By Lloyd Noel, Attorney-at-law/Columnist Listening to the news and commentaries and criticisms, about what is taking place in the wider World now-a-days, leaves one to wonder about the judgment of man’s conscience. But as someone once wrote about the moral life – “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly becomes any of us – to talk about the rest of us.” And as I thought deeper about those happenings and breaking news, I recalled a description of life I read many moons ago when things seemed as strange. Life is like a road that winds among the hills of time. With every turn in the road an old view vanishes, and a new view appears. It is like a Pilgrimage, a passage through eternity, a journey into the unknown. People are like travelers on that journey. And in listening to the response from those commentators on the CNN last week – after it was revealed that President Barack Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – I could not help thinking back to those statements and wondering about life and people. A whole lot of people Worldwide admire the U.S.A. way of Life and doing things in their pubic administration, and when things go wrong like the “9-11” incident at the World Trade Centre back then – we mourn and agonise for and with the people. And we admired that nation even more – when in November last year, the majority of people brought into reality what the same worldwide admirers firmly believed was impossible. They elected the first Black President to the White House. The whole theme of his Campaign was about changing the wrong image many held about the U.S; and he insisted throughout that no matter what the odds may be, or look like, they could be overcome and “yes we can”. And he did not change his tune after he won on those promises – he continued to stretch out both hands and travelled and met all types and repeated the same things – that it is better to talk and build bridges, rather than fight and make more bombs to destroy bridges of peace. No President in any Country in the World – and most definitely none in the U.S.A. – has ever touched ordinary peoples and their Leaders World-wide as did Pres. Obama, and he continues so to do. So who is better qualified and deserving of such an award in theses times, than the current White House Resident? But to hear the detractors and hypocrites, and the crap they are mouthing about too much pressure on him, and too soon after just nine months in office, and this would prevent him from doing his job of Commander-in-Chief of U.S. forces – and so on and so forth without biting their tongues, or hiding their faces while barely trying to be serious, is an exercise of shame and disgrace. And having touched peoples of all colours and creeds all over the global village, and actually getting so many to begin seeing the U.S.A. in a totally different light - after the results were announced on that historic night in November last year – those doubting Thomases, who are shocked to see that the very people their votes touched so deeply on that fateful November day, and who have now followed their lead by voting for the same president to receive a very deserving Award, they are struggling with their consciences to try and save face. And while all the entire hypocrisy taking place in their own back yard – more and more American soldiers are dying almost daily in Afghanistan , and elsewhere overseas. And because the War Generals are asking for more and more troops to go and fight on foreign soil, and the President is cautiously considering the request in deep sessions with his Advisors – those commentators are clearly putting him on a very sore spot, with their comments of weakness on the one hand, or hoisting him on the horns of a dilemma on the other hand. A straight case of – if he tosses a coin it would be Tails he loses, and Heads the other side wins. But as the older folks used to say – that Almighty Being is neither dead nor asleep. And talking about living in strange times – while listening to all those dealers in gloom and despair over the Obama award from the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Europe , I saw a “no-shame” press release from the ousted lot now in the Opposition. And the gist of their complaint, was that the new controllers in authority have lately been moving public servants from one Ministry to another, or transferring them to other positions. And according to them, that practice is in breach of the NDC promises and assurances during the Campaign, and the Political Leader and Prime Minister must stand up and take charge and reverse those decisions. I had to stop a while to think back – and try to re-collect whether it was the same Prime Minister the Opposition Leader was now talking about, whom he had said was not very bright, and knew little or nothing about what was taking place. And I came to the conclusion that the Leader of the Opposition was so confused that he was mixing up loud noises, and brango and political bacchanal, with cool and calculated, and carefully thought out and honestly held decisions – and quite naturally he was coming up with grossly wrong conclusions. And as one now retired public servant, who suffered from the biased and politically motivated discrimination – while she was in the service and was by-passed and over looked for promotion, while a party stooge of the NNP was placed above her and she had to show him the ropes, pointed out to me – what goes around, always come back around the full circle. But the explanation went further to enlighten me – in that she praised the new Controllers for having taken the time, to observe and assess and evaluate the performances of those they met in the Ministries. And now that process has been concluded after a whole year – they are much better placed to fairly determine who should stay put, who should be removed and replaced by consciencious and more dedicated public servants – ready to serve the people at all times, and not the party in their rachifee. That explanation made a lot of sense to me, and as I thought further about it I began to see the significance of the opposition complaints. Up until a short while ago, those outside the corridors of power were getting all the info they wanted, because their party hawks were on the inside – so they were being supplied as though they still held the reins of power, and the suppliers felt obligated to oblige because they were paying back for all the favours they had received in getting to where they were until recently. But it should not be assumed that by moving out two or three or four, that the cleaning process is completed because those remaining would change their ways for fear of losing whatever. On the contrary, the whole intention is to reverse the change that took place over a year ago and bring back the old brigade; because although the time seems to be dragging on ad on, as though nothing is happening about having justice taking its rightful course, those who benefitted unlawfully and fraudulently are very concerned that the time will come when they will have to answer for the wrongs they did and account for the bounty. The list of wrong-doings over those long years that the last lot had been in control – goes back to long way and involve a whole lot of individuals. And when you hear some of them making all kinds of statements now-a-days, to give the impression that they are so concerned about the poor and struggling masses, and they want to see economic development to help those strugglers get out of their current state of financial needs – take it with pounds of salt and endless reservations. Too many of them have become very well off, by making their fortunes from the bubul dealings that were taking place – and of which they were well aware of, and in many cases they facilitated to increase their own fortunes. So when we are considering our living in strange times in these days, and in the midst of certain occurrencies taking place around us – don’t just think of or concentrate on the actual chaps who were in control in the Ministerial Complex and the Ministry of Finance; spread your nets and look behind the Scenes, and you will be amazed by what lies thereabouts and who were calling the shots as it were - for and on behalf of many of those who ended up getting extensive and almost never-ending concessions from the then Government. And because some of those shady deals in the pipeline, got caught up in the Wind of change that blew through our Spice Isles on the Eight of July last year – many of those who were on the brink of making more dirty money, on the backs of suffering poor people in our midst who ketching hell to make ends meet on a daily basis, they are not too happy with the changed policies of the new controllers. And no one should be mis-taken or fooled by the positions taken, or some of the Statements coming from many who are in positions of authority in organizations within the system – because if push comes to shove, as the old saying goes, and those cats have to support one side or the other, in a close finish for future political control of the reins of power – I have no doubts about which side they will be supporting. And that is even more telling reason, why our people have to keep their ears and eyes wide open in these trying and strange times – so as not to be fooled into making wrong Judgments and bad decisions in the years ahead.