The reasons for this range from the simple and perfectly understandable, to the ridiculous and sublime.
This mismatch between word and deed is most profoundly outlined when reference is made to what a party says while it is in opposition, and its rhetoric when it wins power. If reference is given to the histories of both major political parties, there is an abundance of evidence to support the thesis that a long sojourn in the political wilderness provides politicians with time to weave any number of grand schemes and dreams, all purportedly directed at ushering in a new order of things in the country.
Indeed, if we were to make a review of times past, we would see that the Progressive Liberal Party, from its earliest days, had the conviction that it was destined to transform The Bahamas. In this, they were remarkably successful, at least in the days of struggle, to Majority Rule and Independence.
Interestingly, this party at its highest moment, namely Independence, had to contend with the reality of fratricidal conflict and confusion. And after that, the once triumphant government was given a baptism of fire, as an oil crisis in the world threatened to derail some of its grandest dreams. It was this crisis, more so than any other, which provided fuel for an embryonic, but ferocious campaign, to derail the fledging Pindling-led Progressive Liberal Party.
Again, as regards the reality of the significance of the political wilderness in Bahamian politics, reference need only be made to the Free National Movementﾴs long sojourn, which lasted some twenty years.
It took the ravages of time, scandal, generational change and a world recession, to dislodge the Progressive Liberal Party from its accustomed perch at the helm of power in The Bahamas.
As the record attests, the FNM was allowed to rule for a decade. In the most recent General Elections, they were defeated by their erstwhile nemesis, the Progressive Liberal Party, led this time around by the Honourable Perry G. Christie.
In an uncanny twist and parallel to rhetoric from times past, there has been brave talk to the effect that the PLP is a one-term regime. The late Sir Lynden O. Pindling derisively dismissed his successorﾴs government with the epithet ﾓinterimﾔ. That time span lasted for a decade.
With the coming of the so-called and self-styled ﾓNewﾔ PLP, the electorate has ﾖ yet again ﾖ been treated to a series of wonderful ideas about how The Bahamas is to be ﾓtransformed.ﾔ But, as in times past, windy rhetoric has had to be set aside. This has ﾖ quite understandably – brought with it a degree of disenchantment.
But more dismaying in the minds of some Bahamians who had initially bought deeply into the talk about renewal and transformation, is evidence which suggests that there is great truth in the old adage, that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
For example, many FNMﾴs currently decry what they say is evidence showing that old and discredited tactics ﾖ involving victimization and media control ﾖ are back. They also claim that old style political cronyism is back, and apparently in full force in selected areas of the new administration. These same critics are also claiming a resurgence of the ﾓall for me babyﾔ mentality in certain pockets of the new regime.
What makes these complaints extremely interesting, is that they come a decade after the Hubert Ingraham regime claimed that it would usher in a brand new political culture, one which would make a decisive break with a discredited past.
Ironically, many of the critics who now deride the New Progressive Liberal Party, saying that it is not really ﾓnewﾔ, also claim that Mr. Ingraham had become increasingly ﾓPindling-esqueﾔ in his style of governance. They say this was evident as Mr. Ingraham approached the end of his own time-allotted tenure of two terms, or ten years.
This suggests, in part at least, that deep change is no easy thing. It also suggests that the electorate would be well advised to be somewhat skeptical whenever anyone comes calling, with panaceas and placebos. Change never comes as easily as many would wish. It remains a fact of life that ﾓtalk is cheapﾔ and that there is often a yawning gap between rhetoric and action.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
