NA SALA CAVA? Readers are urged to scroll down to the three "Way Forward" questions, read what others think, and add their own comments. I will summarize these on Wednesday and post a further question for discussion.
(-) FIJI SUN SINKS VERY LOW. If I hadn't lifted this sick article directly from the Sun's online website, I'd assume it was a hoax. Some sarcasm in an anti-government blog. But it's the Sun and it almost deifies Bainimarama. Many people know that the PM has achieved a great deal in the past four years. But more than Ratu Mara? We'll also accept that he's genuine in trying to resolve the nation's problems. But the only genuine leader? And this sentence is unbelievable: "Prime Minister Bainimarama has rooted out and dropped corruption by 76 per cent, poverty by 53 per cent, unemployment by 40 per cent crime by 53 per cent and the racial barrier by 68 per cent." To estimate statistical changes like this,one needs to know the starting point, and Fiji has no way of knowing that for corruption and race relations.The figures are meaningless.
But read on. There is more. "With Mr Bainimarama’s open approach in dealing with issues, the people, especially the vanua and the chiefs, have started throwing their support behind his administration now, knowing that he is the only messiah who can bring our beloved Fiji back to pre-1987 existence." The Messiah? No way.
It gets worse: "With the level of so much progress by the current administration, it would be wise for Mr Bainimarama to keep governing indefinitely without fixing any date for the election, unless and until for an absolute sure for a corruption free politician, even it takes the next century! God Bless Fiji!"
God will indeed need to bless Fiji with this sychophant (definition: flatterer, toady, parasitic person) at large. The article is a disgrace. The writer may be a fool but his readers are not, and this I'm sure includes the PM. My cartoon attempt is based on an Obama cartoon. Vinaka www.funnypicturevideo.com.
"FASCIST LORD HAW HAW". I see that a CoupFourPointFive reader has referred to a Mere Samisomi article on the racism of the Government (huh!) as "brilliant stuff" compared with the "cut and paste rhetoric of the fascist lord Haw Haw military glee club blog!!!" [i.e., this blog.]
(+) A READER'S COMMENTS ON THE FNPF FIASCO. "Individually and collectively the board of directors and their chairpersons over many years at Natadola must be held to account. That is what 'accountability' means and no one ought to assume the role of director in a public company or any company which uses public funds 'in trust' if they are not prepared for this. Codes of Conduct ought to have been signed by each and everyone of them.
"Were they? No matter. Hold their feet to the fire, Prime Minister and ensure that nary one escapes. When you have finished with that, move on to Momi Bay, Maui Bay and one or two other places. The names that come up are often the same and their professions are all similar. We are now determined to see justice done and Fiji's tarnished reputation for corporate governance restored. Redraft all Acts which cover the investment and governance of funds held in trust and clean out all the boards. A strong representation of the members who have funds in both the NLTB and the FNPF must sit on the board in future. And....both institutions require decent competition and regulation which is sound."
(o) PM TO VISIT LAU NEXT WEEK. The PM's tour of Fiji's 14 provinces to "hold consultations with the people" continues next week. He will be accompanied by Commissioner Eastern Colonel Iferemi Vasu and Lau Provincial Council chairman Roko Tevita Uluilakeba Mara.
On Saturday this week a senior officer with the PM's Office Tomasi Tui will lead a government delegation to Rotuma to open the new police station and review progress on development work as the island prepares for trade with Tuvalu.
9 comments:
Fiji sun. you are slavishly compliant and complicit in this regime. So apparently this IS responsible reporting or commentary.. but only if you agree with the military diactorship. How very blinkered and spineless, this is propaganda and does heaps more damage then anything in the media prior to thses coups. This is actually what this regime wants. Mindless regurgitation of military media releases is this really reporting??
You're right, Croz. Anyone who has any sympathy with the regime at all ought to be horrified by this piece in the Fiji Sun. Because it's precisely the kind of crude, unsophisticated propaganda that is guaranteed to be totally unproductive. I don't know what Peter Lomas and Leone Cabenatabua must have been thinking. Unless, of course, it was forced on them and they had no choice. It's bad enough that the piece is anonymous, probably because no-one would want to put their name to such rubbish. But the arrow straight through the heart of the Sun's editorial credibility are the ridiculous and unsubstantiated percentages you've highlighted of the glorious advances under the new order. I'm wondering if the source of this is the Ministry of Information under its new head, Sharon Smith-Johns? Certainly, no-one with any credible background in the media would have wanted to see this appear anywhere. It's a new low in Fiji and quite mad. Someone needs a good kick up the backside for making Bainimarama look like some genuine third world despot, with a fawning media prone to exaggeration and outright lies. Shocking in every sense. They'll be rubbing their hands in glee over at the Fiji Times, that's for sure. They won't be able to believe their luck in having their main competitor exposed not only as a regime lickspittle but for journalistic fraud.
Croz, I think you can thank the lamentable Michael Field for spawning your moniker among anti-regime forces as the fascist Lord Haw Haw. But really. Does it worry you coming from someone on 4.5 who thinks Mere Samisoni capable of writing "brilliant stuff"? More ranting from half people with full blown egos.
Even Frank's own mum wouldn't praise her boy as highly as the writer has done, so rest easy - I'm sure the Fiji Sun's article was satirical.
Quite subtle satire too, judging by the way the paper has fawned over him in the past.
Clever stuff, keep it up.
What a classic line from the Sun - “It would be wise for Mr Bainimarama to keep governing indefinitely without fixing any date for the election … even it takes the next century.”
Eeeuwww. Surely he’d be mouldy by then?
Or has he (gasp) found the Tree of Life? Monty Python would be so pissed off. It would leave their Puking Tree of Mozambique for dead.
It would be a joke if it wasn't so sad. The standard of journalism, like everything in Fiji except the cost of basic food necessities for the increasing number of poor and destitute, just continues to spiral downwards since Dec 2006.
I think the point here is this is exactly the type of journaism that you get when this regime resorts to laws and PER to stifle journalism and the freedom of expression, they couldn't be happier. This is what rates as reporting in this country.
I know it was only a simple cut and paste job, but I've got to say what a great little cartoon, Crosbie. Funny on even more levels than the Obama one was.
oh and presuming this anti Aus nz us and eu attitude has been there.. why on earth do you keep asking for handouts, expertise and trade benefits... don't. Look north and find comfort in the arms of china , north korea, burma etc and then maybe the rape 'anal ogy' ( pardon the pun) with become more obvious and apparent.Reap what you sew. I'll be fine.
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