tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20273429831648252262024-03-08T03:20:14.819-06:00Unbelievable BelizeThere is no such thing as a passive democracy.RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-22484546526200651262012-02-12T10:50:00.007-06:002012-02-12T11:42:43.430-06:00I Didn't Vote for ThisI'm a voter. I'm a taxpayer. I contribute to my country's economy. Through the mysterious alchemy of terminology and taxation, the sweat of my brow is transformed into income tax, social security and GST. Yes, I do my most honest part by each of these methods of reducing my discretionary income 'for the good of all.'<br /><br />My just reward? The current leadership has not given me a housing writeoff such as the likes of Dr Cawich apparently needed and deserved. Nor, since the fact that I was actually born here apparently makes me a second-class citizen, have I received a single piece of land in the last frenzied weeks running up to the pre-election lunacy -or at any other time. Nope, not even a Christmas card did I receive from my UDP area rep, so busy was he shopping for turkey. No, my reward is the unrewarding task of paying the bill for all of it, shipping and handling (and advertising) included. <br /><br />Yes, as a taxpayer, I have the privilege of paying for everything I just listed above. I'm paying for it and so is my boss and so are all of you. We are told to quit our whining, that Cawich & Co. now have discretionary income freed up to spend in the economy and it will circulate for the benefit of us all, but I doubt I'll feel it because I'll be one of the many paying for their state-sponsored shopping sprees, which I do hope takes place in Belize and not Miami or Chetumal. And the more tax money they take from me to give to their poor, the less discretionary funds I have left to give to those who genuinely need it, or to circulate in my country's economy. Sorry Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, your homeless are no longer priority. Tough luck Helpage, your senior citizens will need to fend for themselves, if they don't belong to the right party. Too bad, it's all so pathetically sad. Look Mr Politician, you cannot take from one mouth and give to the other and pretend that means you created something; that's not how it works, that's precisely how it fails.<br /><br />It all gets blamed on the PUP, and deservedly so. I mean, the Said/Ralph/Ashcroft love triangle is the stuff of legend. What those two produced for their lordly master, and for themselves...well, let's just say I'll probably be paying for that well beyond my death. It's why you were voted out, Blue Man Group. And I'm not sorry I did it. What I am sorry for is that the set of SOBs I did vote for in 2008 turned out to be of an even sickier, sorrier, more destructive and less productive mentality than you were. The downward spiral continues, at dizzying speed.<br /><br />Red is the colour of anger, and the reds have been angry little people for four years. Be warned Reds, your lava-hot anger has spilled over to me, and not in the way you'd hoped. Your one hit single in four years is 'Blame It on the Superbond.' That song's played so damned often I hear it in my sleep. It is the excuse for doing every evil, and for doing no good. You tantrum-happy clowns have done everything you can think of to amass massive wealth for yourselves in four years, and you've done it without shame. It's the sickest competition our country has ever seen in its thirty years of existence: "who gat mo dan who." When we boil it down to the bone though, red or blue, you're all as corrupt as each other, and over these thirty years we voters have lost every single time.<br /><br />Now that the madness of election season is officially upon us (unofficially it never ended, I think), we get to see asinine ads from both sides. The Bucket, the Puppet, the Strip Tease, King Dean.... God help us if that's all you've got. Keep the schupidness to yourself and tell me what you plan to do with my money for the next five years. None of you seem to know, and that scares me to the point where I start to wonder if it's time for me to take my talent and taxpaying ways elsewhere and leave you and your nonproductive constituents to make your Haiti-bound way without me.<br /><br />I haven't made up my mind how/whether to vote yet. Ms Yasmin didn't interview me, but she's reported my feelings accurately. I'm undecided because the choices give me no decision. No, Mr Third Party, you don't present anything credible either -nothing personal, it's just the company you keep. But here's one more thought to add to the pile: if you Reds are gonna spend the next five years whining about the Superbond, then maybe I should vote in the guys who don't dare bitch about it because they gave birth to the damn thing. Maybe that fact will motivate them to do the right things about my economy and about crime. Let's face it, red and blue are both corrupt, and setting that as the baseline indisputable fact, I'd love it if someone could explain to me why I should waste my vote on a party that acts like the working taxpayer's hard work and general honesty and ambition make him Public Enemy Number Four, ranking just below Ashcroft, Said and Ralph?<br /><br />You know, you clowns in red suits have left me with one haunting question: if you can, all of you, get so damned rich in only four years, why the hell is it that I only get poorer every single day? What verse in 'Blame It on the Superbond' explains that fact Boots?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-46239633442100264622011-11-02T21:46:00.002-06:002011-11-02T21:59:37.737-06:00Press 'Mute' to Pause DemocracyI have had trouble, for the last three months, putting pen to paper on behalf of this blog. When the Ninth Amendment was first published, I wrote a brief piece about how dangerous it could be -and the nonresponse was deafening. Silence, not even an argument. I wondered. Was I that bad of a writer? Quite possible. Or was it a combination of fear and apathy? Also possible. Or perhaps owning two companies really did have to happen at all costs. Whatever the answer, I opted not to write any more pieces about the Ninth, but rather just to stand back and watch developments. At the same time, the Ninth was so all-consuming, so much like palpitations to the heartbeat of my country, and so far beyond just being about nationalization, that I couldn't write about anything else. In effect, the Ninth was so important that it rendered me mute.<br /><br />Of course, writing about the Ninth with even the faintest criticism meant someone who you elected to look out for your best interests would instead accuse you of treason. Same for talking about it, and if technology permitted, I suspect critical thinking would have required caution too. Even now the government can't stop gnawing on the chewy rawhide if-you-aren't-for-me-you're-against-me bone. But the Ninth, now the Eighth, has passed, and we slowly emerge from our bunkers, blinking in the glare, to sift through the wreckage it has left in the wake of its passage. <br /><br />Make no mistake, the wreckage is severe, and rebuilding will not be easy, if it's even possible. Our leaders throughout this process have shown an astonishing talent for divisiveness combined with breathtaking viciousness. The unknown fortune in taxpayer dollars spent on insulting, taunting, universally negative ads and terrorist activism to me proved that our Prime Minister and his colleagues care nothing for this country as the democracy it was meant to be. It suggested to me that we as voters are a means to an end only, and while I'm not sure what the endgame is, it cannot be healthy when we are thus objectified. ChessMaster, here lie your pawns, they served us well.<br /><br />It is the money spent to fight for an amendment the all-too-silent majority didn't want that confirmed to me that it was bad. That confirmation in turn led me to sign the petition circulated by the much-reviled Friends of Belize. It was all I had as far as options went, and of course it did no good except to make me feel qualified to say I'd tried. Incidentally, could someone please let Ms Lois know that I received no payment for my signature and ask her to let me have it as soon as she can? Things thin with the noodle budget.<br /><br />I'm no lawyer, I know nothing about ouster clauses and other such things. I do know that a government that attacks its people cannot be good for democracy, just ask the Syrians. I also know that with no credible opposition to save us, and given the likelihood that this government is in for a repeat performance, silence isn't golden anymore.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-50384626971096688892011-07-24T23:23:00.007-06:002011-07-24T23:53:45.173-06:00Majority Ownership of Public Utilities...and of Persons<div>With the tabling of the Ninth Amendment Bill, our Prime Minister has produced his most egregious piece of legislation to date. While this amendment is ostensibly to bring ownership of our public utilities under Government's protective arm for good and all, it is for one thing deliberately vague in its definition of public utilities. So while we certainly are discussing BTL, BEL and BWS, we may very easily also be discussing Smart, or Belcogen, or Consolidated Water (the privately owned water company on Ambergris Caye), or BNE, or any number of other potential targets. To make it happen just pass legislation declaring the target entity to be a public utility, and then...why, thank you, Mr. Investor, a majority share of your company is just what the doctor ordered. A Constitutional amendment excusing the country from paying its displaced investors for their lost assets is also no longer out of reach. These possibilities will of course only excite the passions of a small number of people, being those companies lucrative enough to become likely targets, and maybe the Chamber of Commerce, which seems of late to have emerged as the champion of investor causes. The media, and especially the all-powerful, also-hungry Krem, will have no difficuly getting behind this piece of legislation with gusto. Notable exceptions will be Channel 5, owned by Mr. Ashcroft, which has already sounded a warning in its Friday newscast, and Love FM, which seems almost deliberately oblivious of what could be (and is) happening. And it is almost certain that the Bar Association, though Mr. Barrow may accuse it of being almost totally PUP, will bow to the will of its (minority?) UDP members and either remain silent or speak in a hoarse whisper.</div><div><br /></div><div>What most people will miss, because the media will choose not to see it, is that the legislation, in its heavy-handed way of nailing the door shut against marauding foreign investors, has left a gaping hole (and this is no doubt deliberate) that allows this administration to become as powerful as any dictatorship that ever swallowed a democratic country whole. In stating that "...a law passed by the National Assembly to alter any of the provisions of this Constitution...shall not be open to challenge in any court of law on any ground whatsoever," the legislation removes the courts from the equation. What this means is, quite simply, that any amendment can be introduced and passed by the current supermajority in the House, and it cannot be challenged in the courts. So the passing of such amendments will become pro-forma, and we'll lose whatever freedoms we thought we had.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, the first thing that should then come to your mind is the much-dreaded Preventative Detention legislation, which it is important to note that Mr. Barrow has only put 'in the cooler' and not withdrawn on this occasion. Once the Ninth Amendment is passed, the Eighth can go through without court challenge and then suspension of habeas corpus is complete. At that point, an admistration as vicious and paranoid as this one has shown itself to be will have a nuclear weapon of sorts at its disposal for use against its enemies on a whim. It is no longer an exaggeration then to say that the more energetic citizens' organizations such as Belizeans for Justice, COLA, the lately emerged BelizeCan, or Audrey Matura of Oceana will then either be forced to go silent or otherwise begin to operate under constant threat as the Chinese dissidents do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Preventative Detention aside, Amendment 9 gives the kind of unlimited power that our Constitution's authors sought to prevent. Yes, with the passage of this amendment, Mr. Barrow also can, and most likely will, abolish, or at least shorten, the 90-day discussion period for such amendments, thereby eliminating any chance opponents would have had to gain traction against whatever measure he proposes. He can also --and for a man who has expended an unprecedented amount of time and effort amending the Constitution for control purposes, this is also not outside the realm of possibility-- even go as far as abolishing elections. Not that he needs to, since for all intents and purposes we have no Opposition, but this may even become his stated reason for doing so.</div><div><br /></div><div>While the conjectures above perhaps could be consigned to the pages of a bestselling conspiracy novel, the fact is that Amendment 9 is a powerful weapon designed to obliterate the protections, rights and privileges that our Constitution grants us all as Belizean citizens. It is also a fact that laws made for one man, Mr. Ashcroft, have been used to damage others since they have been enacted, and on that basis alone there is an unavoidable requirement for broader interpretation of possible applications. One more conjecture to close with: our Prime Minister has openly and often committed to the notion of big government, and our big government is a bloated, hungry monster with a growing appetite voraciously devouring tax revenue. That tax revenue isn't coming in at the rate it should and it may be that the idea is to feed the monster with revenue from monopoly utilities. Before you laugh it off, look up your phone bills to see how much rates have dropped since the 2009 acquisition. Exactly. And will BEL rates drop? That remains to be seen, but you should not count on it. For now, and regarding Amendment 9, the question is, what will YOU do about it?</div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-682033949747955932011-07-21T00:10:00.001-06:002011-07-21T00:11:35.106-06:00'Hating' as Leadership Strategy<div>Our Prime Minister and his Cabinet are, to use my teenage sister's favorite word, 'haters.' Think about it. If you really pay attention to the news lately, they've shifted focus from 'hating on' Ashcroft alone to attacking just about anybody, and worse than that, pitting everybody against everybody else. For example, the business community is under attack because it dared to question the government; the Bar Association too, and for the same reason, if not the same question. So then Mister Barrow makes the totally absurd comment that most of the Bar Association is PUP, while his bally Mister Finnegan tells the world that the business community wanted preventative detention. Considering that GST recently spent a few days chasing down and locking down non-Chinese and non-Indian business owners for non-payment of taxes, I doubt the businesspeople view preventative detention with any less suspicion than any of the rest of us do, but it's important that the government give the public someone to hate who isn't them. After all, if we really started to pay attention who knows what we'd discover about them, and if they learned nothing else from watching the Musa administration implode, they did learn that it's crucially important to keep everyone divided, and viciously so. Meanwhile they should publicly award a commendation to the Opposition for keeping itself divided and therefore crippled without any effort being necessary on the government's part. Thus endeth that lesson on the value of credibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, this preventative detention thing is nothing less than dangerous in an atmosphere where the government spends all its time attacking people and indulging vendettas. For example, should we really be this focused on Ashcroft? How many roads could we have built with the legal fees; how many jobs, besides those in the legal profession, have been created? I'm not saying we should have left The Lord alone completely, the man is a crooked sonuvagun after all, but isn't there more important stuff we could be doing? Instead of meaningful things like creating jobs, reducing crime and generally making life better, we're proposing to cement it into the Constitution that the government can, by way of preventative detention, make somebody disappear if they can trump up the barest excuse to haul him in. That can't make the Bar, the businesspeople, or any thinking person comfortable when you consider that this crowd spends their days coming up with accusations and threats against people who worry them, i.e. people who think for themselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sad fact is, preventative detention will do nothing to reduce crime. What it will do is add water to the seeds of fear and hatred they've already sown. If the government and its Dear Leader truly wanted to tackle crime, they would strengthen the police force, hire more capable officers who would be incentivized to perform as proper custodians of the law, and run the corrupt cops out of there. Instead of making new laws that terrify everyone but the criminals, they can focus on enforcing all the boring, old-fashioned, yet quite useful laws already on the books. They could stop corruption, starting with the members of the Cabinet -get them arrested for contraband, tender-rigging, extortion and bribe solicitation, and all the other activities they are involved in. I could continue for pages and pages, but will end the list with this one: take all the legal fees Lois is getting and apply them to prosecution costs. Hell, I wouldn't object to having Lois paid, if she were a super-prosecutor and putting the criminals in jail just as aggressively as the government takes companies from unpopular foreigners.</div><div><br /></div><div> I for one am a little tired of being told what to think, and I wish all the hating would stop, but I know it won't. The fact is, you have a corrupt, incompetent government that forgets why it was voted in to begin with, and they can only keep their power by distracting the masses and by provoking them into ripping each other to shreds. So the hating will continue, and it will distract you from the corruption, because it's their turn to feed at the trough; let nothing disturb them while they gorge.</div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-52068496510287079282011-06-29T00:13:00.004-06:002011-06-29T00:27:40.764-06:00Bully!Mr Barrow sir, I am ashamed of you and of the fact that I voted for you. In the past couple of weeks you've shown yourself to be vindictive, vicious, unsportsmanlike, a sore loser, a sore winner, an almost complete liar, and more than a few other negative things. You seem to be under the very false impression that the power you hold is yours to do with as you please.<br />
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I cannot believe, as I listen to the news this evening, that you are vilifying Lynn Young for terminating his people and giving them the benefits they deserve, forgetting to mention that a major chunk of it is money they put aside themselves from their salaries, and instead twisting the truth for your own propaganda purposes. Mr. Young, as anyone who knows him will attest, is a patriotic Belizean and a good man. He is, or was, a supporter of yours, and you still casually tossed him to the wolves. Hell, something tells me you took a certain sadistic pleasure in having his dad sign the law that would rip what he helped build out from under him. None of what you have done marks you as a true leader or a good friend.<br />
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Dangerous though it be, you have thrown out a number that Mr. Young supposedly received on resignation and, whether it was a true figure or not, you did so purposefully to rile up the poor of this nation because it's more money than they've ever dreamed of having. You, in this society whose crime you have no time to clean up in between nationalizations, whose economy you've done nothing to grow because your obsessions leave you with no time for such mundane things as job growth, have very likely put Mr. Young in danger just for your own ends. I therefore put you on notice that if anything happens to him, you will be held responsible as though you did it with your own two hands.<br />
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Since you're all about the openness and transparency these days (well, you did promise it during elections), so that you want to reveal everyone's income, how about giving us the details on the following: <br />
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You and all your Cabinet ministers -and here we'd like comparative financials, how they entered office versus now, let's say. We want it for all of them, but feel free to begin with Boots and Gapi; <br />
Lois -since we're her main client anyway, it's only fair we get a full accounting of how much we've paid her to date; <br />
Anwar -yes, we know he's an astute businessman, so he need not be shy about letting us see just how astute he's become from 2008 to now;<br />
Joe & Juliet -we're just curious how much poison costs nowadays;<br />
Oh yes, and Cellular Plus -assuming all the paperwork wasn't accidentally destroyed when it fell down the shredder by mistake.<br />
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That's not all, but it makes a good start. By the way, before you accuse me of being a tail-sucking Ashcroft PUP, you can toss the opposition's financials in there just for kicks. Let's see how much pay it is they're not earning. The point here is that I remember the Integrity Commission and the publishing of annual financials even if you don't.<br />
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Now cut the BS rhetoric and go run my country...like a mature adult!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-72824203631863264072011-06-20T23:19:00.001-06:002011-06-21T07:10:48.527-06:00Travesty of DemocracyToday was a perfect day for demonstrating just how thoroughly our democracy has disintegrated and how apathetic we are about it. <br />
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First, our government, as personified by our Prime Minister, seized a company that they always meant to seize from its owner. The simple fact is that Fortis made the mistake of making a profit, of running a utility everyone loves to hate, and of getting between Nestor Vasquez and his dream of having all utilities revert to government, whether or not it makes sense. And (this is me being a cynical conspiracy theorist) probably because they couldn't afford to buy the utility in a straightforward negotiated transaction they used the Public Utilities Commission to bring it to its knees. Then today the PM delivered the <i>coup de grâce</i> by passing legislation to acquire the 'insolvent' utility. <br />
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Second, despite the critical importance of acquiring BEL and saddling the taxpayer with the attendant costs, or perhaps because of all that, the government did it all in one day, with a House meeting in the morning, a Senate meeting in the afternoon and the Governor General signing the paperwork before punching the time clock on his workday. There's something a little sickening about having the father sign the legislation that legitimized everything the son fought so hard against, but such it is in Belize these days, we have no loyalty, not to anyone.<br />
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Third, there was not even the pretense of a House debate, and why should there be? After all, the opposition hadn't even bothered to show up. A more than slightly whiny press release issued later in the day suggested that the opposition was in a bit of a sulk because they found out about the House meeting after the media, etc, etc. No, Mr. Briceno, we weren't impressed by your integrity and your nobility of stance. We were, and are disgusted, because you couldn't be bothered to show up and record your feelings on the acquisition or on the way the House meeting was called. If you had a problem, as we all do, with the way today's meetings were you should have gone there snd ripped rass about it. You have the ultimate bully pulpit, after all. This way you actually weakened your party even further -and who knew that was even possible?<br />
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Fourth, the Senate performed as expected. This is a body that is as rubber stamp-y as it gets, and without the opposition there they were even more so. Senator Gordon wins the denial prize (which is a lovely set of almost-leather horse blinders) for in essence suggesting that 'God will provide' and 'people will understand.'<br />
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People, what makes you think it will stop here? Our PM hijacked the House for his own purposes, subverted the processes more than he ever has before, and none of you noticed because he took over a utility that he had convinced you had to be taken over, and hell, you never liked those jerks anyway because your light bill is too high.<br />
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What's next?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-21592977907241119082011-02-18T04:12:00.001-06:002011-02-18T04:21:34.208-06:00Labour PainsThe more I read and hear about the new Labour law, the more I wonder what glorious, illicit and mind-altering substances our politicians are on. No, that was facetious of me, and I apologize for saying it. But I'm pissed, and as you should know, anger leads to ugly thoughts. On the surface of it, I should be thrilled with this new law, since I'm an employee and it's all about keeping me in my job and making it more difficult for me to get fired. Oh yes, and guaranteeing me an available toilet when I need to visit one. It all should make me want to climb a ladder up to the highest rooftop and shout for joy so that all may hear my gratitude, right? Instead I'm angry because the jesters in Cabinet are insulting my intelligence. <br />
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You see, unfortunately for the people I made the mistake of voting for, I'm one of those employees who ensures my job security via the old-fashioned method of working hard and having my employer appreciate my efforts. I'm comfortable in my job, happy that I have one in these hard times, and I'm weird enough to think my boss is pretty cool. See, he assists us with education costs, gives us excellent health insurance, and I have ways to earn extra holiday time, and so many other benefits. His business isn't huge, but he tries to share the good news with us. And do you know what happens with the benefits he gives us? The Government of Belize, currently run by the same sad clowns who say that our welfare is their only thought (yeah, they all say that), makes us pay taxes on those benefits.<br />
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Now, if you are heartless enough to tax me for getting help in my quest for higher education, how the hell am I supposed to believe that you care in the least about my welfare? It seems to me that what's in play here is the endless political goal of keeping us poor and ignorant. This law isn't for me or for anyone else who wants to improve themselves, to excel in their chosen profession. Because the moment we do that, the moment we climb above a certain level, as my employer is trying to help me do, the tax man's waiting to pick us off. So what I should be doing is sitting in a packing crate with the sign 'Home, Sweet Home' over the door, which opens onto swamps and London bridges, and waiting till the day of the week when I go to see my area rep for my weekly handout, correct? Beloved area rep then feels the love, and I remain happily ignorant in my fetid swamp and financial slavery, indebted to 'the man' for my daily bread. Yes, Mr Amandala, slavery is alive and well in Belize -we are all whipped, beaten, fed crumbs for good (servile) behaviour and kept subservient by the political party du jour. <br />
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Then again, this law is about jobs, so to be fair the picture I paint above, though all too real, isn't applicable to the situation under discussion. Okay, that's true, but what we're talking about here isn't too much different. What this law creates is a tidy balancing act that can't be healthy for culture or economy. Employees who barely do their jobs are granted security of tenure, while those of us who are ambitious and want to rise to the top are punished through taxation. Excellent way to develop this developing country of ours, I cannot but admire the sheer genius of it.<br />
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Mr Prime Minister, please don't do me no favors, I can't afford it. But then, you aren't doing it for me, I'm not your slave.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-37651666982467382412010-11-22T23:23:00.002-06:002010-11-22T23:24:52.757-06:00What's That Smell?As a writer, I've been watching current events in my Belize and as we stumble through the news cycle from murder to scandal and back again, have composed numerous articles in my head to describe what I'm seeing. As quickly as I compose them, I dispose of them, running them through a mental shredder because 'that's not quite what I wanted to say.' However, as I'm sure someone profound said at some point, the only way to get to the destination is to start the journey.<br />
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Make no mistake about this: I love my country. I love Belize with all the desperation of two lovers who fight all the time, but in the end acknowledge that they can't live without each other and thus after a day of argument, go to bed secure in the peace of that knowledge. What I don't like, the thing that causes major conflict between head and heart, is what's happening to my beautiful country, and why.<br />
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Now, before you rush to apply your personal labels, let me make clear that I am neither PUP nor UDP. I have no patience with blind loyalty, and this is the primary requirement of party membership, therefore neither side will tolerate the likes of me, a fact of which I am inordinately proud. So if you are a blind party loyalist who can bear no message that isn't tinted with your favorite color, what I have to say isn't for your ears, or um, eyes.<br />
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That, however, is where I begin with my observations of the flaws that mar Belize's natural beauty. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? It seems these days as though the thought police are on patrol, armored in ignorance, equipped with a full arsenal of abusive language and growing rabidly (pun intended) in numbers. Say the wrong thing too loudly and find yourself 'bashed' by one media house or another; become someone's weekly cartoon. Maybe we never have had freedom of speech. I mean, my grandfather always tells me stories about Leigh Richardson being threatened and leaving the country and about the Billboard Press being burned down. Is this ancient history, or was it the beginning of current events?<br />
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These days, a lot of the 'wrong thing' that you may rashly criticize fits under the heading of corruption. Today a politician comes from the people, and he'll remind you of that every chance he gets, even though he's long since forgotten it himself. Grassroots-poor, he wins in a division and within months, if he has landed a cushy Cabinet portfolio, he suddenly has multiple houses, expensive women, a car he might once have had the job to wash. Dare to openly observe this sudden wealth to the nearest loyalist of his chosen party and brace yourself for a tongue-lashing. Sadly, the accusations will include calling you an opposition supporter, telling you that the opposition did worse, claiming that "it's our turn; we have to give our people a break." Lately, the shrill tones of "where were you when the opposition was doing their dirty deeds" overpower the voices of protest against the profligacy we can no longer afford -not that we ever could afford it, mind you. Right versus wrong no longer have any relevance in the national debate, and this is a sad, sad thing for our democracy.<br />
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Our leaders, when in opposition, make the most beautiful promises. They tell us what they know we want to hear, promise that they'll do what we want them to do, and we, their dance partner in this eternal tango, go along and give them the chance to keep their promises, even though we know they won't. Twelve years ago, we heard the promises and saw instead wholesale delivery of our country into private hands. Yes, the Lord became our Shepherd and he did not want for anything, and we were outraged, remember? Two years ago, we were promised deliverance from the Lord and his bloated, corrupted, decaying lackeys and we greedily swallowed the hook with which that promise was baited. As part of the package, we were promised transparency but instead got corruption wrapped in the pretty, crackling cellophane of vengeance and tied with a thick ribbon of nepotism. <br />
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Where were we when the last crowd did the dirty deed of fiscal rape? Right there biding our time. We know not from revolution; our teeth and claws are sharp, pretty things that we've never learned to use, but we do know how to vote out the nasty boys, so we did what we knew to do. But the opposition-who-became-government asks that question every single time we point out the obvious. It is their only defence, this offensive question. My answer to them? I was preparing to give you a chance to be the better man, and I see now that you've blown it.<br />
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Don't tell me we're less corrupt than we were, that comment alone confirms that we are corrupt. Don't tell me the other guy did worse, voting you in was not granting you a license to do whatever you want as long as you keep it 10% below him. For one thing, your measuring stick is way off, and we now think you're just as bad. See, corruption is corruption, regardless of scale. According to the law a thief is a thief no matter what he steals, and thus it is with you. While people continue to starve and live in shanties, don't content yourself with blaming the other guy when you aren't doing that which it is in your power to do. Oh yes, and by color-coding everyone and filing them according to assigned color, you take us further down the path of national destruction. We, yes, WE elected you to govern ALL of us. If we have broken the law, deal with us accordingly. If we have not, and we are in fact law-abiding citizens, productive members of society who just happen to have a difference of political opinion, suck it up, quit whining and let us be stupid and wrong in our thinking and you just get on with governing the entire country responsibly, which is the job you were hired to do.<br />
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What can we do anyway? Who listens to us? Are we to vote in yet another failed-government-in-waiting come 2013? A thousand times 'no!' to that one, emphatically no, because John & Co. have done nothing to earn my respect, much less my vote. They've been too busy saving their own ample derrieres and fighting over the spoils instead of cleaning up their well-exposed act. But I'll tell you flat out that this gang, this fountain of excuses for not properly leading, can't be allowed to continue either. The way I see it, if we don't begin to demand better, then we deserve to stay on the downhill slope, hurtling headlong toward the cliff's edge. <br />
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I'll leave you with this question: do you remember when Belcan Bridge was blanketed with the smoke of burning tires? Do you remember the government of the day's howls of indignance because a certain Opposition Leader had called for civil disobedience? <br />
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Maybe it's time we took up his suggestion.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-35777968360532168172009-10-24T11:30:00.004-06:002009-10-24T12:20:14.990-06:00Parasite!<i>–noun<br />
1. an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment.<br />
2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others <span style="font-weight: bold;">without giving any useful or proper return</span>, as one who lives on the hospitality of others.<br />
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Synonyms:<br />
2. sycophant, toady, leech, sponge, hanger-on.<br />
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</i><span style="font-size: 78%; font-style: italic;">Dictionary.com Unabridged<br />
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009. </span><br />
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<i>par·a·site (par'?-sit') <br />
n.<br />
1. Biology An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism <span style="font-weight: bold;">while contributing nothing</span> to the survival of its host.<br />
2. 1. One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others <span style="font-weight: bold;">without making any useful return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition<br />
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.<br />
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.</span><br />
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parasite par·a·site (par'?-sit')<br />
n. 1. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism <span style="font-weight: bold;">while contributing nothing</span> to the survival of its host.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary<br />
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. </span></i><br />
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You guys get the drift? Parasites are nasty little things that feed off their hosts, sometimes to the point of destroying them, but give absolutely nothing in return. In our politics, that person is a fixed part of the food chain. In our politics, sometimes we even have layers of parasites, i.e. the ones who are running the state feed off our taxpayer funds and the leeches attached to them feed off their fat host in turn. Otherwise known as catching the crumbs from the master's table.<br />
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What we are seeing now, the implosion of the two major political parties, is the result of their parasites taking turns draining the ultimate host to the point of near death. The spoils are fewer, and the scrambling for them both more vicious and more desperate. The ultimate host is our beleaguered, nearly destitute country, and every leech in every hue is responsible for Belize's deplorable condition. See, a greedy leech will kill its host, and therefore ultimately destroy its sole means of support. This is the message behind the fable of the golden goose, but we never learn, do we?<br />
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The easiest way to recognize this leechlike political creature is to look for someone who, before entering politics, was near bankruptcy (in business) or of a certain salaried income level. He (or she) enters politics and is suddenly, inexplicably, oozing wealth from every pore. He/she builds a multimillion dollar mansion; he/she brings their business from pending death to crazy wealth; he/she can own multiple houses for rent when the bank was once foreclosing on the only house they had.... Again, you've seen it and you know someone whose foot fits that metaphorical shoe. Unexplainable wealth elsewhere triggers investigation, but not in Belize, because parasites on the other side are satisfied merely to think "my turn will come." You see, parasites cannot survive without their host body to feed on. Parasites cannot successfully run an honest business, and parasites are never satisfied with a decent, honestly earned income. When in opposition, parasites' names are called in foreclosures, and parasites get listed for unpaid bills of every kind. But parasites out of power cannot loudly condemn ruling parasites lest they cut off their own path to wealth.<br />
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Have you ever met someone who holds no official position but who can still get things done almost effortlessly? Think of land transactions, trade license and property tax discounts, passage of goods with no duty paid, that kind of thing. These days it seems you can even include the phrase <i>nolle prosequi</i> in their repertoire. This parasite manifests the kinds of sudden, unexplained wealth gains mentioned above, and is nine times out of ten attached leechlike to the side of a powerful minister. The tenth parasite has assumed a position that gives power to make a profit without toadying to a Minister...except to keep the position, of course. This parasite will use his(her) affiliation to cajole, bully, bribe public servants to get things done for himself and his friends, legality be damned.<br />
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How about our elected leaders? Now, it's not fair to say that all of our elected leaders or their opposite numbers are parasites, but the growing unpopularity of our two ruling parties and the growing stigma attached to politics as practiced in our little nation state means that there's plenty of opportunity for the leeches to become legislators. Remember the UDP in 1998 and for the following five years? No one would have anything to do with them, and so they had to take any and all comers, leeches included. Today's PUP is paddling a similar watercraft up a similar creek.<br />
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In order for this country to survive...and maybe one day thrive, the few elected leaders that aren't parasites ought to wake up, step up and crack down on their colleagues. Those elected leaders ought also to be pushing for reforms that clip the wings of their fellow demigods, but no politician willingly gives up his own power, so here we remain. In political expediency (or will) lies the rub: will the current Prime Minister apply discipline in a decisive manner even when it may be politically damaging to do so? None have before him. From 1993 to 1998, Manuel Esquivel was managing a very fragile coalition, so that his Ministers could misbehave with impunity. The events of 1998 to 2008 include many more stories of Ministers pillaging our national accounts...and we know how that went. Now we have a rogue Mayor, but she's far from the only sinner. Were Cabinet to turn a mirror upon itself.... The question is, will Z be the sole example made in the name of transparency? If the UDP even makes an example of her, that is.<br />
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At the rate we're going, the messages being delivered through the endless red and blue scandals are: 1) don't get caught; 2) if you do get caught, brazen it out. At no point has anyone demonstrated why you shouldn't do the nasty in the first place. And the leeches continue to suck the host dry, and we as a people continue to tolerate them.<br />
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Whose turn is it next? Let's set them straight from now. No more leeches! No more leeches! No more leeches! Come on, say it...no more leeches!<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-52578338298043351772009-09-27T22:43:00.000-06:002009-09-27T22:43:10.961-06:00Poor Little Rich BarryI've been watching this whole episode of the new 'environmental' deposit law with more than a great deal of amused cynicism. See, to understand this law you have to go back to the PM's announcement in the House when he said (if I may paraphrase) that while he dislikes free trade, regrettably we are signatories to the CSME treaty. In other words, instead of encouraging exports, which we need to do badly, the PM wants to keep our borders closed and padlocked, which mentality explains why we're still an importing economy. Because free trade goes both ways, and were he to speak the language in the proper way, he would encourage our producers to take the next step and become exporters. He'd encourage other countries to shop in Belize instead of charging duty to those of us who stretch our dollars across the border. Alas, if only foresight were a thing readily available to our leaders.<br />
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Anyway, though economic ignorance often rules the day, the duties finally came down on the two relevant imported beers. Naturally, the local brewer went into hysterics because his gazillion years of protection had ended. So the brewery people duly raced up to Belmopan, put the well-practiced poor-me whine on full volume, and the result is this 'environmental' law that'll require everyone to put down a deposit of 25 cents on a perfectly useless bottle for absolutely no reason except that the local brewer is feeling a little pressured by the first real competition he's felt since Crown Beer died...or was murdered. Check it, Belikin has to spend real money on advertising! They had to buy Joe Bradley! What a barrel of laughs, thinking that we'll switch to Belikin just 'cause Joe says he drinks it. Ha! Everybody knows what Joe drinks, and it's not Belikin..<br />
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Now me, I do drink the occasional Belikin, but I'm still looking forward to the day, and I'm sure it's still quite some decades away, thanks to said local brewer, when I can drink a Corona in this country instead of hauling my ass up to Chetumal to do it. Hell, I work hard all week, and when Friday comes, as a taxpaying consumer, I deserve a choice of beers, no? Well, no, apparently not, because poor old Barry will starve. I saw him recently, and by my judgment, he could stand to lose a few pounds, so maybe we should all boycott Belikin while they try to take away our right to choose.<br />
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But do notice that Hilly is suddenly an environmentally conscious boy, and see how he's banging away on the airwaves, telling anybody who'll listen that he and his bosses are environmental angels. The peeps living behind the brewery in Ladyville know different, but it's fun to listen to. Doesn't matter though, as bogus as the law is, it'll pass, because Barry wants it to, and because he's made promises to the UDP. Mind you, he won't keep them any longer than he has to, after all he not-so-secretly hates the UDP. Wanna know the truth of his politics? Buy him a couple of drinks and ask him.<br />
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So kids, in the name of free trade, consumer choice and the environment, once Barry's Deposit passes into law, pay your shilling extra, drink your (newly affordable) imported beer, and raise a toast to the plastic continuing to line our streets with impunity. I guess the way to get that cleaned up is for someone to begin importing a beer in plastic bottles. <br />
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<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-18923702913216298692009-09-27T21:41:00.000-06:002009-09-27T21:41:55.817-06:00Ah, Z...I'll just say it right now, just shoot it straight from the hip: Z is no fool. Okay, there, I've said it.<br />
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But I'll say this as well: as smart as she is, she is utterly lacking in ethics and morals, and she has absolutely no sense of personal responsibility. In place of these things, she has survival skills second only to the legendary cockroach, the one who is expected to survive nuclear winter. Mark my words, Z will survive this latest episode, and will have no conscience whatsoever about having to sacrifice a few of her minions, her order-takers, to do it.<br />
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Mr. Davis, you're a fool. Kiran Squared, so are you both. You remain silent, you protect her; your names are in the news nonstop. The way things are shaping up, your fingerprints, and only yours, apparently will be found on the shovels that were used to bury the metaphorical bodies. So...TALK!<br />
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Throughout history, the most basic of leadership lessons have included the rule that the leader takes the blame for what happens on her watch. It's why the captain of the Titanic went down with his ship. I have yet to hear the mayor display enough maturity and leadership to take the blame for all these misadventures at City Hall. At the same time that she's not responsible for the bad deeds, she seems to be the only person who can be credited for what goes right, and her Councillors are so cowed or compromised that they too opt to remain silent in the face of it all.<br />
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At the higher levels and the party levels, Z enjoys the protection of powerful ministers, the kind who are also incapable of distinguishing right from wrong beyond making sure the law works for them and theirs and that the votes and the money flow their way. She is therefore the anointed heir to the Mesopotamia throne, misdeeds be damned. We are led by financial sociopaths, it seems. Their mantra? We can do whatever we want, the PUP did worse. That truth is fast fading away for you guys, nor did we vote you in so you could be ten percent less corrupt. You've turned out to be the same breed of dog in a different collar.<br />
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No, the guiltiest heads will never roll, and Belize is worse off for that fact.<br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-20232551332800333072009-09-27T14:37:00.001-06:002009-09-27T22:43:58.582-06:00Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are!<a href="http://www.lordashcroft.com/belize/index.html"><i>"If home is where the heart is, then Belize is my home." -Lord Michael Ashcroft</i></a><br />
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I'm confused.<br />
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This is the accurate state of mind for anyone trying to disentangle Michael Ashcroft's usual murky maze of corporate relationships. In this particular case, Ashcroft emphatically claims not to have anything to do with Telemedia, but keeps popping up like the proverbial bad penny.<br />
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The Hayward Charitable Trust, reputed owner of 70% of Telemedia, is, if you click on its website, a joke. Proof of the joke is the hastily put together <a href="http://thehaywardcharitabletrust.org/index.html">homepage</a>, which states <i>"The Hayward Charitable Trust was set up in 2009 by MAA [Michael Anthony Ashcroft] to help do some good stuff for people who live in Belize. This includes paying for some buildings BLAH BLAH BLAH etc. etc. Insert text here."</i> It also has <i>"Our current projects include building a shrubbery, one that looks nice, and not too expensive."</i> It is interesting to note that while we've been hearing about the Hayward Trust for some time, it is only in 2009 that it was set up. <br />
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This 'joke' is apparently tied in with several companies having links to Ashcroft, and has lawyers in common with Ashcroft. According to his spokesman, Ashcroft helped set up the trust <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/paradise-in-belize-turns-sour-for-ashcroft-1778382.html">for the benefit of charities and Telemedia employees</a>. Now, according to this week's <a href="http://www.reporter.bz/article/Headline/3774/">Reporter newspaper</a>, their lawyers are pressing for action using the UK-Belize Bilateral Investment Treaty of 1982, Article 5 of which apparently states that "investments of nationals or companies of either Contracting Party shall not be nationalised, expropriated or subjected to measures having effect equivalent to nationalisation or expropriation."<br />
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So my question here is, who is the UK national or company bringing the action? Those of you who live overseas may not be familiar with Ashcroft's typically opaque way of doing business, but here we have the brand-new (2009) Hayward Charitable Trust owning approximately 70% of Telemedia, supposedly for Belizeans and therefore by inference Belizean, but there has to be a UK national or corporation involved in order to bring suit under the terms of the UK-Belize BIT. A release from Hayward Charitable Belize Trust sent to local media and posted on the blog Developing Telecoms Watch (and probably a million other places) states that Hayward indirectly owns 70% of Telemedia and <a href="http://developing-telecoms.blogspot.com/2009/09/belize-telemedia-nationalisation.html">"is entitled to protection of its interests under international law and it will invoke the Investment Treaty between the United Kingdom and Belize to ensure that it is afforded such protection."</a> However, searches for a UK-based Hayward Charitable Trust do not yield anything that mentions aid to Belize charities or Telemedia employees. Hopefully someone can clear up this omission.<br />
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Now that you're as confused as I am, let me summarize: an unheard-of Belizean or UK charity, which has zero visibility except as the reputed owner of Telemdia, is invoking its rights, which it may or may not have under a treaty our successive governments forgot to cancel. Michael Ashcroft may or may not be involved, but while he's highly visible in the matter, says he has nothing to do with the thing, except as advisor. Ashcroft, a dual citizen, is able to use his dual nationality to absolute advantage in two countries, which reminds me: don't we have a suddenly silent question still pending on dual citizens in high places?<br />
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I can't wait for the next few chapters.<br />
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“He who is greedy is always in want.” –Horace<br />
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"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." –1 Timothy 6:10<br />
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The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of the most objectionable vices which has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen man's tendency to sin. It consists of "Lust", "Gluttony", "Greed", "Sloth", "Wrath", "Envy", and "Pride". –Wikipedia<br />
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When you think about it, if it weren't for the uncontrolled, insatiable greed of a few, we would probably be a lot further ahead today as a country. The most obvious case in point for this argument is the politician who takes a bribe to change or introduce a law, but there are so many other ways that greed holds us back.<br />
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Imagine, a billionaire who made his fortune in our country, but made the country poorer in the process. His minions take his sizable paychecks in order to look the other way as he grinds us under his boot. Some of them are paid well enough to participate in the pillaging of our country with as much conscience as a serial killer. And some of those well-paid financial sociopaths are our own leaders, past and present. Make no mistake, our unlovable billionaire may be temporarily down, but he's not yet out -not as long as avarice rules us. We can be bought, he knows. Everybody has a price, he's sure of it.<br />
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Imagine, a politician who, with no pretense of conscience, commits the wholesale version of the very sins she once rallied the unions to condemn. She may have once been the hope of many, but now most just hope she will disappear. But think about this: if she does go, is her potential replacement any less greedy? Are his fellow councillors, in the main, innocent of all sin? Or are they merely waiting for their current leader's outsize greed to be moved out of the way so that they can have their turn at the feeding trough?<br />
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Imagine, a multimillionaire who has, over nearly forty years, achieved success by destroying his competition -not less than five companies- in Hiroshima-like fashion. Competition and a possibly superior product are not enough; it's best to smash bottles and sabotage factories -the enemy's bankruptcy is the only acceptable option. And yet, successive governments, generations of corrupt politicians, have been persuaded to look the other way, have even fought to protect him, while he's fed his insatiable greed, but only because he let a few tasty crumbs fall from his table into their gaping, voracious mouths. Only he must survive, and an entire country must be held hostage to please only him. The politicians profess to worry about jobs he provides, even as they carefully overlook the jobs he's destroyed. The stench of greed chokes us all.<br />
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For ten years, we watched one man control an entire government, the embodiment of vicious gluttony. You want something done? Best to go to this guy and pay your fee, he's more powerful than the actual PM. He can get things done, and no matter how evil he may be, he runs the show, so get over your morals or get out of the way. Think that mentality is yesterday's news? Think again, the demons have possessed new bodies and this year is no different from the ten or so that went before it. Greed pulls us under, fills our lungs, prevents us from breathing and growing.<br />
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But knowing all this, you're reading this and thinking 'okay, but what do we do?' We have to continue letting them know that we have no tolerance for greed and its ravages. Boycott the greedy boys' businesses; remind the corrupt politicians that they work for us, not the other way around; tell the Lands Department officer that you aren't paying and if your papers get lost, you'll report his suggestion of a bribe -do the same for that Customs officer at the border, and the cop who wants his piece for doing the job he's already paid to do. Tell your friends, your family, your neighbours to stand with you, for greed cannot survive in the face of defiance; it is fed by complacency, fattened by apathy. <br />
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When you begin to realize that you can't wait for a savior to come along, when you begin to realize that it starts with you, is the day you'll begin to pull your country back from the edge of the precipice.<br />
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<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-69848850522363503262009-06-18T08:42:00.004-06:002009-06-18T22:14:12.819-06:00On Dual Citizenship in the HouseThis isn't a long one, I just have a few questions that were forwarded to me:<br /><ol><li>Who will benefit from amending the Constitution to allow dual citizens to sit in the House?</li><li>Everyone seems to be thinking about Belizean-Americans, i.e. people who were born in Belize but have acquired citizenship in another country since. Has anyone thought about the other way around? Will people born in, say, Guatemala, qualify also?<br /></li><li>Will Economic Citizens qualify under this amendment?</li><li>What restrictions can possibly be placed on such a person who may end up negotiating key agreements or treaties on our behalf with their 'other country.'</li><li>Obviously, these dual citizens can then qualify for being Prime Minister -again, what happens when a Guatemalan Belizean sits in that position?</li><li>Our relations with Taiwan are pretty critical to our financing these days. What happens if a Chinese-Belizean becomes PM and instructs that we vote against Taiwan in the U.N.?<br /></li></ol>I suspect that Item 6 hits close to home in an opposite kind of way, but any way it all goes, this notion cannot bode well for Belize, for all the above reasons and many more besides. If you have a problem with this amendment, be sure to speak to your area rep, and make sure everybody you know does so too.<br /><br />We've sold our citizenship, let's not now give away our House!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-3130765014875595182009-06-16T20:34:00.004-06:002009-06-17T14:23:07.715-06:00Government As BusinessYou know, if my boss runs his business the way the politicians govern, I'd better start looking for a new job, because bankruptcy's right around the corner. Think about this, you have the market cornered on certain items, things that people are paying top dollar for. Then a man comes by, he has a fancy accent with the matching clothes, and he tells you that you aren't smart enough to maximize the use of those assets, so you'd better sell them to him. It turns out he's right, because you're stupid enough to do it! Then, having done it, you punish your regular and loyal customers because they haven't got the money to pay your bills so you can continue your lifestyle without cutting costs.<br />
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Our country has squandered so much of her wealth, and flushed so much of her moneymaking talent and potential down the toilet, that now we're economic slaves, reduced to begging at the feet of our global masters. This slavery will continue for at least the next couple of generations, because no one talented or disciplined enough to find a way out of it has yet appeared. Okay, not fair, we have had the talent, but either it's so crooked it can't see straight, or no politician will allow the talent to do what's needed because that'll derail the gravy train. The Solution of the Day for everything is to tax those who can't fight and not to upset those who give a lee trouble to pay.<br />
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The last set of idiots sold all our assets for a pittance, and then bought two utilites back, then resold one, then...oh, who can keep up? What I do know is that all these transactions cost us taxpayers in ways we still haven't yet uncovered. These same idiots put serious national revenue-generating opportunities into private hands for a pittance (and no doubt a commission), while they mortgaged our eyeteeth just to finance the government's daily operating costs.<br />
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Now the current idiots-in-charge, rather than looking to seriously correct these misdeeds, or to find new revenue-generating opportunities, merely decide to take on the con artist in the fancy threads, publicize the never-ending (and hideously expensive) battle so that we'll be impressed with their diligence, and do absolutely nothing else. Okay, maybe BEL would disagree that they are doing nothing else, but really, what have they done to create new sources of revenue for the country? Sell land? No, not really. I mean, land is being sold, but the revenue isn't going to official coffers, you read me?<br />
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Let me put it all another way: Monaco and Las Vegas got rich off gambling; Switzerland and Cayman get their wealth from offshore banking (sorry, Mr Barack), Panama's flag registry has done well for the country's bottom-line, and so on. Where are we? Nope, we've given away all that. Favourable taxes on gaming, offshore and flag registration in private hands...what else can we give away? Oh yeah, the Boledo! Or is that gone already?<br />
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According to Channel 7 last night,<a href="http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14247"> the government has lowered the gaming tax of 15% because the casinos were only paying 4% anyway, so they doubled the rate to 8%</a>. Whaaaa.....? Guys, that's just schupid! You reward these guys for not paying their full tax by lowering it to half of what it was because then you'll be penalizing them by making them pay double what they were paying because they said that's what they could afford? Nawww man, that can't be it!<br />
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I guess I'm not as smart as some, because I'd have thought that the simplest way to do things would've been merely to enforce the law that the previous idiots let the casinos break. After all, looking at the amount of Belizeans who've lost their homes and businesses because of gambling, I wouldn't think casinos are having trouble making ends meet. And if <b><i>they</i></b> are having problems, let me hereby advise the government that 'things thin' with me too, so starting with my next paycheck I'm advising GOB that I can only pay 4% of my income tax...of course, if they want to lower my rate to 8%, I'm willing to negotiate.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-63964614991735287572009-06-15T22:43:00.001-06:002009-06-15T22:54:21.732-06:00Something Borrowed, Something BlueYou will agree that some of the actions of the previous government, especially in the latter half of its tenure, were atrocious. They were atrocious enough to incite riots and demonstrations, remember? Hell, the actions of the previous government are directly responsible for the mayor Belize City has today! How can we ever forgive them for just that one deed?<br />
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The current government though, that's the one in charge right now, so that's the one we need to focus on. And in less than two years, this mob has managed, using the chorus "the PUP did worse," to actually be worse than (or equivalent to) the notorious PUP in a surprising number of ways. For example:<br />
<ul><li>What is this new and improved practice of giving import permits only to the party faithful and excluding the honest small businesses from the opportunity to better their lot? The PUP did it too, but this lot have taken it now to a fine and authoritarian, even monopolistic art. I guess they are better than the PUP, hmmm?</li>
<li>What about grants/loans to party faithful who don't need it? Old news, BLUE news.<br />
</li>
<li>What about contracts signed without authority, contracts with national impact that are forgiven by a casually tossed 'she meant well?' Yes, that seems familiar too.<br />
</li>
<li>What about ministers out of control, who get more out of control because their boss wants an impossible burden of proof from those who speak up? Deja vu strikes again.<br />
</li>
<li>What about the truckloads of contraband goods that pass through our ports and borders unchecked while a few villagers lose their two dory loads? Uhhh, check that off the blue list too.</li>
<li>So much more, little of it original, much of it refined beyond what the original inventors imagined. Our evolution is no longer from red to blue to red to blue. It's from bad to worse, and so on. Down the slippery slope we go!<br />
</li>
</ul><br />
Money rules, gang. The new, ultra-modern cardinal rule is: party before country, and money before all. If you wish to run for political office, remember that and everything else will follow automatically. For example, it will go without saying that doing the right thing or the lawful thing is neither essential nor even advisable. A reputation as a good and honest person will work against you in our political world. A conscience? That'll take you to the edge, man -political suicide follows that kind of thinking.<br />
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Mr. Barrow, is this what you want those of us in the next generation to learn?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-24863455474646011432009-06-14T12:53:00.001-06:002009-06-14T14:24:56.933-06:00Wanted: An Honest MayorRemember West Landivar? The residents won their first round against David Gegg, but it's not over, I'm sure. As for King's Park, you can't have forgotten so quickly what happened there. Mr Wagons, a confirmed racist himself, decided to whip out that often-abused word to defeat the residents, and when it didn't work, he got Zenaida on his side...he's pretty blunt and open about how he did that. Now, residents can't park in their driveways and a formerly peaceful, family-type neighbourhood is overrun by traffic and container trucks, and the peace is gone. This one has been a public and nasty battle, and is a classic example of what Zenaida is and does -for herself, with no regard for right and wrong, legal or illegal.<br />
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But how many of you know about the quiet battle that Bella Vista has been fighting? The only neighbourhood in the country with zoning legislation in place, a quiet area of hardworking families, Bella Vista is now under siege from David Gegg and other unscrupulous individuals who think laws are for suckers. David Fonseca's City Council developed Bella Vista's legislation at the urging of the residents, and it is a model for the rest of the city's neighbourhoods to follow. Unfortunately, lack of political will (moral weakness, as I think of it) prevented his City Council from following through with enforcement.<br />
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Now, this UDP City Council is itself acting in contravention of its own legislation solely on the Mayor's orders. And where is Zenaida? Well, according to the evidence, firmly in the camp of the wrongdoers...Mr Gegg isn't shy about saying how he got her there either, and he has publicly and viciously insulted those residents who are simply asking that he abide by the law. One resident recently wrote a letter to the City Councilors as a last-ditch effort before taking the matter to court, and it is damning in its account of Her Lordship's inaction, obstruction and outright sabotage. The letter is also copied to the Prime Minister, to Doug Singh, and to Lee Mark Chang, but you may be sure that none of them will do anything to thwart the Mayor. Such is her power (and their weakness), and such is her untouchable corruption.<br />
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When she's under attack, the Mayor's standard practice is to sit with her questioners and say whatever comes into her mind as an answer people want to hear -usually lies, and often blatantly self-contradictory, not to mention self-congratulatory. Today she'll blame Cabinet for her ineffectiveness, then tomorrow she'll blame her Council. However, in all this the pattern is that she is never effective, and it is never her fault. A little bit of martyrdom, some implied gender bias, the humble mention of God, and the recipe is prepared for her continuing without recrimination from those who could control her.<br />
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Meanwhile, laws and morality become less relevant each day her rule continues.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-65239635317055453732009-05-23T18:52:00.004-06:002009-05-23T18:58:58.930-06:00Apathy vs Bull Crap...Again, Where's the Rage?When will we get angry? You know the kind of anger: where you feel your head will explode, and you want to throw things, smash stuff, roar epithets at the top of your lungs until your throat becomes sandpaper. When will we get that angry?<br />
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Newborn Andy Jones died last week, a victim of a horrendous chain of events that add up to a serious indictment of our healthcare system and its custodians. Aside from a chorus of oh-poor-things, only Amandala seems to be angry enough to say 'Bull Crap!' I think that's an excellent choice of phrase, by the way. But where's OUR anger?<br />
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One of our readers mentioned it: Roldan Trapp, a father of five, was killed in a hit-and-run. Oddly enough, even though the pickup was found, no one seems to be able to trace the owner and arrest the culprit, nor have we heard why that's not possible. Mr Trapp has, in the meantime, been relegated to the rank of stray dog -no one cares, for the dead are gone. Where's our anger?<br />
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Glenford Williams, a security guard, was shot in an attempted holdup. He lies critical in the hospital. Half a dozen or more surgeries later, he'll never be the same, if he survives. Juan Carlos Castillo and Peter Guenther, the two men murdered in Cayo in the past week might, if they could be asked, regard him as the lucky one. So might Rosa Cornejo, the businesswoman from Belmopan who was tortured and killed. What will come of all of these murders -what is it, 37 so far for 2009? Will anyone ever again hang in this country? Hell, will anyone ever again even be <i>convicted</i> of murder? Where's our anger?<br />
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Holdup jacking murder robbery killing mugging rape incest fraud arson shooting theft stabbing assault, it all runs together in the news, a hypnotic, mind-numbing ritualistic nightly repetition of the same damned and deathly chorus. And it has numbed our minds to anger; we're emotional zombies.We do know fear though, it is our friend and constant companion. We lock ourselves in our homes, afraid to go anywhere. We are silent in the face of controversy, afraid to rock the boat even though it's already sinking. And while the schoolyard bullies arm themselves, we cower and hope it'll be the neighbour and not us who gets it when the time comes. Where's our anger?<br />
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"Thank God I don't have to go to PG/Dangriga/San Ignacio hospital to deliver my baby. Poor Cenaida."<br />
"That poor man, that's why I never ride my bike on the Northern."<br />
"Ah, security guards have the worst jobs, that poor man."<br />
"Hmm, those people must have been into something, to be murdered like that, poor things."<br />
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Not me, never me, it can't, it WON'T happen to me...we are so condescending and selfish and full of false hope in our denials. Remember this, every time something happens to someone else, the odds of it happening to you are shortened. Unless things change, your turn WILL come. And there will be little or no interest or follow-up. And no one will speak up for you...or for me.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://www.crimestoppersbelize.org/"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-44243625050343208872009-05-21T18:39:00.002-06:002009-05-21T23:04:37.929-06:00Where's the Rage? What's the Recourse?In modern 21st century Belize, a young mother, Cenaida Raymundo, had to deliver a baby on her own, by herself, all alone, <i>in a hospital</i>, only to have that baby die from brain damage. Little Andy's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, something that isn't normally lethal (not in this century, not in a reasonably competent medical facility), something that happens every day. His death was unnecessary and outrageous. All of it boiled down to a hideously perfect combination of neglect and incompetence by medical 'professionals' who apparently are as capable of caring for those consigned to their care as are the vultures 'backa dump.' Well, the vultures would probably deal more tenderly.<br />
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The details of Cenaida's ordeal are hideous, even medieval. And they are not, in separate parts, unique stories. Putting the mess before the humans, the non-response to a mother's terrified screams for help, the inept and half-hearted attempts at transport, the cold-blooded quips about praying for another's death in order for a turn at the ventilator, these are not unheard of, not at all without multiple precedents. And each of them on their own is disgusting, unacceptable. Put together, as in this family's experience, they are scenes in a Halloween movie...horror! <br />
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We are all mourning the unnecessary and painful loss of a newborn Belizean who died yesterday before he had a chance to live. This tiny baby, little Andy Jones, one of our citizens, was sentenced to a tortured death through neglect, and I sense that without public outrage, without major outcry, nothing will be done beyond a light slap on a wrist or two. I sense this because I haven't heard any <i>mea culpas</i> yet, not from the PG hospital, not from KHMH, not from any vote-seeking politicians. Even Dr Pitts seemed to think it unnecessary to utter a single word acknowledging the magnitude of the loss, and the horror, that this family has endured. Pathetic! KHMH authorities couldn't even find it fit to break with policy to help an anguished Cenaida get little Andy's body home...their alternate suggestion only piles on the nightmares. <br />
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Unless we speak up, unless we stomp our feet and throw a tantrum, nothing will be done to prevent this happening again and again and again. Say something! Let not this child have died in vain!<br />
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Click the links below to read the stories:<br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=8617">Mother delivers baby herself in PG hospital - Amandala</a> </span><br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=8618">Female farmer's terrible experience in delivering her baby in PG hospital - Amandala Letters to the Editor</a></span><span id="sstitle"> </span><br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14028">Cenaida Raymundo's Baby Dies - Channel 7</a> </span><br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14029">Director of Health Services Promises Full Investigation - Channel 7</a></span><br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=24132">Mother claims negligence in death of newborn - Channel 5</a><br />
</span><br />
<span id="sstitle"> <a href="http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=24133">...And investigation into baby's death underway - Channel 5</a> </span><br />
<span id="sstitle"><a href="http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=8618"></a><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #003366; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span> Then make some noise!!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-42785269228326917242009-05-15T22:54:00.002-06:002009-05-16T08:43:31.712-06:00The Incorruptible OstrichThe trouble with having lawyers in charge of the country is that they have a different perspective from normal folk. We see right and wrong; lawyers see legal and illegal. And unfortunately, when the lawyers are leaders of the law<i>makers</i>, if something is illegal, that's easily fixed. If something is legal, it doesn't really matter whether it's wrong or right, the only thing that matters is that no one will go to jail...ever! Ethics and morality have been put through the shredder and are no longer relevant in our democracy's struggle for survival.<br /><br />The media is abuzz this week over one TV station's offer of a reward for information leading to the conviction of individuals involved in corruption at the Ministry of Lands. Earlier this week the Prime Minister was on another TV station proclaiming his personal incorruptibility. I don't dispute that the PM himself is not corrupt, but he should be careful for whom he puts his head on the block, as he has now done for the Lands Minister.<br /><br />The PM has long asked for proof of corruption, and he renewed that request again this week, specifically in relation to the Lands issue. The problem is, being mortal, he suffers from a blind spot where 'friends' are concerned. Being a lawyer, he deals with that blind spot by demanding a level of proof normally reserved for a courtroom. Minister Coy is, to date, the only minister unschooled (let's be polite) enough to leave that kind of proof. You can bet that his colleagues have learned from his mistake, and then go double or nothing that Coy's not the only member of Cabinet who operates in the certain knowledge that Ministerial rank puts you above the law. Remember, he gets to be Minister again after a six-month holiday, and we haven't heard of any real penalties for the constituent he intervened to protect...click <a href="mailto:belizebeliever@gmail.com">here</a> to email info about penalties, I'd love to be corrected.<br /><br />A memorable example of the triumph of denial over doing what's right would be Ms Haylock's contract between NICH and one Gegg. This document was procedurally suspect, ethically questionable, but not actually illegal, and so Ms Haylock, a good friend of our leader, was excused with a light slap on the wrist while the Minister who dared to question the transaction was given <i>das boot</i>, an outcome many pundits predicted. And so it will apparently go into eternity, cyclical but endless.<br /><br />Let me say very clearly here that "the PUP did way worse," "this is the way it's always been" and all the other similar expressions are absolutely unacceptable to us voters. Equally unacceptable is the notion of a leader who closes his eyes and proclaims his personal innocence while others run rampant. "I didn't burn down the house" does not absolve you if you stood by watching the flames consume it. We fired the PUP because we didn't like what they were doing; doing ten percent less doesn't mean your crowd is better, it just means they aren't (yet) as bad. But yes, I do acknowledge that it is progress to have an incorrupt leader -it just isn't <b>enough</b> progress.<br /><br />Prime Minister, Edmund Burke said it best: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Do you want to go down in history as the incorruptible leader who presided over rampant, unchecked corruption? Or would you prefer our descendants to remember you as the true leader, the statesman who made the hard decisions, who punished even his friends harshly if they did wrong, who made our country a shining example of democracy and discipline? It's not too late for the latter.<br /><br />What will your legacy be, Honourable Prime Minister? Incorruptible ostrich or exemplary leader?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-1863437292106467462009-05-09T11:22:00.003-06:002009-05-09T11:44:45.288-06:00Much Ado About Absolutely NadaSo Z loaded her favorite currency into the matrimonial purse. So what? By which I obviously mean, "Congrats Z, on making it official!" Anyway, other than the fact that after much speculation we are thrilled to know she opted to marry locally, this ain't no big deal in the scheme of current affairs. It doesn't stop crime or lower the cost of living or clean up the city...except for the parking spots along the wedding route for one afternoon.<br />
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I do congratulate the Moyas on mixing work and play for their honeymoon in Barbados. Being the above-board lady that she is, I am absolutely certain that Z's paying the tab herself for all the plane fares and hotel and such, so kudos to the newlyweds on not fleecing the country to pay for the pleasure portion...not everybody would be so straight-up, you know?<br />
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For the media, can we PLEASE not see anymore wedding pictures? Please, let it go. I mean the fact that the Mayor got married and that the colours were white and cotton candy pink and that they kissed for the paparazzi -that did set tongues wagging though, didn't it- and that all the uppercrust of a specific political hue were present...eh, enough! The defiance of swine flu protocols...well, some are more equal than others, according to a story about a certain farm in which the (oops!) swine ruled. So those leading boars et al deemed worthy of attending would automatically be deemed impervious to the virus, no?<br />
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As I said, let it go. In a city where the Mayor rules as an absolute monarch over subjects living and dying in unnecessary poverty and squalor, it is somehow fitting that a royal wedding be held in the midst of the misery. Ah, let them eat [wedding] cake!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-80920170857777324292009-05-05T22:13:00.000-06:002009-05-05T22:13:47.811-06:00Democracy Is For SuckersOh Dean. Dear old Dean, fourth Honourable Prime Minister, yet to be Right, but Honourable nonetheless. I have a simple question for you, and I hope that you'll be able to provide your voting public with a simple, no-nonsense, monosyllabic kind of answer. The question is, when will you start to really run the country?<br />
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It sounds like a funny question, I know, and you're probably inclined to be a little offended. But bear with me here, I'll get right down to making my case.<br />
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Ihe first fact is, crime is only getting worse. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but your Cabinet's decision to put Crispin as Top Cop didn't exactly scare the criminals off the street. Hell, what does it matter if the cops do start arresting all the bad guys? They'll get off in court anyway. Between Dickie Bradley and witness intimidation, a criminal has to be pretty stupid (or broke) to get convicted these days -and if he does, he won't hang anyway. Which leads me to a good question: what are your fellow legal eagles doing about crime besides profiting from all the court activity?<br />
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That was crime. Now let's talk about Lands and Immigration, both the bane of the common man's existence. All of your friends probably have no problem getting their passport or their land title, but the rest of us look at transactions in either department as less enjoyable than to a trip to Hell in high summer. So when are you gonna get Gapi to start doing his job? Actually, when are you gonna start taking more than a politically-biased look at Gapi? You'd be amazed what you'll find...the rest of us are quite dismayed.<br />
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On the business side, judging from the 'railing up' I've been hearing, it looks like all of the business community feels like there's a gigantic bullseye painted on its collective back. The only folks who aren't murmuring are the, um, 'naughty' ones...many of whom are your most boisterous supporters. According to them, life is good, taxes are optional, and who the heck cares if a law or two disintegrates under their treatment? Unethical + immoral + illegal = untouchable due to political connections. And to think we were silly enough to think that you lot would be better than the last -we didn't realize that 'better' meant 'more skilled.'<br />
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I really don't mean to lecture, and I admit that armchair quarterbacks and backseat drivers are my least favourite people, but honestly, there is more to governing than trying nonstop to nail the Lord's carcass to the wall -not that I have a problem with that, we just need more from you. Here's what we want: control your ministers; stop defending your friends and overlooking their misdeeds -bad is bad no matter who you are; begin to set an example for the rest of us by starting the cleanup at the top.<br />
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Mister Prime Minister, we need Belize to be cleaned up, and in order to achieve that, we need you to start exhibiting that real leadership you promised. When should we expect to see it?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-55388338917815787892009-03-04T23:46:00.000-06:002009-03-04T23:46:24.665-06:00Things That Go Bang In The NightIt hasn’t yet hit the news, probably because our local news organizations have one-track minds on Election Day, but another grenade took flight last night. Those of us who live in the general vicinity of Buttonwood Bay felt the shake and heard the sound of the explosion. By this morning we knew: Comptroller of Customs Gregory Gibson, or at least his house, was the target of the tosser who threw the grenade.<br />
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I’ve never met Mr. Gibson, but like every other citizen of this country, I know about the generally corrupt nature of his subordinates. After all, who among us has not come across a customs officer who is suddenly, unexplainably wealthy? By no means should you assume that I’m saying all customs officers are corrupt, but the ones who are really, really are. Mr. Gibson, however, hasn't had a whole lot said about him, and when no one in this town can get any decent rumours going, well, that fact says something about you.<br />
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So basically, I figure, as do most people, that someone tried to kill Mr. Gibson merely for doing his job. Mind you, this does not bode well for my country, when people attempt to destroy a guy for his honesty. Remember the pseudoephedrine a few months back? I doubt this incident is delayed revenge for that, so I’m forced to wonder what’s leaking through Customs now. <br />
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Mister Prime Minister, Members of the Cabinet, let’s quit trying to pretend that the crime situation is under control; that our forces can handle the problem. We need to be honest about what’s happening to our tiny country, or we’ll never be able to fix it, will we? Tonight I’m too tired and angry to be eloquent. I just want my country back. It's time to quit treating us like children, patting us on the collective head, telling us that it isn’t what it looks like and that we don't understand the global realities. Get real and get on with fixing the problem before the few remaining Mr. Gibsons of our world do get blown up. <br />
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Give me my country back! In the name of patriotism, begin to give good people like Mr. Gibson the weapons (and the forces) they need in order to fight for our right to a decent, safe way of life. It's time to get serious, deadly serious.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-66197604477730932292009-03-01T22:28:00.000-06:002009-03-01T22:28:52.878-06:00On The MoveThose of you who follow these scribbles of mine will know that Friday night’s revelations on Channel 5 regarding Mayor Z’s possible ineligibility to run gave me nothing less than the kind of laughter that sets your whole body shaking and sends tears streaming down your face.<br />
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However, it does take the fun out of it if this is how the race ends, so after I got done laughing, I got down to some serious thinking –well, sort of serious. First, what sort of proof was provided that she’s now fully resident at the palatial estate beyond the river and overlooking the sea? Did someone provide pictures of (shudder) her underwear drawer? Did they find a dresser full of hair-teasing tools and lotions and potions meant to keep her looking adorable for all except the Belize Times? In other words, what constitutes incontrovertible proof? I look forward to seeing if Z deems this one worth answering come Monday.<br />
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I will say that I do agree that if you’re not willing to live in a municipality, you ought not to wish to govern it either. Therefore, I think that the quoted amendment was not only appropriate, but too long in coming. Kudos to the UDP lawmakers no matter what their motivation was –and I hope they are not now persuaded to reverse course on the matter. Remember the various City Councillors in the past who went abroad and ‘forgot’ to resign? But maybe, since Z built and moved out to her mansion when she was Mayor, she kind of knew how her leadership of the City would turn out, no? Call her desertion more of an admission, if you will.<br />
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Over not a few drinks this weekend, I and some of my friends did wonder who spilled the beans re HomeGate. I gave it 50/50 that it was her own party, and one or two others agreed. Others in the group tended to cling to their faith in the diabolical nature of the PUP, and I gave them their props too. Either way, this is an unambiguous test of the UDP leadership: will they suffer their own law to be overturned so as to maintain their candidate at any cost? Or will they use this as the ‘out’ to rid themselves of a serious political liability? Also, will Jules get his groove back where City Hall scoops are concerned? Either way, Monday’s news should be interesting; let’s see what happens next. <br />
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However this latest episode turns out, I will wend my unwilling way to the polls come Wednesday to cast my vote for God-knows-what to lead the City. While I may vote for Chubby, let me make it absolutely clear that I do not regard him as anything other than a ‘NO’ vote for Zenaida. Let’s face it, the man is so boring I can’t even stay awake long enough to mock him.<br />
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Yuh knoa, I wonder if Z has a spare floor in The Bates Motel in case we all need to move out of Belize City –or in case Creole Waggans wants to open a Ladyville branch. She and Mr$ Moya can’t be using all three, can they?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027342983164825226.post-52123442685854550822009-02-26T22:47:00.000-06:002009-02-26T22:47:01.935-06:00PUDP...It's All The Same To MeWhat the hell is going on with our leaders?! City Council allegedly couldn’t make their payments to Social Security (yet Mayor Zenaida could pay her brother’s business) for several months. Her only answer to the ongoing accusations on the matter is to, in her usual arrogant way, state that she has answered the matter already and that the previous City Council was equally irregular in its payments. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that why we fired that crowd?!?! And didn’t you promise us that you’d be better? Well, saying they were just as bad doesn’t exactly scream improvement, does it? The more things change....<br />
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Speaking of how bad things are at City Hall, where’s our Municipal Audit? Mr. Auditor General, are you allowing yourself to be compromised by political necessities? Because I’ll tell you this: you are paid by us and as such you answer to us, and we want our audit -<i>before</i> March 4th. Hell, if you’re just a little behind, feel free to give us what you’ve got and tell us when the rest will be ready. You readers remember when Ralph wouldn’t allow any criminal charges against his brother? This crowd promised to be better. The more things change….<br />
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Connected friends can avoid paying taxes with impunity while businesses that already pay more than their fair share get taxed further to pay for those friends. Try avoiding your SSB payment for a month and see what happens. Try owing money for your trade and liquor license and see how long you can stay open. Try to keep from paying your property tax and see how that goes over with Zenaida & Co. Try talking Customs down on the duty they want to charge you and see how helpful they are. Ever made a mistake of a few cents on your GST or Business Tax or been late by a day on either? But there are those who can do all that and much, much more. It's just not Archie Lee's turn anymore. The more things change….<br />
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The Labour Ministry wants businesspeople to pay more severance to their employees –three and five times more than they’ve planned for. Not a bad idea, until you look around you and see how quiet things are with businesses. Then the government complains about businesses not lowering their prices. How can they? What costs have declined for them? Not taxes, labour, or utility costs, that’s for sure. You see, the PUP claimed to be all about social justice, then proceeded to help their favoured few shred the economy. The UDP claim to be all about social justice, and are doing everything to help their favoured few take what’s left. The more things change….<br />
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The current Prime Minister says that “corruption has been eliminated at the topmost level of government,” meaning him personally, one assumes –or maybe the Governor General. Who the hell cares that one athlete is clean when the whole rest of the team is on steroids? Same argument goes for any member of PUP who sanctioned what happened by keeping silent while it was happening. Guilt by association, it’s all the rage around here. The more things change….<br />
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Look guys, economic patriotism does not mean killing the cow for a steak dinner tonight then wondering why you can’t have milk with your cereal tomorrow. Economic patriotism means keeping your local businesses in business and able to do business without the constant fear of starvation through taxation. Economic patriotism actually means embracing certain free market principles so that consumers have a choice and local businesses have to learn to compete and work toward exporting their products in order to thrive –protectionism kills innovation and quality, did you know that? Have some pasta and think about that. Hell, economic patriotism even means creating a climate that allows shoppers to be able to afford to shop in their own country -but remember, do it without starving businesses to make it happen.<br />
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You know, you can at least try to pretend you love your country. So far you aren’t fooling anyone into thinking that you want to win the job again in 2013. Did you notice that there’s a global crisis on? Has anyone told you it’s now hitting home and that your actions determine how Belize comes out of it? Trust them, they’re not the ones telling lies.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Visit http://belizebeliever.blogspot.com for more posts, news and links to other Belize-related sites.</div>RebelThinkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14912912546154595077noreply@blogger.com5