A NEW SOCIETY

Last week while reeling under the pressure of seeing one of his senior ministers and deputy political leader of his Party , Prime Minister Rowley boasted that his Government was engaged in building a new society.


As a patriot and one who only wants to see this little twin island republic advance, I was thrilled with the news. After all, the innuendo in the boast about building a new society is that things will get better ... and not worse! And who wouldn't want that?! There is so much in our society that needs fixing: the crime situation, the education system, the health care system, the roads, the economy ... and the list goes on! So? Building a new society should mean and ought to be taken to mean that at least some of these really serious problems are going to be fixed at last! And who wouldn't want that?!? I, for one, would love it if at least one thing on the very long list could get fixed ... permanently!


Unfortunately, our dear Prime Minister neglected to say exactly what his vision for this new society was, nor how exactly he and his cohorts were going about building it. I mean, it is very easy to say "we're building a new society". And when you say that everybody will interpret that to mean that you are engaged in making things better. But if you don't say exactly what you are doing or how you are going to do it, you really are just spouting a lot of hot air ... and we've got too much of that as it is!


So, my basic question to Dr. Rowley is what exactly are you doing or planning to do to make this new society come into being? Will this new society make things better for the people? If so, how? What have you done exactly over the last four years that have made life better for us? And please forgive me if I appear to be rude by asking these basic questions. I don't mean to be. Look: it is in EVERYBODY'S interests that the Government of the day ... whether it is PNM or UNC or ABC or anything else ... succeeds. I would love it if this Government succeeds. And why shouldn't I? I'm a citizen and a rising tide floats all boats. If things get better then my personal life should get better too! But the truth is that there is only one reason for politics; only one reason for government: TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE! PERIOD! There is no other reason!!


So, Dr, Rowley, it's back to you: how exactly are you building this new society and what do you envisage it to look like?