QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Democracy is four wolves and a sheep 
voting on dinner"
--  Robert  A. Heinlein

Readers’ Response / Letters

‘The Week in Review’: Nice job!

I was doing Google News search on the Indian probe that just landed on the moon and the article ‘Billions around the world welcome Barack Obama’ by Paramanand Soobarah turned up.

I enjoyed the article very much. The writer did an excellent job of giving recent events a historical prospective. Very well written. The US media seems to think the world began around 1970, and didn't really get going until Brad Pitt left Jennifer Aniston.

I am an American living in Michigan. There have been many people in my family in the Navy, at least one of whom was stationed at Diego Garcia. I am sorry to say I did not know it was owned by the Mauritius. Hopefully the new US administration will work out a new treaty covering our base there. I am sorry to say that all I know about the Mauritius is what I read in a novel by Patrick O'Brien about the fighting there during the Napoleonic war.

I would like to comment on the remarks made about the US automobile industry. First I am impressed that the author knows about what is happening with the industry as many US citizens have no clue. I have worked for automotive companies for over 20 years now. It's hard to blame them for making SUVs as that is what the Americans were buying. If they didn't make them the people here would have just bought those from the Japanese and Korean companies. But I completely agree that we/they should have been foresighted enough to know that the SUV boom couldn't last. They had a pilot group of electric cars around 2003 and completely scrapped the program for no reason that I could understand.

So again, I am happy that the Google News search engine gave me the opportunity to read the article. Nice job!

Bill Rudd
Michigan, USA
mrohlee@aol.com

P. Soobarah’s comments: I thank Mr Rudd for his complimentary remarks. True, in my article I had criticised the three auto manufacturers for having geared their efforts towards the production of gas-guzzling SUVs. Mr Rudd's observation that the manufacturers gave the public what they wanted is absolutely valid. But the manufacturers were also in a position to know about the ill effects of releasing kilotons of CO₂ and other noxious gases into the atmosphere daily, leading as it does to atmospheric pollution and climate change. Conscientious marketing ought not to indulge in pushing toxic products, like dangerous toys for babies or gas-guzzling SUVs for adults. Here is what New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, whose opinions carry weight around the world, recently had to say about the American auto industry:

"...instead of focusing on making money by innovating around fuel efficiency, productivity and design, G.M. threw way too much energy into lobbying and manoeuvring to protect its gas guzzlers.

“This included striking special deals with Congress that allowed the Detroit automakers to count the mileage of gas guzzlers as being less than they really were — provided they made some cars flex-fuel capable for ethanol. It included special offers of $1.99-a-gallon gasoline for a year to any customer who purchased a gas guzzler. And it included endless lobbying to block Congress from raising the miles-per-gallon requirements. The result was an industry that became brain dead.

“Nothing typified this more than statements like those of Bob Lutz, G.M.’s vice chairman. He has been quoted as saying that hybrids like the Toyota Prius ‘make no economic sense.’ And, in February, D Magazine of Dallas quoted him as saying that global warming ‘is a total crock of [expletive].’

“These are the guys taxpayers are being asked to bail out." (New York Times, 12 November 2008).

Diego Garcia: A New Mindset

I am in full and unconditional agreement with Mr Soobarah’s suggestion (MT 14-Nov-08) that we should follow in the footsteps of the Marshal Islands and negotiate to lease (for money) Diego Garcia to the US. In view of US defence needs and its absolute necessity to keep a base on the atoll, this seems to be a very sensible solution.

For inspiration, we only have to look at what Makarios had done in Cyprus. This island state got its independence from Britain in 1960. But, because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean to British defence interests, Akrotiri and Dhekelia -- 3 percent of the island’s land area of 9,250 sq.Km -- were excised from the territory and remain Sovereign British Areas (SBAs) to this day. In return, the Cypriot government gets a rent, some 7,000 jobs, income from the provision of goods/services to the 3,000 British troops stationed on these bases and a lot of good-will investment from private Britishers. No wonder, then, that Greek Cypriots enjoy a per capita income of USD 27k—that is 2.50 times the USD 11k pertaining to Mauritians.

Ever since our independence in 1968, every PM has been going purple in the face at the UN General Assembly, boringly chanting the same refrain year in, year out. “Rane nou nou Diego,” may sound a fine tune to the gallery back home, but does not square up with global geopolitical reality. Forget the biblical parable about little David defeating the giant Goliath. The US are simply too powerful to be bothered by the small gnat that we represent in the global context, notwithstanding the (self-proclaimed) title of “Tiger of the Indian Ocean.” To expect them to give up Diego Garcia because we want them to is nothing short of a naïve display of extreme ridicule.

So, let us not tarry any longer and go for a negotiated agreement for Diego to become a SBA equivalent, in return for a reasonable rent (preferably applied retrospectively) and much needed jobs. It is time we faced reality, changed the scratched record and played a new tune.

TD Fuego 
Sodnac

Concerts de DJs au Lakepoint, Curepipe

A travers cet article, nous, habitants des rues résidentielles proches du centre-ville de Curepipe, faisons un pressant appel au nouveau ministre de l’Environnement, au Commissaire de Police, au Town Clerk de la Municipalité de Curepipe, ainsi qu’aux autres responsables d’institutions relevant de la protection de l’Environnement, afin de résoudre un sérieux problème environnemental qui nous touche.

Depuis fin 2007, plusieurs soirées et d’autres concerts de DJs sont organisés régulièrement dans la salle qui abritait autrefois la patinoire du Lakepoint, à Curepipe. Ces soirées dansantes et concerts techno, se jouent à fond la caisse, avec une basse rapide et assourdissante qui nous empêche de trouver sommeil, spécialement entre 23 heures et 4 heures du matin, sans oublier les jeux de lumières qui sont projetés partout dans la ville. Il semble donc que cette salle du Lakepoint ne dispose pas d’un système d’insonorisation comme dans d’autres discothèques.

Plusieurs d’entre nous avons essayé de contacter les autorités, comme la police, pour leur demander de transmettre la requête aux organisateurs de faire doter la salle du Lakepoint d’un système qui filtrerait les décibels et permettrait aux Curepipiens de dormir tranquillement. Nous leur avons aussi demandé de s’assurer que les organisateurs de tels événements règlent leur sono pour ne pas gêner les habitants.

Mais à chaque fois, nous nous sommes heurtés à des murs d’indifférence. Les policiers de service nous demandent de venir faire des dépositions officielles, tout en nous disant avec désinvolture que ce problème concerne la Police de l’Environnement uniquement et aussi la Municipalité de Curepipe, qui délivre les permis pour concerts, et qu’eux, policiers de la force régulière ne veulent pas se ‘mouiller’. Nous sommes évidemment choqués par une telle attitude de ces policiers de la station de Curepipe. Espérons que le Commissaire Rampersad prendra note, lui qui avait déclaré que tous les policiers, qu’ils soient de l’Environnement, du Tourisme, etc., sont appelés à faire respecter la loi et à aider tous les citoyens, indistinctement.

Lorsque quelques-uns parmi nous parviennent à contacter quelqu’un de cette fameuse Police de l’Environnement, qui, semble-t-il, opère seulement de 10 heures à 15 heures, l’on nous répond que la Loi ne prévoit rien dans de tels cas, et qu’ils n’ont aucun pouvoir pour demander aux organisateurs ou à qui que ce soit de faire baisser leur sono pendant la nuit! Ceux postés à cette Police de L’Environnement affirment aussi que la Loi ne prévoit rien sur le contrôle des décibels. Cela est vraiment très navrant, et l’on se demande aussi pourquoi et comment les législateurs tardent à trouver une solution au problème de la pollution sonore.

En parlant de ce grave problème environnemental que représente la pollution sonore et qui semble “overlooked” par les autorités, nous voulons également attirer l’attention des autorités sur le danger des pétards et autres fusettes qui sont de plus en plus utilisés par les Mauriciens en n’importe quelle occasion: victoire de leur équipe de football, Noël, Nouvel An, Shankranti, Nouvel An Chinois, et depuis quelques années, ils sont de plus en plus nombreux, ceux qui font sonner des pétards jusqu’à 1 heure du matin lors de la fête de Divali.

Là également, il est impératif d’apporter une réglementation, car les gens ne peuvent se permettre de ne pas respecter autrui, en se donnant à cœur joie avec des pétarades. Il faudrait également réglementer sur le lieu où l’on peut sonner des pétards, car en zones résidentielles et dans de petits espaces, il y a un grave danger physique et même risques de conflits entre voisins.

Si l’on veut d’une vraie Maurice Ile Durable, il faut bien prendre soin de nos tympans aussi.

Des Curepipiens

The Law of the Jungle at Port Louis

I was really shocked by press reports of a recent incident that took place in front of the Municipality of Port Louis. The Lord Mayor of Port Louis was actually manhandled by street hawkers and stallholders. The reason for their fury was that they had been driven away from the Farquar Street. This action had been taken following a court order in favour of the Market Traders' Association prohibiting hawkers from operating within a range of 500 metres from the Central Market.

I cannot but feel sorry for the Lord Mayor for he is in no way responsible for this situation. He took office barely a year ago and previous administrations merely failed in their task and turned a blind eye to this situation. The result was that hawkers took the law in their own hands and set up business wherever they wanted unmindful of rules and regulations. And this resulted in a big mess that was left to the new Lord Mayor to clean up.

And now what next? What is going to happen is simple: the situation on the streets of Port Louis is going to worsen. For the problem at Farquar Street is only the tip of the iceberg. What is going on at Desforges Street is worse and threatens to blow up anytime. This main street of Port Louis is a real jungle. Piles of goods on the pavements, vending stalls on the road and on the pavement with barely enough space for the public and the traffic. And this is getting worse day by day.

The Lord Mayor will have lots of trouble ahead. For the problem is that he cannot rely on the support of most of his colleagues who for various reasons are siding with the street vendors. So, cry my beloved city.

P. THAK
Port Louis