I enjoyed reading this letter in today's Fiji Times but....
Why I give thanks
I AM thankful for the wife who says it's hotdogs tonight because she is home with me, not with someone else.
For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because it means she is at home and not on the streets.
For the tax I pay, because it means I am employed.
For the mess to clean after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutter that needs fixing, because it means I have a home.
For the woman behind me in church who sings off-key, because it means I can hear.
For the parking spot I find on the other side of town, because it means I am capable of walking.
For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means I am alive.
For all the complaining I read and hear about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
MOBEEN BUKSH
Nadera
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Now for the but......
The last line in the letter - well, it's not quite true after what happened last night to the publisher of the Fiji Times. Another one bites the dust it seems. First the publisher of the Fiji Sun, now another one. dissent, telling the news how they see it, just is not popular with the IG. Several stories about the incident can be found in today's Fiji papers.
Air Pacific refused to take the publisher of the Fiji Times on board because they were obeying a court order. However the poor guy was put on a plane to Korea in a great hurry! I wonder what the Murdock Press will do about this kerfuffle.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteLooking for elucidation on this deportation of Murdoch News Ltd Manager and Publisher in Fiji.
I must say that I wish that our government would stand up to the Murdoch Press. You cannot talk about 'freedom of the press' with the News Ltd; it is the biggest corporate press in the world and makes and breaks governments, pushes privatisation, and global land speculation. I note that the Fiji Sun owns www.myhome.com.fiji, just as Murdoch owns www.realestate.com.au in Australia. The corporate press are in the business of globally marketing real estate all over the world, which is at the base of the terrible land-speculation you so rightly complain about here: http://babasiga.blogspot.com/2006/09/fiji-islands-for-sale-shame-shame.html
I am a population and land-tenure sociologist and for years I have been intensely interested in the land-tenure and inheritance laws of Pacific Islanders, because they work to preserve power in the hands of indigenous peoples. Whilst I have sympathy for the plight of the descendents of Indian indentured labour, I have very little faith in the notion of 'democracy' if that means buying and selling Fijian land. The only way that Fiji can resist total impoverishment which is afflicting many Pacific Islands and currently threatening Australia, is to avoid giving up your ancient land-tenure system.
I would very much like to know more of the basis of the coups in Fiji over the past few years. I believe that they are over implications of changes to the constitution whereby land-tenure could finish up changing.
I am impatient with the Murdoch news and Australian ABC which have no comprehension of the importance of land for government, identity and political control, and only think of land as something to raise cash with and trash.
I hope to write an article on this soon, but please have a look at our highly critical blog in Australia at www.candobetter.org/
regards,
Sheila N
Hello Sheila.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. It's good that you are going into the subject deeply. Here, a blog is more anecdotal, definitely not of an academic nature. The Native Land Trust Board in Fiji is the pivot of land dealing in Fiji though sale of freehold land is separate and often outrageous. I'll check out your blog later.
w.
PS Sheila,
ReplyDeleteAs for the Murdock Press,yes it isn't the best at all, and I am appalled by the greed of some people in this world.
But, I still think that the deportation of Mr Hannah from Fiji was illegal and inhumane. The editoral viewpoints expressed in the Fiji Times are in the hands of local people anyway.
Also, those who made that decision didn't think through the consequences - more bad publicity for Fiji when the poor little Fiji Visitors Bureau are trying their hardest to get positive vibes for tourism.
w.
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ReplyDelete