Droogte en politiek - Menings - Republikein
Thursday, August 08th, 08:01:39
Droogte en politiek
15 July 2019 | Menings
Dat die droogtekrisis verlede week in geweld oorgekook het, is ontstemmend.
Gelukkig het die weidingskonflik by die weermagplaas Etiro nie tot ernstige beserings of selfs lewensverlies gelei nie.
Die voorval wys hoe maklik emosie – ‘n integrale deel van hierdie ontsettende swaarkry, wat vir sommige aan uitsigloosheid grens – gevaarlike wegholvure aan die brand kan steek.
Wetteloosheid, in die geval betreding van staats- of enige ander grond, is nie ‘n antwoord nie. Die reg moet ook sy loop neem wat vyf tot soveel as 13 beweerde aanrandings deur die Namibiese weermag betref.
Ná voorvalle tydens Operasie Kalahariwoestyn is die weermag se beeld bykomende skade berokken.
Enige aanhitsing deur politici is laakbaar en verwerplik. Onverantwoordelike en negatiewe verpolitisering van die krisis mag nie geduld word nie.
Terselfdertyd is die droogte onvermydelik ‘n politieke kwessie. Een wat deel van 2019 se verkiesings sal uitmaak weens die regering se wag-en-kyk benadering en laat ingryping. Politiek hieroor moet egter op ‘n omsigtige en verantwoordelike wyse gevoer word.
Teenoor die weermag se reg om sy grond te beveilig, staan die regering en staat se plig om weiding wat daar dalk mag wees, aan droogtegeteisterde boere beskikbaar te stel. Dit is geen onredelike versoek nie.
‘n Ondersoek is nodig na moontlikhede in hierdie verband en spoedige bystand kan op ‘n georganiseerde en ordelike wyse geskied.
Even as the Federal Reserve has engineered the nation’s recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, Fed officials have lived in fear that too much job growth, too much wage growth — too much prosperity — would spark dangerous inflation.
That is one reason there has not been enough job growth, wage growth or prosperity.
On Wednesday, the Fed’s chairman, Jerome Powell, offered reason to hope that the Fed is finally learning its lesson.
The appearance of bowing to Mr. Trump’s wishes can’t be helped, and should not be avoided. Mr. Powell and his colleagues have said repeatedly that they are only concerned with doing the right thing.
A rate cut of a quarter of a percentage point in July would be a small shift. It would, however, send a message that the Fed stands ready to do more to extend the economic expansion. Some argue that cutting now would limit the Fed’s ability to act if the economy weakens further. But the point of acting now is to forestall the need for stronger medicine.
It would demonstrate that Mr. Powell and his colleagues are serious when they talk about the importance of job growth and wage growth.