Is there smoke without fire? A poetic rendition on suspicions of corruption..

This is the oldest question humanity has asked to illustrate various societal phenomena. It was so acute that it generated a multi-millennia-old proverb: 'There is no smoke without fire'. But then, can there be smoke without fire? To answer this question, let's start with what is smoke? A Google search yields, “Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion, together with the quantity of air mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires”.

From the explanation of smoke, it is clear that not only fire produces smoke. It can be an outcome of combustion, artificial or natural. Notwithstanding, it is more accurate as a byproduct of fire. When we see smoke, our natural response is to search for fire. Even when smoke is seen as a result of combustion, machine maintenance sensitivity dictates that the denser the smoke is, the more mechanical dysfunctions the machine has. 

Since fire is one of the non-biotic living systems that emits energy almost as a biotic system, when humanity sees smoke, there is an immediate understanding of how ravaging fire can be if not stopped. Humanity’s respect for fire is not only its energy provision role but includes a somewhat reverence of its hazardous character if left to rage on. It ravages as well as balances the ecosystem. As humanity, our instinct when seeing smoke is to investigate how and when to control the fire to optimise or diminish its size, shape, and intensity, depending on what the smoke communicates. When there is smoke, we know the fire is lit, and something is at a stage of being or is ash. 

Lately, we have seen variations of mechanisms to create smoke. In the form of invisible particulates and gases, smoke does not attract attention, save for those who own sophisticated detecting tools. However, the denser the smoke, the more visible it gets and the more human reactions it generates. These reactions are more about the depth of danger the assumption fire or combustion dysfunction poses. 

Smoke that is visible and does not pose risks of fire-related hazards generates interest that only ends in curiosity. Humans will indeed probe until even the least of curiosities are satisfied. For instance, when vaping was introduced, there was curiosity about the smoke it emits and where the fire comes from. This is because, when society sees the 'proverbial smoke' in issues, the question 'of where is the fire always arises'. This question is always intended to see if they can either help extinguish the fire or understand the nature of the fire and determine if those around it can handle all that comes with it. 

In a country with stories of nonfeasance and malfeasance, every story that emits dense smoke attracts attention to the possibility of fire or combustion. The mere sight or talk of smoke indicates fire or combustion. In this context, fire represents evidence of malfeasance, and artificial combustion, such as the one in vapes, will represent a manufactured narrative without any possibility of malfeasance. If both occur, a condition of nonfeasance will then be obtained. 

Like we fear fire, we generally fear leaders who are the smoke, which indicates the existence of corruption as the fire eats up to ashes our resources as a society. We commonly accept these "toxic leaders because we fear that we are incapable of overthrowing such strong figures all by ourselves". Like invisible gases, which are smoke, leaders are good at using Illusions as the umbilical cord linking them and us, their followers. They understand that we need illusions to interpret them away as the fire that causes the smoke, dense or invisible. 

Because we all "long to be part of something pure and beautiful, or at least seemingly so despite a festering malignancy", we have become vulnerable to invisible smoke, now lately branded methane, and believe in the integrity of the dishonesty that accompanies reasoning the fire away. All the types of charcoal which started the corruption and state capture fire are recorded in several commission of inquiry reports, including those of the public protector, released or gagged. The fire that most corrupt leaders are as their by-product, which is corruption in the form of smoke, demonstrates they have mastered the subtle art of covering their darker impulses with excuses, procedure rituals, and rationalisations that make it easier for them to get away with proven unpleasant smoke generating behaviour. 

After all is said and done, the density of the smoke stays intense. The fire pool or pool of fire is untouched. Maybe a CUT!! will help here.