Letters & Opinion

Forget your troubles and dance

By Jeff Fedee

THIS seems to be the ploy of this administration instead of a focus on more positive endeavours such as education and career training, which will bring the most benefits for our people and country. That is why I have been critical of this government’s over-emphasis on a prolonged period of music festivals, which have a negative impact on the limited financial resources of our country’s citizens, and in particular the youth.

With Carnival around the corner, we have witnessed, an extreme vulgarity on the roads, in sharp contrast to the restrained behavior that marked our Carnival celebrations of yesteryear.

The minds and bodies of our future generation, the youth, should be directed at more positive endeavours.

While citizens in the advanced countries pursue scientific and technological endeavours, we who are disparagingly referred to as Third World, concentrate on trivialities, instead of initiating a new focus for our people and country to enter the world of scientific and technological endeavours.

The size of a country should not be a factor which limits small countries like ours from engaging in the pursuit of scientific and technological research, if we seriously believe in the equality of man’s ingenuity of all the races.

Singapore validates this submission, for a small country, similar in size to St. Lucia, which ranks among the most developed and scientifically advanced countries in the world. A search on the Internet on the subject of Singapore will reveal the extraordinary achievements of this country and its people.

The area of St.Lucia is 238 Sq. mls., While Singapore, through land expansion has increased its size to 277 sq. mls. Singapore is regarded as one of the most prosperous and developed countries in the world, which does not depend on foreign aid as we do for the most rudimentary needs such as agricultural production, the financing of foot paths and major infrastructural projects.

Singapore is a leading manufacturer and exporter of computers in the world, as well as pharmaceuticals, medical products, air craft parts, semi-conductors and electronics, as well as a scientifically developed agricultural industry.

In St.Lucia today, instead of advancing, we are regressing because of a leader who is visionless, who concentrates on festive events, which create the environment for our citizens to indulge in excessive partying and alcohol consumption, instead of concentrating on endeavours for personal advancement and development.

All of our creative efforts and energies are directed at the trivialities of entertainment. As the small country of Singapore illustrates, we should be directing our citizens into more positive endeavours that contributes to personal development and the advancement of our country.

Spare a thought of the world we live in today, with the advent of computers and the Internet, which puts knowledge and information at our fingertips in seconds. Left to our limited imagination and our indulgence in mindless festivals, we would still be picking letters on ancient typewriters.

While western man is exploring the outer-reaches of outer-space, and studying the phenomenon of global-warming, we are indulging in a wasteful over-abundance of festive events.

While the government is distracting citizens from the reality of our current economic situation, the E.C.C.B.’s annual Economic Review reports that the Economic situation in St.Lucia is not optimistic.

The Economic Report for 2017 & 2018 shows that this administration is spending more than it earns, which is the road to economic ruin.

The E.C.C.B report for the financial year 2017, the deficit was $93 million. However by March 2018, the deficit had climbed to $116 million. We can deduce that the economy is in serious decline, which this reckless administration keeps hidden from our citizens.

While this administration is seducing citizens by its mindless entertainments, instead of informing citizens of the state of the economy, it would call a public meeting on the William Peter Boulevard to indulge in a raucous meeting, hollering at the top of their voices, throwing aspersions at the Opposition as if they are responsible for the disappointing state of affairs in the country.

That meeting would descend to a level of salaciousness and vulgarity never before heard on a political platform of the U.W.P. The performance of the Prime Minister and his side-kick must have astonished St.Lucians, which gave us an insight into the hidden personality of our P.M., shouting at the top of his voice in guttural language that does not fit the dignified posture that the leader of the country should display.

It is fear that has caused this government to behave this way. A confident Government and Prime Minister would never descend to such salaciousness. When one is confident, a politician’s presentation would be dignified, moderate and erudite, as exemplified by former figures of the U.W.P. such as Henry Giraudy, George Mallet and Sir John himself. These architects of the U.W.P. must be turning in their graves.

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