Where the Rubber meets the Road...

It would appear that the greatest legacy of the last Administration is that the arrogance of its leader and his cabal has so tainted the holders of High Office, that anything other than him and them is better, regardless of what that anything is.

There is now a disconnect in the politics between what people believe and what they accept as policy; a dumbing down as it were, and this is being translated into what they allow to occur, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
By itself a sad state, the real tragedy is, while they aspire for loftier heights at election time, this 'settling' for low aspirations once in office is reducing the size of the moral high ground to what can be proven and who can be charged.

What's my rant about?

We've lost that loving feeling.

Public opinion of High Office and Office holders are at an all time low, with elections being decided on the basis of who we're voting out more than who we're voting in; that in itself is an indictment on how this country views itself morally and something that needs to be addressed with some urgency. Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent at election time, most of us flinch while voting, hoping for the best while expecting the worst.

An example of note is that the Government was running without an Integrity Commission in place to watchdog the behavior of officials in public office; the popular opinion on the street at the time was that His Excellency could not appoint one because he could not find enough people of Integrity, and to us that sounded about right.

Really? Have we really sunk THAT low?

I have been told that when you have to 'rationalize' a thing, you have to tell yourself 'rational lies' and that absolutely applies here.
Politics on the ground is as much gang warfare as it theatre, and once you pick a side, you defend what that side does no matter what, as long as it keeps your side in office.
Shrewd politicians on both sides, mindful of this 'us against them' strategy, are keen to fan the flames by smearing characters and sullying reputations into disrepute.

At some point we have to put the theatrics aside and get down to the work of Governance, and we must not allow ourselves to be distracted from the business that has to be done, if we ever hope to put things right for our loved ones and the future. If New Politics is ever to exist, its time is now.

That said, one of the most pressing issues facing this new Administration is the appointment of Jack Warner to the Cabinet.

The brewing furor on both sides on the heels of the Leader of the Opposition questioning that appointment before the Integrity Commission must be answered and answered definitively. The people need to know where right and wrong is on this vague and divisive issue, and not only on this matter but in how this Government plans to treat with issues such as these in the future.

The other burning issue is the pending extradition of Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson to answer corruption charges in the US and their subsequent appeal to the Attorney General.

How the Government handles that particular thorn, in light of the fact that the defendants themselves are known supporters and financiers of the Party, will go a long way in galvanizing public trust as they embark on prosecuting Calder Hart and others from the last regime, alleged to be guilty of corruption and other high crimes while in office.

Where the rubber meets the road is this; these particular issues must be dealt with equitably, decisively, and in as bipartisan a manner as possible if public confidence in Office Holders is to be restored.

As in all matters, and as Lord Hewart has so eloquently said “… it is not merely of some importance but is of fundamental importance, that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”

Something to think about...