Nogo to Yahgo ****

The king of Nogo had a good life. He and his innumerable wives, children and assorted hangers-on enjoyed the pinnacle of luxury. At the expense of his acutely impoverished people. The common folk ate tapioca. And kuna fish. Everyday. They languished in abject poverty. Many died of hunger. Or disease. They had no facilities to speak of. They just existed. Until they died.

This situation continued for generations. Nobody thought things would change. Until Taruna appeared. Inspired by Karl Marx and the Russian Communists, he dreamt of change. He hatched a plot. With a small band of hardcore followers, he hit when the king least expected it. And soon, Nogo had a communist government. Basic facilities were built for the people. Hospitals, schools. A collective farm. Some factories to process tapioca and kuna fish. Things worked, albeit slowly. People were happy to receive some Government help. But the economy was a shambles. Inefficiency pervaded everything. Stores with bare shelves were everywhere. And soon, power corrupted, as always. Once Taruna passed on, internal strife tore the Government apart. Soon things were almost back to the days of the king. Except that the upper echelon Communist cadres had replaced the Royal family. Life was a struggle again for the common Nogoan..

Emerile was an intense young man. He watched as his father and others fished in the coastal waters of Nogo. But he was not content with the kuna. He had huge ambitions. He built support among the disgruntled youths. He stoked their fire with glorious dreams. “We can be great too. With the right vision. And decisive leadership. We can create wealth for our people.” His charisma was infectious. One day, he struck. The remaining communists were bundled into jail. Emerile’s oratory captured the people’s imagination. The weary people of Nogo rooted for him. He called for elections. The first on Nogo. And he won hands down. He was now President of Nogo.

His first act was to change the name of the country. He renamed it Yahgo.

Emerile launched mega projects. A new jetty, to receive large cruise ships from neighbouring countries. A yacht pier. A golf course. Luxury holiday homes. A round island highway. He promoted the processing and export of the national staple : tapioca and kuna fish.

But there was grumbling everywhere. “Why is he neglecting the basic needs of the people and pandering to the rich foreigners? We need food, not golf courses and yachts. He is even selling our tapioca and kuna to the foreigners !” But Emerile persisted.

Soon, the rich tourists came. In droves, spending their hard dollars on everything Yahgo had to offer. They loved tapioca and kuna fish. What had been the poor man’s meal had become international haute cuisine. The money quickly trickled down to the people. Almost everyone was receiving the largesse. The country was booming. People were beginning to enjoy the good life. Emerile’s strategy had worked. Yahgoans had arrived.