It Must Be A Duck

In view of the skyrocketing prices in Jordan and the fact that there is no end in sight for the upward spiral of the cost of living, the morning show on Jordan Television today was calling on the Jordanian citizens to look at things objectively and with a positive attitude. Unfortunately, the TV presenter forgot to include the type of drug she was on as part of her brilliant recommendation.

Incidentally for those of you who are wondering why I was watching the morning show, while Mickey Mouse was on at the same time, I must admit I usually follow the morning show for the same reason I follow the Friday televised mosque speech: they both spin. I also feel the need to be in touch with the mainstream. Whatever these two forums "spin" me to do, I try to sympathize and do the opposite.

Spinning is an art. But when it borders on the absurd it becomes dangerous.

How positive should we be in welcoming the eminent chaos promising to surround our lives? How objective should we be in judging the mess that we are in? The Government today is bankrupt of all goodwill and credibility. The very vote of confidence that it recently got form the people's house, was the very confirmation of what have feared all along: We are far from democracy in Jordan. What is worse is that we are far from bridging the gap between the governed and the governors.

The situation is bad. There is very little to be optimistic about. Our scarce resources have been mismanaged, and they are getting scarcer and scarcer. Our ability to make ends meet (by hook or by crook) is quickly meeting its end. There is very little for us to be positive about. And if we are to be objective, we need to be honest in calling things by their right name.

In other words, for those who claim that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a goose with the golden egg, I say “blah blah blah!!!!”.