The Royal Grinch that stole Christmas [1]
Thursday, December 29, 2005 - 11:43. Updated on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 18:16.
Dear Editor,
THE ROYAL GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS.
I am alarmed that the current Prince Regent, Lavaka Ata has lost touch with reality and of family sense with this insensitive misjudgement. With Christmas gone and New Year coming, Lavaka Ata has just opened more doors to more enemies over some Royal Cow! Now, we've got Tongans and Samoans having a legitimate reason for his resignation. Lady Alaileula leaves Tonga after royal cow row [2]
I would have been impressed if, Lady Alaileula Tukuaho was associated with Al Qeda to be ousted from the Kingdom, but the sad news is that a Royal calf was slain. The national security interest of Tonga as we know it, from today is because of some Herbivore, which is more important than a human being and of blood.
If this is an ongoing misjudgement from the Prime Minister, in some internal feud, which could of been solved by dialogue, then by God, how do we expect him to govern this small nation in years to come?
Maybe, other readers will disagree with me and that I do not have the whole story, but this has just gone too far. Think simple and logic: Cow vs Family, who do you choose?
After I read this article and from numerous sources from Tonga, my heart has come to a point of so much shame as a Tongan.
This has given me more passion to hope for a new political system in Tonga. The times have changed for this ailing Kingdom. The common people are getting more wise and have experienced overseas democracy which Tonga has missed. There is no more, sweeping under the carpet, now it is about accountability.
There are more and more Tongans realising the real truth behind this next generation of Tupou's.
WTO, GATT and CAPITALISM.
My opinion with Tonga joining the WTO is with doubt? Yes, we will reap the rewards of tariffs on imports and exports, but at what price? Time will tell, I am sceptical because, it opens foreign investors into Tonga and exploits control and hopfully not, our civil liberty. That is, to Health, Education, Environment, Safe Roads, etc.
With the economy struggling to find a way to close the gap to pay for the salary increase, Tonga may sell some of it's assets to the private sector.
These Assets maybe very vital towards common people like Health. The reason why national assets are important to be regulated by Government even if it is running at a loss, the Government has a moral obligation and resposiblity towards their fellow country man. Once the privatization of these national assets occurs, then the only principle of a corporation is profit margins, not moral consequences.
One good example of this is, Shoreline, the prices of electricity increased because of profit margins, not providing an affordable rate to poor income earners or households. The retention of customers, were of not important, you pay the expensive bill or disconnection. The Government had their hands tied because it has just sold the asset to the PM's brother. Therefore, poor people who use to pay their electricity in the past by affordable Government low prices couldn't afford electricity, so they were left in the dark.
With the timing of the WTO, it is a matter of time, will we see Chinese companies taking care of the Ministry of Works? or Mininstry of Health? or Ministry of Trees? Let's just hope they wouldn't patent fresh air that we breath or even patent a cow?
Have a Happy New Year 2006,
William Mariner
ionaxe [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk