There is a storm in my tea cup

Today started off really good. When I walked into my office this morning, I had a spring in my step and a song in my heart. Aah… to be young and carefreee!
That was until I realised that a colleague of mine (call him Salem) had purposely NOT invited me to a key senior manager’s meeting.
Now normally I’d consider not being invited a bonus. Meetings are a drag and the less I have to attend the better off I am. The problem with this meeting is that it probably the most important meeting of the first quarter of the year. It is the kind of meeting where you can make your career.
How do I know he did it on purpose? Well, our boss retires at the end of this year. It has been made clear to both Salem and me that one of us will be appointed as his successor.  Needless to say there’s a fair bit of jockeying and friendly rivalry going on. We are each trying to position ourselves as the guy who can take over from him.
I have no doubt that he, as I am, is doing his bit of campaigning behind the scenes. No harm done, a bit of competition is always good. May the best man win and all that shit.
Provided of course that it stays within reasonable limits.
Not inviting me to this meeting was a brilliant strategy, albeit a devious way of kicking me in the corporate nuts. (Damn! I wish had thought of it first) Not only is this an opportunity for him to shine, but my absence will undoubtedly cast a shadow on my eligibility. I can complain afterwards and kick up a fuss, but the fact of the matter is, he was there and I was not. Bastard!
That great political philosopher, musician and poet Niccolò Machiavalli, prescribed a generous dose of DEATH when dealing with one’s enemies. He recognized that throughout history successful leaders eliminated their enemies by killing them dead. [Is there any other way to kill, other than dead?)
You do not exile your enemies nor do you negotiate with them. You do not throw them in prison or yell at them in a very mean way. You take them outside and chop their silly little heads off.
There are many stories of enemies who, when allowed to live, came back and caused a whole lot of distress.
It’s the not-so-nice part of ongoing success. But if you want to make it to the top and outlast your peers, you’d best keep a few sharp knives in your drawer. Very sharp knives. Like Nikkei or something similar.
“So bring it on Salem!” The game is on and we have just made it to the next level. I don’t care if I lose. I just don’t want him to win.
A world without idiots is what I’m fighting for. It’s a marathon, not a sprint and I’m doing it one idiot at a time. To infinity and beyond! (Oops… that’ll be Buzz Lightyear)
Oh yeah, and if I do get that promotion, that’ll be nice too.