In my last article, “Twisted”, where I explored the creditability of the people we put into office, a contributor remarked, “Unfortunately, we have an uneducated electorate who are happy to be fooled by dishonest people who have money and cars. They get what they deserve.” This statement can lend itself to a full analysis and while this is not the objective here, allow me to ask a few questions. Can we call this government dishonest? Have we been fooled? Five to stay alive. Five years will soon be here, how many (or is that how much) of these five promises have been fulfilled? Will there be a rush in the last two years to fool the people again? How long will we be fooled? How long will we continue to allow ourselves to be fooled?
People try to convince me that we have a more educated generation and that our youth will get us out of the rut that we are in. I still need to be convinced. I have had a lot of disappointments with the National Youth Council. As far as I care, they show themselves to be happy with the status quo. Many in there are seeing how they can eventually become part and parcel of the status quo.
When it comes to partisan politics, practitioners lose all objectivity. This is the brick wall that must be broken. The kind of excuses that people make for this government is dumbfounded. I do not intend to go into details here. When people can stare you in the face and tell you that they do not care how much “bobol” politicians make in office as long as they get their cut, we are in big trouble as a democracy.
What we need is to take ownership of our country. We have to own the politicians. They cannot feel that they own us. We should not be bought, not with money or promises or good times. We cannot get drunk in “the party” and lose our sensibilities. We have to wake up from our drunkenness. We have to let out our cup of vengeance on these politicians. They were put in there for a purpose and that is to improve our standard of living, not to sell us back into slavery. At what time do we wake up from this nightmare? The molestation must stop. Farmers in the south have to rent land from the government at over $1000 per year and foreign investors get to lease at $1US per acre for 99 years. Can that be right? I go to a hospital and a man is packed in a corner on a wheelchair groaning. His right foot is sore and eaten into. Upon inquiry I am told that he has been there for weeks. You think that is right? What a travesty on the dignity of human life!
We have become a nation of paupers. We do not need relief; we need empowerment. Market vendors are happy to get $500 from their daddy, Government. $500 school bursaries.Free laptops. They are treating us like the mendicants we imagine ourselves to be. I think it is time to throw these back in their faces and demand better. Foreigners can come here, be served on gold and silver platters and a market vendor cannot make a dollar plying his goods in his own country. You think that right? Somebody wake me up, please!
Hello, can I call you Peter? to me it sounds better:
Pete my brother, I think I know your elder family from Soufriere they were
very close friends to my older relatives, all very good friends. I can see that you
are young and as most of the young today, they have much different values from,
those of my time. Every body have computers, Cell Phones, Cars, Credit Cards,Guns
lovely attire etc. Pete,you have a good education,I grew up in a St.Lucia with only one high
school i.e. SMC. if one couldn’t make it, then you’re screwed – Peter, you’re not one who’s screwed.
Like the guy said “I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man with no feet”
and that’s no bull. Bro we complain too much, stop looking for a hand out, go out there and create your
own future,some started with nothing.from Soufriere, like ‘Elwin’ who started with a small shop in a corner
in Castries and worked long hard hours and made it big.I still wake early shoveling snow to get the Car going.
There’s a place with greener grass and seems cool and pleasant, but brother, it’s hard work that did it. Peace. .