In Buddhism, the learning process continues, even after the terrestrial life. That seems to be my consolation. I tend to be jocular, when I face an enigma. I asked myself, "how many aspirants would we have had to listen to, if we had the population of the USA ?-(360 million)" I have been trying to work it out, using the Calculator at times, -we are 22 million, and we had seventeen aspirants from one party alone. So, how many, if we were 360 Million?. You, please, help me get the right answer.

It is a positive sign, if in a nation, people are just interested in politics. Someone who seems to know to handle figures better than me, once taught me over lunch that, "in the USA , only seven-percent of the population is actively involved in politics". But, up to sixty-percent would like to see the right men get into the right positions. (That figure is said to have shown a jump in the presidential ballot of 2008).

We have in Ghana , as many as 18 percent of the population, interested in active politics. As many as 80 percent of the population do show up, to cast their votes. That sounds encouraging. An attempt at some explanation is that, -THE NATIONAL CAKE IS BAKED UP TO SIXTY PERCENT BY THE ESTABLISHMENT. The situation is 22 percent, in the USA . This is the enigma facing the Peoples' Republic of China today, as an example, and for comparison. People would like to have their own cake baked, but it seems, they would like the Government to show them how. We, in Ghana, might do better, if somehow, elements like Power and Water-supply could be made available, and plenty, so that, people could produce aplenty, and in the process, bake a bigger private cake, and make it unnecessary, that people feel they must always go to the Government, if they want cake, and pay forced allegiance in the process, in return. The above doesn't sound too far away from the theories and recommendations of Sir John Maynard Keynes. One must always add, the assumption is that; Health Care, Communication and Education are all tops. It's a tall order, right?

Just as I thought I had given enough into the substance of this topic, I drove to the Café' where I usually handle my IT-matters. A mail had arrived from the Middle East , and it was from a friend with whom yesteryears, I discussed African/Arab politics an awful lot. He wrote a long and interesting analysis of implications of the present scenario in Washington , and the prospects of changing the Middle East antagonism, into peace, once and for all. I was hilarious, because, unlike the stubborn Arab stand, he, like a famous Monarch in his area, seems to be conciliatory, -call it optimistic.

As I started to pen him a reply back, -zack! Lights off!!! As I turned round, and there were about twelve men, all outwardly younger than me. I managed to combine humor, and provocation, and yelled aloud: "Hey! Who knows which party can end the perennial power cuts in our Republic?" The place was chilly-quiet, and I had to break the silence before it would freeze all of us. "That should be the party I would vote for, which could end the senseless power cuts", I concluded. Someone yelled back, defensively, " You should go to Nigeria , and see things for yourself. They have NEPA, and that is believed to say, NEVER EXPECT POWER ALWAYS." After all of them exhausted the ensuing laughter, he added, "In Nigeria , every rich man has three generators in his house" I replied him, he should try and compare us to America for a change. His reaction was wild, and yelled back, " America is an advanced country. You can't compare us to America !" I wasn't going to let go. "How about Singapore , or Taiwan ? The mighty America learns a couple of new tricks from the countries I mentioned", I concluded.

I heard from among the lot, one person who wouldn't lift up his head, but managed to utter, "It is all attitudinal matter. We need to change our attitude." None said anything thereafter. It seems we expect that one day, we would wake up, and every Ghanaian has gone though the 'attitudinal change we seem to be talking about. In Germany , two names so different helped them. One was Otto von Bismark, (the Iron Chancellor, who shaped their social security), and the other, (it would surprise you), Adolf Hitler minus NAZISM (who built the Autobahns). Look among us yourselves, and get us two men, (I would suggest a living Kwame Nkrumah, minus PDA, whom do you suggest?) THE ATTITUDINAL CHANGE WON'T COME ABOUT BY ITSELF, and that's for sure!