MR BRUCE GOLDING is concerned, very concerned that the government of Jamaica might be setting up itself to get involved in an anti-American campaign led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. and all for "a few barrels of oil".

Barbara Gludon

The Leader of the Opposition's warning bells have been set off, apparently, by Chavez's declaration of interest in a seat on the United Nations Security Council, America's reaction to the matter and Jamaica's involvement with Chavez via the PetroCaribe deal.

Guatemala also has designs on the Security Council seat, while Chavez is looking to the Caribbean community and some nations in Latin America for support. Guatemala has the might of Washington on its side. They certainly do not want Chavez occupying such a sensitive position. Chavez has long declared that he is not afraid of them. Where is Jamaica in all this?

Mr Golding's fears - it seems - is that our government may feel tempted to join in pointing fingers in Washington's face, because we do not want to offend Chavez and we want to protect the "few barrels of oil" which we anticipate via PetroCaribe.

Mr Golding is nobody's fool. He knows well the significance of any arrangement which could help Jamaica weather the punishing storms of the global oil crisis, but he also knows the art of politics, that peculiar activity which requires the dexterity of stilt-walking up a muddy hillside.

If the PetroCaribe deal fulfills the promise which former Prime Minister Patterson held it out to be, not only for Jamaica but others in Caricom, it certainly would make life easier for any government - strapped to the railroad track, watching the train approach - like in an old-time silent movie.

The Venezuelan facility could well be the hero who foils the villain but Mr Golding is not applauding. For now, he dismisses the "few barrels of oil" knowing full well that if he were in office, he would not treat it lightly, for the same reason that this government has its hopes pinned on it. There is the matter of Washington to reckon with, however.

CHAVEZ ... wants UN Security Council seat

The Big Eagle is mighty annoyed by Mr Chavez's various pronouncements. When the Big Eagle is dissed, the claws come out. Lesser beings are expected to cower. Right now, if they weren't so busy with that little business of Iraq (well, maybe not so little), the Eagle people would have swatted Señor C like a pesky mosquito long ago. But then again, maybe they couldn't do it so easily. Times have changed. Along with that, there are a couple of truths to face:
TRUE, a couple of uprisings just happened to have sprung up in Venezuela

with certain people demanding that Chavez remove himself from power - in the name of democracy, of course.
TRUE that said uprisings fizzled almost as soon as they began in the face of a strong display by Chavez supporters.
TRUE that Washington laid no claim to how all that got started, but. (yeah.right!).

BUT let us just suppose that there was somebody who wanted to dispatch Señor C and put an end to all his uppitiness, not to mention his messing around with the sanctity of the oil market, a cardinal sin if ever there was one. Would you be surprised if one day, let us say, by mistake, of course, Venezuela were to find itself under discipline - for its own good, of course?

It wouldn't be surprising, would it, if a little retribution by association was to come upon those who were adjudged to have joined Hugo in his, shall we say, reckless ways? Such camp followers would have to be whipped back into shape, wouldn't they? You know the saying: "He that is not with me is against me."

That is why some among us will say we should be grateful that Mr Golding has taken upon himself to warn of danger ahead. "Hear ye, hear ye. fowl nuh business in the yard of la cucaracha," if you get my Spanglish.

ON THE OTHER HAND, there will be among us, those foolhardy ones, who would seek to obfuscate and confuse the issue by bringing up concepts like "sovereignty" and "nationhood" and "free to make up one's own mind". Really! Mr Golding is clearly not one to be confused, however.

He says he has no problem holding US issues up to scrutiny. He reminds us that he's actually CRITICISED them for Guantanamo Bay and the Iraq war (Brave man!). However, he would not like to see Jamaica conscripted into an anti-US campaign and all for "a few barrels of oil." So, he's serving warning to the government of the day.

I HAVE NOT DETECTED any inkling of anti-US rhetoric round town at this time. Have you? What I see are people are too busy praying for a visa to go to Brooklyn this summer or hoping that the cousin in the Bronx, the one who ships the best barrels, will finally get her papers in the current "Immigrant Worker Programme".

None of these people would want to spoil their chances by saying "Feh" against the Stars and Stripes. No less a personage than the prime minster went to register her presence along the Beltway this week. even if GWB happened to be out of town.

Canny politician that he is, our Opposition Leader knows that the slightest suggestion that the government would dare to go up against Washington, for whatever reason, could set nerves jangling. After all, there are people alive who remember the seventies when Jamaica paid for its nuffness (or so it was presumed to be).

As for today, although our general elections have not been called, there is always room for political rhetoric. Is that the case here OR could it be that somebody, somewhere, wants a message sent and it doesn't matter when... just send it?

WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE? It is alleged that the US and some say, Canada, have denied travel privileges to their countries by Jamaican policemen tried and acquitted in the Kraal murder case. That was the news yesterday. What will it be tomorrow? Every nation has the right to say who can enter its borders, but what are we seeing here. long distance punishment? For what? Could somebody help us understand what's going on?

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS