The triad of economic hardship

At Issue: The combined effects of regional crisis, federal takeover and half-cocked local policies.

Our View: Did we have to fuel our own economic demise with shortsighted and ill-conceived policies?

In medical parlance, we were faced with a hemophiliac–a patient who’d bleed profusely at the slightest cut–but decided to proceed with the surgery, anyway.

Need we contribute to the death of a hemophiliac patient? The CNMI is the hemophiliac patient. It goes to illustrate our penchance for quick fixes over thoughtful reasoned analysis.

Indeed, there’s nothing that would slam the brakes versus the vicious assault of the Asian crisis. We have no control over external influences, but we do have control over internal economic policies to stave off any further hardship than necessary. And we have done nothing to put out the raging inferno. In fact, we fueled it beyond our wildest imaginings.

What’s interesting though is the obvious consistency in incoherency between what we say and the things that we do only to ruin an already ruined economic pillars and foundation. It’s a classic illustration of an ostrich who thinks all is well above sand when in fact a super economic storm has pulped the entire Marianas archipelago.

Even with a 50 percent business closure, we walk around with empty heads held high riddled with arrogance, hardly realizing that our economy is destined to plunge further into the sea of dark reddish ink or bankruptcy.

We toy around with time oblivious to a deepening crisis. We’re not even sure it’s right to salvage what’s left of the local economy. We prefer a worthless rescue at the eleventh hour. We openly display immaturity with impunity as though the entire universe revolves around planet Marianas.

How sad our agility to fuel a raging fire thinking we still have lots of water right smack in the middle of a deadly drought season. We have placed greater importance on trivia over substance. Now, we’re shifting from the “So What!” the “Now What!” syndrome dazed at all that we have failed to do on a decisive basis.

For the silent majority whose future you have placed in hardship’s way, they will never forget how royally you have failed them over the last six years. Need you fuel the creation of a hellish hole for the multitude who call these isles home? Si Yuus Maase`!