This emerging summer of madness

THERE has been a growing debate in Grenada about the possible reshuffle of the island’s cabinet that Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has said will come in a matter of days to mark the first anniversary of his party in power.

There has been an unprecedented level of public discussion about the reshuffle – what shape it will take and what that will mean.

Frankly some of the discussions have been inspired by mischief on one hand, petty political spite in other instances, plus the more substantive fight to define and determine the philosophy of this government and party.

It is also being inspired by a genuine concern in many circles that this government has in some ways under achieved in its first year. But the analysis has neither been deep and thorough enough so it is likely to miss the real point.

It has gotten to the place now that what you’d likely to get is a knee jerk reaction that may not fix the inherent problems of this government – and if anything will lay a foundation for dissatisfaction and suspicion.

Unfortunately the seeds are being sown by a process that is not being managed properly, and by a humble arrogance of right, shrouded in constitutional soundness but political naivety.

Only that student of politics will tell us that successful politics is not only about the legal soundness of an action, but how that interfaces with the complex human preferences.

To ignore that – is not only to lose the essence of politics – but the very power it bestows.

For now, I’ll refrain from getting into the name calling – and the fashionable blame game that is consuming this town.

It is pointless because the set up has already taken place, and the dialog has been framed. Both recent history and the current reality have been already painted with a distorted brush.

The debate has not been served well by media colleagues that have not asked the smart questions or look beyond an analysis steeped in only the personal.

There is an emerging summer of madness on which we hope the sun will set, before the rain clouds blow over and the storm washes away the hope of July 8th from just one year ago.

But in this beckoning madness – it’s even frightening to hope.

It is not just money – but good sense – that is in short supply.