Robertson, MPP and Dudus - Three strikes, you're out!

Franklin Johnston

Friday, November 26, 2010

George W Bush is a man we laugh at, blame for the Iraq war and love to disrespect. I do not share this view. Leadership is very complex. I browsed his book Decision Points and can't fault his faith, the matriculation and graduation processes of Yale and Harvard or US democracy. I even understand why he went to war, though I disagree. I also poke fun at Bruce. My prime minister embarrasses us, has not delivered and seems aloof. We ask him to jump no higher than the bar he set while in Opposition, but he crawls. We spoke in London and had I been in JA, I would have voted JLP. The PNP were lost, flaccid, arrogant and needed to renew their people and mission.

To be fair to Bruce, it is not easy to fulfil our expectations what with the burden of high office and also a slim majority, while keeping some MPs from raiding the treasury. I feel Bruce's pain; but my politics is based on a set of values, not a man.You just read the start of my article I was calling, "In praise of politicians". But I put it aside when the sickening rage and shock of this newly revealed JLP misstep reached my inbox.

Is there no limit to the wickedness of the wicked? The JLP is wounded. They have made us a laughing stock in Caricom, the US, and UK. Even their supporters are appalled. The logic of the dalectic is, things will get worse before they change. Are we there yet? If men may murder in order to "serve" as MP, is my plea for more young people in politics just more lambs to the slaughter? Must an aspirant for MP make his will? Total madness! The MP's job gives a taxpayer-funded life, to be minister is the key to the chest and some may kill to get and keep it! Bruce and Portia must change this value proposition, take the profit out of politics, back new laws to make MPs accountable and drop some MPs. The ECJ must raise the bar and the OCG must get what it needs to limit corruption. The church and PSOJ must have donor protocols for members and not support a candidate or MP with any whiff of corruption about him, as we are not short of fresh talent to replace them.

Whatever the truth of the allegations against James Robertson, his accuser has a face - he is known; they frighten us, damage our nation and the JLP. Was this filing

self-preservation or mischief? Tell us! A poor man who migrates to the US, earns money, status, returns to his parish, sets up business is vetted by many security agencies and is no fool. Did Bruce know the police were investigating James when he was made minister? Wrong move! He made news in a Tivoli escapade involving reckless driving and guns - more bravado than brains. That a man seeking to make change by the ballot puts himself in a police matter involving bullets was disturbing. A man who risks his and others' lives to upstage the police is not brave; if you don't value your own life, you do not value any person's life.

The Dudus and MPP escapades exhausted our compassion. We are stressed. Much of the unknown was laid bare and we said, "It can't get worse!" I felt Bruce would unleash "new and different" to end his term with enough hope to overpower the shame. Wrong again! In my day job we move from the known and expect the unknown. As we progress we find the unknown known, but what really throws us are the unknown unknowns - things pop up which you can't imagine. The Robertson issue opens some known unknowns and may lead to unknown unknowns we may wish we did not learn. Readers who sent me LNG bling know I can't use it as I don't want to seek asylum. Bruce's mom needed no court ruling to tell him the company he should not keep and common decency can take no more. Minister Robertson should be removed as minister. It is unfair to convulse the nation with another public spectacle, so let the law take its course in private. He doesn't need the work, does he? It's public service, isn't it? This would give credence to Bruce's mea culpa and the JLP a breather. On Tuesday, British PM Cameron fired Lord Young and before that his treasury minister. A leader leads; protects the nation, his party and the courts do what courts do - no conflict! The PNP did not die when it ripped the brilliant four Hs (Hill, Hart, Henry, Hill) from its bosom in 1952. The very thought of this allegation is hell; nor can Robertson be an effective minister or the JLP beat this by 2012. More to come!

In other nations MPs may be sleazy - gambling, gay or straight sex, alcohol; what gives an MP a criminal mindset? My area had a venal MP, always in a hurry; Mr "will get back to you!" had no time to talk and did not listen. If you did not agree with him; he said, "Suh yuh is a JLP." End of that! Yet he had time for sycophants and they had no votes. Does your MP engage with you? Or just breezes through, take you for granted, won't discuss issues and finds his comfort level with riff-raff? Support the candidate who values you!

With every appointment to a Board or Enquiry I marvel that after a long life and 40 years in politics my PM has 10 people he trusts! Some whom Eddie used over 23 years ago, pop up time and again! JLP youth, suck salt! Does Bruce want his grandchildren to live in a nation where many get a crack at service or where a few nest in a constituency or position and use thugs and murder to keep "de wuk"? Congrats to Chris Tufton! But isn't it a shame that MPs who are in politics before he was born are fighting JLP youth for party posts? Get a life! Until then let us raise a toast to ex-MPs! May their ranks grow so that fresh candidates - old and young - can get a bly for 2012! Stay conscious, my friend!

New cancer cure

Lasers have come of age. To chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery please add PDT (photodynamic therapy) as the most effective, non-invasive and cheap procedure for some of the 200 known cancers. They say, "It doesn't involve surgery, it doesn't have lasting effects like radiotherapy and it doesn't make you feel ill or have an effect on your immune system like chemotherapy." Click, killcancer.co.uk. In a first-world city you may be paid for medical trials to cure your ailment. Wow!

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK franklinjohnston@hotmail.com

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Robertson, MPP and Dudus - Three strikes, you're out!