Results for Opinion

I find it amazing, how the Tongan public in general are not fully informed of the actuality of what the temo's are asking for. Any form of government suggested for Tonga that has a cabinet picked from within the legislative assembly concentrates tremendous power in the hands of a few and paths the way for a dictatorship in Tonga. The current checks and balances that do currently exist between government bodies will deteriorate until they no longer exist. This means we are moving in the opposite direction of where we actually want to arrive at. Numerous articles on Matangitonga Online and letters to the editor have clearly pointed these obvious things out. For your reading pleasure and for the sake of being more informed please readers check them out. - Daniel K. Fale

I disagree with the Temos whole-heartedly on the fundamentals and agree with them in some of the peripherals, and on behalf of traditions, the simples, and the blinds, may I declare, "We want to retain monarchy, but have a democratic monarchy." A king without an absolute power is not a king, but a king who rules democratically is humanly divine. Any discontent with the government has to be legally expressed, and should resistance be needed, "Non-violent Patient Resistance" would be our peaceful war cry. Here is my starting point and our dividing line. - Senituli Penitani

Her first point - "there is no such thing as an 'absolute democracy'" contradicts both reality and history of political philosophy. Plato believed there are five forms of government: one just (aristocracy) and four unjust (democracy, timocracy, oligarchy, tyranny). Democracy, according to Plato, is a "rule by the masses." Surprisingly, Plato did not like democracy because he believed it is "a rule by all the desires." Plato's definition and 16/11 prove that "absolute democracy" exists. - Senituli Penitani

As a qualified and experienced volcanologist who has worked in Tonga for almost 30 years I have had experiences and heard of many more, that indicated getting too close to erupting volcanoes is extremely dangerous and on many occasions life threatening. - Paul Taylor

Following the posting of my Editorial, "Fresh new parliament needs fresh new members" on February 23, there has been some aggressive flak from a People's Representative and reactions from political observers that attempt to distract from the points that were made. I have consistently pointed out that if Tonga sets up a new parliament with such a composition of 26 members...it is clear to see we will put a dictator in power. The great challenge before Tonga now is to put a democratic government into place as soon as possible and to avoid allowing vested interests to create a dictatorship. Editor's Comment.

Before anthropologists investigate the ancient past, they might want to consider a little history of recent past. -Sione A. Mokofisi

Perhaps Mr. Ivan Simic of Belgrade, Serbia (The Americans, 26 February, 2009) could have used Google to search under the topic "Ugly Americans" and saved us from his boring American History lessons. - Sione A. Mokofisi

There is a strong believe in the United States that the American Revolutionary War was a good war which brought freedom to the people and gave birth to the US. Yes, it was, but only for the new American nation. Many of these Americans forgot the other side of this war, like the fact that the war started as the war between Kingdom of Great Britain and British rebels in the North America and extended out to Europe and the European colonies, ending as a global war between Britain, France, Spain and the Netherlands (Dutch Republic). - Ivan Simic

As we are rushing to gather ideas to structure a new system of government, it is only wise for us to stop and have another critical look at what the Tongan parliament has forced on us to determine over a ridiculously short period of time. Editor's Comment.