Orville TaylorWHEN THE most impor-tant thing in a country is the popularity of the Prime Minister or the recent by-elections in Westmoreland, it shows that we are fooling around while the world moves on.
True, it is of some significance that Buchanan booted Foote who failed to walk in P.J. Patterson's shoes. So P.J. passes the baton to Buchanan, who succeeds him.
I give this infernal political race no more attention except for the persistent, if amusing attempts of Ras Astor Black to become elected once more. Whatever you may think of him you have to wonder what makes the Ras hold on to hope.
After all, this is the beginning of the most watched event in history World Cup! Although the NBA finals are on and my Miami Heat is locked in a struggle with the Dallas Mavericks, everybody knows that only Americans believe that their competition is a 'world championship'. I bet you that there are a few Americans who are completely oblivious of the world 'soccer' playoffs and at the mention of football are wondering how the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing.
This is a real world competition because all nations on the globe play football, although, on the face of what we saw last week, the Reggae Boyz are the notable exception.
FOOTBALL'S HISTORY
Still, television sales are up and requests for vacation leave are in. Suddenly, the lotto sellers have competition because a different betting and numbers game is being played.
Of course, the odds-on favourites are Brazil. Yet, there are some who feel that since the last time England won was a year ending with six, this should be theirs.
After all, England invented the modern game and had the inaugural Football Association (FA) meeting in 1863. However, like so many other things such as gunpowder, fine weaving and Christianity, football did not originate in England.
The earliest records of men kicking football-like objects were interestingly found in China during the 'Han' Dynasty more than 2000 years ago.
A version of football was also played in ancient Greece and Rome and it eventually was brought into Britain by the Romans during the reign of Julius Caesar between 44 BC and 14 AD.
During the Middle Ages somewhere between 400 and 1500 AD, it eventually took hold as annual or seasonal matches. An inflated pig's bladder sewn in leather was the original ball and it was played between two towns. I don't believe any Jews, Muslims or Rastafarians played then.
The game was somewhat like rugby and with no limit on the total number of players; its objective was to get the ball from one town's outskirts to the other.
The competition was a cross between a Jamaican mob chasing a pickpocket and a crowd boring to get into a stage show.
After two centuries of evolution, it is now the most popular sport.
By the way, the name 'soccer', though appropriated by the Americans is actually British and was coined by Oxford University students in the 19th century.
The British have the habit of ending slang versions of names with 'er.' So we get 'fiver' for a five pound note and 'copper' for cop.
So much for history, get back to the present. Thirty-two teams are seeking one trophy. Sentimentally, I want to see Trinidad and Tobago pull off upsets but if they don't, there are five African countries.
Despite its name, Serbia-Montenegro is not one. Ghana would be my next choice because most of our ancestors came from there. Then come Angola, and Togo. Nonetheless, don't exclude the Islamic and therefore anti-gay country curiously named Tunisia, who with a tight squeeze could get into the final round. Good watching everyone.
Speaking of Islamists, reputed Al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was apparently killed by coalition forces acting in collaboration with Iraqi and Jordanian troops on Thursday.
This is quite a victory for the U.S. in its war against terrorism. However, as it makes such an important inroad, Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld has announced a reduction in the amount of assistance in the fight against drugs in the region.
STEMMING ILLEGAL MIGRATION
What is strange about this decision is that this is occurring as the U.S. is seeking to strengthen its borders to stem illegal migration.
Somehow, Rumsfeld has lost the script because as far back as 1822, James Monroe, then President of the U.S., implicitly recognised that the region constituted part of the American border.
The drug trade has been cited as being one of the main threats to democracy and security in the region. Insecure Caribbean waters, even to drug traffickers, are a serious breach in American domestic security.
It is, therefore, ironic that the seven Blackhawk helicopters used in the drug fight in the Northern Caribbean are being withdrawn given that flights between the Bahamas and the U.S. are considered domestic.
One even clears U.S. immigration and custom in the Bahamas. Furthermore, there are more than a dozen airports and seaports in the region from which attacks can be launched by terrorists. Remember, they launched 9/11 from within the U.S.
Considering the inadequate measures in place to prevent human trafficking, it is not such an unlikely scenario. So while we watch the World Cup and our silly little politicking, let's keep an eye on the threat.
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
