Thursday, March 13, 2008

Lying by Omission

We all lie. Some of us more than others. I always feel guilty when I lie -- remnants of a semi-strict Catholic upbringing. I remember when I was a little girl in Religion Class; we were learning about lying one day. The Religion teacher and Parish priest taught me that even thinking about committing a sin was in itself sinning. And they also taught me that by withholding the truth, by knowingly saying nothing to someone when I knew the truth was indeed contrary to their thinking, I was lying. This kind of lie has a special name. To lie by omission.

I watched the news broadcast yesterday very attentively. We were told by the PM that not only was $20 Million Belize Dollars from the Venezuela Government used to pay UHS debt, but also another $20 Million Belize Dollars from the Taiwanese Government given in September of last year was spent on the same purpose! Now, it's not as though Belize has excess money to waste and give away. We're barely making it. And the world out there is getting harder. Food and Fuel are becoming more scarce and more expensive in the Global Market. We unwisely have our dollar pegged to a currency that is rapidly losing value. Our imports still far exceed our exports and the atmosphere in the country currently is not especially conducive to
entrepreneurship.

Yet, with all these external forces challenging us, we still had a greater internal threat. Because for the past ten years under our previous government... in addition to the bold face and brazen lies we, the Belizean people, the people they SWORE to protect and help, were told, they have also lied to us by omission. Secret deals with under-the-table additions. Time and time again they used our public monies for private interest. The moved the wealth of this country into their own hands and pockets instead of the hands and pockets and bellies of all of us!

We all suspected it... but now, in the face of real evidence, I'm just in shock. In a 6 month span $40 Million Belizean Dollars which was gifted to the people of Belize was diverted to a private enterprise. We, the Belizean people, pay and we get NOTHING. NOTHING. NOTHING.

I'm furious. I'm offended. And I wonder, how many millions, or dare I say billions, have been diverted away from our national coffers and into private hands?

I demand compensation. I am happy that the current GOB is looking into the possibility of legal action and implications for these actions that can be described by no other word but evil. And I pray, my Belizean people, that you feel as shocked and offended as I, and fight, along with me, for what is truly and justly ours.

All comments are welcome... enjoy the blog, and feel free to share it.

~The Voice

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I knew things were messed up but didn't realize it was this bad. I told a friend that its not over and I wait as the other shoe drops, or keeps dropping.

Then there is the reaction from the PUP Secretary General with his asinine quote

"This Government is intending to carry out its witch-hunt as it always does when it is in power so I think that is the way it will go for right now and we’ll see what the results are."

What more results do you need Secretary General?!! He has been quick to speak on behalf of the PUP but now has nothing to say because he has no knowledge? tsk tsk tsk.

Oh, and by the way, Trinidad did jail their ex Prime Minister for failing to disclose a personal bank account.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/panday_trial/0,36442.html

Anonymous said...

Not only the ex prime minister of Trinidad, but throughout the Caribbean ex- ministers are being put on trial. I pray it happens in Belize...We need to send a message to the Government, past, present and those to come...that you can't just do what you wish to benefit yourselves and get away with it at the expense of the Belizean people. They keep referring to George Price as the father of the Nation and party principles and their constitution...The need to study their history better, this same father of the nation fought against the British to prevent the same thing his party loyalists and members are now doing....RAPING US WITHOUT Vaseline.!!!!!

The Voice said...

Thanks for your comment. I'm not looking to lash out at any political party, but when someone does wrong... well, there are consequences to pay for bad actions! Any 5 year old knows that. I hope they're ready for what is to come. Let's see what happens next.

Anonymous said...

ok so is anyone else scared that we have Barrow in such a majority position that he can make all sorts of decisions, and since the PUP is in such chaos that we don't have a functioning opposition...yikes! and has anyone heard Barrow lately? about tapping phones and locking people up? Sounds like he using the Cliff Notes to the USA Patriot Act.

The Voice said...

Point taken Anon... but when we're having a murder every three days... you gotta take some dramatic action.

The secret is knowing when to "call off" or "cancel" the laws when the problem is solved. We need some convictions. We need some hangings.

But tapping the phonelines won't make Belize 100% crime free. From white collar crimes down.

There has to be a more comprehensive wholistic approach.

Citizen rights come along with citizen responsibilities... and most people don't deserve to be citizens in a democratic country. Call me communist, but that's an argument we won't have here.