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Caswell Franklyn, Head of Unity Workers Union

It never ceases to amaze me, the amount of time and energy the Government puts into trivial pursuits. The country is hurtling from one crisis to the next while Government seems to be fiddling while our economic Rome is burning.

The recent ceremony for the swearing in of 120 new citizens of Barbados is one such unnecessary waste of time and effort which serves no practical or even sensible purpose. All we have achieved is to demonstrate that we are a nation of copiers by parroting what takes place in the USA, but to what end.

I could understand if Barbados were a republic and new citizens were required to swear allegiance to this country. However, that is not the case: those who were sworn in would have been required to swear allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. My understanding is that most of the persons who were sworn in were already Commonwealth citizens who already carry the burden of allegiance to a foreign monarch. In some cases those who were sworn in were already citizens of countries who have Queen Elizabeth as their head of state and as such were already loyal subjects of the Queen. Other than copying the US, what has the Government achieved with the elaborate ceremony?

It was announced that the silly ceremony was the brainchild of former Prime Minister, Sir Lloyd Sandiford. Someone should have told him that it was a silly idea, but it seems that when “big ups” come up with some hair-brain schemes no one is willing, out of some misconceive sense of respect, to tell them that the idea does not make sense.

David Thompson sent Sir Lloyd to China to keep him from being under foot but it seems that Freundel places too much confidence in Sandiford’s wisdom which by the way could only recently have started to develop. Did he really come back to Barbados for this foolishness or is he now ready to take up the post of Governor-General and this nonsense is being used as a cover to bring him home.

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  1. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    There was something distasteful about it wasn’t there. But then we love ceremonies. It’s why we enable 11yo’s to ‘graduate’. And yes, we are a nation of copiers (pace David)…which is to say Pharisees.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    Here is how another feels about the swearing in ceremony received by email:

    Once upon a time, a political party in government which knew its chances at winning the next election were weak would engage in gerrymandering – realigning constituency boundaries in their favour based on support for their party within those individual constituencies. Enter the modern political party in government with sagging fortunes. They try to get the support of non-nationals by giving them citizenship en masse. They build multistorey housing within the constituencies in which their party do not enjoy very strong support and allocate these housing units in the hope of boosting their fortunes in these marginal constituencies (lets see thats another 400 odd votes I can count on election day when in the last election the margin of victory in my constituency was less than 300 votes). Intensified road works all being done with urgency in the final year when for the past four years hardly any roads were resurfaced. Then top this all off with the announcement that there is to be a special $4.6 Million project to increase the staff complement in the Drainage Unit by 240 persons – didnt anyone know over the past four years that the Drainage Unit was understaffed and lacked resources?

    The more things change, the more they remain the same

  3. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ Caswell
    I could understand if Barbados were a republic and new citizens were required to swear allegiance to this country. However, that is not the case: those who were sworn in would have been required to swear allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. My understanding is that most of the persons who were sworn in were already Commonwealth citizens who already carry the burden of allegiance to a foreign monarch.
    *********************************************
    Well said and understood…….Does this sound like an election pack…we would like to be commanding the next ship for another 5 years…? These mess up and blunders are reaching epidemic proportions now…..well done Caswell ….the article speaks…….at the end of the next 8 months according to one well known radio announcer….we shall be smelling a lot of fried socks !

  4. David Avatar
    David

    @Caswell

    Why is it politicians think us for fools?

    They parrot the US with this swearing in but seem reluctant to do the same for FOI and Integrity legislation for example.

    To quote Sargeant we will have to hold our noses at the next poll.

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The ceremony “parrots” the Canadians. This Bajan had to hold my nose and swear allegiance to the queen to become a Canadian citizen.

    We should also “parrot” the American and Canadian entrepreneurial spirit

  6. Checkit-Out Avatar
    Checkit-Out

    In addition to agreeing with Caswell on this, I think that a major contributor to this charade is the expectation of major licks coming out of exposure of the Government’s actions to cover up the inns and outs of the Myrie affair. That one has the potential to make several ministers look real bad, headed by the PM.

  7. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    @David, Checkit Out et al …how come no one on BU has addressed how Jamaican women who are married to Bajan men are being treated by immigrationat the airport? Why do these people in authority feel they have the right to treat people like that. I am not against them doing their job but it is how they do it! Can’t they be more humane when carrying out their job? Immigration claims that these are arranged marriages, it is simple to solve that problem. Do a follow up check on the couple every 6 months for two years. If they have seperated then the woman/man should be sent back to their homeland. I am sure these are just a handful of persons who marry non nationals. And if many Bajans choose to marry non nationals it is their business. What can immigration do about that? Deport their spouses as well? Something ain’t right how we do business on this rock. Bad publicity travels faster than good publicity. You would think that people will learn from the Myrie affair and treat people with some dignity even if you are deporting them. To go further to deprive these people of food is another inhumane act by immigration. Stupse

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @islandgal

    The problem of convenience marriages is an aged old problem. Not condoning ill treatment meted out.

    The law is that citizenship is consummated after being communal for 3 years. Therein can be found the rub.

  9. mason Avatar
    mason

    islandgirl doan take everything u read in the paper as gospel, there is more to it than the man and woman are claiming. ask yourself why in the same newspaper an article appeared about the increased cases of marriage of convenience?

  10. canadian (loyal) Avatar
    canadian (loyal)

    @ Hants.. you did not have to hold your nose, you chose to. It is all laid out if you wish to be a citizen of Canada. But if it offends that much, please come back home and share some experience and knowledge. But do remember to renounce your citizenship at the Pearson’s International as being Canadian appears to be most traumatic and degrading experience one can endure, as it is after all “swearing to be a loyal citizen”.

  11. Nia Avatar
    Nia

    I also found the swearing-in ceremony to be strange, and I interpreted it as some sort of attempt at damage control or something, due to all the heat Barbados is getting over their perceived treatment of non-nationals, I could be wrong.

  12. Truthman Burton Avatar
    Truthman Burton

    Seems that Thompson’s ploy to keep Sandiford out of the way by sending him to China has not worked.

    Neither the late annointed nor “the living dead” successor recognise that Sandy is “the adamant one” / “like it or lump it” individual, who no doubt is still sulking and smarting from that large DLP BACKBITE that mercifully for the people of Barbados, relieved him of the Prime Ministership.

    Every single time Sandy comes home (and he seems to do it very regularly; perhaps there is nothing for him to do in China) he complains about his own DLP Government! The last time he was here, he complained about Minister Sealy despoiling his (Sandy’s) edifice at Sherbourne by wasting $50 Million on a carpark. Now on this occasion, he complains that this Government has far less speed than our OTHER massive nuisance, the Giant African Snails. He suggests that this nuisance-Government, moves too slowly on many things, a clear insinuation that the DLP are time-wasters.

    I saw Sandy intermingling at that New Citizens Ceremony, and his face did not appear too diplomatic at all …. he looked so miserable!

    He will get no sympathy from me. This DLP is behaving just like Sandy did in the early nineties, when he himself, ensneared in the midst of Governmental bungling, failure and trickery, chose to bury his head in the sand, and instead described the economy as performing like Sir Garfield Sobers at the batting wicket. We cannot afford more than ONE TERM of this poor-rakey DLP Governance.

  13. balance Avatar
    balance

    i was appalled tor read in the press the minister for immigration alleging that “sham marriages” were attracting the concerns of the immigration department. what is a “sham marriage’ and who determines such”? are there laws on our statute books to deal with such and if not how can we penalise persons for something of which there is no knowledge? where are the statistics? if the minister has supportive proof of such allegations; rather than politicking and trying to garner public sympathy, it would be more effective for the minister to do his homework and bring the appropriate legislation to parliament to plug what in his wisdom is an obvious loophole. he could start by proposing that non-national spouses have to show proof of seven years of marriage before citizenship can be applied for and granted. i recommend the immigration of laws of bermuda to him for guidance

  14. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ balance

    Where have you been? Demagoguery rather than evidence-based decision making has and is the MO of the DLP. Have you ever heard how many ‘non-nationals’ were using the free health service and at what cost?
    No wonder the Dems up in LESC at a ‘Religious Summit’….we do seem to have a liking for comedy in Barbados.

  15. Observer Avatar
    Observer

    So agree with you on this one Caswell. What purpose did this ceremony serve. It is not original and tell me I sure hope that the ambassador did not travel from Chine to attend the ceremony at the tax payers expense….I am ashamed to say that I voted for this government and I am so disappointed. Economic crisis aside they are instilling no confidence and do not even seem to be trying. They cussed about the consultants hired by the Arthur administration and now the public service is still loaded with them, many of them making nuisances of themselves. It surely cannot be right that a minister can bring on his sister in law as a consultant in “his ” ministry.

    Now it seems like the GIS has lost its focus with the CIO issuing statements from his personal email quoting “government officials who do not want to be identified”, surely he must have realized that this tarnishes the image of the department. Why has the government failed to fill post within the public service. How can you have all the senior people department in acting positions and frustrating staff..

    It will soon be decision time, not sure if I’ll be voting the same way again. There is still sometime to stop the charade and window dressings, I’m hoping….

  16. Richard King Avatar
    Richard King

    I thought too that this was an election gimmick and further that it must cost a pretty penny to bring Sandy back so often to Barbados.Is it not time that pastor Stuart speak upon the Clico matter that is so much more important to the bajan public?

  17. John Avatar
    John

    I found the ceremony to be unusual as I do not recall any attempt in the past by any GOB to play up new citizens.

    There has to be some motive behind it but I still have not figured out what.

    I am leaning to the CCJ hearing due next week in the Myrie case.

    I can’t see the ceremony in any way influencing the Court which has to make a decision based on what is before it but I can see it as perhaps an effort by the GOB to get its house in order.

    The Myrie case is potentially precedent setting.

    Others can follow.

    Don’t forget the UN Commissioner just paid a visit and what I understood her to say in public was that the GOB was in denial regarding human rights.

    Imagine what she had to say in private meetings with the GOB.

    Maybe we are witnessing a GOB trying to get its house in order and reduce the country’s exposure to lawsuits from individuals.

  18. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    This ceremony was clearly designed to make those new citizens feel grateful to the Government in the hope that the gratitude would be reflected in the ballot box. It is not even original, Tom Adams regularized the status of a few hundred in 1981, most of whom were from the City to sure up Billie Miller’s chances at the polls. It worked back then, she was able to beat Lisle Carmichael 2,089 to 2003. It might not work this time around, many of those new citizens were given the run around with Government milking every last penny of them rather than approving the status for which they were qualified.

    The Constitution of Barbados gives the right of citizenship to women who marry citizens (men) of Barbados, subject to such exceptions or qualifications as may be prescribed in the interest of national security or public policy. However this public policy changes according to the level of xenophobia that exists within the ranks of the persons who enunciate the policy. At one stage we were told that the marriage had to subsist for six months: now we are told that people must be married for three years. The problem with that no one informed the applicants before hand.

    They justify the policy by claiming that it would deter marriages of convenience which is absolute nonsense. If two persons get married to fraudulently obtain citizenship for the wife, both persons would have committed a crime. If there is enough evidence to convict the person could be deprived of citizenship, jailed or deported or all three.

    Why punish persons who genuinely contract marriages because others have broken the law.

    Even with all the policy in place people still obtain citizenship in six weeks depending on who you know. Some of you would remember that a “marriage of convenience” was arranged between a lesbian and a beachbum. The lesbian got her citizenship in less than six weeks and then she was offered a high profile job in Government on the basis that she was a citizen of Barbados.

  19. ac Avatar
    ac

    man the DLP ruffled nuff BLP feathers together and all it took was 120 naturalized citizens a small army if you asked me

  20. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    At Cawsell..the making of a past PM …a Governor General….can this be done ? Has this to the best of knowledge ever been done in Caribbean?
    Just letting thinking ahead of myself and others. Do you see any conflicts that could arise seeing the DLP on the way out ? Looks like chartering toward rough seas to me. What you think ?

  21. Blogger2012 Avatar
    Blogger2012

    @Caswell

    are u denying that a number of persons were using barbados for marriage of convenience?I am aware of a Jamaican who had a family back home and was trying the trick, but was found out. He is an engineer and was here in a well paying job. And I have been relaible informed that the prastice had reached epidemic proportion and something had to be done.

    It had become so popular that people were boasting how much money they were making for such illicit acts

  22. ! Avatar
    !

    The BLP yardfowls on this blog will stop at nothing. The BLP destroyed and demoralised the immigration department in this country. We had a BLP leader castigating Bajans because people were seeing gross abuse of our immigration system and speakiing out about it.
    The DLP government promised to address this issue and they have done that forthrightly.Well Done!
    Under the BLP we had the shameful spectacle of a man in court telling a judge that if he was deported he would be back in a matter of weeks- that is the immigration system that the BLP encouraged and now these BLP hypocrrites are trying to make Bajans beleive that these gross immigration abuses were “imaginary”.
    We need to get real – not everybody coming into Barbados is coming to rest and catch up with old friends- some are coming with drugs,some are coming to prostitute and rob the Digicel outlet in Christ Church(true story),some are coming with no intention of going back.
    I beleive that immigration must do their jobs professionally and never degrade or denigrate people. I think the DLP has got it right on the immigration issue!
    The Commissiongs among us are always ready to cuss immigration but they should be praised for the many frauds which they intercept at our points of entry daily.
    If the BLP wants a free for all they should come out and say so.

  23. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ ac
    man the monkey party ain’t ruffle a thing…..the consensus ..even with the small man on the street is …”wastage”….trust Sandi to get it wrong….What a heap of ignorance….bestowing on people what they all ready have…..
    Truly though ac, I feel you could be a better adviser than most in that party.

  24. ac Avatar
    ac

    yeap and the yardflows crying FOUL! LOL!

  25. Checkit-Out Avatar
    Checkit-Out

    Onions. I don’t believe the rumour of Sandiford being groomed for the GG position. It would go against all they said about the appointment of Simmonds as CJ by theBLP. FS was totally against that and we have been told that FS is a very honourable man.

    Its just rumours.

  26. ac Avatar
    ac

    well one thing the DLP can be trusted for is rumourmongering ! dat i give dem handsdown FUH REAL!

  27. ac Avatar
    ac

    ONE THING THE BLP can be trusted on is rumour mongering ! dat I can give them FUH REAL!

    THE above post insertion BLP

  28. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ ac
    Dun know Sandi…would make a problem GG….Check-it…if Sandi want something …he duz call in shots thru d L ya…so anything possible…all DEM ole stalwards and ting pun dispatch ya.

  29. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    I hadn’t realised that this was yet another BLP/DLP post. Oh dear. Don’t you get tired of it?
    I mean how, how for God’s sake is 100+ scattered votes gonna make a blind bit of difference? Besides these people will have been round long enough not to take the ceremony too seriously and have formed their own views about the political whirl. See the self-confessed kind thoughts and pride of Hants.

    I said above that I found it all distasteful. I did so because I thought the whole thing a sham – an exercise to make the present government appear serious and citizenship a drop from heaven – and this in the wake of Clico and being told we are busy violating human rights. It was about trying to convince everyone that we feel good, that we are good, that this is really a serious place to be. Besides we love ceremonies and awards, and icons, and pursuing excellence – as hollow as it all is. That view does not make me BLP.

  30. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    It was about trying to convince everyone that we feel good, that we are good, that this is really a serious place to be.
    ******************************
    Oh that’s whatta it was all about ? Din come off so doa…it looked like a pak of A-holds on a mission to further implicate themselves….AT LEAST speaking for myself ….others can have their say Mr.Rossi…

  31. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Robert

    I do not post anything that is intentionally BLP or DLP. I call things as I see them. That is why I am abused from both sides.

  32. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    By the way..nothing can equate the wrong by CLICO…..nah…that runs deep..

  33. David Avatar
    David

    @robert

    You are correct the BLP DLP trading on every topic posted is getting boring.

    The decision to hold a public induction ceremony is interesting. If we were to give PM Stuart the benefit of all doubt it maybe the semblance of a strategy yet to be understood.

  34. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Look Goodnite ALL

  35. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    But having a BLP/DLP battle is good! The ‘independents’ can add their bit.

  36. Observing (and hoping) Avatar
    Observing (and hoping)

    @david
    Strategy yet to be understood. Lol

    These strategies transparent as glass clean off with soap water and wipe with newspaper. If there was a “genuine” reason for much of the “action” of late, these former tv-loving ministers would be the first to proclaim and sing from the mountaintop about the “great strides” and “visionary thinking” that they posess. Yet, nary a word of substance or significance from neither a man nor mouse.

    The strategy is understood, when in a hole look for shovels, ropes, pickaxes and maybe even icepicks to help ya get out…time will tell if the hole’s now too deep.

  37. Random Thoughts Avatar
    Random Thoughts

    I thought ceremony was kinda sweet. That said many of these people have probably lived in Barbados for a long time and may well have already voted in elections. Commonwealth citizens who have lived here for 3 years or more can vote in elections right? Correct me if I am wrong. I think that the government (both parties) should once a year swear in new citizens. But I noted that the new citizens were given or required to swear on Bibles. I am wondering were the non-Christians also require to swear on the Bible, and if so isn’t that unconstitutional? Just asking.

  38. Random Thoughts Avatar
    Random Thoughts

    O and David permit me to pick a little bone with the Nation here. What did the Nation mean by writing 120 former non nationals become Bajans. Could they not have written:

    120 foreigners become Bajans.

    Is foreigner a bad word now? And why a ceremony if not to mark the transition from foreigner to Bajan?

    What is a former non national anyhow?

  39. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @canadian (loyal).

    I held my nose at having to swear allegiance to the QUEEN.

    Wish I could have done a Trudeau pirouette.

    I an a loyal Bajan Canadian anti-monarchist.

  40. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Bush Tea for one, likes the ceremony. It was good also to see Sir Lloyd back in Bim for the occasion, and to lobby for his well deserved GGship….:)
    ….know why….?
    …cause that is the sort of leadership that we deserve.

    Bushie don’t mind Caswell – NOR Old bad smelling onions….

    What the hell is it that wanna people want…? For some super leaders who are not only assertive, wise, decisive and caring, but who also are innovative and efficient…… To drop from the sky and make our every wish come true…..Right??!!

    …..cause Bajans somehow deserve to receive top salaries, have full employment, with all the benefits, while enjoying rock bottom prices for food, necessities and even luxury items….correct???!!

    …all the while we are ‘playing our part’ here on BU – talking sh/+3 day after day.

    One cannot even get a constructive discussion going before some yard fowl childishly reduces the whole thing to BLP /DLP idiocy…. As if six is any different to half dozen.

    WAKE UP SHEEP!!!
    They are all jokers – apparently just like the rest of us. THEY CANNOT HELP!!! …neither B NOR D…. And unless we can somehow come up with a BARBADOS plan, ALL of our collective asses will be among the grasses….

    Caswell First!!!

    Caswell, you are beginning to piss off the bushman. If you feel so strongly about these issues, is it not about time that you GOT INVOLVED and offered your talent to assist?

    What UNITY Union what??!!

    Why don’t you put together Unity Political Action Committee? (UPAC) with the expressed commitment to bring integrity and transparency to government?
    Do you plan to spend your whole life picking at petty issues like little Credit Union miss fits?
    Surely you can identify 50 persons of high enough moral value to be able to do this with you.?
    ….in any case, Bushie have already identified a mechanism (with which you are very familiar) through which this can easily be done….

    Time to step up Caswell!!!!

    @onions
    …..just shut up!!!!

  41. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    David

    I would like to get back to the real intent of this post. I don’t care who came up with the idea of swearing in new citizens of Barbados. I do not expect politicians to know everything about governing and governance but that is where a professional civil service comes in. Civil servants are supposed to give impartial advice to the political directorate not enable them to do foolishness. When this ceremony was proposed, it would have been the duty of the civil servants to advise the Prime Minister that he would have to change the law to proceed with the swearing in of all new citizens.

    As the laws stands now only aliens are required to take the Oath of allegiance. An alien is defined as , “a person who is not a Commonwealth citizen, a British protected person or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.

    Oath of Allegiance

    I, , do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and successors according to law and that I will faithfully observe the Laws of Barbados and fulfil my duties as a citizen of Barbados.
    SO HELP ME GOD

    Oh, by the way and slightly off topic, Members of Parliament are required to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen before they can assume their seats in the House of Assembly. Even though I agree with the stance taken by Hamilton Lashley on the occasion of the royal visit, he would have been in breach of that oath and should have probably forfeited his seat.

  42. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    @Checkitout
    “In addition to agreeing with Caswell on this, I think that a major contributor to this charade is the expectation of major licks coming out of exposure of the Government’s actions to cover up the inns and outs of the Myrie affair. That one has the potential to make several ministers look real bad, headed by the PM”………………………..

    I agree with you. This all ties in with the CCJ being here as well to show that “we the DLP” have nothing against Caricom nationals. Anyway, Ms Myrie is due to arrive next week for the hearing. Immigration officers have been issued a directive to smile and be courteous to her when she arrives. OMG

  43. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    @islandgal246″

    how come no one on BU has addressed how Jamaican women who are married to Bajan men are being treated by immigrationat the airport? Why do these people in authority feel they have the right to treat people like that. I am not against them doing their job but it is how they do it! Can’t they be more humane when carrying out their job? Immigration claims that these are arranged marriages, it is simple to solve that problem”………………………………….

    This couple you referred to apparently met in the a “dance club”. Hence the scepticism of the Immigration officials.

  44. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Bush Tea

    Thanks for the vote of confidence. Just because I can tell you when food is pleasing to the palate: it does not make me a chef. Similarly, because I can recognize poor performance in politicians does not make me prime minister or minister material. The present set of politicians have lowered the bar to such an extent that almost anyone can get over. Quite frankly, I do not think that I have the skills that would make me a rounded politician. I am quite comfortable serving my country outside of Parliament.

  45. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    @David
    “The decision to hold a public induction ceremony is interesting. If we were to give PM Stuart the benefit of all doubt it maybe the semblance of a strategy yet to be understood.”……………………….

    David,

    Call a spade, a spade. This was a colossal waste of money and it was nonsense. How did the other people in the past get their documents? By going down to the Immigration Department.

    The Dems are all about window dressing to put people’s minds off the real problems confronting this country. Bringing home Sandi from China at a cost of US$19922.00 (double if he brought his wife), free food and drinks, what kind of stupid stategy is that? Only Freundel Stuart could do a thing like this.

  46. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    @Caswell
    “Civil servants are supposed to give impartial advice to the political directorate not enable them to do foolishness. When this ceremony was proposed, it would have been the duty of the civil servants to advise the Prime Minister that he would have to change the law to proceed with the swearing in of all new citizens”……………………..

    Caswell,
    Have you not been told by your contacts in the civil service that these people do not listen to them? They tell me that politicians do what they want, they can not be told, they alone know everything.

  47. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    I say “Georgie Porgie for Governor General …”

  48. David Avatar
    David

    @Caswell

    If what you say is true that there has been a breach in the law as it applies to the swearing in and Lashley’s refusal to take the oath why no challenge by retreating to the court? We love to copy the US don’t we?

  49. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    My cry from off stage was worthwhile…..

    @ Bush Tea

    The gang of 50 -well 51 – what a great idea! The ‘third force’ lives!

    @ Caswell

    But that’s the trouble…we talk and talk…and do nothing. BUT it doesn’t have to be in Parliament. It can be a watchdog….sniper fire…but with the fangs of the hound from heaven. Here works to an extent…but we are known as semi-professional grumblers about everything and so our credibility, in the sense of being a coherent third force, is lost – no (forgive me David) – diminished. That’s not BU – it’s US….we the bloggers. BUT if, following Bush’s lead, you or someone were to say “Let’s form an action committee which is an articulate public watchdog dedicated to this issue – and others revealed in time – composed of serious people who play issues not party politics with a national profile” then……Think of how Commissiong (rightly or wrongly) is known as the ‘Human Rights person’ – and for that reason is given (some) credibility. Think of how a cross section of the unquestioned talents here – commentators, columnists, philosophers, religious, artists, beggars (holy fools), even articulate honest lawyers who are no-one’s hacks – could (if they didn’t argue among themselves) laser through the public bull-shit in the public eye as a serious alternative ‘voice’….a think-tank with FANGS. You could lead that, Caswell. It’s no good JUST being Merlin. Grasp the sword and raise it.

  50. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    And if not you……..then some other…..

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