Submitted by Observing
In 2020 voters turned out in high numbers and groups merged to ensure that Trump would not be President again. They succeeded. Regardless of political view, there will still always be a 40% of America that will vote for Trump. Despite the 2022 unity, the cohesion on the Democratic side though is not so certain.
Back at home the electorate voted in 2018 to get rid of an incompetent bunch. 60% of Barbadians decided enough was enough and they spoke with their X.
In 2022 though only a few spoke, despite the fact that the issues of the day were just as weighty and critical as 2018. So what does this mean???
Simply put, many of us have become dull, turned off and apathetic. The systems built to give us voice are disappearing and so too are our voices. The Constitutions, norms and traditions that kept those who seek power in check no longer do so. Heck, we can’t even agree on whether a Senate with 18 people is legally constituted!
But worse….when we become numb to 400 – 600 Covid cases and 2 or so deaths a day, what next.
When the society that used to care simply doesn’t in the same regard, what next.
When drugs, murders, gun violence become normalised, what next.
When those who lead pay lip service to integrity and consultation but continue to act with impunity, what next.
I posit that Freundel fatigue, followed by economic fatigue, followed by Covid fatigue has lashed us as a public into sitting silently whether we want to admit it or not. That silence has led others to act and behave in ways that we do not agree with but we do or can do nothing about.
In another thread I spoke about the 5-year delay in being able to call our public leaders to account. The inability to seat opposing voices in Parliament along with the toothlessness of the Public Accounts Committee/Auditor General and the slothfulness of the Freedom of Information and Integrity Legislation essentially places us the same place we were 15-20-30-40 years ago. We have more technology, media, more blogs, more posts more threads but less meaningful discourse and action.
And so we remain at the mercy whims, fancy and hopeful integrity of those who lead or those who hold power and or money.
Donna asked sometime what type of leader I wanted.
First of all, we get the leaders we deserve. At all levels. Volunteer groups, fraternal organisations, trade unions, political parties and by extension government. Leaders can only lead those who allow them to lead.
Secondly, those leaders operate how they think is best with abandon UNLESS those who they lead speak up, which often times, they don’t.
Thirdly, those who CAN lead, often choose NOT to simply because they realise the futility at times of being sensible, pragmatic, honest, intelligent in a world or society where glitz, glamour, sweet talk, money and “cuh dear” brings popularity, votes and ascension up whichever ladder you happen to be on.
We are in a catch 22.
We want the real leaders to stand up, but, when they do, we place them on a pedestal and then try to knock them down.
We ask for transparency, integrity and honesty, but we revel in, celebrate and look the other way at leaders who are the opposite unless it directly impacts us.
We demand that our voices be heard yet we do not let our chords of concerns and criticism come forth.
We can only therefore look forward to the day when our desires match our words, our words match our actions and our collective actions match what society, this generation and future ones need.
Until this happens, we will be spinning tot in mud. Again and again and again.
We shouldn’t only come together to get rid of Freundel. We should come together to keep all decks on the ship of state sailing in the direction we want them to.
Only then will we see true development and true growth.
Our leaders aren’t the problem. The problem is us.
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