Stephen Vasciannie"I THINK that your next column will be about the West Indies team". At least three people said this to me immediately following our exciting win against England in the ICC Champions Trophy Competition. But what more, I thought, is there to say? Those who are inveterately opposed to Brian Lara will be unmoved: they will say that the victory was serendipitous, a buck-up bestowed by the gods as reward for long service in the wilderness.
Others, more charitably inclined, will be nervous. They will point out carefully that we have not yet turned the corner. The final match could, indeed, have gone either way, so we should simply count our blessings at this time. I am inclined to this view; but I would add that we should not underestimate the effort that has gone into the West Indian victory. The fielding particularly in the final match was outstanding, and there was all round evidence that the team came to the task with determination and seriousness of purpose.
Clearly, though, the victory does not mean that the team may now rest on its laurels. The tension between brilliant but inconsistent individualism, on the one hand, and steady, workmanlike team spirit, on the other, remains a feature of our test cricket although this tension may be exaggerated. More importantly for me, is the fact that we still need to develop our strategic thinking: arguably, we won the Champions Trophy because we played only one match against each team. When other teams have the opportunity to study our players in the course of a whole series, our corner may still be on the dark side.
BUSH-KERRY
"I think your next column will be about the Bush-Kerry debate". At least another three people predicted this with some confidence last week. But what more, again, is there to say? Conventional wisdom in my part of the world is that Kerry prevailed in the debate by a significant margin. I would not challenge this proposition with any enthusiasm, and certainly in terms of debating style and substance, Kerry acquitted himself very well last Thursday.
Generally, however, I believe we need to be careful about imposing Jamaican anti-Iraq war sentiments on the American electorate. More specifically, it seems to me that President Bush and Senator Kerry were playing to particular, but different galleries, during the debate on Iraq. The President's line - delivered simply and repeatedly - was that decisions concerning war are tough, and that once you have made the commitment, you need to have the character and determination to stay the course. If you send signals that you are wavering, this will embolden the opponent, confuse your allies, and sap the spirit of your fighting forces.
But Senator Kerry's response on this point has much force: determination to stay the course is one thing, the vigorous pursuit of a colossal mistake is quite another. If the Iraq invasion is wrong in principle, then it takes real political courage to begin the process of undoing that mistake. Between these two positions staying the course and withdrawing as soon as possible there are rich yards of analysis to be explored. President Bush's advisers will need to sharpen his debating skills if they believe that the debates will count for much in November.
EXAMINATIONS
"I think your next column should be about examination marking schemes": she didn't quite put it like this, but the friend who sent a report from Britain's Daily Mail on the 2004 English Literature examination could well have had the thought in mind. The report indicates that examiners marking England's GCSE Literature papers (equivalent to what we sometimes still call 'O' Levels) have been told not to penalise poor spelling and grammar.
In response to these instructions, examiners are complaining. One examiner quoted in the report said that top grades are given out "like sweets at a children's party to youths not only cannot spell or punctuate to save their lives, but who cannot do something much simpler than that namely, copy words which are printed in front of them."
Of nearly 1,000 papers marked by this examiner, more than 100 candidates spelt "literature" incorrectly, and 95 per cent of the students writing about J.B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls, misspelt the playwright's name. 'Litriture' by 'Priestly', for top marks, if you please.
GOODBYE PROF. MILLS
Finally, I say goodbye to Professor Gladstone Mills, our leading thinker and practitioner on Public Administration in the Caribbean. Prof. Mills' guiding hand, gentle spirit, and calm objectivity, have influenced numerous institutions, ranging from the West Indies Cricket Board to the Electoral Advisory Committee over the years. Countless students, many of whom have risen to the highest levels in Caribbean society, will quietly bow in tribute at the beloved Prof. Mills' funeral on Wednesday. This, indeed, was a life that brought grist to many mills. Walk good, senior friend.
Stephen Vasciannie is Professor of International Law, Head of the Department of Government, UWI, and a consultant in the Attorney-General's chambers.
