RENTAL DEAL!

Page 16 ISSUE 147 Friday 11th MARCH, 2016
POLITICIANS THE
SAME EVERYWHERE
Story by ARLEY GILL
We, in the Caribbean,
always
complain about
our politicians and politics.
We complain how
they engage in “gutter’’
politics. The politicians
call one another names –
and bad ones too; and they
accuse each other of corruption
and lying, among
other things. We gripe and
whine that our politicians
never really address the issues.
I am now wondering if the
people in the United States
can justifiably have the
same complaint. As a student
of politics, the current
US presidential campaign
is interesting for several
reasons, not least of which
is the Donald Trump factor
on the Republican side; and
a confessed socialist, Bernie
Sanders, running on the
Democratic Party side.
In terms of politicians
dealing with the issues of
the American campaign
race, a few candidates – in
particular Trump and, to a
lesser extent, Ben Carson –
demonstrate a poor grasp of
most of the issues. They just
give some “merry-go-round
answers’’ – not unlike our
own politicians.
The democratic side of the
presidential contest is less
crazy, it must be said, and
there is more substance in
their discussion and debates.
However, if one looks
keenly at the American media,
the Republicans dominate
the news. Maybe that’s
because they have more
newsworthy issues, are
more entertaining and, as
such, carry more ratings for
the news networks. But it is
clear, with all the name-calling
and controversy, the Republicans
control the media.
Republican Ted Cruz, so
far, has conducted a campaign
that we can identify
within the Caribbean region.
His campaign tweeted that
Dr. Ben Carson was ending
his camping when that was
not true.
This week, the Cruz camp
released a videotape purporting
to show rival Republican
candidate, Marco Rubio,
saying some negative
things about the Bible when,
indeed and in truth, Rubio
was saying something quite
different. Cruz eventually
fired his communications
director.
Trump has called Cruz
a liar and a cheat and has
threatened to take him to
court. Rubio has also labeled
Cruz a liar at every
turn. Does that ring a bell?
Do you know of a politician
near you that called another
such names?
Trump has said many
controversial things – some
might say even crazy things.
Certainly, not things that
HILLARY CLINTON
any smart politician would
say. Trump even took on the
popular Pope Francis. However,
each time he is criticized,
Trump seems to soar
in the polls. Unorthodox,
maybe, but he is extending
his lead in the polls and winning.
But it’s not dissimilar to
what happens in poor countries,
where politicians also
say and do all sorts of crazy
things, whether those crazy
things include bragging
about an attempt to walk on
water, addressing the United
Nations on UFOs, or about
getting the banana boat to
travel up Birchgrove River.
Even then they still won at
the polls. Or, take the 1970s
example of the opposition
saying a Prime Minister was
involved in obeah and later
publishing photos of the
supposed obeah room and
the obeah gown.
Not so long ago in the
USA, no sensible politician
Another man dead after…
DONALD TRUMP TED CRUZ BEN CARSON
would dare declare himself
or herself as a communist
or a socialist. America is the
center of capitalism. However,
things have changed
and there is this 74-year-old
Jew Bernie Sanders, championing
the cause of poor
people and taking the fight
to the richest of the richest.
Refreshing, isn’t it?
But let’s take a further
look at the convergence between
US politicians and
those in other parts of the
world, including Grenada.
In developing countries
like ours, opposition figures
who lost their seats in the
parliamentary elections oppose
constitutional reform,
not because of what is contained
in the reform itself
but what is not there. They
oppose billion-dollar investments,
even though they
sought the same thing when
they were in government.
Politicians are the same, it
seems, wherever they are.
SHOOTING HIMSELF WHILE TRYING
TO TAKE A GUN-TOTING SELFIE
Story by SARAH K BURRIS
A
bullet remained
in the chamber
of a gun when a
43-year-old Concrete,
Washington man attempted
to take a selfie with the
weapon.
The Skagit Valley Herald
reported that the man and
his girlfriend were playing
around taking selfies all
day with the gun. She told
officers that the man had
loaded and unloaded the
gun many times.
The last selfie, the gun
fired killing the man.
Last September, 19-yearold
Houston man shot himself
while doing the same
thing. He later died from
his injuries.
A helpline was launched
in Russia last summer to
help people who suffer
from selfie addiction. The
country has suffered from
similar selfie incidents
where over 100 people
have been harmed and a
dozen killed themselves
while attempting to get a
photo. They even launched
a “selfie safety guide.” Perhaps,
Americans could get a
translation.
You have the Republicans
in the US Senate and
Congress, as well as their
presidential hopefuls, opposing
for opposing sake.
They vow to oppose anyone
President Barack Obama
nominates to the Supreme
Court and argue he should
wait until after the election.
That’s despite the fact he
has a constitutional right to
nominate someone to the
court. What will be the argument
if a Democrat succeeds
Obama in the White House?
Then, they oppose
Obama’s upcoming visit
to Cuba and the lifting of
sanctions against the Spanish-speaking
Caribbean nation,
in spite of the fact that
the world has accepted and
embraced the US change in
policy towards Havana.
And, without missing a
beat, they remain opposed
to the closing down of the
Guantanamo prison, even
though there are detainees
who, after so many years,
are still locked up without
charge – something that
goes against all the moral
standards the US speaks of
and tries to enforce in other
countries, not least Cuba.
As the US election campaign
continues, it will be
interesting to see who will
eventually emerge as the
respective nominees of the
two major parties. Hillary
Clinton seems most likely
to get the nod for the Democrats
while Donald Trump
appears to be the unlikely
Republican candidate.
Whatever it is, and whoever
are the final presidential
candidates, I think we can
feel less badly about our politics
and politicians. And it’s
not because the Americans
have lowered their standard
but, just maybe, they have
taken it up a notch.
They have now taken it to
a place where we have been
for the longest while.
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