Affluenza: New disease!

When local politicians embrace “affluenza,” representation shifts from “we the people” to the “we few” elitist group. Affluenza is a phenomenon where politicians ignore the golden rules because “we have money, we make the rules.”

Notice, most of their actions in terms of policy are catered to the whims of their rich partners, ignoring due diligence and needs of their people. It’s a very confounding and unholy alliance. It makes the case to throw the bums out this midterm election. There’s no compelling reason to keep any of them. Call it “nose-end sight” blurred by greed!

The alienation created a two-tiered community: the elected elite on the hill and the poor in the villages. The new relationship leaves “we the people” skeptical that our former representatives are doing the right things by doing them right. Affluenza limits their focus to the whims of their new partners. The indigenous people are no longer their partners!

As noted in former NMI Supreme Court justice Jose S. Dela Cruz’s recent letter, something’s gone awfully wrong in paradise. The “elected elite” (and I refuse use of the term leadership given that it’s non-existent) has joined hands with rich investors. They simply trash the interest of the people that placed them in office. They’ve given away the company store while filling their garage with tons of freebies from their new lords.

To illustrate a point: A year or so ago the Legislature approved a single-license casino law even against the voice of “we the people” in two plebiscites where we shot it down resoundingly. It’s a tale of arrogance among the elected elite, trashing the open decision of their people. It’s the scrapping of integrity compromising trust in their woefully shortsighted disposition on issues of importance.

Leadership vacuum emerged. It is a dangerous path where corruption trails the loss of integrity. In the process, hubris and arrogance sets in. They push the poor closer to the edge of the cliff of egregious hardship. Their representatives settle for dollar a beer, openly sleepwalking that salaries and wages have remained the same for 14 long years. Did they do anything concrete to ease the hardship among villagers?

Playing the wrong political scheme against your very own people is an egregious disposition you’d have to eventually be held accountable for. Didn’t we recently see the fate of a sitting governor and others who were shown the path to permanent oblivion for chancing fiat? It’s inherent firmly in the palms of our hands. Once more it’s time to warm up for major change.

Yes, I am in agreement with former justice Dela Cruz that we shift gears beginning this midterm election to reinstate a government of laws in the NMI. Let’s eradicate affluenza once and for all! Si JR.

Beyond borders
In the last election, a political candidate paid a visit to feel my personal pulse on issues. It became apparent that he was clueless of issues I’ve discussed in this corner of the paper. Moreover, it shows he hardly reads vital materials beyond the two papers. Even his reading comprehension was suspect that I find woefully troubling. And he wants to formulate policies for the people?

Understandably, there’s nothing wrong localizing issues that focus on improving the livelihood of villagers. But this isn’t happening at all. If policymakers never succeeded at home, how could they read beyond our superficial borders to understand the dynamics of regional economic ventures and their relationship to the NMI?

The elected elite must learn to read and understand how the NMI handles the struggle to cope, and cope well, with a fast-changing world. It isn’t only timely but vital to know what’s happening beyond our boundaries. It must develop the capacity to understand globally yet act locally, translating global dynamics to local setting. The lack of this capacity triggers turbulence at home.

Whatever happened to the use of their true north comprised of humility, integrity, and compassion for others?

Discipline of yore
An unsuspecting friend sits alone at a family party. He was there since morning helping out in the kitchen. He needed some fresh air when we met.

He related he misses the days of yore when life was simple on these isles. He was grateful for parents who were strong disciplinarians. He added how great it was learning how to “earn our dues young as we were then.”

“I remember working at the family farm from sunrise to sunset,” he said. “But my dad wanted us to learn good work ethics including working with others like family members”, he related. “It drove home a sense of humility and integrity as we honed the value of honest work.”

“We had to study in makeshift lantern because we had no electricity, work at the farm plus hunting and fishing too,” he added. “We worked until we were bone tired.”

“We had strong family values and never had to deal with problems like the destruction of heavy drugs or rely on USDA for our daily sustenance,” he related. In a nutshell he did a replay of life in the ’50s and ’60s when the community was especially caring for the welfare of others.

“Our parents made sure we benefit from spiritual development that started with catechism after school,” he said. “What we learned in those classes informed us what is right and wrong.”

“The strong discipline in households has faded slowly where permissiveness took over,” he pointed out. He said it’s time for families to revisit the benefits of strong parental discipline.

“Kids are born without respect, meaning they must be taught what the term entails.” It brings an understanding how to respect the rights of others in our community.

“It’s one aspect of cultural pedagogy that we must teach our children and it begins at home.”