Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Sunday 18 December 2011

A Reader Comments on John Samy's Reflections

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "John Samy Reflects on the Charter Progress and Whe...":

We can hear a sense of sadness and disappointment in John in this interview. One can understand thisafter his sterling efforts to resurrect Fiji into a modern State for all, only to see his Charter being used as facade of decency to hide behind, and behind it to revert to abuse of power, greed,corruption and plunder even surpassing the deeds of of old. When Frank met John first to genuinely ask for advice and assistance to build a "Better Fiji, apparently his first remarks to Frank was, "But you don't have the mandate to Change". His advice was that mandate can only come from the People. While Frank was never going to return to the much abused Parliaments of old to consult, his advice was to call together an Assembly of the People represented through their political leaders, leaders from the communities, members of his Government who would implement change and the inevitably the military to discuss what was wrong in Fiji, to recognise its festering problems not addressed by previous Governments nor the international community and finally to come up with possible solutions: a consensus and peace building initiative. All were invited but some chose to sulk and to take their bat and ball and go home to cry over spilt milk for the return of their privilege to plunder the country yet again, to use race and hate as a football for power and privilege in a predominantly Christian country. The consultation process continued with some chairs left vacant for the detractors to join anytime they were ready. But the detractors instead hoped for mutiny, insurrection and chaos to redeem them rather than choose dialogue and nation building. The international community, albeit an invitation to support the process, also chose to miss the opportunity for dialogue to effect much change by instead proclaiming "values" from the roof tops in a Fiji where there were no such "values". Out of the nation-wide consultation, the best one possible in the circunstances, emerged the State of the Nation Report and the Charter. These two should be read together. John had completed his mission and left it to the Government of the Day to implement as he was not a part of the Government or the coup, only to see the process of consultation with the people and ownership of change by the people being replaced vry quickly by thuggery and concentration of power. It appears John still beleives that FB had a vision but that he has been deliberatly hijacked by the wily into a dictatorship. He still believes that Frank can get back on track and wants to get back on track to achieve good but this will only happen if he can choose better and listen to good advice from good people. So many opportunities lost, no wonder John is dismayed. Good will prevail. God Bless Fiji and May more John's prevail. May Frank's vision for a "Better Fiji" resurrect. Let us all pray during this Holy Season for such a resurrection

2 comments:

Islands in the Stream said...

Unfortunately for us all, this naivete of insight has permitted Fiji to fall into a place which is proving even more intractable and impervious to improvement and resolution. All could be so easily derailed in a day. Does this show on the faces of the 'True Believers'?

Today it has become a silly global habit to insist upon demanding "Who is to blame"?

We are all to blame. Our foolishness and inability to avoid calling "All Change!" while cowering under a culturally- imposed Canopy of Silence, backed by the ever present threat of force has proved to be a toxic, equivocal mix. The end result of too much hypothesizing: too much "Thinking too precisely upon the event" pace Hamlet?

Those of us who knew that things could not continue as they were have also known that they might not evolve for an inclusive benefit. Because the imposition of 'Might is Right' will never permit of a mindset required to bring about a vibrant, functioning democracy. Instead it has wrought an often sullen compliance or deliberate intransigence. We see this all around us. Intolerance of decreed measures for change: a daily observed attitude to "get what we can" by every imaginative and creative urge. We are very competent and able at 'bucking' any system when we choose. Make no mistake. Innovative and wilely.

The energy of a nation is thus being largely dissipated through a mad rush to indulge in multiple ruses for self-enrichment by whatever means. There is daily evidence for this. It is sickening to observe, dangerous to confront and the authorities are not seen to be 'in charge'. There are leaders at the local level who lead in observed and obvious corruption. No complaints are investigated: they soon fix that. Perjury is witnessed in court: two years later it stands unaddressed in defiance of all known law. This is a Blot and a Rot on our landscape. The entire edifice of Due Process and the Rule of Law is undermined. It is a scandal and it shames all who have been and still are a party to it. Such aberrations of justice will never fade into the night. Be assured they will not. All who have assisted in this orchestration are known.

Not unlike the Americans in Iraq with their ill-named, ill-judged "Storm and Awe" with no cogent preparation for what comes next, we have fallen into a place where the path ahead is obfuscated by this de-energizing lust for power relocated to the lowest level. Leadership?......Go hang! But their poisonous example is fast catching on, basted with hypocrisy.

This will never do! And the tools to effect change are fast running out-of-stock. Those who sit on safe and remunerated perches have scarce an idea of the people who are now almost without hope. This is an ultimate failure of statecraft.

People look astern and they see a troubled wake. The way ahead is uncertain and unsure. Fiji is a Christian country. This is not decreed. It is our history. In spirit and in action our energy should be sourced from what we know. Honesty, compassion, a deep understanding of those in need (morally and materially). This understanding may only come about through close, personal contact. The isolation of the empowered is inevitable. As time passes, it becomes ever wider. Only an electoral process even a referendum will remove it.

We need to recognise evil clearly for what it is. Evil must be excised. Not by decree; not by force of firepower but by the strength of our collective WILL.

Anonymous said...

Fat chance with the collective will.

The collective will ends up at the same putrid trough of leadership.

Same old chiefs

Same old preachers

Same old business people

Same old lawyers.

Same old itaukei nationalists.

Same old unionists.

and Oh God, same old politicians.

Same old westminister multi party systm.

NEVER CHANGING, FACELESS CIVIL SERVICE TYRANY.

What has changed!

Well, not since 1874, we have a WARLORD in charge. aka: a dictatorship

and to date, there is no exit strategy.

oh..the word on the street is there is some dialogue, whispers,but, what are they going to do, place the needle back at the beginning,(is that @33rpm or @45rpm), press replay .

We are bankrupt! and aint got nothing to do with money.