One of the nice things about traveling is that sometimes you have no idea what’s going on, and so when you’re faced with ads and slogans, you have no choice but to take them at face value.

Here in St. Vincent, there are numerous large red signs, sometimes adorned with large looming faces, with a slogan that’s hard to argue with:

Better than what, I have no idea. Than the alternative, I guess. Or better than ULP used to be. Or better than being mauled by a rabid cougar, maybe. But ULP is better, anyhow. By far. All over the island. Three exclamation points.

Turns out ULP is a major political party, and yep, they won the last election. Possibly because they were better. Than being mauled. By far. !!!

Actually, I find this preferable to political marketing in the US. Phrases like “clear skies,” “healthy forests” and “war on terror” actually invert reality, the same way 1950s TV tobacco ads dressed actors as doctors to make smoking look healthy. “Better by far!!!” is so direct, sincere, and inspecific that I find myself feeling almost wistful. If they were also “new and improved,” I believe I could live here happily.

I also love that the ruling political party’s acronym is a word used in cartoons to indicate a sudden realization of doom.

In a lot of countries, that’s damn near truth in advertising.