“The Bahamas is for all Bahamians,” they boast publicly. “Bahamians first,” they shout.
Behind close doors, however, they continue with “for all Bahamians who support or do not publicly criticise us.”
They utter sweet, eloquent, seemingly genuine words about democracy, fairness and fairplay. Privately, however, they are ravenous wolves concerned only about their positions and their bellies.
This is the reality of some elected officials in our nation. They seem to be busy trying to cut off the income sources of Bahamians who oppose them.
At least this is the reality of those Bahamians who believe that democracy is real would dare to speak their minds openly. They become victims of the petty politics of spineless politicians.
These politricksters do not wish anyone to speak of their failures, no matter how true or trivial. You are only supposed to heap praise on them, no matter how false or fanciful.
No-one who opposes such persons is safe from their vindictiveness and their spite. No clerk is too lowly and no executive is too high. It does not matter if you are employed in the government or hold a position with a private business with whom they have influence or sway.
If you play your politics wrong – that is, if you do not play according to their liking – they will come after you with the power entrusted to them by the people. They will seek to deny you bread to feed your family. Then they will go into the halls of parliament and into the pulpits of the nation and herald that “The Bahamas is for all Bahamians,” and “no Bahamian should be victimised.”
Listen to them and you might very well be convinced. But when you speak with those who they have sought to destroy you will get to know better. Too many recount these stories today.
The worst of these hypocrites are the ones who talk so smooth. People swear by their genuineness; they fall prey to their award-winning public acting. What else should one expect from these media specialists and professional spinners?
However, their words are clouds without rain; they are bags of wind. These men and women are like magicians, pulling rabbits out of hats and flowers out of walking canes. This much is true about their magic, it is entertaining but it ain’t real.
Those who suck up to these abusers of power and position are promoted, even if they are not qualified for the posts. Those who prop them up, no matter how pretentious, are branded as patriots and they get to keep their jobs, contracts, business deals and access to the public spigot. Strange how these newly-converted sycophants distance themselves from the criticism they heaped on others now that they get to chew on the mutton.
Do not accuse these hypocrites of practising victimisation and engaging in undemocratic and unbecoming behaviour, for their reply will be that others also did it. They will counter with spurious examples, even lies, of what others did.
Yet, the evil done by others, real or perceived, does not excuse what they do. But this rationale does not matter to high hypocrites. They want to remain in power. They need to remain in power, otherwise they will not be able to live high on the Bahamian hog as they now do.
Any threat to their power must be eliminated at all cost, even at the expense of democracy itself and denial of employment and business opportunities for other Bahamians.
Be sure of this, no-one in a genuine democracy should have to make the choice between speaking his conscience and feeding his family. Those in power who make this a choice for their citizens must pay the ultimate political price, condemnation and ouster from office.
By: Zhivargo Laing, from the “Straight Up Talk” column in The Tribune
