http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2012-01-22/obsessions-flights-fancyFresh back from his passage to India, Minister Vasant Bharath has seen it fit to insult the collective intelligence of the population in statements and actions which are fast becoming symptomatic of this People’s Partnership Government, which of itself is becoming the living embodiment of George Orwell’s classic Animal Farm. The obsession with flights of fancy which Mr Manning had with his private wishes for private jets, are mirrored in helicopter flights like a taxi service, to get you here, there and everywhere. It is mirrored also in the outlandish idea of building an airport in Central and, of course, from the bag of goodies on the return from India, we are now looking at flights to India for Caribbean Airlines.
Now really, we cannot even get it right for flying between Trinidad and Tobago and our big announcement is that we are going to be trying to fly from Trinidad to India? Who comes up with this type of clap-trap to try to peddle such rubbish to the public? Where is the market for this? Where is the feasibility study for this and if it were such a good and profitable idea, why aren’t airlines from India ponying up to take planeloads of tourists back and forth across the oceans between the two countries? These ideas are as ill-fated as Snowball’s windmill on Animal farm.
The excesses and madness of Manniningism were the Achilles heel and the ultimate downfall of the PNM. The present Government, just like in Animal Farm, is beginning more and more to resemble the very ones they disposed and got the rid of and their constant excuse seems to be—well PNM did it too. Hello...this is why we got rid of them! The Animal Farm analogy continues with the hard-working Jack, who after all his time, money and effort expended, has been treated just like Boxer and the only thing left is for someone to suggest that they now boil him down to make glue, or send him off to the Knacker’s. In his bust-up with King George, in the circling of his wagon by the religious and ethnic fundamentalists in the party, and now the quest to make him impure by auditing PURE, all serve to remind Uncle Jack that—All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others.
So it should be no surprise to see Napoleon and others walking around on two legs now, because while the sheep were previously bleating, “Four Legs Good/Two Legs bad” after the Revolution of May 24, 2010, suddenly it is, “Two Legs good/Four legs Bad,” and the sycophants and the “booty smoochers” who make up the ranks of the sheep, have now changed their tune accordingly—“Two Legs good/Four legs Bad.” Why not throw in a luxury 4x4 in the process as Vasant has done, and say to the masses, that it is not expensive, it is not really a luxury car. “Comrades!” he cried. “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples."
Prior to election day, the population bought in big time for old Major’s speech and the dream of a better world and a better tomorrow—We will rise. “Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings (wearing Balisier ties)? Only get rid of man (Manning), and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. Not one man, woman or child will be left behind. The Beasts of England and Beasts of Ireland were believers, they yearned for a new day under the Rising Sun, but they are getting scorched in the heat, burnt in the process. And Squealer is frisking around, skipping from side to side, telling them they are relaxing in the shade and that what they think is heat is a nice cool temperature and that everything’s fine in the House of the Rising Sun.
“Comrades,” he said, “I trust that every animal here appreciates the sacrifice that Comrade Napoleon has made in taking this extra labour upon himself (All these foreign trips are really hard work). Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! (Nor the helicopter flights, nor living at La Fantasie, nor the Bollywood joyride) On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility (Which must be taken with as many trips out of the country as possible). No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal (And we have Sat, Devant and Suruj here to prove that). He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves (As you did when you once believed us). But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions comrades, (As we fear you may make at the next general election), and then where should we be?
