case was hotting up. 

In Malaysia Baru now, the people are marking the report card carefully. There are reverberations of dissent inside and outside. Actors were found to be acting badly and only protected from being fired by the director. Like in the movies, fanatical cartel lords have taken control of local councils and are quite obviously wreaking havoc with public opinions. Therefore, a "tail to wag" the dog needed to be created. Based on topical statements bandied about, we all should know why there's a sudden interest in the dead and buried. Even news rags are delving into the obscure lands where there was no previous interest, all in the name of wagging the dog. They just had to revive a dead dog to make it the bogeyman so that the fires can burn freely elsewhere. 

Watch the 1997 movie called Wag the Dog. All will be clear.