Come Join Club Senate

The Senate

Our parliamentary system of government with its likeness to the British Westminster Model has served us well in a post-Independence period, over fifty years.  What has become evident is the disappearance of preferential tariffs and quotas which previously benefited developing countries like Barbados.  What this means for Barbados an island not endowed with natural resources is the necessity for its people to be trained and the body of expertise created leveraged to the hilt for the sake of national productivity.

Some changemakers opine that any useful change must be led. If Barbados is to continue to build on its social and economic prosperity the Parliament of Barbados must be one of the agents leading the way. However if our parliament is to act as an agent to promote change some changes will be required.

A good place to start is the Senate, a proverbial talk shop whose sole purpose appear to be to rubber stamp laws agreed by the lower house. Lost within the Senate are Senators who act as ministers and parliamentary secretaries in government who are not obligated to speak about the peoples business in any  obligatory way. For example, there is Senator The Hon. Darcy Boyce who many will argue carries one of the most important portfolios given the prevailing economic climate,  that of  Minister of State with responsibility of Finance, Investment, Telecommunications and Energy. Why should Barbadians support a system of government that allows Senator Boyce to hide from the public in the Senate. BU’s research confirms Senator Boyce has delivered 5 speeches in 32 Senate sittings. Would it not make sense if Minister Darcy Boyce operated in a parliamentary system which required him to join his colleagues on the front bench of the House of Assembly?

What Does The Bible Really Say About The Sons Of Abraham – And What Will It Take For This Dysfunctional Family To Become As One?

Submitted by Terence Blackett

In the book of Isaiah 60: 6, 7 the prophet says:

“The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah: all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense: and they shall forth the praises of the Lord.. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance upon mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.”

To first of all understand these two verses, we must first be able to explain and understand what or who is Midian, Ephah, Sheba, Kedar and Nebaioth based on Biblical history.

In Genesis 25, we discover something very unique in the Word of God. Many well-meaning theologians, pastors and teachers ignore the Scriptures or simply are blind sided by prejudice as to what God is trying to say and show.

Most Christians today understand and are taught that Abraham had 2 lines of posterity. In actual fact, Abraham had 3 lines.

Let us start with Midian. As you read Gen. 25:1-2, the Bible says:

“Now Abraham married again, Keturah was his new wife and she bore him several children: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. And Jokshan had two sons Sheba and Dedan… The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher…all these were the children of Keturah…”

CADRES Survey Findings, Alliance For Change (AFC) May Hold Balance Of Power In Guyana Election

AFC Leader Attorney at Law Raphael Trotman

The anticipated election in Trinidad and Tobago is now history and Patrick Manning’s People’s National Movement (PNM) has been retired to the opposition benches. Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning in a fit of dementia decided to go back to the electorate almost two and a half years before the election was constitutionally due. He must of thought the T&T electorate was of his own state of mind. Perhaps Manning like Erskine Lloyd Sandiford before him believed it was better to sacrifice it all as a catalyst to usher in a rebirth of their respective parties.

Guyana’s election is the next which will be followed with heightened interest for more reasons than one. The election is constitutionally due in about twelve months. For those who have been following developments in recent years it could prove an important election for Guyana and by extension the Caribbean. The Indo-flavoured government of Bharat Jagdeo has been at the end of a flood of corruption and racially motivated charges in recent months. If one can judge from the level of emigration flows to the smaller and less resource rich neighbouring islands, conclusions can be drawn that the incumbent government has not been creating enough opportunities to reasonably satisfy its domestic market.

Regional Pollster Peter Wickham of CADRES has whetted the appetite of the pundits by issuing a Press Release (credit to Peter Wickham – summary of a March 2010 survey) which makes for interesting reading. One year out it looks like Mr. Raphael Trotman’s Alliance For Change (AFC) is a third party which cannot be ignored. Of interest to many is the support of the incumbent PPP/Civic, still leading the pack and this is despite a barrage of accusations alleging corruption in government.

CARICOM Stuck In Low Gear

The financial crisis has led to fears of a meltdown in the eurozone, and to social unrest, particularly in Greece. Photograph: Sakis Mitrolidis/AFP/Getty Images

A perusal of the several articles which end up in the BU inbox always make for interesting reading. One of the benefits of blogging is the opportunity to be exposed to many issues which come from many sources at a never ending pace. A recent article which appeared in the UK Guardian titled In a financial crisis, what counts is what works supports the point (credit to:Looking Glass).  The following extract from the article has resonated with us all week:

Belief in Europe was just as messianic – and just as bonkers – as belief in the market. The idea was that you could take a dozen or more countries of wildly differing economic performance, with entirely disparate cultures, and bolt them harmoniously together. What’s more, you could do this without a common language to facilitate labour mobility or a common budget to transfer resources from rich countries to poor countries.

During the bubble years these fundamental design flaws were kept hidden, but they have been exposed by the crisis. Low interest rates allowed countries on the periphery to grow strongly for a while, covering up their steady loss of competitiveness against the country at Europe’s core, Germany. The financial crash resulted in a deep recession, soaring budget deficits and fears in the financial markets of debt default.

The only factor mentioned by the author of the article if the same observation were to be made about CARICOM/CSME is to accept we have a common language when compared to the EU.

Compulsory Acquisition Of Brighton Land

Submitted by Kammie Holder

Senator Dr. Frances Chandler

Minister Benn,

Having heard the comments during yesterday’s debate made by you, Senator McClean (it is unlikely that this land would be used for agriculture) and Senator Ince (these two parcels are not viable agricultural land) regarding the Brighton land being acquired by government, I feel obliged to clarify the matter, since in my opinion, the impression has been given that I have presented inaccurate information.

These two plots of land being acquired are portions of fields that have been in agriculture for centuries. I have attached photographs of the two fields where the strips are being acquired.

For your further information, Brighton was initially approached regarding the acquisition of part of a field near the plantation yard which was irrigable and used for vegetable production. Bearing in mind government’s thrust to produce more food, Brighton lodged an objection which was accepted, and government then requested these two plots, which the plantation agreed to, albeit under duresse. Brighton, in my opinion, is one of the best (if not the best)managed and most efficient producers of sugarcane and vegetables in the island.

Something Is Happening Barbados, What Are We Going To Do About It?

Credit:Nation Newspaper

In the wake of a recent revelation regarding the growing number of gangs, Barbadians have reacted as a deer would facing the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. The current media coverage of the Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke matter in Jamaica has exposed to Barbadians how gangs can take root to destroy a community. The jury is out on whether it will destroy Jamaica. Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston Jamaica has now attained the reputation as the most famous garrison community in the world. The Jamaicans appear to be crowding the news of late or so it seems.

Barbados Is Working…because of Bajans

Hartley Henry - DLP Political Strategist

Prime Minister Thompson was spot on when over the weekend he alluded to the clout and might of Barbadians and other West Indians living in Great Britain and other parts of the Diaspora. Many of us tend to view our friends and relatives living in those adopting countries as minorities, but, if you stop for a moment and think, you would come around to appreciating how very influential we really are.

Bloc voting is the ploy of many special interest groups around the world. In parts of the United States of America, there is the labour vote, the tobacco growers vote, the gays and lesbians vote, the pro life vote and even the animal lovers vote. They group together and lobby for the promotion and protection of their particular interests and, in many swing States, they succeed in precipitating action; as their support is often times critical to the outcome of an electoral race.

Mr. Thompson was correct when he said that the new coalition government in Great Britain could not ignore the voice and influence of West Indian voters, because in an election as hard fought as that of two weeks ago, it is clear that such a large special interest group can make or break a governing party.

I have no doubt that millions of West Indians were among the swing voters who went to the polls and put Gordon Browne out to pasture. I have no doubt that those said West Indians are hopeful of real and meaningful change under Prime Minister Cameron. My thesis on this occasion, however, is that they simply cannot sit idle and wait to be noticed. They cannot hope that their individual Members of Parliament will remember and honor campaign pledges. My view is that they have got to keep up the lobby for early and positive action.

Banking Crises: A Sequel Of “Inglorious Basterds” Who Engineer Deprivation, Loss And The Decimation Of Private Property

Submitted by Terence Blackett

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. – Persian proverb

Timothy Geithner (Obama’s economic “spin-merchant”) was in London last week to meet with George Osbourne – the new (“green-around the ears” Chancellor of the Exchequer) and as I looked at these two young whippersnappers, I realized why the current economic climate lacks vision, forethought and real men of true wisdom.

At the same time, I saw this age-old convoluted paradigm, all too reminiscent of the positional asphyxiation for which rich and powerful families and individuals find themselves is due to wanton greed and avarice – manipulating the destiny of men by wrecking markets to induce their agenda upon the world.

Theorists like CRUSOE* et al are firm in their convictions arguing that since the engineered market crash of 1929* caused “The Great Depression” – modern capitalism has seen a combination of crashes and crunches spanning a period of more than 7 decades – with a cumulative history which covers many hundreds of years dating as far as the 1700’s.

An even earlier part of that history reminds us of the Florentine Medici family (cf. Machiavelli) who were the catalysts behind putting 3 Popes – Leo X; Clement VII in the 16^th century and later Leo XI who was elected Pope in April 1605 (and died within the month) into the Vatican (a city within a city – a nefarious mausoleum of cryptic artefacts, stolen priceless objects and stolen African “GOLD” reserves held by Jewish conspirators which could put the world economy in the ‘green’).

The power of the Popes over the ages have had a multifarious, yet malevolent influence on politics, art and architecture – this has been in part due their pre-eminence in European banking, in cahoots with the Medici Bank which was the most powerful European institution of its time, resulting in the Medici’s for a time being the wealthiest family in Europe (that is until the emergence of the Jewish Rothschild’s dynasty).