A Veil of deception: Blinded by money
November 18, 2009
By Fuana Tmarsel
An aria, coming from the halls of power in Ngerulmud, includes a deceptive refrain: We need money and our duty is to find money for you. We must amend this law and that law to please our investors so they can give us money. This sustained rhetoric is designed to cause a sense of urgency and alarm among the people. While it is true that we need money, it is important to examine whether the money we’re bringing in will not cost us our identity, rob us of our culture, molest our pristine waters, land and air, deprive us of our peace and serenity, and in the future dispossess our people from land, property and opportunities.
What about our collective repute in the international community? Recently, I stumbled across the following written in 2007, by Lamar Benngton, CDNN Industry News Editor: “If a Korean developer can cover all the required bribes to Palau’s corrupt politicians and greedy local chiefs, the pristine island of (island name omitted by me) will soon take its place as yet another ugly and overdeveloped Caribbean-style tourists trap littered with the flotsam of modern tourism including a huge casino, golf course and high rise hotels. He continues, “Chang’s, Korean investor, attorneys have floated a proposal involving “financial incentives” for politicians willing to support legislation to legalize gambling in Palau.”
In our race for development”, we seem to be willing to deceive ourselves by believing that money alone will solve our problems. Aggrandizing on the fleshly needs and dismissing, even denigrating cultural, soulish, and spiritual needs, thus lessening our attention to them, will cost us in the future. If we do not live to see it, our children will. The problems facing our nation are not due to lack of money; rather they reflect moral degeneracy- truancy, violence, alcoholism, drug use, blended families, high school students coupling with taxi drivers, and older men, multiple divorces, extra-marital affairs, government corruption etc, … these are not problems of penniless country, but of a country lacking in decency, operating on a dysfunctional moral compass. How is having money to hire a maid to clean daughter’s clothes and dishes going to produce work ethic in children? How is hosting gambling institutions going to teach children value of hard work? What can money do to change these behavioral problems? Programs? Well, USA has many, but without godly principles, problems just increase in sophistication and style.
In recent past when money laundering was mentioned as crime associated with casino, a proponent of casino, goaded by a senator, stood up and denied the existence of money laundering activities, relegating it to the past, saying that anti-money laundering laws have successfully eradicated such crimes. Today, our newspaper headlines are screaming out this very crime. A crime not committed by the poor looking for money, but a crime usually associated with those who have some money but would love some more – the wealthy and the well-connected, high-end rollers. How much national budget will be allocated to keep Dugan in jail and to finance court fees, investigators, lawyers etc. Dugan’s buzz word – money!!!!
November 19, 2009 at 6:01 am
Why is it that a lot of corruption occur governments? That 3 in every 5 high official or politician are corrupt? So is it safe to say that the government is where most corrupt people can be found? Perhaps we should exterminate our government if we want to rid Palau of collective corruption? That way they (corrupt politicians) have no place to hang out and multiply.
Okay, I’m kidding. I don’t think that’s entirely possible. What is the purpose of a government? To serve and protect its people? To be the only legal (and poweful) entity that regulates just about everything?
The other night I was watching TV and Michelle Obama was visiting high schools to enourage the kids to be better citizens by going out to their communities and be better role models. Is it just me or is the government starting to penetrate the households? To teach our kids to strive to be bigger and better? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about encouraging the youth, but it seems to me a lot of those problems (if not all) can be rooted to “omellach ra blai.” A rengeleked tungil llechuul ra uchei ral tobed el mora buai? Ngar ngii a klou el support el mor tir el mlara chedam ma chedil? Ngar ngii ar role models ra buai el rengeleked a sorir el mo uai tir? Ak di melekoi el kmo altang e lungil osisechekled el mora rengeleked er chelechal taem ea tara klebesei e bol meklou e bo lorrurt ra amt er kid e lodengelii a ungil ma mekngit.
You know, ng kora mechas a renguk sel loldubch er tial luldasu ra Casino. Te chebuul tirkaikid el leko te “businessmen” el diomdasu ra chipengir e diak lomdasu ra long-term effect er tial siobai. Kerdi blechoel cater el morar tourist. Ea sechelei tia Belau a diak el belurir ar tourist. Ngera meng diak ba deruul a siobai el atter rekid ma klengar rekid e di blechoel di mengas a rengrir a rechad ra ngodech el beluu. Sel article by Lamar Bennington a kmal melemalt e klemerang. Is it really possible to turn Peleliu into an international gaming destination? With an international airport? Catering to high end rollers from Korea, China, and Japan? And golf courses? The game of golf was founded in Scotland and has endrured all throughout Europe, US, and elswhere. Mal meral sorir lou golf ele bora Scotland (I prefer Pebble Beach in Monterey, CA)… Mal sorir el gamble e tie Las Vegas el lousbech rar “high rollers” because the economy is killing it. Mal kuk l’sorir el mengedub ra reua ngermelt or melamch a mekedols el buuch ra ngesias or al sorir el mengaibedechakl ra ngerereuall or mengereel ra pkul omeruchel el ngasech kung ra tarai el lemei ra Beliliou.
Sulang,
Olukam