This past Tuesday was very interesting near the House of Assembly. The return of the Leader of the Opposition to the House of Parliament was welcomed with fanfare, as well as jeers, depending on what part of the political divide you support.
To me, the last government lost the last general election by a great margin and I would have thought that the party and its leader would take time to heal their wounds and spend a lot of time behind closed doors reflecting on what went wrong, or why the people rejected them in such a harsh way.
But what I saw by its supporters seems to suggest that nothing went wrong and all they needed to do was regroup and prepare for the next general elections.
Despite all the allegations of corruption and mismanagement leveled at the former administration, it seems to matter not to its supporters, because they accepted their actions as normal.
On the other hand, those who opposed them and ensured that they were voted out of office are still waiting for some sort of accountability, or remorse, at least accepting that they may have done a bad job at governing and people need to hear some sort of apology or regret and them accepting that maybe the general needs of the people were not met.
Since the advent of this new regime, they have become miracle workers, having to deal with a heightened pandemic, create safety nets for the underprivileged, absorb cost of certain institutions, fix the broken and review the bad deals. They have had to suppress borrowing like in the past, come-up with new or bold methods to revive the economy and yet despite all their doings, it is difficult for them to get praise from the other faction.
In fact, the new tagline is “nothing has been done”, or that “all the promises made are yet to be fulfilled,” and “the promise to reduce prices or to solve certain problems is not happening quick enough to be given a passing grade.”
The big problem is a lot of people are in want and need, but have to blame somebody – or the Government — for the state of affairs, not accepting that just maybe, we the people are the cause of the situation. It is not the Government responsible for the present hike in criminal activity, it is the people who have changed their values and don’t mind becoming or harbouring homemade terrorists — after all, they are our sons and daughters.
The Tourism dream is shattered, not because the Government is not playing their part, but because of world conditions that we have become stagnant. To my mind, the absence of true education outside the classroom is partly responsible for the mindset that most people now have. It is partly responsible for what is causing the melee, and the distrust, as well as the uncertainty that now looms.
People need to know the true facts to face our stark reality, as we can’t live on promises, but neither should we the people get the impression that it will always be alright in the morning and we’ll soon go back to what was. The developed countries are putting the squeeze on us and we are left to comply or perish, submit or become marginalized.
If we do not play by the international rules, or meet their demands, we as a people will lose out, so I advise us to stop playing petty politics and find a means to transform this country from this present predicament.
It is not the change of leader or political party that will make a difference, it is all about a change of policy and having stringent laws and accountability, as well as more honesty in high places. We must stop looking at life through tinted glasses, or having blinders like horses, or live a pretentious life.
Plain and simple, we have to stop lying to ourselves.
For lack of knowledge people perish. Mr. Ishmael, understand well that there are three factions involved in the acquisition of knowledge
1. Those who have knowledge and
use it for righteous purposes;
to better the human condition.
2. Those who have knowledge and
use It to viciously manipulate
others to commit illegal acts.
3. Those who have no knowledge,
refuse to gain any knowledge and
take pleasure in declaring
themselves – sans edicasion.
The latter faction are often the mass of self centered people who look towards anything or anyone for their own gain.
Examine the horns closely and you will see marks of bobolism all over them. Some are eating surreptitiously from bowls filled with misappropriated government contracts.
Some are behind the door like Ali Baba; exchanging votes for land grabbing rights, while others ingratiate themselves for material and vanity – cars, aim gros cai, jewelry, deaux planche plywood etc.
This is exactly the state of corruption that has ruined great civilizations; blasted apart Sodom and Gomorrahs and earned once stable nations the pejorative of a failed state.
Fortunately, a majority of st. Lucian voters heeded the trumpet blasts of approaching despotism and found the courage to rise up and eject their oppressors
Nevertheless, despite the sure and steady gains being achieved by the Labor administration- the yoke of deprivation broken from the backs of poor and underprivileged people
Like the children of Israel murmuring against Moses in the wilderness after their miraculous escape from Egypt, the mixed multitude among the population always find something to criticize; even when the quail is dripping gravy between their teeth.
So. You see, Mr. Ishmael, the spectacle you witnessed near the parliament was of people incapable of conceiving or perceiving common sense acts of reflection.
The parasite gives nothing to benefit its host. It’s aim is not think of ways to benefit both its host and himself, but solely to feed from the veins until there remains nothing to sustain it then move away to find another lucrative sucker.
It is imperative that conscientious St. Lucians count their blessings of deliverance and remain vigilant so as not to be deceived or seduced by dogs disguised with horns at a goat party.
May GOD guide St. Lucians along paths of righteousness.