Comic relief for world
By Attilah Springer (Trinidad Guardian)
“Since I am indeed applying to cover a Fifa event rather than a T&TFF or Concacaf one, would Fifa then intervene on a point of ‘fair play.’ By intervene I mean will Fifa ensure that qualified journalists from reputable newspapers within your 32 participating member associations are allowed access to follow their respective teams at Germany 2006.
“Might you also say whether Fifa is inclined to request of its member association, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, that decency, fair play and transparency reign as regards to its general accreditation processes even beyond Germany 2006.”
Lasana Liburd in a letter to Fifa media head Andrew Herren
I was holding my tongue you know. I was keeping quiet, hoping that a rational answer to the Jack Warner/Simpaul ticket bacchanal would materialise. But then I read that my bredrin over at the Express, Lasana Liburd, got blanked for Fifa accreditation and I had to register my disgust.
You see, I was trying to see things Jack’s way. You know, as a money-grubbing capitalist or whatever. I said to myself, self, if you were a money-grubbing capitalist, maybe you would have behaved in a similarly fashion.
I mean, this whole ridiculously over-priced package issue flies in the face of anything positive that Jack Warner could have done and continue to do for football.
Think about it. Was it really necessary for Mr Warner to “bring off” on Liburd in a recently held press conference like that? I mean who looks like the bigger mook?
The problem at the root of this whole Liburd being unceremoniously blanked nonsense is that we in this country take a dim view to investigative journalism. We expect nothing more than stenography from reporters. We don’t anticipate analysis or criticism.
Critical, incisive journalism is viewed as destructive. Advertisers get upset if you say something perceived as bad about their products. Artists get all huffy if you knock their performance.
We don’t seem to understand that sometimes, although it should be all the time, investigative journalism is not personal or vindictive. It’s information, buddy, and by Jah we have a right to it. But information is power and some people apparently believe that power only belongs to an elite few.
It’s not about a fight-down, dear Uncle Jack. Nobody’s trying to take the food out of your mouth by simply asking questions about how you do what you do. Indeed, if you want our continued support then we are well within our rights to know. But the whole attitude reeks of something that many people in power suffer from in T&T.
People might complain and steups and roll their eyes. But after all the old talk, they’re more than happy to take the ill-treatment you give them and pay you double for it too.
There’s no argument about the immense outpouring of love for the Soca Warriors. If there was one thing going right for the country it was that. It remains that. The excitement, the thrill, the absolute euphoria.
And that is what is being dimmed by this dotish blanking and grand-charging.
Instead of inspiring respect and gratitude from young men who might one day aspire to make such a contribution to this society, Uncle Jack is acting no better than one of those black security guards that work at those nightclubs that like to keep us out on certain nights.
It’s not to say that I as a still stunned Trinidadian don’t appreciate the contribution I am told he’s made to developing the national football team. It’s not that I am an ungrateful wretch and I can’t see that without his input and determination maybe the team would never have made it this far.
But to fly in the face of all that positivity by behaving no better than a schoolyard bully who takes all the other boys’ marbles just because he can, well that’s a bit much.
I reason with friends abroad who have been reading about this package bacchanal with some degree of concern.
They want to know how he can possibly get away with it. It would never be possible in any other rational thinking country.
But then I have to point out that, much to my dismay, there isn’t much rational thought going on in this here sweet T&T.
But like our political situation, we like it so. And until such time as we choose to do something about it, we’ll continue to provide comic relief for the world.
