April 17, 2007

Let’s talk about money…your’s and our’s.

OK we’ve had enough of this junta but our options are limited and we just have to go with the flow RIGHT? Wrong.

Himmat Lodhia's statements REQUESTING armed military check-points back really got us hopping mad. National security is the role ONLY for our police. There are no if’s and but’s about it.

However we were fortunate enough to come by the words of Boétie and that got us thinking:

“Even so tyrants…the more is given them, the more they are obeyed, so much the more do they fortify themselves, become stronger and more able to annihilate and destroy. If nothing be given them, if they be not obeyed, without fighting, without striking a blow, they remain naked, disarmed and are nothing—like as the root of a tree, receiving no moisture or nourishment, becomes dry and dead.”
Etienne de la Boétie, 1577


So we share our thoughts with you.

How badly do YOU want your civil liberties back?
How sick are you of the pathetic leadership being forced upon you?
Do you feel strongly about how this junta is taking our country backwards and not forward as is being constantly parroted (but not felt)?
Would you like to see an end to the human rights violations and the environment of uncertainty and fear?
Would you like to rattle this junta without the risk of being taken for the free exercise session up at Delainabua?

Then let’s talk about how we can make an impact.

Money makes the world go around. We know this. Month after month we part with money via taxes which this dictatorship is currently spending like there’s no tomorrow (did you believe the 4 full paged propaganda in a Saturday Fiji Times edition 14th April costing a pretty penny from our hard-earned taxes?) despite the reality that the economy is in the toilet.

All is not lost. With the few dollars left over from the sweat of our collective brows we still have full rights and full control over where we as consumers CHOOSE to purchase our required goods and services.

It’s time to make YOUR purchasing power come alive and work for you.

We know there are businesses in cahoots with this junta. We also know there are business interests of those within the ranks of this dictatorship. For whatever reasons they could ever think of to support an illegal take-over it’s time to hit them where it hurts i.e. in THEIR pockets using YOUR money.

As a measure of caution should we be falling into the trap of placing so much emphasis on the courts to decide whether the coup was illegal or not?? If one can read and has a conscience it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that what Frank did on 5/12 was clearly against the law. Let’s think carefully about growing the litigation culture (can you believe all the costly QC’s flocking to this country?) that you and I will inevitably pay for (we are the already cash-strapped innocent bystanders here folks!) and that a country like Fiji is not ready to sustain!

There can be NO excuses for Frank and cronies’ illegal acts that even Mosmi Bhim, Victor Lal, Thakurji, Kevin Barr, Shukhdev Shah etc etc could EVER hope to academically gloss over. As a by the way, we hope that the council meeting of the University of the South Pacific next month is taking notes about how insidious the cover of “academic freedom” is being used to academically justify illegal acts such as this coup (what next, lab sessions on how to construct a bomb in the interest of science?).

The USP Council and donors must be clear that USP academics have been entrusted and well paid to groom future leaders of the Pacific. As a regional CROP agency the University is bound by the firm stand (and definition) on democracy of Pacific Island Forum leaders who “own” this learning institution. Any alternate views on democracy are more appropriate in Russia and seeing as the Russians were just here to observe (and comment on) our recent budget announcement these types of academics are better off asking Mahend to broker teaching opportunities there.

Back to the blog topic. If you are interested in this initiative post up your comments to signal your thoughts about this strategy.

Our future as a country, as a generation (this and the futures) and as a citizenry depends on what we as a peoples put our minds towards achieving en masse.

We will move Fiji forward legally and safely on we the peoples terms. Not the junta’s.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well since it is an illegal government maybe we shouldn't be paying it any taxes in the first place. Then you'll really see them scrambling around for money.

Baljeet said...

No problem, we dont mind as long as Frank is the head. Better than SDL's racist policies and wastage of money. We can pay more tax for Frank. God bless RFMF.

Anonymous said...

I agree and have always said to friends and associates that everyone should stop paying taxes.

For companies, don't pay any PAYE for your employees, don't pay Vat etc.

If we all did this, i give the interim illegal regime maybe 2 months to survive then "kaput".

Keep up the good work fellow freedom fighters and May God Bless and Protect you in what you're doing!

Never Say Die said...

Wait... I believe that Mahen chose to ignore the defaulting taxpayers and go for the easier option of making a bigger hole in the already torn pockets of our hardworking civil servants... now that would mean that if they have to follow up, they would have to start all the way from the beginning, right? Hmmmmmm... I believe that gives you more time! So yeah, I think it just might work out!

Cheers

Never Say Dieee!!!

Anonymous said...

Taking defaulting tax payers to task is going to cost FIRCA a lot more money then they'll get back if the volume of defaulting tax payers were substantial.i know. this has been discussed previously when FIRCA was faced with the task some years ago.

There are other ways - BOYCOTT Lodhia's group of companies. Don't buy from his shops or familie's shops.

Anonymous said...

Lodhia is so well known for dancing to whatever 'tune' that is favourable (at the time) that I am amazed he sleeps at all.
BOYCOTT Lodhia shops, I have since 2000 and I'm still alive. Little rat scum SOB, I wish you all the BAD LUCK Mr Lodhia.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with newsfiji....lets all notify our employers to with-hold our taxes until the next democratically elected govenment is in place...because for (1) we need to remove the IGs operational power and that is paisa and (2)by the time the legal government is in place, they will certainly need all the money they can find to pull this country out of this rut. I for one, am withholding paying my taxes as of the begining of this year. So imagine if 80% (of those that have indicated that they do not support the IG through the web-polls) stop paying taxes for 1 month...the country will surely buckle under, and the IGs will have not choice but give up their pathetic cause. Come on people, lets stand up and be counted TODAY. What will we tell our future generations.......that we couldn't do anything about what happened in Fiji or can we see ourselves in future telling our grandchildren that we collectively rose up and made a stand for justice!!!

Anonymous said...

YES LET NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THE LODHIA'S GROUP OF COMPANY!!!

Im not buying any more redcow powdered milk.

Anonymous said...

For some organistaion whose pay packs are facilitated by Auditing companies especeially those where one rat of the IG sits - will make it impossible as they have an interest - their spouse to get paid. I agree for those of you who can withhold your taxes, please do and wait for when we have an elected government who will definitely need money to get us to even move albeit one step at a time.

Anonymous said...

Atleast the interin government is a better manger than the SDL. SDL would have led Fiji to bankruptcy. The interim government sure knows about the economy. See when you have a tooth ache, you go to a dentist not a general practitioner. Nobody in SDL knew about money, finance and the economy. Let us give the economy to the right people. Cheers interim government.

Anonymous said...

What companies come under LODHIA's Group of Companies?

Anonymous said...

If you want to withhold paying your tax go to your employer and say that they have to implement the WITTHOLD YOUR TAX POLICY....

To you Anonymous No. 7 - perhaps the IG has gone to the GP instead of the Dentist....because the govt. is now broke....

Anonymous said...

To you Anonymous No. 9 - perhaps your intelligence is similar to the SDL bunch, no knowledge about economy and finance. The economy has just turned for the better. Just read the comments by Savenaca Narube, and the comments by Westpac when launching the American Express CARD. Be optimistic.

Anonymous said...

To you Anonymous No. 10 - you must have missheard Savenaca Nanrube.

And FYI - "SPIN DOCTORS" do exist and they exist for a reason....to put a positive spin on things!!

Peace out rabbit.

Anonymous said...

Yeah and what does a Trade Unionist like Chaudhary know about Finance and the economy? No wonder the only solution he know is to throttle the civil servants. The same people he purported to be working for when he was a unionist. People, it just goes to show that this person is in it for himself.

Anonymous said...

Oi Anonymous No. 10 - what about the UN Report on last night's news and today's papers - about the declining stae of our economy?

Anonymous said...

Isa anon.10,do you understand what you read about Mr.Narube's comments..omg..!!

Anonymous said...

Let's get a list out of all companies we should boycott with their products and services. This should be clearly listed so that even the mass out there can be encouraged to know they can participate in a passive protest and do not need to worry about being vistimised by the juntas. Please somebody get it out and prepare it as a flyer and people will be able to print it out and share it with families and friends.