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

Wednesday 10 October 2012

A Cautionary Note on Fiji Day 2012


The Prime Minister struck all the right chords in his Fiji Day address.

Fiji can indeed have an exciting future but only if its people act out the dream of strengthening the unity of its citizens. There are, thankfully, growing signs of respect for what the Prime Minister calls "all the strands of its many cultures, traditions and history" and an acceptance that "common and equal citizenry is the only foundation upon which a modern and democratic Fiji can rest."

But Fiji is not quite there, Prime Minister. You are right, though, in urging all citizens to commit themselves to leaving behind a better Fiji for all their children, and "reflect on what the country that we all call home means to us, our friends and our families."

It is also a day, as you say,"where all should join hands and commemorate the things that bind the people" for the "people have never abandoned the dream to achieve the goals and build a strong nation."

But it is still too early to celebrate with abandon, Prime Minister. Fiji, as others have said, is still a work in progress.

If all the people, including the Government and its opponents,  resolve on this Fiji Day to work more on their common heritage and destiny —and somewhat less on their differences—  next year or the year after, the dream may have become a reality, and then there will be cause to really celebrate.  

9 comments:

Credible ? No said...

....and it would help if the PM acknowleged the enourmous damage his coup did and committed to ensuring coups never happen again (even if he is not PM and not president).

Anonymous said...

I'll be on board when we don't have a Military Coup Leader standing in front of us and lecturing on this most important day.

Reality stinks said...

Like it or not what Frank is leaving behind is a very clear message to future generations. The message is if you can't what you want legally or if you are in a tight spot with the law you can always use other means to get and retain power. He has taught Fiji that coups are OK, that violence is OK and that it is OK for leaders to secretly help themselves (think leave pay, seceret salaries, overseas junkets).

It's not what the PM say (he says all the right things) it is what he does.

Anonymous said...

Maybe in the future we can all salute the great dictator on Fiji day and have his picture put up in every house in Fiji. What a great man who removed a government at gun point and beat into submission all opposition.

clebrating what? said...

What are we celebrating? Living under a dictatorship and an illegal human righta abusing junta? Living under repression and a destroyed rule of law? Stop having yourself on croz. Just more qorvis spin.

Crosbie Walsh said...

What a lot of wet blankets! Smile! You are still alive!

not ture said...

Easy for you to say Croz. You where not removed, you have not been pursued or silenced. No injustice has been done to you.

How do you suggest we educate our children that it is not alright to overthrow elected governemnts with guns while celebrating a man who has done just that ?

Rusi said...

More sermons from the guy who's first priority has always been to save himself and his job/s. The rest he makes up as he goes along. One rule for him and his cronies and everyone else is held to very different standard entirely. The Fiji of today is exactly what you get when you have thugs in power and people who should know better, providing encouragement at the expense of those that have to actually live it.

Joe said...

" No injustice has been done to you."

"injustice" best describes all previous so called democratically elected govts. You seem to be one of those who missed out on the gravy train under LQ.

You seem to be completely out of touch. Our children are being educated about coups and more since 2007. They are being lectured to do the right things and not indulge in corruption, racism etc. They are also being told about inteference from a certain church group and chiefs in the day to day affairs of govt, robbing land owners of their dues, preaching racism and hatred with a bible in the other hand, buying votes with forks and knives, pocketing money that was raised for the poor farmers, and the list goes on.

These children will come out of school with a clear concious and not a twisted mind like yours. They are our future leaders and will vote in the next election.