Shooting…ourselves in the foot

Well, some people just can’t help themselves – they insist on putting their size-12 foot in their mouths!! This was the thought that came into your Eyewitness’ mind when he heard the leader of the (truncated) APNU/PNC blowing a gasket on the PPP/C’s agreement-in-the-works to accept some “third country deportees” from the USA. He said such a proposition was totally “unacceptable”, and “APNU cannot understand the logic behind accepting deportees that another society does not want.”
No wonder this fella got his tail cut by a three-month-old party led by a fella sanctioned for 11 criminal indictments in the US!! The logic?? Well, a number of propositions!! Firstly, it’s not just deportees that “another society does not want” – but also societies that the DEPORTEES don’t want!! And secondly, did he read where the Foreign Secretary said the persons accepted for resettlement would have to be vetted and pass muster by us and the US??
Thirdly, does he know that part of the vetting criteria is – we’ll only accept persons possessing skills demanded by our oil-fuelled “fast-growing economy in the world”!?? In which the business sector says we need at least 70,000 more workers?? And for which we’ve already been beating the bushes in Bangladesh and other locales?? And that even if the persons aren’t skilled, the US gonna pay for their training??
And fourthly, there’s gonna be a cap on the numbers we will take in – and we get to decide on that number?? Which is a whole lot less worrying than the almost 100,000 persons who’ve already poured across our borders – and are delivering most of the unskilled labour in our country which locals refuse to even consider?? In your Eyewitness’ estimate, based on the handful accepted by Dominica, Antigua and Nevis – we’re talking at most maybe 300 skilled persons!! If we can’t deal with those, how are we gonna deal with the same numbers of medical personnel we’re bringing in from (violent) T&T??
Fifthly, being a fella who was employed (gainfully, we hope!!) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, did he think of the diplomatic goodwill that’s gonna be earned from the Yanks by our gesture?? Or conversely, the cooling of their diplomatic temperature in supporting our resort to the ICJ on Venezuela’s border claim that an outright rejection’s gonna precipitate?? And that’s only ONE example!!
Look, your Eyewitness is appreciative of us being flooded by the Tren de Argua and Chinese tongs deportees as much as the next man. But the agreed-to vetting process the Yanks will fund should deal with that!! And leave us with trained operatives to deal with as they winnow out the criminals headed to the fastest-growing economy to fleece us “innocent natives”!!
Has Norton dealt with those slick Nigerian fast talkers??

…for clean politicians
Without comment, here’s the story of Pablo Escobar: “To bend the country to his will, Escobar needed to become a preeminent figure in Colombian politics as well as its drugs trade. If he could get elected to office, he’d be able to cloak himself in respectability and avoid being prosecuted or extradited to the US. The cocaine Godfather’s tainted millions bought more than just fancy properties – he used them to win the hearts and minds of the poor. Paying for food banks, hospitals and homes for slum dwellers made Escobar a hero, at least initially.
“Escobar moved on to more formal politics. He led a movement called Civismo en Marcha, which planted trees and rescued endangered animals. Then, in 1982, he finally got elected to Congress – as a stand-in for another guy’s seat.”
But Columbia’s Justice Minister denounced Escobar in a speech. Everyone knew Escobar was crooked, but most people didn’t put their head above the parapet to say so.
Publicly humiliated, Escobar was forced to stand down from his seat.”

…off at the natives
So the British High Commissioner wants the Opposition leader to be elected “without delay”. In her judgement, then, she doesn’t think that there may be valid reasons for the delay.
Bloody impertinence!!