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

Thursday 6 November 2014


Have a good look at the graph.  It shows an effect of the "coup culture" that few have mentioned. They prefer to talk about the restrictions on their freedom of expression, ignoring the impact on the basic, livelihood freedoms of Indo-Fijian cane farmers whose leases were not renewed, sometimes, believe it or not, at the suggestion of NLTB officials who assured the Taukei owners the Qarase government would pick up the tabs for their loss of rental money.

Click forward. The Fiji Sun reported that over 6,000 leases have been renewed since the Bainimarama coup.  No other Fiji paper, and no Government opponent,  thought this information was worth reporting, but they continued to report and protest their lack of  freedom.   True democrats believe that freedom comes with responsibility, including the responsibility for the less fortunate.

Earlier in the week I indicated that I was uncertain whether or not to continue publishing the blog.  My feeling was that it had served its purpose in its present form.  News and comments on the news are now more freely available, in the media, blogs, Twitter and Facebook, though there could still be a place for informed exchanges of opinions on specific issues.

I invited readers' comments and asked whether anyone would be prepared to co-publish the blog or be its sole publisher.

No one replied,  although Jim Anthony and others did comment on other items in the posting, mostly in a disparaging way.

Not very encouraged by this response, I have decided to put the blog into limbo.  I will continue to publish Allen Lockington's weekly column on Fridays, make provision for readers to comment on any topic of their choice, but otherwise publish very little myself.

I'll see how this goes for a few weeks before making a final decision on the future of the blog.

Thank you for your support over the past eight years.

Enjoy the weekend.

Croz

17 comments:

Bye Bye Shazza said...

Another one drops of the perch! Great stuff!

Unknown said...

I never believed that you, Croz Walsh, was anything more than a kolea--a bird of passage:. Your nose is out of joint you you are folding your tent and disappearing into the night. I have never been impressed with the quality of your mind. You will be remembered, if you are remember at all, a a minor wart on the arse off history.

If you cannot stand disparagement, get the fuck out of the way. Find a rock and slither underneath it. I have neither sympathy nor respect for people like you. Quite frankly, you are just an embarrassment.

josefab said...

Oh dear.. sounds like Jim takes charm classes from that witless Bainimarama.

%$#@! said...

OIC, all other coups - bad, Baimiarama Khaiyum coup - good. thank you animal farm.

Loyal Fijian said...

Hi Croz - i grew up and love Fiji. I believe in fairness and equal rights for all. In this day and age propaganda is easier to sell than reality. SDL/Sodelpa are equivalent to the Islamic State in the middle east. It has been people like you who have made a stand against what is obviously wrong with the racist/elitist politics in Fiji.

Please don't give up. Yes i come to your site less often now that Banimarama won the elections but you have more influence than you appreciate. I have tried to post but many of my comments disappear.

Bula Vinaka

Anonymous said...

Croz - how easy was it for beddeos to sell the misleading pictures of the election office vehicle with the boot open. Unless good men like yourself keep going Sodelpa will win.

Please keep going.

Crosbie Walsh said...

@ Loyal Fijian and Anonymous... Many thanks for your kind words and encouragement. As you will have seen from an earlier posting, I'm writing a paper on the influence of the media and social media (blogs, Facebook) for a book by Steve Ratuva. Both of you say the blag has had some influence. What makes you say this? Have others told you they read it? Have you and they discusses it with friends, family, colleagues? Anything else you think may be helpful. I'd like to hear from you ASAP, please.

Croz

Suger sugar said...

I must be missing something ? This graph shows the 2006 coup was also bad for cane growers and remember one of Franks first promisies was he would fix sugar by 2009.

Military Man said...

Not much reporting on the Auiditor generals reports by yourself Croz ? Seems pretty clear to me why they where kept secret for 8 years....this government has had just as much missmanagement as the previous ones. And we haven't even see the account sof the military......

54321 said...

Croz would find this most inconveneient to address and wants us to move on very quickly to celebrate our saviours. Everything before 2006 bad, now all just marbellous.The thugs have alll the time in the world to do better according to Croz. we are all just negative and should see ther sunny side of eight years of dictatorship.

alan T said...

always a forensic analysis of regime opponents but full of praise and even provides a handbook of excuses for the thugs and the fact they have had 8 years in power to address issues. Still moaning about SODELPA not following the government line.

African dictatorships all over again said...

This last few years under the illegal junta have certainly been bad for the nation. Apart from free trips for junta slurpers and blatant theft by the likes of Aunty Nur and other thug supporters the level of debt and corruption is frightening. Welcome to failed stat Africa in the Pacific.

Loyal Fijian said...

Hi Croz - in response to your questions. Since Fiji has stabilised considerably in the last 8 years a lot of us Fijian living overseas visit blog sites a lot less apart from say major events like the elections. This would be the key reason for the reduction in viewers you get each week. I come once a month or less even now.

You are one of the few truly Independent commentators on Fiji. Even the journalists in Fiji get too involved in politics and star taking sides. Many friends and family here in Sydney read your blog for more in depth analysis.

We would never support a Coup but recognize that that Banimarama is undertaking a revolution which will change how the country is governed. The Chiefly elites in Fiji have an important cultural role to play but in this day and age the best performers even if a Commoner should be leading the country economically and politically. The Fijian Chiefly system needs to evolve similar to say the British monarchy. One of Banimarama's minsters that you covered in an article Colonel Pio Tikoduadua is a shining example of this.

Croz dont be fooled by the number of haters. They have a lot more energy. There are 5 haters on Coup4.5 and they can post dozens of comments which makes hate filled blogs appear more popular.People who agree just get on with life like the 60% of Fijian who support Banimarama.

I would be interested in knowing if the Auditors Report is any different to before Banimarama. If he was the dicatator that people try and claim he is wouldnt he have just removed the Auditor general. My brief reading is that many of the issues highlighted are Civil Service lack of competence or the Auditor General's just highlighting process breakdowns. Many items were approved not totally to process and protocol. The Fijian Foreign Minister was seriously sick in NY and he wanted full bureaucratic approval prior to costs being incurred. Sounds absurd to me as I know in the US they would not treat you at all without dollars upfront.

Unknown said...

Calling the elected Prime Minister of the country 'witless" is in fact witless.
And, no, 'josefab', I don't take charm lessons from anyone. I own my own charm school.

desmond said...

yes you would never accuse Croz of taking sides and having a flagrant bias towards the regime and all the cronies !?!? He was there during the beating , playing them down and excusing them, he was there when the wacky poilice commish wanted everyone praying, he was there when bainmarama abused people and explained it all away, he was there as the dictators family starting cashing in on his position and securing for themselves plum jobs like family of an african despot...he was there when censorship was brought it as the locals and international media can't be trusted at all to report news that isn't fed to them by Sharon Smith Johns... and it goes on and on....father Barr.....etc etc What have you been reading?

Anonymous said...

Sorry Croz just came across the article. You don't have to listen to the crap coming thru. At least you have the courage of your conviction- some of our mob are good at "firing" from a distance. I at least when coming to this site know i am not reading rubbish from your post!

Anonymous said...

Cros - There are many people still trying to create fear and divide the people of Fiji for their own benefit. Keep going as you have contributed greatly. The revolution is still going and will be reversed if good people don't tell both sides of the story.