Sometimes when we read some of the comments posted on Barbados Underground or listen to comments in the wider public, we have had to seriously question the political maturity of our nation 41 years after Independence. We admit that no system of government is perfect. We have always admired that in North American and to a lesser extent the British systems of government, there always seem to be the opportunity for elected politicians, whether on the government or the opposition side, to discuss and vote on issues based on their conscience. The blatantly partisan nature of how Barbadians practice politics 41 years after Independence has increasingly given us cause for concern in recent years. It is easy to blame our elected leaders but in their defense people usually get what they deserve. Unless our electorate is prepared to initiate reform by using the many avenues which our democracy provides for feedback then we are afraid it will go on being business as usual.
Many of you are wondering by now why has BU set out in this article to bash a system which on the surface has worked very well for Barbados over the years. Some might say that the politics practiced by Barbados has been the envy of many countries ‘more developed’ than us.
Let us cite two examples to support our point:
Example 1
A few months ago, the Leader of the Opposition David Thompson publicly voiced a position that the government should find a way to enroll many of our unemployed young people in a program to teach them skills. He further suggested that they should be paid a stipend for their effort. This suggestion was immediately ridiculed by government and its supporters and has been trivialized to the point where the suggestion is now familiarly known as the ‘bus fare and lunch money’ initiative.
Example 2
Last month, Prime Minister Owen Arthur suggested that in the face of the skyrocketing cost of living Barbadians should go back to cultivating ‘back gardens’ as a means to reduce their grocery bills and to promote healthy living. Again, this suggestion was ridiculed by the Democratic Labour Party and supporters.
The truth is if we examine both suggestions through non-partisan eyes anybody with commonsense can glean that there is merit in the suggestions. Instead the perception has been allowed to fester in our society that to engage in backyard farming should not be a priority for Barbadians. We have listened to all manner of excuses offered by the DLP to explain why Barbadians should be insulted at the idea and the list goes on — we have no space in the ‘heights and terraces’ to cultivate vegetable gardens or our busy lifestyles don’t encourage it, etc. Response from the BLP regarding the ‘bus fare and lunch money’ suggestion. The suggestion has been so ridiculed that in our view there is a stigma associated with the words ‘bus far and lunch money’ .
The two examples in our opinion paint a picture of the political culture of our island which we think needs to be arrested. The success of our island has always rested on the intellectual capital of our people. In the global economy which Barbados is forced to compete for its survival the need to use our intellectual capital efficiently is being compromised by the wastage caused by rabid partisan politics.
Forty one years after our Independence as we approach ‘middle age’ the time has come to dispense with some of the old politics!
notesfromthemargin // December 4, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I seem to have a fan
Took the trouble to respond to me without even a mention of the article.
Once again. I rest my case
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yes duly noted, ….fan and not fanS. Anon pick sense from that and stop being an Army of one.
Georgie Porgie // December 4, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Since I have known myself my mother -now in her late 70’s has kept a kitchen garden. She often made money in doing so.
My ex wife came to Bim and followed my mother’s example and she too has maintained a kitchen garden for almost 30 years- and also make money on the side in so doing.
Now my daughter in law is doing the same.
It matters not whose idea it is. It is not about politics. A backyard kitchen garden is a great thing.
The late Colin Hudson patented the tire garden and a lovely example of one at the Future Centre Trust where he lived.
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GP i endorse your post, but feel compel to remind you that the contention isn’t an agrument of whose idea it was. Some people feel annoyed by Owen Arthur ADMONISHING us rather than imploring us to take a second look at kitchen gardening, and more importantly so is the backdrop and context to which he would want to admonish us.
…..Ok let me do it for you. Instead of asking “When will this happened?” asked “How can this be achieved”
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Do not put words in my mouth. I am still insisting when will it happen. Surely, not in our lifetime.
I seem to remember a certain lecturer at UWI railing against Colin Hudson’s tyre gardens as demeaning to the ordinary Barbadian, who “should be given his own piece of land”. Well sorry, sir, but agricultural land has to be turned to housing – you mean you didn’t know? Our food sufficiency has to come from the back yard now, not from the land. Anyhow, despite his criticism of back yard farming, and his denigration of Colin Hudson’s brilliant idea, the lecturer has since become a professor with a knighthood.
frankology // December 4, 2007 at 3:25 pm
…..Ok let me do it for you. Instead of asking “When will this happened?” asked “How can this be achieved”
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Do not put words in my mouth. I am still insisting when will it happen. Surely, not in our lifetime.
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Well please tell how you arrive at your certainty.
Teach the youth modern agricultural skills, give them stipends “lunch money” and “bus fare” in the short term. Focus on quality and yield. Issue certificates and medals to give them a sense of worth, have a ” awards function” for them on completion of the phases. Get up to industrial level production while transitioning away from fossil fuel wastage. Wind, solar, aquaponics etc.
Call it something patriotic, National Youth Food Suppply Rescue Iniative (what a mouthful) make them into heroes, Kill two birds with one stone and the BLP and DLP could shut the FCUK UP.
Or don’t see food as national security, suffer the consequences of Peak Oil and Famine, Government whether B or D needs to get a clue, the stakes are monumentally high.
P.S Sugar is Dead
Peltdownman your comments are extremely interesting and highlights the nonsense that goes on in Bim. It also highlights how we can disrespect the contribution of some and play down that of others.
The professor with the knighthood denigrated Colin Hudson’s brilliant idea in a most impractical way. Tyre gardens are an innovative way of gardening; not only for kitchen purposes but to grow flowers by folk who have limited amounts of land. Only an idiot would say that Barbadians “should be given his own piece of land” when as you correctly point out that agricultural land has to be turned to housing.
As an aside…….
The professor with the knighthood returned from the UK pretending that he forget his lowly roots. He has published widely and been promoted in the UWI and knighted for what I don’t know.
Alvin Thompson and the economist Mr Alleyne and many others taught for their whole carrers at UWI and produced children who have been role models to Barbadian children. They didn’t get any knighthoods.
But a man who has done much less for Bdos and the UWI and who produces a child that goes to Mona to disgrace the country of his birth in a murder trial gets a knighthood. This is indicative of the nonsense that goes on in Bim.
In the trial we were told that the decedent had DEFENCE WOUNDS yet his assailant, the lad who was sent to a certain primary school so HE COULD LEARN HOW THE OTHER SET LIVES got off!
If he was acting in self defense HE would have the DEFENCE WOUNDS and the decedent would not have had 15 stab wounds
When the professor with the knighthood returned from the UK he was fighting Barbados Mutual etc who he fighting now?
It is important to clarify a matter. Some of our articles have been hard hitting against the government since our inception. We are not even going to bother to list them.
Often we witness President Bush rolling up his sleeves, removing his jacket and tie and posing for a photo shoot where his intention is to show that he is a man of the people (blue collar). He does not put on a straw hat, short-pants and sandals. It is accepted as a symbolic position.
We do not operate from the basis that our politicians are malevolent and therefore all that they speak is verbal diarrhea. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are politicians YES but they are also BARBADIANS. Is it inconceivable that some of their mouthing might be sincere?
We accept that feedback about the two being politicians, but are we to accept that the credibility of all public statements made by our politicians should be discounted? We cannot agree.
Georgie Porgie
Get a life.
Anonnymous
what is it that you dont understand about pathology forensic medicine or university promotions ?
A key part of political maturity is the standards that pubic officers are held to. The media and the public plays a key role in this.
I listened to the opposition leader’s presentation today. The charges warranted a response. The Minister of State failed to refute any of the charges. He railed on about his intentions and essential goodness as a person. These were certainly not on trial.
The government seems to be lining up behind the Minister, they clearly do want to grant the opposition a scalp at this time. However, quite frankly, owen has fired ministers for less.
Only public pressure and media can hold the Minister to the standards we expect. Based on the discussion so far, in many democracies the Minister would have to go.
notesfromthemargin // December 4, 2007 at 9:58 am
Good article,
now hang on for all the comments from both sides that demonstrate exactly how politically immature we are.
Marginal
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The article is disingenuous as it refuses mention and discusses the context within which Mr. Arthur made his comments. Mr. Arthur’s photo op was a defensive one at best.
IS this what one can expect from this new alliance between BU and notesfromthemargin?
It is important to clarify a matter. Some of our articles have been hard hitting against the government since our inception. We are not even going to bother to list them.
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So we can expect Notesfromthemargin style of writing from now on? What is forthcomming? “Balance” reporting? will it be at the expense of the truth? After 13 years of power how much balance can one achieve by focusing on the DLP? I’ll switch to watching if that occurs. Notesfromthemargin’s blog is good for reading and hardly ever for responding.
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Often we witness President Bush rolling up his sleeves, removing his jacket and tie and posing for a photo shoot where his intention is to show that he is a man of the people (blue collar). He does not put on a straw hat, short-pants and sandals. It is accepted as a symbolic position.
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Who accepts it???? and clearly on those occasions when he does his photo op and it is after the fact, he is redicule to no end for it. When he flew over New Orleans only to visit with sleeves roll up after the fact, it was to little to late, for what was a defensive photo op. Your point again was??? I’ll tell you mind again because i am certain it is closer to the truth. After Owen Arthur was admonish by Barbadians for attempting to dismiss their legitimate concerns about high retail prices by he himself attempting to admonish them to get back to their kitchen gardens, he then had to stage a poorly orchestrated photo op to ease the tention, and rather than do that it caused him further redicule. Do not pretend to be an expert in forking while hold it like a shovel.
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We do not operate from the basis that our politicians are malevolent and therefore all that they speak is verbal diarrhea. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are politicians YES but they are also BARBADIANS. Is it inconceivable that some of their mouthing might be sincere?
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I will dismiss this as a self-serving generalization, I am not making such a claim and i have sought to keep my opinions focus on the comments of the PM and the subsequent defensive photo op.
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We accept that feedback about the two being politicians, but are we to accept that the credibility of all public statements made by our politicians should be discounted? We cannot agree.
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If these statements, each on there own merit, can be judged thru our ability to reason,… and any one of them warrants to be discounted why not?
BU just so you know I have sent 5 .jpg files i received to a graphics specialist to have the blackouts removed to reveal the hidden content there under, after which i will publish them online in addtion to sending them out for review and concideration to be sent yet further.
David i will view the article above as an attack of the character of all Barbadians, and i will further discount it as disengenuous, and a malicous unwarranted attack on the wrong people. This opinion of immaturity has got to be place on the political class in particular the ones in our current parliament, where there is a collection of amoral individuals. We have drunkards, known and admitted thieves, known lawbreakers so noted by guilty judgements against them in a court of law, dishonesty and a clear propensity to lie is rampant. Some say that this is a reflection of the wider society and this may justify your attack, and so it maybe, but this catchment this sample of the community from which these things are apparent is at the very head of the society. Why would anyone want to keep a rotted head while at the same time exclaim concerns and a willingness to make changes in the soceity as a whole? Where do we start? don’t we usually start at the head?
We all know full well people in bim vote for a political parties and a party is only as strong as its leader. So once the majority of the population is on board with a particular leader it’s safe to safe his party will more than likely win an election.
We already know the St. Michael area is the out bed in any election and this bed is going to be on fire come election time. Now it’s really a matter to see if the donkeys will follow the carrot being held up for the change of political parties or the carrot held by their present PM
A government of a country can only be as morel as the people that select and allow it to rule.
We spend too much time pushing our own agenda and not coming up with helpful solutions or new ideas to push this island and the region on the whole forward if you ask me.
Rene // December 5, 2007 at 6:09 pm
We spend too much time pushing our own agenda and not coming up with helpful solutions or new ideas to push this island and the region on the whole forward if you ask me.
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Ok i am asking you……
Is this comment directed at me?
If so what what agenda am i pushing?
And what problems exist that you would wish for me to put forward solutions too?