March 8th, 2012 cannot get here quick enough! At least I know after March 7, 2012, the nonsense of politics will be over for a couple years. Mein I don’t think Twocanview fit too well into political party agenda. Every time Faye and myself open our mouths (type our thoughts ie), we are attacked and accused of political party agenda,( btw, my mind and prayers are on Faye today as she lay her younger brother Henry to rest). …I find when people try to shut you up, several reasons may explain this …You speak the truth that is offensive to their position; they want to control what you say; they realize people may be listening, reading and taking you seriously; maybe you need to shut up or maybe they do too. They will use intimidation, name calling, mockery and they call on their party supporters to do the same. These are the people who want you the voter to entrust them with the job of moving Belize forward. Try having an objective conversation anywhere on the internet…If your position does not fit a particular party, the party faithful attackers come out of the woodworks. It is almost disgraceful and definitely immature. I am always reminded that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Speak up my Belizeans, challenge the status quo, don’t turn a blind eye to injustice, let your voices be heard, demand respect, respond respectfully, don’t be bullied into silence because silence gives consent to bullies to continue bullying! The internet and Facebook are changing the landscape of public opinion and I can see that many of these party animals have not adapted well to this new forum. Their normal boorish and manipulative ways becomes apparent with each comment and they forget their comments can be downloaded, shared, searched, quoted and witnessed by thousands of people in a matter of seconds. Censorship coming soon maybe?
Belizean Politics
Citizen Participation By: Hubert Pipersburgh
Hubert Pipersburgh
The importance of citizen participation in a democracy cannot be underscored. Without the participation of its citizenry, the United States, arguably the best model in contemporary times for democracy would not have evolved to the status of world leadership today. Citizen participation is as old as democracy itself, it is a concept that suggest everyone should be allowed to participate in the decision making process. This concept sometimes referred to as primary democracy works well in relatively small political jurisdictions where all citizens can have a voice in decision making.
The 18th century political philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote the social contract in which one of his main theories was primary democracy. Rousseau wanted to eliminate all barriers between the people and their government. This would have left just the citizens and their government leaders. The citizens would decide what they wanted, and the political leaders would act accordingly. Additionally, the price of democracy is the ongoing pursuit of the common good by all the people. Alexis De Tocqueville gravely warned that unless individual citizens were regularly involved in the action of governing themselves self-government would pass from the scene. In short, citizen participation is the animating spirit and force in a society.
However, with the rise of the modern administrative state, citizens became increasingly isolated from the process that governed their lives. As a result, this led to the reform movement in the United States. Following the reform movement citizens began to play a more active role in the polity. Citizen participation includes organized interest groups, citizen advisory committees on specific issues, letter-writing campaigns, picketing, nonviolent demonstrations, testifying before local and federal government, sit ins, and town-hall meeting.
Consider the rungs of a ladder; political scientist Sherry Arnstein attempted to sort out the meaning of citizen participation according to an eight rungs ladder of citizen participation. The bottom two rungs of the ladder, which represents non-participation, were called manipulation and therapy. The middle three rungs indicate degrees of tokenism and were labeled informing, consultation, and placation. The top three rungs and the ideal model for citizen participation indicated degrees of citizen power including partnership, delegated power, and citizen control.
In the Caribbean, the late Maurice Bishop’s New Jewel Movement perhaps was the closest to genuine citizen participation as it relates to the Westminster model. The words of the late Maurice Bishop of Grenada, sound a hallowed and sincere tone, “democracy is not just voting for Twiddle Dee or Twiddle Dum every five years.” Bishop believed that for democracy and progress to be successful institutions must be created, in the form of mass organizations all over the country, such as zonal and parish councils through which the proletariat workers and farmers, the women, the youths, and the students would have an opportunity not only to express their views, but to contribute to the making of policy. The system of councils it must be noted, was an experimental system. In the history of Grenada and the Caribbean there were no precedents. It was certainly Bishop’s hoped that this system of councils at the local level, the parish level, and the village level would become institutionalized as organs of people’s power and eventually, grass-root democracy will form part of the normal expectations of all the people. The underlying assumption being that citizen participation should be an ongoing engaging process and not just an election year gimmick.
The Arnstein typology is important because it shows that not all forms of participation entail real power sharing between citizens and elected officials. It is also an excellent framework for understanding citizen participation. A recent example in Belize of this limited conceptualization or non-participation in essence at the middle three rungs of Arnstein’s typology was the recent debate over the 9th Amendment. Citizens were educated and co-opted into accepting the rationale behind Mr. Barrow’s regime plan for action. Citizens were given the appearance or rituals of participation; however, they were denied any real influence over the course of events. Instead of genuine citizen participation it was public relations. Citizen became mere functionaries constantly fed a diet of carefully selected information.
Typical of the way policy is formulated in Belize in an ad hoc, stop-gap manner no serious attempt was made to really educate and inform the public about the importance and longterm implication of such a policy to our national interest. In a country, where elected representatives speak and vote for their constituents with sometimes disastrous results this approach to policy implementation is democracy without the genuine participation of the people. Instead the debate was watered down to petty bickering and rabid partisan politics. In short, an otherwise important public policy initiative that should have transcended party politics turned into a circus of charges and counter charges. They effectively squandered the chance to transcend the issue past the stale partisan debate and rhetoric. Mr. Barrow’s regime produced and promoted information that was favorable to their ambitions and programs. Information or opinions that favored the amendment survived, whereas, those that were contrary were systematically rejected.
Historically, that has been the behavior of our elected leadership with every important public policy issue that has national security implications. Heads of Agreement Maritime Areas Act, and the 7th amendment debate comes to mind. Our leaders seem unable to really engage the people honestly. They much prefer to divide them along party lines thereby diluting the genuine participation of the polity. Something is clearly wrong with the way our society engages its citizens. For one thing, it has lead to too many shortsighted policies. For another, assumptions and deficiencies continue without serious challenges. In most cases, policy is formulated at the bottom two rungs of Arnstein’s ladder. As a result, many of those individuals dedicated to the highest level of public service have become cynical. It is a grave situation when a people resign their citizenship that citizen sinks further into apathy and anonymity.
These openly corrupt elected officials are the true enemy of long-term economic growth and sustainable development in any society. Corruption, being what it is, there is simply no UDP or PUP way to handle corruption. It must be done in a bi-partisan manner. Conversely, unbridled capitalism, with low wages, long hours, and exploited workers, excites social resentment, revives class warfare while infusing extremist with new life. Therefore, to move along constructive lines, capitalism must subordinate short-term plans and profits to such long-term social necessities as investment in education, public safety, the extension of healthcare, infrastructure development, rehabilitation, and redemption of our urban centers.
Of course, I am jousting with windmills here, capitalist simply are not likely to do this by themselves. Long-term perspectives demand public leadership and affirmative government. This type of citizen participation utilizing primary democracy for the ills of the society is very significant. These major political parties have become overly insensitive and remote while paying no attention to the will of people. They have to take notice that we cannot so readily be treated with contempt or taken for granted as their natural accomplices. Perhaps of greater importance is that citizen participation in decision making is the body of democracy itself. These political parties must learn that no government will again be able with impunity run Belize as if by fiat accompli or as a benign dictatorship with the blessings of the people. Short of out and out repression the politics of participation is hard to turn off. With increased self-definition as citizens future Belizean government will inevitably discover that the democratic process cannot afford to be static. More rigorous citizen participation will become the avenue for community self-expression as men and women demand a voice in affairs. If the process is thwarted, sooner or later there will be growing dissension from the electorate.
Thus, citizen participation, is more than just a categorical term for citizen power. It is the redistribution of power that enables the have-not citizens, presently excluded from the political and economic processes, to be deliberately included in the future. It is the strategy by which the have-nots join in determining how information is shared, goals and policies are set, tax resources are allocated, programs are operated, and benefits like contracts and patronage are parceled out. In short, it is the means by which they can induce significant societal reform that enables them to share in the benefits of the affluent society (i.e. a more equitable distribution of the economic pie).
Daily Dingleberry 2/23/2012 by: Aria Lightfoot (until Faye is back)
How dare YOU question my Belizean nationality and nationalism. I am 100 percent born Belizean from Belizean parentage and ancestors of the Black slaves shackled in chains to cut down Mahogany, East Indian whe brought ova to the West Indies to replace slavery, Mayan whe land get rape and pillaged and the same white buccaneers and spaniard whe cause all dem damage. I dah Belize and Belize dah me! Before unu start to measure people Belizeanness based on geographic location; before shutting up objectivity fi party agenda..look pan yuself! You defend thieves and criminals..Yes the same politicians dem! If yu nuh have wa brand name or if yu pickney dah fi wa “nobody” man, I suggest yu start campaign fi wa betta Belize and stap being wa pawn! This game bigga than you and me! This game dah bout the wealth of Belize and who wants to control it..so since I nuh benefit eitherway…I demand accountability from my leaders! I will ask the tough question! I call dem pan the bullshit! and if ALL you could si is that yu party di get bash and CAN’T realize I LOVE Belize..then maybe u need fi go get yuself deprogrammed and go get reboot into wa sense of nationalism and what being a Belizean should mean!
What will motivate you to vote this year?
Civility Please! by: Aria Lightfoot
“A national political campaign is better than the best circus ever heard of…” H. L. Mencken
Whoever coined the term “silly season” has understated the ridiculous fever pitch the Belize elections is unfolding into. For starters, I am personally sick and tired about hearing about Belize’s new “heroine” Schakron . We are celebrating a character that withheld vital information from her party, turned her entire party into a bunch of flip floppers instead of doing the “heroine” thing and stepping aside for a qualified candidate. Apparently political animals suffer from separation anxiety because at this juncture it is safe to say the PUP are flogging a dead horse, failing to let the Schakron issue go and with only two weeks to go before the elections. I am not sure anyone but diehard PUPs see Schakron as a victim, therefore, after singing to your choir, and the choir has responded in kind and not gaining one vote from the entire debacle and possibly turning off independent voters from the charade, PUP should be like me and never mention her name again.
Secondly, what is the purpose of defacing signs? How childish! Do signs really pose a threat? Do people look at a sign and think “OMG, I didn’t realize what a great party that was until I saw his sign! I will surely vote for X because their sign really did it for me” . Are we electing leaders or children? When I see sign defacement , I see an immature act and begin questioning what that person has to say that makes the other party feel so threatened.
And this is the biggie for me. Lying to voters! Just bold face, unapologetically, lying and misinforming the people, hoping to win votes. This behavior is a big turn off to me and many voters. Lying, cheating, stealing, withholding information and deception all speak volumes to a person’s character. If you will lie for something insignificant, imagine when you are in office and faced with tough decisions where character becomes key, what then?
Is asking our politicians to behave in a civil manner asking too much? This should be a time where voters can be confident that the information leaders are sharing are reliable; a time when our youths can learn how to compete fiercely and fairly; a time to teach our people about our constitution and political system; a time to realize that Belize’s dire conditions requires maturity beyond the present disgraceful display. Grow up politicians and future leaders! Earn respect and act in a respectful manner. You are an embarrassment to the youths, voters and the world. You are leaving behind images that are viewable throughout the world on YouTube, Facebook and online media sources. And just in case it didn’t occur to you, those footprints you are leaving behind will remain searchable forever!
LIVE WITH AMIR GONZALEZ
The Shakron Sideshow: by Glenn Tillett (The Independent Newspaper Editorial 2/17/2012)
The revelation that PUP Lake Independence Standard Bearer Yolanda Shakron is Guatemalan born and holds both US and Belizean citizenship highlights once again the pressing need for immigration reform.
It is, of course, an irresistible target for the incumbent UDP who believe that they can score a tko in one constituency even before the polls open on election day, and that is their right. In our view all’s fair in love and politics.
For the PUP the issue is more than embarrassing in that the loss of two candidates in the same constituency just days before the poll may prove to be too big an obstacle to overcome. It will sure lengthen the odds in what most seem to think will be a close election. Surely there must be some feeling of being haunted by karma since the party was vocal in its opposition to the proposed amendment that would have removed this constitutional bar.
But there is no reason for the UDP to boast of their efforts in this matter. As a matter of principle they should not oppose Mrs. Shakron’s candidacy now that she has made a good faith effort to renounce her American citizenship, even if as a matter of political expediency the end of re-taking government justifies their means. The fact is if they were sincere in their position that dual nationals should serve in the National Assembly they would instead champion Mrs. Shakron’s candidacy.
There is also the odious matter of her “stolen passport” which is morally indefensible. When added to the spectacle of her brother campaigning for her political rival it adds up to Belizean politics at its most divisive.
Yes, we view this latest episode as the Shakron sideshow, but an important act in the larger political play. Once again perhaps the most divisive issue in Belize’s political, economic and social discourse, immigration, has been raised and is being personified in a candidacy.
Call it the Immigration Trifecta if you will – no other two countries matter to Belizeans more than the United States of America and Guatemala and in a single candidate we are forced to re-examine our relationship towards each, once again. Hopefully Mrs. Shakron’s candidacy will continue to spur us towards the type of dialogue, of discussion, of debate, which will result in the kind of immigration policy formulation, and/or reformulation, we can all live with, rather than it continuing to be a flashpoint for further divisiveness.
Pretty promises, pointless pledges
In the past two weeks Belizeans have heard from the Governor of the Central Bank and the Barrow administration’s economic advisor, the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Executive Chairman of Beltraide and a senior officer in the United Democratic Party on the state of the Belizean economy. We welcome their contribution to the discussion on what we regard as the most pressing issue facing the nation – quo vadis the Belizean economy?
It is regrettable that their willingness to share their opinions and statistics is so belated and seemed spurred by their political expediency than any sense of duty to report to the Belizean nation.
The fact is that for the last three years Belizeans have witnessed record business and home foreclosures, record levels of unemployment, negative growth in local and foreign investment, remittances and tourism arrivals, increased fuel prices, taxation, violent crime, and poverty. We suppose that now they believe that they are the bearer of good news, and it is expedient that they have good news, that we, the struggling masses, will be receptive.
It is counter-productive in terms of moving our economy forward, that the answers to nearly all our questions continue to be blame the superbond, the corruption of the past administrations, and/or the world economy. The fact is that Belize would not have weathered the still on-going economic “storm” as well as it did if the previous administrations had not further diversified our economy to the extent that they did, and in fact continued the development of an economy that proved surprisingly resilient to the “exogenous” shocks of several hurricanes, agro-diseases and disruption, and a world economic “storm the likes of which had not been seen in a hundred years.”
The fact is that if this administration had heeded the warning in the quote above from the Japanese Prime Minister in April 2008, and had continued to reef our financial sails whilst securing the safety social net for our most disadvantaged, we would have “sailed” through in even greater fashion.
But enough with the rear-view driving: the question to be answered is who has the best plan for the next term of office? Do either party have as its goal Belize as a nation that will be a net exporter? Can either party promise that by 2016-17 we will be facing a future where our debt worries are a thing of the past? Will anyone declare full employment more than an illusion to be pursued but never attained?
We went from promises of a “chicken in every pot” to a roof above every head to now what, more pretty promises and pointless pledges? We want plans and projects, not promises; policies and programs, not pledges; proposals not propositions.
What Buggery is Dis? by Fayemarie Anderson Carter
We have all heard the religious rhetoric surrounding Sec 53, you know (in lowered voice) the gay law. Pastor Dis and Bishop Dat decided that they would just ignore the fact that we are NOT, I repeat NOT a religious state BUT a democracy. See, people get sooooo confused with the word DEMOCRACY but in simple simple simple words, it means “the freedom to call something into being which did not exist before, which was not given… and which therefore, strictly speaking, could not be known.”[5] This type of freedom, which is connected to human “natality,” or the capacity to begin anew, sees democracy as “not only a political system… [but] an ideal, an aspiration, really, intimately connected to and dependent upon a picture of what it is to be human—of what it is a human should be to be fully human.”[6]
Not simple enough? Mek ah try: it is a process by which what nevah exist before, could exist NOW!
Read on:
While there is no universally accepted definition of ‘democracy’,[7] equality and freedom have both been identified as important characteristics of democracy since ancient times.[8] These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to legislative processes.
And then some more:
Majority rule is often listed as a characteristic of democracy. However, it is also possible for a minority to be oppressed by a “tyranny of the majority” in the absence of governmental or constitutional protections of individual or group rights. An essential part of an “ideal” representative democracy is competitiveelections that are fair both substantively[16] and procedurally.[17] Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press are considered to be essential, so that citizens are adequately informed and able to vote according to their own best interests as they see them.[18][19] It has also been suggested that a basic feature of democracy is the capacity of individuals to participate freely and fully in the life of their society.[20]
AHHHHH CRAAAAAAPPPPP!!!! NOW I SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS!!!!!
Ok. Now that we have an idea of what democracy is, let’s look at RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. People like Pastor Dis and Bishop Dat feel that because God is on their side and they believe in Jesus that for some reason, they are superior to everyone else. At this point, you should all be raising your hands and asking the teacher, “But, Miss? Doesn’t that contradict what you just said about democracy?”
Ahm, frankly YEEEESSSSS! People confuse the right to practice religion with the rest of democratic principles. And don’t worry, it’s not just in Belize. I am not picking on you but I won’t let you get away with it just because al Qaeda blew up a couple a buildings and does it worse that you. The following is a case that explains it perfectly. And YES I know it’s an American case, but they’ve been doing this whole independence/democratic nation thing a lot longer than we have so…they could teach us a thing or two:
In Employment Division v. Smith, a pair of men who were fired from their jobs for ingesting peyote during Native American religious ceremonies sued when their applications for unemployment were denied because they had been fired for cause from their jobs. The US Supreme Court ruled that since the prohibitions on drug use is a neutral law of general applicability that the religious freedom argument didn’t come into play. From the decision:
“Laws, we said, are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices. . . . Can a man excuse his practices to the contrary because of his religious belief? To permit this would be to make the professed doctrines of religious belief superior to the law of the land, and in effect to permit every citizen to become a law unto himself.”
In other words, lovers, lovers of Belize, we have the freedom to practice our religious beliefs BUT CAN’T HOLD IT SUPERIOR TO THE LAW OF THE LAND!!!!!! Soh dem weed smokers whe seh dey do it because a JAH…dem Pastor Dis and Bishop Dat whe seh that homosexuals should be prosecuted because dat dah whe GOD seh? Dem Muslims whe mutilate girls, cutting off their sexual organs to keep them pure because ALLAH seh soh? YOU CAN’T DO THAT IN A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY AND IF YOU DO YOU ARE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION AS ANYONE ELSE IS.
Now…I am hard pressed to understand why the hell a country run by a bunch of lawyers couldn’t figure this one out and make a stand for the development and progress of our democracy…buggery..I tell you…just plain old buggery. Bend ovah and insert bukut.
Wifey and Sweetheart Get Di Bukut!!!! by Fayemarie Anderson Carter
Suh…. I am so sure that you have heard EVERY Belizean man and woman seh dat dey don’t tolerate cheating but if da like how dey deal wid di palitishan dem? Well. You know exactly how dat end!
From the time we are old enough to talk, if you are a girl, people tell you to “keep your shape; lawn fi cook; nuh laff tu loud; cross yu leg; be a good girl OR ELSE yu nuh wa get a good man”. Ting is, da whe dey tell di man dem? Caz ah nu tink dey get di memo. You might hear “be a man, stop cry; beat dat, nuh mek nobadi tawk to you suh; les go da Mile 8; tell u gial u gwen play basketball or tell shi da nun a fi shi business whe u goh; you mek di money, shi fi just shet up and serve you yuh dinnah!”
So girl marries boy. She might have a job but that doesn’t matter. She still washes, cooks, takes care of the kids, and cleans up after everyone. She doesn’t get a say in how money is spent or how decisions are made BUT she must honour whatever arrangements her husband might make so that they “look good”. So, she cooks for people she doesn’t like; she raises funds for causes she doesn’t support; she watches her man go to the bar and blow his pay check while the pickney need school uniform and books; and if she raises her concern, she bettah watch she don’t get slap right affa fi shi foot! Caz he da di boss and u bettah know your damn place. And if you dare nuh listen, he wa lef yu rass and tek a sweetheart. And if you reeeeeally piss him off, while you stay home and mind yu pickney? He wa ker she da fancy restaurant and buy ah sum chicken and suh Belikin fi wash it down. AND the cherry on top of that humiliating cheating, lying and beat up Sundae is? He will blame you and seh da caz yu get fat, or yu like rail up tu much or yu dah jus nuh fun no moh.
So den yuh get caught up inna wa love triangle, square, pentagon? Some wifeys think dey getting revenge by cheating right back; some stay deh and pretend like dey dont know, and den di Shali pickney staat show up da di back dooh. And one day, shi look inna di mirror and realize dat she’s all thorns and no rose. See, cause she told herself, “I live inna di big house”; “my pickney gat fi hi name”; “he come home to me” ;”I da Mrs”.
Di sweetheart she? Well, she get reputation so nobody in society wants to associate her and she finds herself being passed around from one married man to the next, each time, she tells herself “dis one love me..si di pretty bracelet? si di new refridge? And mi baby got soft hair like ih daddy”; “dis one wa lef ih wife”. But he doesn’t and she cries again and soon shi look inna di mirror and realize she is all thorns and no rose.
The sweetheart and wifey might sometimes meet in public and wifey cut shi eye; sweetheart hallah bout “mi son da fi yu man!” Each one has her posse in her corner whe jeer and sweat fevah. Wifey is the victim because of “that low down sketel di try tief wa good honest man like mi husband. Shi da jus wa homewreckah! Don’t that street gial realize that shi di tek mi pickney food outta dey mouth and dey pa from whe he belang? She so sleck, shi gat pickney fuh all kinda man, dey all gat different name!” The Sweetheart is the victim because “that fat cow nuh wa give mi man wa divorce! Don’t that old hux realize dat him nuh luv ah numoh? She da just di stupidest ass fi di try hold awn to something whe nuh wah she! He tell mi dat shi cant give a di sex like me!”
Now turn dat into a lovestory about the PUP, UDP and Belizeans. “Mrs.” da di diehard. Those voters will stick to their party like the wife to the husband. They hide the lies; they defend their behaviour and all the while, everybody can see that their eyes black and blue and swollen from the bitchlick. But, they hold on for dear life because they just can’t imagine no different and don’t believe they deserve better. The sweetheart? They are the voters just looking for a handout. They keep switching sides, chasing the one with the sweetest lines and the biggest promises, telling themselves “this time will be different!”; “He da di one!” And, they do that because they also can’t can’t imagine no different and don’t believe that they deserve better. The two a dem fraid fi challenge because all of a sudden, they will lose their job, or they will be publicly ridiculed or they will lose funding for some project or a loan will be recalled or their children won’t get scholarships or even considered for positions they are qualified for. O and the latest one, you might get sued for slander and libel.
And the man? When him dead, him happy and content. After all, he get what he mi want right? And he tell himself that both dem bitches lucky he tolerate either one a dem. Dey bettah just know. He da di boss. Whe dey gat fi camplain bout? Wifey inna house and sweetheart get shi chicken. Ting dun. Him pave your street and give di other one wa ham. Ting dun.
Whe miya seh? Step back. The only reason this keeps happening over and over is caz like the Wifey and the Sweetheart, we, the Belizeans don’t believe it can be different or that we deserve any better. We have allowed a bunch of self serving, egotistical, deceitful, unethical, criminal politicians to take over that which is ours and we settle for the pittance they decide we deserve. They don’t even fight their own battles cause like the wife and the sweetheart, dey posse do it for them. I mean, we do it for them. We call each other names and refuse to work together against corruption and fight for our rights. Meanwhile, they ride around in their air conditioned rides and vacation on their private islands, whe dey just tief fram yu, by the way.
So…on this here Valentine’s Day..kick dey no good cheaters to di curb…wifey and sweetheart need fi tell huzzy who da di boss! Stop fight each other and fight together for what’s right. First you have to love yourself don’t you? Buy yu own damn chocolate and flowers numa! And make dat man know it is his privilege to be with you! Just like we need to let our leaders know “It is a privilege to serve US”. When Wifey and Sweetheart wa realize dat it aint about them but about the children they both have to watch suffer? And those kids got one name: Belizean.
Do you trust a flip flopper? By: Aria Lightfoot
“Arguments of convenience lack integrity … “ Donald Rumsfeld
Marcel Cardona
The term flip flopper is an American term. Other terms used are U-turn and back flip. Flip Flop et al is normally used in a negative way to describe a politician, normally in a declining political position, or to ride a new wave of support. The flopper changes his position on a subject he has advocated in the past. It comes short of calling a politician a self interested political animal. Many politicians actually get away with changing political positions because the electorate, for the most part, has a very short memory and many times are willing to forgive the indiscretions of politicians. In Belize’s case, even when those indiscretions amount to major corruption scandals. However, historically, people are less tolerant to flip flopping when it comes to changing a political party.
Politics in Belize encourages an environment of distrust and disrespect. As a survival mechanism, politicians tell supporters to mistrust any type of criticism. Any and all criticism, even when it seems unbiased, must be coming from the opposition’s camp. Political parties encourage unquestionable party loyalty; and discourage dissent by publicly punishing the dissenter. The status quo must be maintained and true faithful political party followers must show love of their party more than their country.
Marcel Cardona exploded on the political scene as a young, dynamic, intelligent and articulate politician. However, prior to his official political life, I shared several classes at St. John’s College Sixth form with Marcel. We graduated from the same program. Even back in the early 90s Marcel was an advocate for justice. Marcel was a true believer in George Price and if memory serves right, he was in Jorge Espat’s political camp in the 90s. As a young adult back then, Marcel knew what he wanted while the rest of students were still trying to figure things out. He was no nonsense individual, always on a mission of change while taking on a tough course load at SJC. Marcel shares some similar traits like me, so I can empathize with his passion. He believes in people and causes and will fight tooth and nail for such and he is always in the position fighting for the underdog. With that said, I will admit, I am disheartened by Marcel’s political move that may end his career.
Marcel was never an official candidate of the PUP, but he was a PUP insider. He has strong political family ties and history with the PUP. When PUP was in power, Marcel distanced himself from the PUP, likely the same reason the electorate did. The corruption was wanton and undeterred and many were voting on a hope for change. He was also in Jorge Espat’s camp, and that may account for his keen sense of integrity. Unfortunately Marcel failed to realize that PUP and UDP do not hate each other (as I have said previously in my writings). They are masters at pitting the electorate against each other; however a casual browse in the genealogy will reveal close familial and business ties.
Marcel was the perfect UDP candidate. He was a PUP insider telling the electorate how corrupted PUP was. However, Marcel didn’t understand his role in the political chess game. Once he jumped ship the first time, UDP was happy to use him for political mileage but in a system of distrust, he was never fully a UDP. How could they trust a person motivated by integrity and emotions in a corruptive environment? Marcel believed he was making a decision to benefit the people. He was courted out of his relationship with the PUP; he spilled PUP dirt and found out that he was being used for political mileage. He was not only used, but trapped in an embarrassing and humiliating position for 4 years. Marcel in his attempt to now “punish” the UDP, has decried foul yet once again, and guided only by his emotions, has returned to PUP. And so he finds himself once again in the exact same position he was just 4 short years ago. He is now once again, airing dirty laundry except now it is the UDP; he has now distanced himself from UDP; he has endorsed PUP and has been prominently featured in the PUP commercials. Again nothing more than a political pawn being used for his integrity. Marcel’s integrity is now wavering and if PUP wins, how could PUP realistically trust a man who has contributed to their worst loss in PUP’s history and especially one motivated by integrity and emotions in a corruptive environment?
I know Marcel is not a flip flopper. His stance has always been integrity, however, how can I follow a man reactive to his emotions and one that has submitted himself twice to the role of political pawn? If Marcel take a step back and realize he is misguided by emotions. He will realize his own potential both parties see in him. Marcel would be far more effective and credible agitating changes as an advocate outside the system. His reward may take many years, but if he is a true believer in change, time will not be an obstacle. Unfortunately, our political party system identifies young talented and respectful people, steal their integrity for political mileage and later hang them out to dry while forever blinding or discrediting same. Take off the political lens Belizeans and Wake up!
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