Anybody who can report on news can become a journalist. If Barbados is the educated society we brag about finding people to come forward should not be that difficult. We in the BU household do not consider ourselves journalists but it is said sometimes that the blind shall lead the way.

Now you see why we have to continue to thank and prase the blogs such as BU & BFP for providing and out let such as this one.

But, because, we, esp. of the masses of people of Barbados, are no longer existing in those times, but are living in greater times of enlightenment and progression, it must be the duty of the People’s Democratic Congress – a progressive party of the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados – to let Professor Howard know in NO UNCERTAIN terms that gone are those days when so-called highly trained university lecturers in Barbados and elsewhere, would rationalize that they had the monopoly on the conceptualization, analysis and dissemination of the greater forms of appropriate ideas, theories, and models for assisting in the further growth and development of any society of this world or segments of it. As well, that gone are those days when they used to think that they had this automatic right to enthrall and enchant throngs of unquestioning, supine and genuflecting followers, esp. university students, who were very much the hapless recipients of the indoctrinations and shibboleths they were spewing forth.

Why we make those kinds of opening remarks is, indeed, in light of a story on the front page of the Nation Newspaper of Thursday, January 31, 2007, and under the big bold caption: LEAVE VAT! That this story so verily sought to depict Mr. Howard in the imagery of a reactionary neo-colonial thinker is indeed apposite to what might be a rather ill-considered and absurd view of his that he is the leading taxation economist in Barbados. Truly, we make this bold speculative statement given that, for us, ECONOMICS is really the inverted political ideology, philosophy and psychology of the then industrializing European elites, ruling classes, and their supporters, and has therefore been an old dehumanizing discipline used by them and their descendants to assist in the domination and exploitation of Europeans of the lower classes and non-Europeans worldwide. Economics has thus been very anti-national planning and development where Barbados is concerned. Therefore, who in their most conscious and right mind would want that type of acclaim – the leading taxation economist in Barbados, esp. given the just preceding information and the information following?

So, here is it that we have an old economics theortician who, inspite of the havoc and distress that TAXATION has long been wrecking on the integrity of the production and distribution sytems of Barbados over the years, and who, in spite of the oppression and exploitation that this said TAXATION system has been meting out to esp. the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados over the years, would go on to utter that the VAT should not be tampered with and should not be dealt a mighty blow, even. Since its introduction in 1997, the VAT has been very draconian and harmful in its impact on the masses and middle classes, and on the industrial and commercial affairs of this country. Could you imagine that this middle class citizen of Barbados would be so unwisely valiant in defence of this VAT system – another Eurocentric invention that would really have been designed to help bring about all of this untold damage (helping to bring about the skyrocketing cost of living, etc.) that it has so far been wrecking the livelihoods of the masses and middle classes of people of Barbados and elsewhere?

Any how let us tell this nutty professor something: that, unlike him, many Barbadian people, businesses and other entites are becoming more enlightened about what is really TAXATION – inclusive of the fact that it is a very harmful component of ECONOMICS – and about what are many of TAXATION’s destructive effects. They are fast recognizing that TAXATION is theft; theft by the state and its relevant agents of many portions of the incomes of the relevant persons, businesses and other entities in Barbados. Therefore, having already known that theft is an evil act, process, or thing, they are fast coming to realization that TAXATION is also evil and wrong. Which means that TAXATION is an abominable, diabolical and an anti-people’s method that the leaders and managers of state use to arrive at most of the money that they say has to be spent on these various things that they say the state has to involve itself in. Indeed, Mr. Howard, in his half baked contribution in the said Nation Newspaper, does fail to account for some of these destructive ideological, philosophical and structural underpinnings supporting the origins and maintenance of this vile and murderous TAXATION system. Finally, Mr. Howard must be told too that notwithstanding his old, dingy and failed thinking related to the VAT and TAXATION, that such will NOT be enough to stop the time that is fast approaching when NO longer in Barbados will TAXATION be carried out, as that it SHALL BE ABOLISHED by a future and very enlightened PDC Government, supported by an enlightened and progressive masses and middle classes in Barbados.

PDC

What is this here in Barbados? I know there is a culture of not keeping to time (I’ve read Harold Hoyte’s “How To Be a Bajan”) and I am quite comfortable with this in social events. But when it comes to public services, libraries, government health centres AND the private practices of doctors (see the waiting in their rooms, even though you have an appointment, etc. commitment to timekeeping is dismal, to say the least.

My last experience at the QEH was that, even though I had an appointment time, I was told this same time was given to everyone, and then we waited. And of course, there was plenty of queue-jumping.

McEnearny’s have a ticket system, but the tickets in my local Health Centre are dog-eared and possibly chewed over the years, I hope nothing nasty is transferred as I sit there with it in my hand! Cable and Wireless Customer Service in Government Hill is now unbelievable – flashing signals, soft voice-over, to keep us in line – I like it!

Sorry for the rant, but come on, Advocate, kick some-one’s butt and update your website. I do not buy the paper version anymore. Perhaps should send this to the Advocate!!

After our recent election, the newspapers and the politicians fear the blogs.

Good.

It might help to keep them honest.

Does the Nation ever write articles to say that the Advocate mentioned them?

Both Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground have an idiotic policy of posting notices whenever any mention is made of them in the established press, and it makes you look childish and unprofessional.

Jokers.

Shows their ignorance doesn’t it. To be fair to them we have been attacking them so we have to be prepared to take it. In the coming weeks we will be returning the favour.