Governance by…

…fait accompli

One of Forbes Burnham’s famous sayings was the folk wisdom, “Back to back…belly to belly…we don’t give a damn…we done dead already!” – meaning that if you know your goose is cooked…it doesn’t matter what the heck you do…so you might just do your worst.

This seems to be the guiding principle of this government – which isn’t so surprising since, Prezzie explained the PNC’s still guided by the philosophy of the Founder Leader.

The latest inexplicable action by the Government that has to’ve emanated from their “done dead already” resignation is their abandonment of the collective bargaining negotiation with the Teachers Union. They’ve already pissed off the Public Servants – who were responsible for them harvesting at least four seats. The teachers (who have spouses, mind you) also brought in at least that many seats. But who gives a damn when you’re part of the “Walking Dead”??

For years the Government workers – including teachers and public servants railed against the PPP Government refusing to do (the legally required) “right thing” – collective bargaining. They just gave them a flat 5% around Christmas time. Since this was retroactive to the previous January, it proved to be a clever ploy (for the PPP) since the workers couldn’t refuse the “bird in the hand” and be Scrooge to their families. But this just made them more resentful since they knew they were being “played”.

And boy did APNU and the AFC make hay out of this when they were in Opposition!! The PPP weren’t just “heartless bloodsuckers”‘ – they were “racist heartless bloodsuckers”!! So, now that the APNU/AFC has done a volte-face and doing exactly what the PPP did has to raise the schoolyard taunt: “if the PPP were bloodsuckers, what does that make you??!!” Well…we’ve already answered that…zombies!! Who’ve already resigned themselves to being booted out in 2020.

And their “don’t give a damn” behaviour isn’t confined to wage negotiations. Think about all their well-meaning supporters who bought the allegations of the PPP “siphoning off” billions and billions from the national treasury. Guess what those folks think when they see more than footsie being played “under the table” when contracts are being dictated? Pharmagate… Petroimportationgate… Jamaicaricegate… Jubilee stadiumgate…and the list (and beat) goes on!

But some folks don’t think it’s the “done dead already” syndrome, but it’s all about the supporters they’re taking for granted (read “doormats”). This theory proposes that their supporters hate the PPP so much they’ll never “cross the Xs”.

And even if they stay at home in 2020, the books are being cooked in so many ways – visas, election lists, birth certificates etc…etc.

…ad hocism

Another reason why the Government may assume their goose is cooked is their absolutely cluelessness on the economy. Your Eyewitness knows he’s mentioned this before (about dozens of times, you say?), but some things transfix you so that you’re just trapped in morbid fascination. Think of the latest utterance from the AFC excusing their senior partner APNU on the tanking of the economy. Realising that folks aren’t biting that “everything’s gonna be all right” line anymore, they’ve started on the “it really ain’t so bad” chant.

So, we’re told about Suriname’s meltdown, Trinidad’s oil rundown, and Barbados’ layoffs. And that our 2% growth rate is still better than their negative growth. Imagine that! Wasn’t it only a year and a half ago, they were mocking the PPP for claiming that their 5-% growth rate was better than our neighbours’? Ahhhh! What a difference a switch of parliamentary benches can make!!

So the line on the economy is “Do wha’ you want – when you want – with me”!!

…owning it

For decades Berbicians had to grin and bear witless jokes about the “mad house” in their county. Now the Minister wants to “bulldoze” the old building, they insist the replacement must be there.

If you can’t beat it, might as well own it, nuh?