Given the myriad voices of dissent and dissatisfaction with government executive, judicial and legislative operations and operatives through the press, radio and TV, at the drinking holes of an evening I am reminded of Jean Renoir’s film “Grand Illusion” which depicted the collapse of the 19th century European political and social institutions with the onset of World War I and its major forces for change.
In Kassel Wintersborn Commandant Rauffenstein (Eric Stronheim) tries to run the redoubt POW camp as a country club for POW gentlemen of his class and POW foreign commoners. He fails to recognize the new conditions, the new world order being born, and continues his living the illusion of the old order. And the structure, of course, is plagued with escape, dissent, death and chaos.
And, as I imagine, here we have Howard Willens, midwife of the commonwealth, so to speak, standing in the legislative chamber in the dark, flashlights on and someone looking for the main power panel, in the midst of the collapsing major money generator institutions CUC/CPA/CDA/NMIRF, etc, mumbling something like — this will pass, I’m sure. It is just a matter of time and some more money. Isn’t it?
Our upper classes (those in government earning over $70,000/annum) who control the legislative, executive, judicial branches and control the government hiring and board appointees have finally been touched by the collapse of the keystone institution CUC and all its history of mismanagement and politics. They can no longer stand above or apart from the economic plunge and the moral decay of our political institutions.
The current CNMI government structures might appear to be made of concrete and immutable but it is an illusion if we think the conditions of the 1970’s that formed them have not changed. As the notions of chivalry and friendship of Commandant Rauffenstein proved unworkable in the new world order of the 1900’s the notions of the politics of enrichment for family and self in CNMI, the old style politicians and their notions about how to get votes for access to office and into the public treasure will die.
A government staffed with one employee for every two voters, a bicameral Legislature with 20 representatives or one for every 650 voters, there are no government operations budgets and the island lights are off with growing frequency and duration. There is, however, a growing sense of change in the air. Not just from the grumbling older residents but from the younger generation who are saying “No Mas.”
It can and should be the end of the old order, the structures and attitudes, whose roots lie in the Trust Territory institutions. The collapsing CNMI government structures and their appendages must change or be deliberately changed to fit this new era. The question is whether the Stanleys and the Howards now caught in a blackout can contribute to the step into a 21st century commonwealth.
GEORGE HABERMAN
Upper Sadog Tasi, Saipan
