As we go about this life on planet Earth – that is already very difficult to manage and testing to survive – we owe it to ourselves and families to be extra careful, and to try at all times to be prudent and conscious of our responsibilities to those whom we owe a duty of care, and who depend on us for their well being. And that state of affairs is not un-reasonable, because those who must shoulder that level of responsibility are in that position by choice – no one forced them into parenthood. The same or similar rational can be applied to those persons who choose to enter the field of politics and make it a career. In fact, one can go very much further with the comparison of politicians – because not only do most of them choose that route for purely personal gain, but they mis-use and abuse the positions they attain to get rich quickly, while ignoring or paying very little attention to the plight of those who put them in their lofty position in the first place. And this pattern of behavior has become so prevalent in our Islands in this region, that it is now seen and more or less accepted by many as the normal trend. And even where and when certain decisions are taken by those in authority on behalf of the people, and those decisions have to do with development in any sector – be it in Health, Tourism, Agriculture, Sports, or Education, and another Country, or Government, or foreign nationals are involved – if only we the people had any say in which Country or what kind of people our Government was getting involved with, the so-called development projects would never have gotten started in our land. And our bitter experiences, and the far too many dismal records of how many times we have been let down, and left holding the hands of downright scamps and criminals who have brought our good name and once clean record down the gutters and cesspits of international scandals – have now become our trade marks for crooks and con-men to come knocking on our doors. And the last much too long occupation of the seats of power and authority by the losers in July last year, and the rotten deals and bubul – infested scams and associations those losers left behind for the new-comers to handle- will continue to haunt us as a people for years to come, and make the process of change and recovery from those scandals near nigh impossible, in the first term in office. So that if firm and forceful actions, against those who have committed serious wrong-doing that are clearly recognisable, with the evidence on the record books to support legal action – are not proceeded against them to set the record straight, and let the law take its lawful course to let justice be seen to being done, then those in the driving seats now may not get a second term to complete the process. And no one needs to be told what that stage of resumption of that lengthy occupation would be like – if those losers should ever get back into the driving seats, after just one term on the outside of the corridors of power. But even now on the outside, just look at how their crooked actions while in office are coming back to embarrass those now in office, and in due course the people in general and our athletes in particular. Since after the CARIFTA games in St. Lucia earlier this year, we knew that the games next year are scheduled to be held in Grenada – and that arrangement was all the more pleasing, because our very own Kirani James – who broke Usian Bolt‘s record in those games many years ago – would be on show in his homeland at that level for the first time since he began hitting the headlines at the International and Regional levels. It is also well known that the Mainland Chinese Government entered into some deal with the NNP Government in early 2005 – in which the Chinese promised to build back the National Stadium, in exchange for the NNP throwing out the Taiwanese Government after about fifteen years of exchanges and recognition, and entering similar arrangements with Communist China. And the Lie being told at the time, was that the Taiwanese had refused to build back the said Stadium in time for the 2007 World Cup Cricket matches in Grenada . The very opposite was the truth – in that Taiwan was ready and willing to start the re-building of both sections of the Stadium, whereas the Mainland Chinese were only building the Cricket section then, and promised to build the Athletic section at some future time. Now we have heard from the Government of the day, that the Chinese cannot afford to build the second phase – so the powers-that-be are in search of funding and no doubt also of contractors who can complete that phase in the limited time left before the games are due to be held here. Whether this is now possible in the short period before the Games are due to begin – only time and the weather would tell in the months ahead. When the actions taken and the decisions made are not all done with integrity, and able to stand the full light of day and public scrutiny – then the chances are that shame and scandal will be the end result in the long run. And many will no doubt recall, that the real reason behind the sudden change from diplomatic relationships with the Government in Taipei to that of Beijing – was the wrangle over the refusal by the Government of the day in 2004, to give a full and clear account of some Six Million U.S. Dollars that was given to the Grenadian Government for some project that never saw the light of day. And the powers-that-be in St. George’s took offence when asked to give some account for those funds, and were even more upset when some Government delegation to Taiwan was not accorded the full Red Carpet treatment – because of the absence of accountability for those funds. But the bubble began to burst even while the Cricket Stadium was still under construction – when the front of the main section was painted in a colour that was more like yellow than green, and the Chinese agreed to repaint and change the Colour at a cost of One Million dollars – and that is still owing to them. Just before we heard the announcement from the Government in St. George’s, that the Chinese were not going to keep their promise to build the athletic section of the stadium – I saw a report on Caribbean Net News out of New York – in which our Social Security Minister Karl Hood was speaking to the press about his recent visit to Beijing, where he attended an anti-corruption workshop as Grenada’s representative, and he was the only Government Minister from the Caribbean, among 18 developing nations from Asia, Africa and Central America who was invited to participate in the one-week workshop. I thought it strange when I read the report, but began to see the light when I heard the news about the broken promise to rebuild the entire Stadium. But even though the current party in control (NDC) had good rapport with the comrades in Beijing, while the last Government was still in control and close to Taiwan – the new chaps in charge were not able to get the Chinese to honour their promise (which was made in a corrupt deal in 2004) but had to make the announcement after participating in an anticorruption workshop in China. Talk about Satan trying to correct Sin - and coming from a source in Beijing where Sin and Religion and anything about God Almighty is Taboo. I suppose that the NNP chaps now in opposition and complaining about any and everything even when there is nothing to complain about – those chaps would be laughing their heads off at the broken-promise news, especially when they recall how they were the same lot in Government who booted out Two Chinese Government delegations from Grenada, before they entered the crooked and corrupt deal with the same Chinese to get rid of Taiwan. And to add political insult to the aggravating embarrassment – now facing the current controllers who are lumbered with the broken promises – the NNP Bosses at the time had thrown out the Chinese from our Spice Isles as un-welcome intruders, because they had come as friends and supporters of those now in the driving seats. In fact, the Chinese lot were accused of having brought into Grenada Campaign funds for the NDC, for the 2003 General Elections which NNP won (8) seats to seven (7) for NDC. But I suppose that in looking at the question of “who is more ashamed now?” – some will no doubt answer – that is Grenadian politics whether you like it or not. And yet almost in the same breath, and this time with no shame at all – the self-same opposition chaps are making loud noises all over the Country side, and taking the Government Ministers to task for refusing to pay Lawyers in New York to defend Gregory Bowen – in the case brought by Grynberg and his RSM Company against Bowen and his two Russian pals, for having conspired to deprive the Company from getting a Licence to explore for Oil in Grenadian offshore waters. It is even alleged in the Case in New York , that a bribe was demanded from Grynberg to enable him to get the Licence – which he refused to pay. And we also know, that those Russian guys did pay some one and a half Million U.S. Dollars to those in Grenada in connection with the deal – and at some point they wrote to the Government before the Elections last year, complaining about not having received any accountability for those funds. Shame and scandal and disgraceful behaviour, seem to be the hallmark of our politics in these Spice Islands; and the years roll on, and new faces emerge to replace the old ones, but the past seem to keep on dogging them before they could even get off the ground. But while we struggling to make ends meet in these parts, it was good and encouraging news to see President Obama won his first major hurdle in the U.S. Congress last week with his health bill. When we recall and try to remember from how far back the minority group in the U.S.A. – had to travel to get where the New President has brought that country today, in just one year since his historic Election in November last year, we can hold on to our faith that with politics anything is possible. By Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law)