…the Empire
This business going on in London with the “Commonwealth” is getting to be just too ridiculous for your Eyewitness. First of all, there’s Queen Elizabeth’s reminder to the gathered heads of the 53 member states that the whole shebang was created for all intents and purposes back in 1949 by her father. What she didn’t say was it was a rear-guard move to hold on to his “British Empire” after WWII, since they had neither the power nor the will to keep the status quo that had fattened them for three centuries.
It was then that the newly-independent India announced, at the London gathering of PMs, that the following year, when she became a Republic, she’d accept the King as “head of the Commonwealth as such”. To which King George quipped, “So I’ve become ‘as such’!” And ‘as such’ it was – as the rest of the Empire cut their ties as quickly as Britain reluctantly allowed them to.
In our case, she used us as a bargaining chip with the Americans, who had just declared their “Cold War” against Russia, for some handouts…and we still haven’t recovered.
But so it also was for most of the other Commonwealth members – with the notable exception of the white “Dominions” – Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In many countries, wars had to be waged against the Empire.
The black majority Dominion of South Africa, of course, was a special case, since it was accepted officially by Britain as a “white” country, since the Blacks, Coloureds and Indians were “whited out” when they were stripped of their civil rights under Apartheid. Has this present generation of leaders forgotten the struggle that was waged within the Commonwealth – and on the ground in Africa — just to get Rhodesia and South Africa to recognise non-whites as equal??
So where is all of this leading to? Well, the “as such” referred to above means that the Monarch of Britain isn’t AUTOMATICALLY the head of the Commonwealth.
It’s the Commonwealth nations that have to make this decision. And if Elizabeth can have the chutzpah to ask that her son Charles become head of the Commonwealth, isn’t it high time this request be used as a bargaining chip for something we want from Britain? Like, say, reparations for genocide, slavery and indentureship??
Imagine, this woman hasn’t stepped aside for Charles to be the figurehead for their dwindling little island, and should he now be the symbol for 2.4 billion souls who were left psychically underdeveloped and even crippled, by her country?? Well they should be made to pay for that!!
Forget the sop to the Windrush descendants. What about reparations for us?
Your Eyewitness will take his portion in cold cash.
…“ungodly” acts??
Stung by PPP’s criticism of PNC shenanigans with the registration process – eerily reminiscent of the 1967 moves that led to the rigging of the 1968 elections – PNC General Amna Ally insisted the “ungodly” acts of the PPP are no more, and they have nothing to fear!! Well!! Talk about rubbing your doo-doo on someone else’s bamsie!!
The PPP ran elections in 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2015. All were certified “free and fair” by international observers, and only the local courts ruled that the 1997 requirement to produce IDs – which didn’t affect any vote count – was illegal. The 2011 election produced a tie, and 2015 a victory for the PNC!! Can’t be “freer” that that!!
So Ally’s reference to “ungodly acts” had to be a flashback from the PNC years: 1968, when English horses voted; 1973 when the Army seized ballot boxes and murdered civilians; 1980, dubbed “more crooked than barbed wire”; and 1985, when Hoyte outdid Burnham in rigging.
Maybe Amna and the PNC need an exorcism?
…foot and mouth disease
After America threatened sanctions against Deripaksha’s holdings – including RUSAL — Finance Minister Jordan yet insisted it wouldn’t affect our bauxite workers.
Now Trotman just admitted bauxite hauler Oldendorf’s pulled out. How’d you produce bauxite if you can’t ship it?
