A COMIC'S VIEW: The ‘People’ are ready to put Doc and company out of the house

Friday, November 23, 2018

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

IS THIS the week that it finally dawns on the Free National Movement that the honeymoon is over?

Not only is the honeymoon over, it seems the ‘People’ are ready to put Doc and company out of the house and change the locks.

Less than two years into this new administration, there was a sizeable protest march on Bay Street against the policies and performance of the FNM.

In normal times, such a march so soon would be shocking, but when you consider the number of controversial decisions made by the Prime Minister such as OBAN, increased VAT, the General Post Office scandal, the Grand Lucayan purchase and the Lighthouse Point saga (to name a few) it’s a wonder these protests didn’t happen sooner.

It doesn’t help that the FNM leadership (on down) responds to any and every critique like entitled schoolchildren with tissue paper thin skin.

It doesn’t help that what’s left of this government’s most ardent supporters act like crazed fanatics on social media even when defending the indefensible. (Conflicts of interest, anyone?)

Now granted, these are attitude and character deficiencies that could – theoretically – be corrected. The problem is that this new bunch has shown no desire to change their ways.

During the march, there were hundreds of people screaming “enough is enough” on the streets, but in my view the bigger problem for the FNM was the silence.

There was silence from many Bahamians who otherwise would have come to the party’s defence.

In conversation after conversation in real life and on social media that day, I was surprised at how many “I’ne on their run no more” and “I finish wit dem” responses I got when I reached out to persons who I know for a fact supported the FNM last election.

‘Tings tuff’ right now.

In the wake of the almost doubling of VAT, there’s a lot of anxiety amongst our poorest and what remains of the middle class. And, if you listen to ‘da streets,’ the only thing happening right now is that the rich are getting richer.

Now whether that’s true or not, when people are starving, perception becomes reality.

This is the strange intersection the FNM finds itself at, where not only are their policies wanting but so is their attitude. As the elders would say, ‘Some a dem gat some bad ways.’

When speaking to reporters, you can almost sense a ‘suck teet’ from the Prime Minister before he says something he obviously thinks is clever but comes off as cold.

You can say the same about a handful of ministers who seem lost in their own arrogance as well.

So now you have hard policies (even if you deem them necessary) and a hard attitude to go with it. And that’s when you end up with a major protest on your hands eighteen months into your administration.

Ironically, If you watched the parliamentary channel during Wednesday’s event you wouldn’t have known that there were people right outside the House with picket signs.

Of course, to be clear, they were not technically right outside the window since the police used barricades and chains with locks to keep the protesters at bay. Which was another slap in the face since it was protesters and marchers who helped sweep the FNM in and gave them a super majority.

Yet I didn’t see any government member of parliament save for Frederick McAlpine go out on the street or even entertain the protesters’ concerns.

How quickly they forget.

Out of the hundreds of placards that were hoisted in the hot sun on Wednesday one really stood out. No, it wasn’t the ‘Call the police for BPL’ sign or the ‘We voted and we failed again’ sign.

It was a placard my sister-in-law spotted tossed in some bushes near the bank downtown that read, ‘Minnis is Wutless.’

Like I said before, the honeymoon is definitely over.

I will leave you this week with the wise words of the great poet Maya Angelou who said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Comments

Porcupine says...

And I feel like I've been swung.

Posted 23 November 2018, 8:11 p.m. Suggest removal

BahamaPundit says...

Me too. Big time. Minnis is like a channel your TV is stuck on but will not change, so you end up turning off the TV and throwing it in the trash.

Posted 23 November 2018, 9:22 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Y’all fired Pindling, y’all fired Ingraham, y’all fired Christie several times and now y’all wanna fire Minnis. Y’all need to make up y’all damn minds as wat y’all want.

Posted 23 November 2018, 10:26 p.m. Suggest removal

We know what we want. We want a well oiled machine of uncoruptable persons to run this island with complete transparency. We want persons that are legitimately good at governing and dealing with money and accountable to the public. We want persons with degrees from Harvard and Columbia. We have not been given what we want. It's like going to a jewelry store to buy a diamond ring and being offered apples and oranges.

Posted 24 November 2018, 12:04 a.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Believe me, you don't want persons with degrees from Harvard, Columbia or any other ivy league university or top 50 liberal arts college in the U.S.. These institutions are incubators (indoctrination camps) for the far left on the political spectrum....they produce people who believe in big government and want big government to take care of every aspect of their lives. They also don't believe in national borders, etc., etc., etc.

Posted 24 November 2018, 10:46 a.m. Suggest removal

DDK says...

With you except for the Harvard, Columbia bit, Pundit! Mudda has the handle on that except that many are off-spring of the far right as well!

Posted 24 November 2018, 11:23 a.m. Suggest removal

OK then London School of Economics. Any degree that shows an authentically intelligent mind and not one of these internet schools.

Posted 24 November 2018, 10:02 p.m. Suggest removal

You have a dream.. dream on my brother

Posted 24 November 2018, 6:44 p.m. Suggest removal

Minnis means we’ll and many who have foresight or even common sense are not ready to throw him under the bus just yet. It’s not how ya run da race but how you finish up still

Posted 23 November 2018, 10:41 p.m. Suggest removal

He may mean well, but meaning well and doing well are two different things, I'm afraid.

Posted 24 November 2018, 11:29 a.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

How about becoming a colony again ? Lets face it throw Minnis out and you have Fweddy and his bunnch of finacially incompetant idiots back on the gravy train.

Posted 24 November 2018, 4:21 a.m. Suggest removal

Becoming a colony again would be a Good send, but black politicians are too used to stealing millions to ever let that happen.

Posted 24 November 2018, 9:09 a.m. Suggest removal

Gotoutintime says...

No way we can ever be a Colony again---Great Britain doesn't want any part of us!!

Posted 24 November 2018, 9:34 a.m. Suggest removal

Said tongue in cheek ,nobody wants to clean up this mess.

Posted 24 November 2018, 9:54 a.m. Suggest removal

"Naughty" has summed it up very well. The country and its prospects are not looking good for the vast majority of The People, and with no alternative in sight the masses will vote back the terrible PLP. If election were called tomorrow the results would be grim.

Posted 24 November 2018, 11:28 a.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

The Executive Branch is hamstrung by the Legislature and the Judiciary Branches (and itself).......... There are three co-equal Branches of Government in our country ........... Minnis cannot change this three-headed monster system that easy ........ this Bahamian quagmire of web has been in the making from 1964 ........... But change must come before we ALL perish.

Posted 24 November 2018, 11:44 a.m. Suggest removal

CatIslandBoy says...

Hopefully, this country will never re-elect the PLP again under its present leadership. Maybe when members of the old guard, like Davis and Hanna, move on and are replaced with younger visionaries with clean hands, they may stand a chance again. While I am too fond of this administration's mis-steps over the past 18 months, I still believe that they should be given the opportunity to complete this term before we judge them so harshly. There is no magic wand to instantly alleviate the sufferings of the masses. Maybe in the next 3 years, some of their policies will have taken root and begin to produce significant relief. So help us God!

Posted 24 November 2018, 11:52 a.m. Suggest removal

This Government system has to be abolished and start over ......... bring a Bill to Parliament to abolish the present Constitution ............ and start over with a unicameral, proportional representative Assembly and elected two-term limit President .......... Get rid of General Orders and this entitled colonial civil service ......... and sell all of these these state-owned corporations, get rid of ALL failing schools and create magnet academies ............. and give the islands true Local Govt with their own assemblies and finance .......... aka 242Revolution.

That's a TALL order and would mean much chaos and confusion, but obviously what we have is not working. Need someone or a group to spearhead it though.............

Posted 24 November 2018, 1:38 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Like pass on comrade "Naughty." The best judge handle the eviction Minnis and his 34 Imperials out House for failing uphold its agreement with the people - would be to present his eviction petition before comrade supreme court Justice Keith... cause he's the judge best known ordering the eviction from building of company operated by Fox Hill Red Shirts MP Shonel to vacate a building it was occupying after it failed to uphold its lease agreement. { Has know, I just can't make such up on a red whim }.

Posted 24 November 2018, 3:20 p.m. Suggest removal

Why has she not been declared bankrupt and removed from Parliament??? ....... She obviously is bankrupt.

Posted 24 November 2018, 4:06 p.m. Suggest removal

Ma comrade, was eviction order against MP's company, not her personally.

Posted 24 November 2018, 4:17 p.m. Suggest removal

pingmydling says...

Inigo------don't give up your day job.
Inigo------more like Inistop.

Posted 25 November 2018, 5:29 p.m. Suggest removal

Inigogo --- my poor wanna be 'Washington Post' contributor
Santa wants to know if you have bee 'naughty' or 'nice.
if the latter he will send you the new "Basic Journalism 101" book.
Lordy -- where does the Tribune find these people???

Posted 26 November 2018, 5:36 a.m. Suggest removal