Monday, February 4, 2019
WHY?
When I was a young lawyer I worked for a while in England for a rather large American company. My boss (an American who was based in Geneva) used to frustrate me to no end because he always asked me 'why' whenever I made any sort of proposal or statement. It was frustrating, because more often than not his constantly asking me 'why' made me realize that I was really talking absolute nonsense or was just plain wrong. Armed with this experience, I have learned the value of asking 'why' when I see things going on or people saying things that at first blush seem to make sense but on deeper examination you realize that it is absolute balderdash.
It was with this in mind that I question the proposed trip of Trinidad & Tobago's erstwhile Prime Minister scheduled for this week to Montevideo, Uruguay, to discuss a way forward in the ongoing Venezuelan crisis with Messrs. Guaido and Maduro. Mr. Guaido has said that he simply ain't going and will send nobody. So? Why is Dr. Rowley going? To mediate what? The trip doesn't make sense. So? Why is Dr. Rowley going? What exactly does he hope to achieve? Why does he think that he can achieve what he hopes for?
In the meantime, Mr. Maburro ... I'm sorry ... Mr. Maduro has proposed that new elections be called for the National Assembly as a way out of the present crisis? Why? Nobody has suggested that the last National Assembly elections were tainted by fraud. But there is a large body of evidence that the last Presidential elections were illegitimate. So? As a way out of the crisis why doesn't the de facto (NOT de jure) President of Venezuela simply call fresh Presidential elections and allow his opponents to stand against him? Is he afraid that he might lose? Why? If he is so popular and the majority are behind him then surely he has nothing to be afraid of?
Dr. Rowley and Caricom keep on saying that they are neutral and offer their services to mediate. But are they really neutral? Why do you think so? They recognize Mr. Maburro ... I'm sorry, but the man really is a donkey ... Mr. Maduro as the legal President of Venezuela! Why? They obviously haven't read the Constitution of Venezuela. Why not? Or is it that they believe in the late Chairman Mao's statement that power comes out of the mouth of a gun and the Donkey clearly has the guns. But if that is the case, then why don't they just say that in plain and simple language?
And why should Mr. Guaido accept Messrs. Rowley et al as bona fide mediators when they have so clearly stated a preference for Mr. Guaido's opponent?
Dr. Rowley et al have condemned 'foreign interference'. So far, so good. But they haven't condemned CUBAN interference in Venezuela over the last three to four years. Why not? Is the United States the only country that cannot interfere without being criticized? Why? Why can't Russia, for example, be criticized for helping Mr. Maburro ship 20 tons of gold out of Venezuela last week? Why? Was this really in the best interests of the Venezuelan people? Why? You see, why does one get the feeling that 'no foreign interference' really means 'no AMERICAN interference'?
Why is it all right for Trinidad & Tobago's hapless Foreign Minister to refuse on public television to admit that there is a serious humanitarian crisis in Venezuela? Why? Why is it okay for the Donkey (aka Maduro) to refuse to say that he will not allow much needed humanitarian aid in the form of food and medicines into Venezuela because "Venezuelans are not mendicants"? Why is it better for a leader's people to die than for the leader to admit that they need help?
Why is there no criticism in the mainstream media in Trinidad & Tobago of Mr. Maburro's regime? Why is there little or no reporting in Trinidad's mainstream media of the real hardships that ordinary people are going through in Venezuela? Why does Trinidad's mainstream media not ask the hard questions of the Trinidad Government? Are they afraid of something? Why? Why has there been little or no reporting of the muzzling of the press in Venezuela by Trinidad's mainstream media?
Why does Dr. Rowley and his Government consider that it is in Trinidad & Tobago's better interests to remain friendly with the Donkey's regime than to express solidarity with the people of Venezuela? Why hasn't Dr. Rowley's regime published the details of the Dragon Gas Field deal that it signed with Venezuela in the middle of last year? Is there something in there that Dr. Rowley doesn't want us to see? If so, what? And why shouldn't we be able to see it?
And why is it that so many people here like ... no, LOVE ... to criticize the Americans but overwhelmingly want to go to America either on holiday or to migrate? Why don't these people want to go to Cuba instead? Why?
Why has the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds last year but the Donkey has gotten visibly fatter?
Okay, there are a lot of 'why's' here, but don't you think that they all require answers? Why?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
ReplyDeleteWhy?...an excellent question to ask Mr. Robin Montano. We all saw what was happening when Chavez was in power and now we are seeing what is happening under the current Maduro regime. I think it is safe to agree things went from bad to worse...but why are people trying to deny this fact?....I can answer one of your whys. It is because people choose to believe what they hear than what they see with their own eyes. They blindly support their beloved politicians and anything they say before they trust their own eyes...and that is the way it will continue to be. Also you made an excellent point on the difference between U.S. interests as opposed to other countries' interests. Well said
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike. I made similar arguments re: Madburro (you got me hooked on that) and Gauido. If he's so certain he won fair and square, submit to fresh elections and prove it!
"It was frustrating, because more often than not his constantly asking me 'why' made me realize that I was really talking absolute nonsense or was just plain wrong"
ReplyDelete"on deeper examination you realize that it is absolute balderdash"
Mr. Montano,
The fact that "Mr. Guaido has said that he simply ain't going and will send nobody" shows that he is not interested in genuine dialogue as a means to resolving the crisis. Mr. Guaido is Washington financed and CIA groomed. He is Washington's Venezuelan Traitor of choice so he will not participate in any negotiation process that involves neutral parties where the outcome is not predetermined to be aligned with the geopolitical objectives of his Washington puppet masters.
But the tide of Venezuelan politics has begun to turn. Juan Guaido was riding a wave of popularity a few months ago; he attempted to usurp the Venezuelan presidency by arrogating to himself through self proclamation and self appointment the authority and power of the President. Today, Guaido is struggling to maintain his relevance to the unfolding political process in his country. He is said to be so desperate that he organized the coup attempt of two weeks ago to overthrow the Maduro Government, but it failed miserably.
The same opposition parties that initially supported Guaido are now lobbying Washington for “a change of direction, even leadership”, in other words they want the Washington puppet masters to recognize a new puppet and cut Guaido strings. In fact, they are now ready to negotiate for new parliamentary elections directly with the Maduro Government, without Guaido in the picture, whereas he [Guaido] and Washington wanted Maduro to simply step down and not contest new elections.
Venezuelans who had migrated to various destinations, including Trinidad and Tobago amidst the food and medicine crisis in their country are now considering returning home, many have already done so from neighbouring South American countries and are thanking the Maduro Government for facilitating their repatriation.
While all these developments are taking place Kamla Persad Bissessar, the UNC and supporters like you steadfastly support Guaido and continue to call for Maduro's removal. Kamla is proving herself to be a political buffoon, the Chief Clown in the UNC circus.
Meddlesome busybodies like Kamla Persad Bissessar - who faces her own internal struggle to remain relevant to her party and to the wider national politics of Trinidad and Tobago - must stay out of Venezuela's internal affairs. The Venezuelans will deal with their issues; they will deal with their Traitors just as We in Trinidad and Tobago will deal with ours.
Digressing somewhat, Kamla Persad Bissessar and those of her followers who view our Nation's sovereignty through the eyes of deceased persons like Benedict Arnold and Meer Jaffar will meet their Waterloo soon enough.
But getting back to Venezuela, You say, "there is a large body of evidence that the last Presidential elections were illegitimate". Has that "body of evidence" been presented to a Venezuelan Court? Because, like it or not, barring Mr. Maduro's unconstitutional removal by force, he is both the 'de jure' and 'de facto' President of that country and he will remain so unless the results of the last presidential election are invalidated by the ruling of a competent judicial authority within Venezuela's sovereign jurisdiction, not by the US Congress or by any Executive US Presidential Order.
(continued from above)
ReplyDeleteIf for the sake of argument, the Venezuelan justice system is said to be compromised - which has not been proven - then there must be scrutiny by individuals and institutions whose neutrality and integrity are unimpeachable and internationally recognized. The United States, the European Union and the LIMA group all have vested interests in a particular Venezuelan outcome so they do not meet that criteria, CARICOM does; our neutrality, our credibility, our overall bona-fides are unimpeachable. We have no designs on and do not wish to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves; we have no horse in that race. Yet ironically, it is with the neutrality of CARICOM and Trinidad and Tobago's leadership in particular that Guaido refuses to sit...I wonder why.
Hearsay and the whining and griping of disgruntled [defeated] political parties cannot be the basis on which an election is invalidated.
Kamla Persad Bissessar, the UNC and their politically deranged supporters must be made to understand that.