By Ambrose M. Bennett – Activist
THE Truth is WE are seeing the Delegate & Chamber trying to TELL the Feds “What they should or should-not DO,” but it’s unacceptable for Ambrodamus to OFFER Solutions, which would be FUNNY if it wasn’t so serious. CNMI Leaders often ignore the Feds, however, every time WE need a helping-hand its “Invoking Federal Responsibilities Begging Time” which is HYPOCRISY! The CNMI didn’t listen to the Feds on Immigration & Minimum Wages and now look. The CNMI is literally one of the weakest links in the chain of America’s Borders and the HYPOCRISY is the CNMI is often FIGHTING against the Feds on issues but continues to beg for hand-outs, sad! The CNMI gives TAYA to America but American Taxpayers, who’s billions the CNMI spends, can’t even own their home in the CNMI yet the CNMI expects everything from America — pathetic hypocrisy! Just look at how the CNMI said “NO” to America on mining instead of trying to work out some kind of compromise. America’s Democracy DEPENDS on compromises and I’m not calling all of the leaders & citizens bigots, however too many are not Patriots, and they are condoning the bigotry that’s breeding the hypocrisy!
However, I truly pray that it will One Day Sink-In about how “CNMI’s counterparts on the mainland are protesting & dying FOR immigrants they don’t even KNOW and YET WE, CNMI Citizens, refuse to lift a finger in protest FOR Ourselves & the American Dream” — it’s hypocrisy that must end FOR the sake of All-of-us and the CNMI. For me and I’m sure for many others, “the CNMI Leaders are pretending this is America & Americans BUT “pretending” is INSUFFICIENT to achieve the American Dream.” No disrespect but Embedding Culture in the politics on the Hill is WRONG, as there is No-Such-Thing as “Chamorro/Carolinian Politics in OUR Federal System” that is by DESIGN an “ADVERSARIAL System” for the BEST Outcomes FOR the People!!! Senator M. Castro even tried to illegally FORCE culture preservation on PSS, but No one is fighting FOR ALL People on the economy, just “going through the motions of governing” and only doing something when there’s a “behind-the-scenes public outcry.” WE need some Good-Old-American PROTEST for Progress! WHY is there NO public outcry & protest on the WASTE and Impotency of leaders to fix their mistakes. The CNMI nor will our Leaders change for the BETTER until the People change & demand progress — silence is being complicit in their FAILURES!
Freedom & Prosperity are NOT FREE, as WE (ALL) must Do-the-Work and even make sacrifices to ensure Freedoms & Prosperity, as OUR silence (leaders & citizens) is the very detriment of OUR success! Heck, the only time leaders are speaking out is on the “Budget & Begging Platform with the Feds” instead of Doing the Work to make a difference. Now the Governor is begging for the EVS-TAP, as they all seem to have forgotten their Social Studies Lessons in World History on China and the reality of the standing conflict between China & Japan and the conflict with Our-Fathers-In-Washington! So, it’s OK to be on a “wild-goose-chase for Chinese” and now the Governor is even beating on the “dead-horse EVS-TAP” instead of working on New Revenue/Tourists Sources, a basic Response to revive the economy! In fact, WHY hasn’t the Governor figuratively got on his knees apologized & begged Kan Pacific to take-back the Mariana Resort to HELP us!
But one can bet, No Leader is looking for Zip Line investors promoted by Mr. Jang nor are they looking for investors to bring “New Attractions” to the CNMI in an effort to Reform our Tourism Industry. If history proves right, it’s going to take another decade or more BEFORE the powers-that-be come to the realization that Ambrodamus was Right about the CNMI being the “Family Destination for Micronesia with Attractions & Cannabis Tourism Destination-like Amsterdam & Denver Colorado.” In fact, the legislature is “silent & impotent on the economy” even though the responsibility FOR the Economy falls on EVERY Elected Leader, but the “norm in the CNMI is to culturally follow the Governor’s lead” even when he’s taking us NOWHERE, which is what got us in this Economic Mess! No Patriotism even FOR the CNMI, just sitting tactics!!!
Furthermore, why hasn’t there been protest on how Governors ignored their own Economic Road Map that Zaldy brought to light — hypocrisy? Why haven’t there been protest on the PROVEN waste & impotency with the Cannabis & Casino Commissions — hypocrisy & bigotry? Why haven’t there been protests DEMANDING for an Economic Recovery Plan as conditions have continued to worsen ever since Covid and still getting WORSE, yet I hear only SILENCE about the Economy! I refuse to believe the majority of People attending Mass/Church on Sunday/Saturday with sermons on “Love & Forgiveness,” yet ignore their values on Monday to allow Trump’s bigot & declared atheist Saipan Man to go unchecked preaching HATE and even going back 50 yrs. to convert the weak-minded breeding MORE Bigotry! I’m not complaining to support Ambrodamus, the Fellow American trying to help who is subjected to Bigotry & Hate, as I’m in very good company with Jesus Christ who was crucified for trying to help! The problem is the enormous Loss of Progress & Millions due to NO Patriotism losing out to Bigotry! The Feds are not always coming to save-us and the CNMI must grow-up and DO things to HELP Ourselves as Patriotic Americans like “Demanding the Mistakes be Fixed & Holding-Leaders-Accountable FOR a NEW Brand & Direction for the American Dream,” as voters must end the Same-O TAYA!
One People, One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays-Lifetime Humanities & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
