Tuesday, March 18, 2008

PUP Leadership

I'm young. Too young to remember when we sung God Save the Queen to the Union Jack. Too young to remember George Price ever being Prime Minister. And certainly too young to have witnessed the processes that led to the formation of the PUP, UDP, and other political parties. It would seem that the political choices most people make are not based upon current times, but what happened "all the way back when". This antiquated system of voting a certain way "because me granny da mi big UDP" or "Well, back inna the sixties, George mi give me grandpa piece ah land" have led to our debt and might continue leading to our downfall. The opinions I'm sharing are based on reading the Amandala with the great commentary of Evan Hyde and other "I was there" Belizean figures, the biased "13 Chapters in a Belizean History", and the observations of my short political consciousness. This is my personal anaylsis of the PUP and their current leadership crisis.

The PUP to me have been an infallible power. They rule by intimidation. If you don't agree with them, you're not patriotic and you stand against George Price, himself! They present themselves as having the best interest of the Belizean Public at heart, as they take our national resources and public monies to build and fund projects that only enrich themselves. They take advantage of the weak and uneducated and will do anything to enrich themselves. Maybe it's unfair to say ALL PUP are like this, but those in the leadership positions are. At the end of the day, that's what matters.

Now, as I understand it, these corrupt greedy souls, who are so willing to rape the country for their own riches, are a new wave of PUP, shaped by the puppet master, Ralph Fonseca. The "true" PUP and PUP spirit are embodied by people like Philip Goldson, John Smith, UBAD Movement, and lately, as the picture is being painted, Mark Espat, Cordel Hyde, and Johnny Briceno.

Mark and Johnny have both decided not to run for Party leadership, because of inter-party corruption and brow bashing, so Francis Fonseca will be declared as Party Leader at their convention, hands down. Strategically, I believe the PUP are making a mistake. Francis represents manipulation, corruption, and all the bad things that the PUP have done and continue to do. Without playing party politics, I can honestly say that this man is not who I would vote for as my Prime Minister. Let's look at the numbers; he won his division by 18 votes. That's the most narrow PUP victory. And let me speak the truth, the only reason he won is because the UDP candidate running against him is equally someone not suitable to be an elected representative. In good conscience, it was HARD to vote in the Freetown Division in 2008.

It's a battle between the "good" PUP and the "bad" PUP. At the end of the day, it all boils down to money {from where I'm looking}. The "bad" PUP are all about creating economic prosperity for themselves and to hell with everything else. Even if a PUP-inclined person would argue that this is not so, this is the face that they are portraying for all the world to see.

I don't understand why Mark and Johnny continue to be support a party who they see as corrupt. It shows a certain hypocrisy on their part... complacency, cowardice, and endorsement of the PUP and all that they are doing. I wish that they would break away from a franchise that are nothing more then a weight around Belize's neck. Ralph Fonseca and Said Musa are bad men. Not to punch below the belt, but look at their personal lives and the liaisons they've made for all the country to see. If a man can't keep his own marriage vows, that he made before God and man, an oath means nothing to him. They might have sworn to protect Belize, but these words are worthless to men of corrupt character.

To conclude, let me reiterate that I am not a UDP or trying to PUP-bash. I just want, now and always, what is best for Belize. We need to stop this open hand "gimme" attitude that George Price himself instilled in us, and change our societal mindset to "what can I do for myself and my countryman". Let's learn from the Chinese and Mennonites, who have immigrated to our country, found riches, and thrived. Everything we ever needed to succeed lies at our very fingertips. Reach out with me, let us grasp it, and damn to hell any power or person who tries to stop us. Be it PUP, UDP, or the Queen of England herself!

Again, I welcome all opinions and comments. And I encourage you to THINK for yourself.

~The Voice

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

'Tis such a shame.
Perhaps i will have caught your blog early on. But I would forsee that your words be percived (as you clearly anticipated yourself)as PUP bashing, pro-UDP or even anti nationalist. Frustrating, i know. It seems to me, to be the greatest indicator of how many Belizeans percieve politics. For most, it means little or nothing about HOW or country is governed but rather BY WHOM. But this is not why i comment...
You have brought out some very interesting topics. Some that most whisper about in their homes, or in an office space, or anonymously on the call-in radio shows and even anonymously in a blog (hangs head in shame.) When WILL we sit and talk about the characters that seeks to assume leadership of our country. It may seem like a moot point post election; but, seriously, i carefully listen to all that has been unravelling within the past couple years and countless times found myself thinking "should i have expected any differently?"
My previous prime minister led a double life. A OPENLY double life. I recall travelling to a college town in the US where an American boasted to me "I met your prime minister's daughter..." and I hastily replied "My prime minister doesn't... (silence)" and quickly diverted the topic and walked away from this uncomfortable situation. Why should I? Why should his disgrace have been carried forward to me? Logically, i was not to about to explain his personal life to a foreign stranger but on even further thought , having voted in the previous elections, why did i even have prime minister who lives such a life. I would not explain it myself.
As i follow the campaign leading up to the election of a new PUP leader...perhaps it is better said now: the campaign leading up to Fonseca's crowning as leader, the thoughts of my abovementioned situation comes to mind. Why is there no talk about who these people are? Who they are is what they represent and what they will stand for when tasked as leader. Even within the PUP they are seeking the lesser of two evils.

What i want for my country is for us to be smart, an elected offical is more than a name and face on a poster. He or she is representative of us. Though we may not be perfect, though we may be too patient, Belizeans are good people. We must therefore seek and demand the same in our leadership. I do not expect pefection but i DO expect honesty.

The Voice said...

I hate the fact that this sounds anti-PUP. I am not a basher. If this UDP makes bad administritive decisions, trust me, I'll be THE FRIST one at the picket line and advocating for something better.

**sigh** But this is Belize, and if you're not "with them" you're "against them".

I do believe Belizeans are good people. I can think of some amazing Belizeans who would make GREAT leaders but would NEVER run for politics because of the stigma associated with it... and do you blame them, if this one blog ruins my reputation already?

Oh my country, what shall become of you!

Anonymous said...

... someone i was talking with over spring break brought up the us guy spitzer -the one linked to the prostitution ring ... the person asked me in light of this and all the other scandals that have forced us govt officials to step down... should americans hold their politicians on such a pedestal that the slightest misstep and they're removed from office ...

i said why not ... why shouldn't they expect their politicians -not to be perfect ... but to be good people ... the best possible people ...

and i hate to say this because generally i'm not into copying american life, or anyone else's per se ... but ...

why don't belizeans do the same?? why should we accept genuinely SHITTY people as our leaders?? do their private lives and complete lack of scrutiny, decency and morality play no role?? i think they do.

i fully believe the character of any person, especially such powerful leaders, can be indicators of how they'll act under pressure and how they'll lead

if they don't give a damn about their personal lives (in terms of the crummy things they do), if they don't care about promises that should be made in love and faith and good conscience ... why should they give a damn about the lives of others?? namely almost 300,000 belizeans ... [it goes without saying that i'm not even talking about their selfish tendencies to stuff their own pockets]

just because their families accept their cheating (literally) and lying without batting an eye doesn't mean that the rest of the country should

i don't expect perfection, but i expect good people leading the country to good things ... i expect as close to bloody perfection as humanly possible ... why? because i know i deserve someone to work their ass off to make my life better ... and i know the rest of the country does too.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you began your blog making it clear that you're young and that you're living in a different time than the old blue/red fanatics.

Such an important point in light of a country with its youth comprising over 50 percent of the population, yet I'm not sure if the oldies grasp this reality.

And here's what's really critical about your point. Our oldies might be dying off, but many of their young descendants still hold many of these ancient misconstrued ideas of Belizean Patriotism to heart. I can be somewhat pessimistic at times, but I fear their influence. I see these particular individuals as those comprising the college educated middle-upper class. They have money, and with that they hold power and influence in our country.

We can't afford to let those ideas spread, especially from hubs that hold so much power in the country.
How do we take action in this case? Suggestions? How do we stop the elite descendants of the Belizean political moguls from infecting the rest of the populace with their harmful, inefficient ideologies?

And oh do we have a large group of impressionable, gullible people in Belize.

One more thing. Based on personal observation, the rebels from that elite segment that speak up like those in this blog community are painted as eccentric, with heads aloof in the clouds, impractical people who just don't get it. They can't understand why you'd fight a system that is so good to you [the elite]. Can anyone share this sentiment? Similar observations?

The Voice said...

I have peers who are the children of PUP and PUP cronies. They've grown up in money, in class, and spoiled with everything that they want and need... and told this from birth "see, the PUP is doing this for you and for us. The PUP pays all the bills"

How can these people ever be anything else but PUP? Moreover, how can these people ever care about us other Belizeans?

she said said...

I am really impressed by such an articulated blurb. Regardless of the fact that it may appear to readers as vastly anti-PUP. The vents, rants, blogs are all justified based on the following. The PUP is the only administration we have seen (in)action for the past decade and what have they got to show for it? The Saint Petersburg Winter Palace was built in eight years, albeit it was done so by Tsarist monarchs, and from what has been occurring within the PUP's bloc, some bystanders would be made to believe that the party functions like a tsarist monarch.

There is no shame in being critical, that is your birthright. Belize is our country and we are a democracy. I absolutely applaud your criticism on those who chose to represent themselves politically according to some inherited opinion; because truth be told, that is not going to help you. Ultimately, you all really should not have to add a disclaimer on your part for sounding "anti-PUP" or "pro-UDP". If I say Palestinians deserves a state doesn't mean I hate Jews. Always be critical.