The three greatest political geniuses of my time are George Price, Dean Barrow and Net Vasquez.
I believe that through the vast spaces of historical time there have been truly great men who expressed their true excellence by stepping aside to let history continue on its course without their active input, because they dreaded the Mephistophelian experience of losing their souls.
Imagine being in the position of President Harry Truman in 1945 after the fall of Germany. America continued its effort to conquer Japan. But invasion would cost one million American lives. Must he launch this massacre against his own countrymen? There was another option — a most horrific choice that would cause the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Japanese at the blink of an eye —the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the first two atomic weapons!
After this horror Truman said it was a decision that he never lost a moment’s sleep bemoaning. There have been such tough leaders! How about the great Mao Tse Tung causing the death, of over forty million of his fellow countrymen, during five years of the Cultural Revolution?
Stalin of Russia is said to have killed over one hundred million of his own people to consolidate his power. Thank God our leaders are not and have not been bloodthirsty, and the decisions they have had to make were more pedestrian! At the heart of leadership, however, is decision-making. Hopefully, the choices leaders make will redound to peaceful, wholesome progress that blesses us rather than hurting and corrupting.
Our blessings may not always be advantages. Our less-than-half a million mouths to feed does not attract the investment that mechanized agricultural ventures look for. While I feel that subsistence farming may be improved greatly to feed more people, I believe that sincere, committed political leadership is greatly needed. Therefore, we must become more discerning electors who encourage nationalists (not ultra nationalists) who advance ideas to encourage development at the grassroots level. The Holy Redeemer Credit Union is an inspiration. Seventy years ago a small band of people started pooling their shillings together. It is now an enterprise with thousands owning a credit union with hundreds of millions of dollars.
Was 2020 (lottery) a great scam, or was it genuine? In the 60’s there was a minister of government nicknamed “01”. It is said that he fixed that play by getting those in charge of the barrel and the numbers to freeze the zero and the one, which fell appropriately to be the winning singles.
The lottery used to be owned completely by native-born Belizeans. Who owns the gaming business now? Isn’t this a little industry that should be owned completely by Belizeans? The popular belief is that there is a famous local name in the counting room. Who is he? I don’t mind. I think the gaming business should be better organized like a real industry to benefit more native-born people. But it must be completely honest. Who vets the Lottery Board? Isn’t this a job for an elected Senate? Some people feel 2020 was a smart political scam. A lot of people won and are happy.
Social Security — what is it, a board, a commission, a fund, an industry? Shouldn’t the appointment of its manager and all of its members be issues of national concern — not merely partisan politics? Shouldn’t the Elected Senate vet nominees to be appointed by the Minister or Prime Minister? Social Security is the guardian of hundreds of millions of workers’ money. Should the government of the day be enabled to use it as a slush fund for their political purposes? Some people feel that a careful review of its funding should take place, asking serious questions like: (1) amount of pension and retirement payments (2) funding of construction of public buildings (3) scholarships (It is believed that this should be more a matter for the Ministry of Education) (4) review of sick benefits and maternity leave.
All Belizeans should begin to express concern about new industries that may threaten to de-stabilize existing successful ones.
Quietly, a license has been granted to start a new brewery to produce beer in Belize. Why are we allowing another person to interfere with the success of Belikin? Is this an effort to set up a partisan to become ensconced in a position of money and power? Hopefully, a feasibility study has been done…? But it will be extremely difficult to beat the taste of Belikin.
Competition will increase advertising of liquor, but perhaps the standards will be enhanced in our advertising. I hardly watch local news because most of it is five minutes of who killed whom and ten minutes of ladies gyrating and shaking — very abusive of the dignity of our ladies! Can’t we make ads, more classy? I am sure we can!
Can an ELECTED SENATE work?
Of course it can work — marvelous, if we craft it, design it to suit our checks and balances. With the genius of people like Net Vasquez, Dean Barrow, Cordel Hyde, Julius Espat, Mark Lizarraga, Tracy Taegar, Kareem Musa, etc. What we most need is that determined focus and concentration to fix our system to serve the COMMON GOOD. In this regard, I am nervous of the persons in both the Blue and Red camps who will pander to foreign agendas for the sake of funding. We have recently lived through the history where Ministers have actively advanced immorality, even in our schools. In both the Blue and Red camps there are persons who choose darkness over light. My answer to this is to assure people that the best way to serve everyone is to commit to unconditional love of all manner of people.
As a Belizean dedicated to promoting the COMMON GOOD, I love unconditionally even those who choose darkness. Perhaps our light will shine to remove their darkness! Perhaps historians will summarize our past twenty-two political years as a Red political genius outplaying another genius — a Blue one named Ralph.
But let us move on, Belize: demonization may only be a fantasy moment, whereas we want and need more permanent success. Never again should we choose between a frying pan and the flames. If we ourselves, the electors, choose the COMMON GOOD over the selfish one, then with divine help we may all prove ourselves to be WINNERS. We have been allowing our new Belizeans from Asia to push us out of management and ownership into diminished roles in counting the dollars.
Alexander, the Greatest General who ever lived, in his short life, conquered much of Asia with a tiny army of thousands. However, as he conquered, he built new political realities by encouraging his top generals to marry local princesses. As we have been most generous in welcoming and sharing with new citizens, they should become bigger in advancing the COMMON GOOD.