Editorial – December 20, 2013
As Montserrat activities get geared to give the further appearance of progress, the Christmas season upon us, joined with festival 51, which has left some if not many people wondering. They are wondering aloud, “if you find Christmas, please bring it back for me.”
It makes us wonder if anyone of the few who do listen to what happens in the Legislative Assembly, make any connection to the Premier’s concession, that things are not good right now, while he tries to be optimistic with a vision which he and his government needs to share, for whatever it might be worth.
Whatever has gone wrong with the understanding of the way communication is beneficial, cannot have to do only with the fact that a country trying to come from below bottom seeks claim to lead in what we call egovernment, a topic like so many others is not well understood or properly supported. Or, could it?
Please understand that it was the management of Montserrat Printing & Publishing that encouraged government some 15 years ago to get ahead and start of using technology (known now as IT) and graduated to ICT. It was the David Brandt’s Ministry of Finance, under CT John, (RIP) that heeded the message that we had our own people outside of Montserrat (heavily connected to servicing The Montserrat Reporter (TMR)) who can guide us.
The Montserrat Reporter’s guest book was the first Facebook as our people reconnected even more than they do today on Facebook. The problem! TMR didn’t have the resources and was too busy encouraging government to use the technology. We never dreamed that we would be sidelined even when the HMG while benefiting from the existence of TMR did not truly believe in practicing the democracy they claim. It has reached proportions so bad, that today we have a Governor who whether for himself or through his advisers cannot explain democracy and his role to guide our Government along paths that will lead to real progress. Or, maybe it is just a cover for them condoning its ignorance in his face.
Not the progress that allowed the Premier to say in his Ministerial Statement to the last sitting of the Legislative Assembly (LegAss): “The journey has not been smooth but the ship of Montserrat has gone through the rough waters and we are starting to see smoother waters and a bright future,” he said. The statement will resonate only in part, with most of it quite difficult to substantiate. because of the significance of the phrase at the beginning of this editorial.
Resources do not permit us to postulate in simple enough terms the state at which we are as the claim goes up, “Despite all of the challenges, Montserrat has a very good investment possibility. We will continue to develop our international profile while seeking to bring those possibilities into reality in the very near future.”
That is supposed to mean the future is ripe. Ah, but this started in 2008. MCAP had control of Government since then, but is 2020 what we call very near future, or even 2016?
Our wish and Christmas prayer is, that as we ‘revel’ into the Christmas festive season, because there are a very small few who can, for us to stop and look at who we are, what we have become and to take the required steps to emerge from our stupor.
Let’s copy a bit from a regional commentator, adding a bit here and there as appropriate: “If we continue to practice deceit, disrespect and bad mindedness, and make excuses for where we are and what we have evolved into, rather than seek honest solutions to our many problems we will continue to decline economically, socially and spiritually.
It is bad because we are a people acknowledging and accepting from those who say our people are resilient while a deep-seated apathy strives and continues to grow.
So nevertheless, we wish a joyous and blessed Christmas, economically (let the good spirit in and open the eyes), socially and spiritually.
