Photo Ops in the Midst of Crisis

It is a press briefing. An important one. 

It will be broadcast live like all the others. A Minister of State is going to be explaining the President's almost weekly policy statements and various other state officials and high level experts will be on-hand to answer questions from eager journalists who claim to ask the questions on our behalf. It is just as well, people like me do not want to hang around other people at this time anyway.

I want to understand what the President meant when he promised free water for the populace for 3months, and free electricity for some. I want to be clear the President's tax breaks, somehow cover people like me even though I know better. And I want to know how the homeless and daily wage earners are going to access the promise of free meals without the provision of shelters even if temporary. I had suggested (to a friend in conversation of course) that perhaps managed temporary shelters would be one way of containing and protecting many people who live on our streets. That way we would likely be able to take them off the streets, provide them with food and the bare necessities for the period without worrying about their daily livelihood, monitor their health statuses and intervene effectively should there be the need. I had imagined this would be possible if organized at the level of each district in the country. Anyway, it does not look like it is a suggestion being considered in the corridors of power; even my friend was not so taken by it. So I make myself comfortable in front of my television and hope for some relief. 

The Minister goes through introductory formalities. He tells his audience, including me, that before getting into the day's briefing, there are 5 companies who want to make contributions to support the governments efforts. I am thinking what that has to do with the briefing? The contribution could have been presented already and the list of contributors run on the screens or mentioned. But the Minister cannot hear my thoughts and I am clearly not knowledgeable in these matters.

The first company is invited to the podium. The company official takes us through the protocols. He treats us to the history of the company he represents and its operations in the country. He then offers some words of encouragement to the populace in general. His company is in this with all of us, he says. Another Minister of state is now invited to receive the contribution from the company official. He mounts the podium and gets through the 'protocols', reminds us what a great thing this company is doing and blah d blah d blah. Then the cameraman gets into action. All officials must take their turn. 

Its about 20 minutes into the briefing now. I figure I will not get my answers at this briefing.  There are 4 more company presentations  to get through and I don't care much for what is being labeled as corporate social responsibility.