Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Monday 27 noveMber 2017
Opinion Column: Serving Up Encouraging Messages

By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert is the essence of the com- right. You know? The guys
ORANJESTAD - Statistics mon slogans of politics who you can recognize by
have a sort of magical ap- from behind. The bugler is rolled up sleeves and the
peal and are a bit like math- also taking a backseat next first two buttons of their col-
ematical enchanted tricks, to his politician; of course, lar open which is their way
aren’t they? The worlds of for better communication to dress for success. When
business and politics are lit- they have to be close to- they start a business, they
tered with statistics. Some gether. don’t even have time for
individuals using statistics Recently I met a politician statistics. They work hard
are like the diplomat who and I asked him whether and give it all they have in
always remembers a wom- he was resilient. “Like a themselves. Those forerun-
an’s birthday but never re- Jo-Jo” he responded. I ners are typified by the vir-
members her age. They are was puzzled, and I won- tues of being persistent and
selective about the dates dered what to think of the tenacious like a bulldog.
they choose, and about the meaning of the word ‘resil- Their attitude is about ac-
numbers, that they do not ient’ because I’m hearing complishment. Growing or
want to use in order to keep it more often lately. So, I improving their activity re-
their audience happy. Cdr. Bud Slabbaert looked it up in the diction- gardless of statistics either
individual in question like who once said: “we’re not ary. The politician was way is not about compar-
Statistics can baffle and using a silencer on a gun holding on to our positions, right. Because the first syn- ing with the colleagues or
excite an audience. They that shoots oneself in the we’re not going to hold on onym it showed was ‘flexi- the competition; it is about
can be a calming rem- foot, because at some time to anything, we’re going to ble’. Typical for a politician, outdoing them, working
edy. Take stabilizing statis- the truth will come out. It is move ahead”. True lead- I thought. From a populist harder to get new business,
tics. They are like looking a tactic of propagandists ers don’t use propaganda leader, I would rather have and alsoabout finding dif-
through the glass of the using their communication or statistics; they are in the heard that he would have ferent ways to increase rev-
oven while baking a souf- like an equivalent for beau- frontlines to charge and used words indicating that enues.
flé; it may hold but with a ty cosmetics; cover-up that actually and actively make he is persistent or tenacious If you absolutely insist on
little draft of opening the is not waterproof. things happen. There was like a bulldog. some humble guiding sta-
oven door, it will still go puff Even if facts are tough, a a romantic time when of- Performers and their coach- tistics of encouragement,
and fall together. With sta- message can still encour- ficers pulled their sabre, es know where to set the I personally don’t consider
tistics, one can also tell one age the listeners. Like the loudly yelled “Attack, fol- bar that should be jumped; things encouraging unless
positive truth while silenc- general telling his troops low me”, charged in front always higher than the pre- growth is stable and consis-
ing the negative other half. who were completely sur- of their men and they were vious mark. They always try tent, and higher than 5%w;
This tactic is mainly used to rounded: “we now have willing to take the highest harder to come out on top and an investment is not an
prevent that the messen- the opportunity to attack risk of being injured first. In and avoid the agony of de- investment unless it yields
ger himself gets hurt. How- the enemy in any direction” politics things are differ- feat. As for high hopes, I’ve more than 10% net. Even
ever, it may work on the or the other military leader ent, “Attack, I follow you!” also heard about doping those percentages should
and drugs addicts saying be ballpark minima. Any-
that they like being high; thing more than those num-
unfortunately, they belong bers is just encouraging,
in the category of helpless- anything less is not worth
ly hoping victims. considering seriously unless
Some people love to use one wants to run things as
the half-empty and half- a hobby or to keep other
full glass comparison. They people busy. In the worst-
think that it is clever way to case scenario, the latter
perplex audiences. If the is the direction towards a
glass is half either way, it just breakdown, be it a nervous
means something is wrong one or a financial one, or…
with the brew or there is both.
a lack of commitment to
consume it. This half-half *The views, opinions and
stuff may have been well positions expressed by the
explained by George Car- author do not necessarily
lin, a five Grammy Award reflect the views, opinions
winning stand-up come- or positions of The Aruba
dian and social critic, who Today Newspaper, Carib-
once said about average bean Speed Printers, or any
persons: “Think about how employee thereof.
stupid the average person
is; now realize half of them
are dumber than that”. I
don’t think that anyone will
take this personal; after all
they considered Carlin only
to be a comedian. Plus,
even the average person
usually thinks he isn’t.
The concluding question
is, who and what is right?
Maybe the pioneers are