We are becoming like a banana republic in the third world. They say/write, as if we are not, or ever were.
One demonstration of the collapse of these minds is the operation of the USA Immigration Office in Puerto Rico, responsible in the passport department, and looking the other way regarding the occupation of Puerto Rico, by mostly illegal islanders from Dominican Republic.
I arrived at 6:30 AM to PLAZA, to sign a list, making the 29th, the doors opened at 7:OO. One has to wait in a tight, claustrophobic hall among disgusting parents with their children unable to shut up, the anxiety building up, until 8AM, when the lonely federal employee arrives to do her little speech.
The pasty, chubby female starts calling each name on the list with a big surprise for those in line. Each name equals 3/4 people. By the time she gets to the 12th, she has reached 30, the maximum, plus miscelaneous lost souls with appointments. It was now 8:30!
That means everyjuan else including the most humble, gets an appointment. Mine is on 28 June 2012. The rest of the people, frustrated as hell, leave with one idea on their mind. Beating the system.,
Or to get to the doors by 3/4/5 AM, if you get me drift. By the time I signed for June, I heard the pasty lady communicating the captive islander audience to expect spending the day in their office, with only 2 officers be checking the passport applications.
In the past, the Federal Government or USA, ran a system more or less efficient. At any rate, it was more sophisticated than most local government agencies.
Now if you wonder about banana republics...The degrading term coined in USA, the media, to refer to those countries in the past with predominantly agricultural economies is rather ironic, sarcastic and mistaken in the case of Puerto Rico.
The concrete/asphalt isle, has only two things in common with any other republic with bananas. One flag, copy of the Cuban and the national anthem. No bananas, ever, not to export. Plus no currency, customs or immigration controls as they do.
The institutional collapse of the judiciary, moral, social, cultural, political, economy, schools, banking and any other you may think
is similar to what those in such group are or were known for.
Recently, the resulting electoral fraud in some local political parties, the RED and BLUE primaries is of such magnitude that everyjuan is in the verge of defecating in their pants. Why? They inflated the total amount of votes by the hundreds to give the impression among their followers in this vale of tears they have more possibilities than their rivals to win our democratic games next November.
A consequence is that to perform like any other banana republic of the third world, the only thing Puerto Rico had left to do/show has been done. Electoral fraud, increasing the sensation of walking in a maze with no string to keep one's direction. Puertoricans are trapped without that popular cliche: light at the end of the tunnel.
Now I will go back to me garden. Always getting better, no, I do not like Musa plants in the urban/concrete/asphalt context. The same way I detest Strelitzia reginae, Heliconias, Gingers, Ravenala madascariensis with their raggedy leaves blowing in the wind like a lost at sea sailing boat.
One of our legendary poets once wrote.
Pobre de mi Pueto Rico
donde su pobre gente
se morira de nada.
Well, it was never, ever so true!
No comments:
Post a Comment