If it’s out of your control, don’t worry

By Marj Moore 05 November 2017, 12:00AM

Saturday night’s earthquake was a not-so-gentle reminder of how much we are at the mercy of nature. 

At 6.7 on the Richter scale it was not the biggest ‘quake we have experienced but while it was happening, it certainly felt like the longest

It is also a reminder that there are certain events that occur over which we have little or no control.

So should you even worry about such things? 

Some aspects of nature and the elements fall into that box of ‘out of our control’ although with the exception of the American president, most of us realize there are steps that can be taken to minimize some of the problems arising from our interaction with the environment.  

But when and if crucial decision-making is suddenly called for, even the best planning is often ineffectual and the action one takes is simply what is suited to the moment.

That certainly seems to be the P.M.Tuilaepa’s approach to the question of his political heir when faced with another pesky question about succession in the H.R.P.P. and leadership of the country.

As is his wont, his response to the question of ‘Is there a Plan B’ appeared to be a mixture of serious, teasing and joking.

Not only a Plan B, he said but also Plan C and D.

Then the comment about God overseeing everything was vintage Tuilaepa who likes to attribute or blame God for pretty much every decision particularly when dealing with choices. 

And his remark about “sending a sacrificial lamb for the offering” was perhaps a tease as political analysts no doubt spent many hours reading lists of names into that comment. 

Would the ‘sacrificial lamb’ he alluded to, be one of his H.R.P.P. colleagues was an interesting thought. 

But which one? There are so many contenders.

But back to successors.

Do we want to follow the North Korean style of leadership and succession simply kinship of father to son?

Perhaps the American style of dragged out elections in a country with millions of people and yet you are faced with a choice which doesn’t feel like a choice?

How about N.Z.’s preferred method of M.M.P. or is it the Winston Peters, ‘I’ll make the final choice’? style.

Perhaps there is method in our P.M.’s madness and we just need to wait until God informs somebody about which plan he is opting for.

By Marj Moore 05 November 2017, 12:00AM
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