Poppy Show

There is a matter that is taking up much of public time and money and which up to now, I've refrained from writing about. This is the Manatt/Dudus Enquiry (not the proper name). For those non-Jamaicans who may wander into this blog unknowingly, the short version is that the Enquiry is being held to determine if anyone is to be held liable for the fiasco that was the extradition of one of our most reputed and known area leaders, Christopher Coke, a.k.a, Dudus. Manatt is the legal firm that was to don invisible cloaks and slip into a confidential meeting with US State Department and the Jamaican Government representatives who were there to discuss the extradition request. When found out, everyone lied and appeared stupid and here we are at an Enquiry.

It is a serious matter...or so I thought. I will be the first to admit that I thought it a waste of time. I was afraid to say it out loud, but now, I'm more convinced. I honestly don't know what will come of it except fame and future job prospects for the attorneys who represent the politicians who are all fumbling to protect themselves. To quote a newspaper headline, 'Send in the clowns!' Oh wait, they're already there.

The cartoon in this blog was taken from the Jamaica Observer's website today and is a perfect representation of the Enquiry.

Jamaicans would say this is a real 'poppy show' and it is. The lawyers are strutting their stuff like proud peacocks while the politicians hurl insults and innuendos. I have to wonder if this is their last ditch attempt at public grand-standing before they slip back into their uninteresting world of banging wooden desks in parliament and flipping pages of three-inch thick documents that they will never read. Politicians and attorneys are the only set of people I know who can sit and answer questions for 4 hours and not reveal anything except the fact that they saw nothing, read nothing, heard nothing and knew no one. And so it continues.

Ah well, I'm sure when this is done, someone will hold an Enquiry to determine why this Enquiry didn't reveal all the truths it should and why in the end, all we have is a fat expensive talk-fest.