September 15, 2012Sir,There’s a family of fishes called suckerfish, or remoras (Echeneidae), that have an oval sucker in place of their front dorsal fin (just behind their head). Suckerfish attach to larger fish and marine mammals such as sharks, manta rays, turtles and whales. They adhere to their larger host for transport, protection and to feed on morsels of food dropped by their host. People who likewise instinctively and unthinkingly attach themselves to political parties might be called suckervoters: adhering to “their” party because of traditional allegiance, to carry them along for the ride, for security, and to nibble up the crumbs the party spits out as they cruise along. Suckervoters never question the principles or performance or actions of the party; they just stay suckered on because that’s what they’ve always done. Their mechanical allegiance isn’t loyalty, it’s gullibility. In fact suckervoters should be called sucker voters. Or just plain suckers. So when the election comes up in three or four months time, don’t be a suckervoter — or, worse, a sucker [space] voter. Suckervoters vote for the party they feel most inclined to stick to because it offers the most comfortable ride, because that’s the ride they’ve always gone along with, or because this or that party looks or sounds most familiar.Detach. De-suction. Look around you at the state of affairs in Bermuda today. How has the Progressive Labour Party performed in government? What’s the evidence of its performance? Is the opposition One Bermuda Alliance likely to do better? If so, how does it propose to do so? Who, in short, do you think would make Bermuda a better place tomorrow than it is today (and “Anybody, including my dog Loquat” is not an admissible answer)? As the great but misunderestimated 21st century President-philosopher-sage George W Bush once said, “Human beings and fish can coexist peacefully”. So don’t be a dopey little remora. Swim free. Think free. Be free. Recall again the immortal if somewhat befuddled admonition of the presidential sage George Dubya, “Fool me once, shame on … shame on you … (bewildered pause) … If you fool me you can’t get fooled again!” What I think he meant was, don’t be a sucker. Sincerely,GRAHAM FAIELLALondon