With much fanfare, and many advertisements in the papers, the Aranguez overpass was opened this week. I didn't see the TV news reports but I can imagine the images, or remember them from last time 'round: the line minister cutting the ribbon with the oversized scissors, the broad grin under a yellow industrial safety hat over a Savile Row suit. You'd think a sense of déjà vu would arise; but you'd think wrong, if you had time to think at all, what with Kes the Band breaking down the Tribe cooler fete with Wotless. The show goes on, the questions never stop, the answers never come and no one can put a hand because every hand is in the air like they just don't care; largely because they don't. Chaos never stops, as long as someone is making a profit out of it; and many are; and always have been.
How do you make a coalition government disappear? Have a completely unnecessary leadership contest in one of its factions. How do you make what seemed like a terminal controversy between line Cabinet minister and state enterprise board disappear? Now that would be what the old US TV game show called "the $64,000 question." But the real petro-dollar question would be: how do you make hope disappear? Substitute it for thought.
BC Pires is making change: two tens for one 20, two fives for one ten, etc. Read more of his writing at www.BCraw.com