G'day Bill,
>Hope you've recovered from the Brumbies choking during the big one.
I would never have recovered had the Brumbies choked.
I have recovered.
Ergo: The Brumbies did not choke.
Referee Watson was the Crusaders' best contributor by far - especially in
his stoic refusal to react to all that professional fouling by the
Crusaders' defence in the second half. And anyway, what's a North Island
Blue like you doing coming over all South Island Crusadish? You're
reaching a bit, aren't you, comrade?
S'pose you're rather obliged to just now ...
That said, Bill, thanks for the following. It all sounds quite right, for
mine.
Any other takers?
Cheers,
Rob.
>I think one of the really interesting things about reportage on Fiji has
>been the lack of class in the pundits analysis. The way I read it is the
>post independence constitution perpetuated and strengthened the racial fix
>in Fijian politics. This fix pretty much guaranteed the ethnic Fijian
>elite's hold on power. The labour party, always multiracial but with strong
>Indian support, broke this fix when a substantial number of the urban
>working class/poor ethnic Fijians began voting for it on essentially class
>lines. This is obviously intolerable to the ethnic Fijian elite who have
>been trying to recreate, with little success , the racial straight jacket
>that under pins their power. I think their efforts are doomed long term as
>modernisation will depopulate and educate the rural areas on which their
>power is founded while at the same time creating a growing pool of
>proletarianised urban ethnic Fijians who will vote increasingly on class
>lines. If I where them I'd do a deal now as medium long term they could lose
>big time due to anything from the above to the Indians simple out numbering
>them greatly and winning a show down to outside intervention from say India
>(no more Uganda's) in a crisis in say ten years.
>I know this isn't fashionable but I'd give 2 and 1/2 cheers for capitalist
>pseudo democracy over traditional society any day.
>Cheers
>Bill
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