Advice Of A Freedom Fighter

Here is what Kammie Holder is writing elsewhere – Credit to Nation Newspaper 30/07/2010

Kammie Holder

I recently had a rather enlightening dream that involved freedom fighter and National Hero “General” Bussa. The general was in tears. I think it necessary for me to share with you the wise counsel of the general. This is no ordinary general or freedom fighter; he’s barefooted, unpretensive and forceful with his strong African accent.

He reminded me that no struggle in life is easy and there will always be house slaves, who will forget they were once field slaves. They will betray you in order to maintain their fickled token status.

His succinct advice to me was be ethical and honest in whatever I do and never sacrifice morality for material wealth.  The calmness of this man who fought many a wars against the coloniser was baffling.

I enquired of the general, why he was crying. He calmly said the freedoms we as Barbadians now enjoy are being taken for granted. Much blood was shed, women were raped, houses were burnt and even children were hanged, he reminded me. What we now know as souse, said the general, was actually tossed to the yard slaves and dogs as waste. However, it was a good source of protein.

Watch Out For The Interactions Between Food And Drugs

Submitted by Doc GP

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Coming To Barbados: A North American City (1)

Submitted by Looking Glass

Prime Minister David Thompson is pictured as he delivered the feature address at the ground-breaking ceremony for Pickering Development Court 1 in St.Lucy, last Sunday.

A group of Caribbean, United States entrepreneurs and other interests operating under the name of North Ridge Development Company will commence construction of 1161 residential units. Among other things the project will include a 200 unit hotel, a private day care centre, a primary school to accommodate 350 pupils, recreational amenities, heritage parks, lakes, an amphitheatre, bus terminal and a sewerage treatment plant. Also in the works doctors offices, health clinic, pharmacy, professional offices, beauty and barber shops, supermarket, convenience stores and a cinema (Nation 5/19.2010).

The project has the potential to provide the socio-economic base required to ensure harmonious and sustainable development of St Lucy. Really? So Pickering is slated to become another city. May I ask for whom?

Does the PM (or anyone) really believe that a group of foreigners, in reality a foreign company in the money business, in reality a bank, is going to build a North American type “holistic city” in St Lucy for Bajans to live in? No wonder an eminent professor opined that he needed to return to school

For years now the hotel industry has been plagued with excess capacity. The probability of filling the excess in the near future remains remote, yet there will be another hotel.

Senator Boyce Breaks His Silence

Sen. Darcy Boyce, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Investment, Telecommunications and Energy

Senator Darcy Boyce will break his silence tonight at 7.30PM (VOB Radio). The hosting of a Press Conference at this time when most people expected that the Budget was imminent has come as a surprise to BU. Does it mean that the budget will be further delayed? Perhaps this is an attempt to do some damage control given the recent gaffe by Senator Jepter ‘physical deficit’ Ince. The rise of Boyce over Estwick is also an interesting side issue. We will find out shortly.

To kick off the discussion a recent comment by Conrad should do the trick:

American Airlines Direct Flights From Dallas/Fort Worth To Barbados

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge

The recent announcement of a new direct non-stop service from Dallas to Barbados with American Airlines, scheduled to start on 16^th December is more good news and offers tremendous opportunities for our tourism industry. According to the DFW Airport Board, Dallas/Fort Worth handled over 56 million passengers last year from 175 destinations. 60 per cent of these passengers were connecting from other cities.

The greater metropolitan area of Dallas is the largest in the south and the fourth highest population on any similar urban area in the United States, boasting over 6.5 million residents (source: US Census Bureau). But even with these impressive statistics, it could well prove that our biggest marketing tool will be beyond this new gateway.

There is no doubt in our experience that many of our guest’s loath going through Miami for connecting flights, especially the more mature repeat guests. Dallas will present in many cases an improved alternative, reducing the connection time and overall travel duration.

Wisdom That Can’t Be Taught; It Must Be Lived

Hartley Henry - Principal Political Advisor to the Hon. Prime Minister

I think a big debt of gratitude is owed to those “seasoned” Barbadians who, in the depths of the current economic crisis, have taken the time to remind us who we are, what we have, where we have been as a nation and where we can go. That these wise men and women realize that times are tough goes without saying. They are not “partisan political yardfowls” looking for my approbation or anyone else’s. They speak from experience and from the heart.

We all know that nothing beats sheer experience. One is able to distill it so easily when one reads and digests the simplicity and clarity of message of some of our writers who do our country a great public service by not just calling us to arms in tough times – but calling us to arms with a specific purpose.

The quiet and enduring advice of a grand-mother who worked the fields, came home at night and scaled and cleaned fish, prepared lunch, pressed school clothes, found a tithe for Church on Sunday and raised a family of 8 or 10. Many of them are in their seventh decade and they have seen this island of ours go through the biggest modern upheavals – political, economic and social. Yet their abounding dedication as Barbadians does not cease. They quietly go about their business balancing their books and maintaining their faith.

The fisherman who risked his life every day going to sea in a Moses, never daunted and never deterred, and who often fished, sold, kept records and collected debts without being able to read or write. He then raised a family, built a house and achieved his dreams. He watches CNN too but he also knows that Barbados has beaten the odds before.

The Machiavellian Face Of Barbadian Politics

Submitted by People’s Democratic Congress (PDC)

This week’s focus is on a type of political psychology that can be described as Machiavellian politics, and on the extent to which it does have relevance to Barbadian politics – using Robert Greene’s book – The 48 Laws of Power, as a theoretical fulcrum from which to  assess such relevance. The primary reasons why we in the PDC have decided so early in this series of articles to touch on this area are:

1) to highlight a type and method of politics/psychology in the body politic of this country in which at this juncture there is no specialized, evidence-based literature on the instances of, the causes/effects of, and the local political figures involved in these local political machinations and deceptions – the only literature that comes close are Angela/Gary Cole’s – the Khaki Boys, etc;

2) to educate and inform as many people in Barbados and elsewhere as possible – out of those who are unaware – as to the fact that it is ideologized and practiced – one one extreme – with brute force, and on the other extreme – with cunning guile – in almost every sphere and institution in every country, political parties, churches, families, masonic lodges, etc., and by countless people, esp. political leaders and other personalities, in those spheres and institutions;

3)to let as many people in Barbados and elsewhere as possible – out of those who are unaware – as to the fact that its counterpart in international relations is REALISM/the realist theory.

Wikipedia, in citing the Oxford English Dictionary definition for  Machiavellianism, states that it is the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct, deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe (The Prince) and other works. Wikipedia also puts forward that, in psychology, Machiavellianism is “a term that some social and personality psychologists use to describe a person’s tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain.”

The Endless Harvest Of Crooked Politicians In Barbados: It’s “we the people’s” Fault

Submitted by Austin

Acting Prime Minister Mr. Freundel Stuart

Many months ago I wrote a piece titled What Will It Take with references to the reluctance of the Bajan people to openly speak up and out again the unethical behaviour of many of our elected officials past and present. The status quo of stalling political and social progress in areas like FOI legislation and reform, coupled with bar side deal making is totally undermining our democracy, and the will of the masses of Bajan people.

We appear to have an every man and woman for themselves mindset as a people, with many corrupt politicians and officials banking on that reality to do there dirty deeds. The personal fear of loosing that big or small job from unknown party faithfuls if one speaks out, acts like an invisible muzzle for many, or even most.

While BU represents an Internet based forum for free speech on matters, these forums in themselves is not enough to shine the light for the masses on social and political challenges that plague our democracy. It is to this point that the primary mass media outlets in Barbados do the Bajan people a grave injustice.

What Is Your Connection To Peter Allard Minister Lowe?

Minister Denis Lowe (1) Peter Allard (r)

On the island  they call it ‘thieving’ (Teeving) endemic in a country where one learns to blame 200 years of oppression against the master (white) even when they have been independent for 40 years —this is how the politicians, the lawyers and the whole cartel rip off the system and get away with no follow up or enforcement – Peter Allard

Barbadians may recall the Cash for Questions Scandal – in October 1994 when The Guardian newspaper alleged that London’s most successful parliamentary lobbyist, Ian Greer of Ian Greer Associates, had bribed two Conservative Members of Parliament in exchange for asking parliamentary questions, and other tasks, on behalf of the controversial Egyptian owner of Harrods department store, Mohamed Al-Fayed. The Guardian’s story alleged that Al-Fayed had approached the paper and accused Ian Greer of paying, most notably, Neil Hamilton.

The UK scandal exposed from within the bowels of what is considered by many the bastion of Western democracy, the opportunity for the super rich to attempt to influence government policy. BU’s conclusion from the affair is that, if it can happen in the UK in can definitely happen in Barbados. It is why BU has always been apprehensive about Prime Minister David Thompson’s proposal to invite investment to Barbados by wooing foreign philanthropists.  The openly materialistic lifestyles of some of our politicians make our environment ripe for corruption. In the absence of Freedom of Information and Integrity legislation in Barbados politicians who are unsure about the implications of their actions do not have to be concerned about penalties.

BU recently read a transcript of a conversation between Member of Parliament William Duguid and Kathleen Davis principal behind the Keltruth Blog which is funded by Peter Allard. It is the right of William Duguid to have a conversation with whoever he desires. What concerned BU was the ease with which Duguid exchanged information, some of which we consider a sensitive nature, with a party (Davis) with whom he did not have a relationship. BU has been able to gain access to the complete files of K. William McKenzie filed in public domain with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The AFC Must Not Fulfil Edmond Burke’s Timeless Prophecy

Submitted by Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

The principle of political exclusion articulated in the AFC’s statement of July 24, 2010 may transpose, if not obviate, consideration of that party’s political philosophy. Until now, the AFC’s ethos seemed stimulating and revitalizing to Guyana’s political culture – it endowed the party with an enviable momentum as general elections speculation become rife and election manoeuvrings gain primacy in the ruling PPP. But Guyana’s political history is replete with lessons of parties that adopt insular policies that paralyzed their evolution and reduced them to mere academic instruction – mere footnotes of history. In this regard, Edmund Burke’s axiom “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” proves timeless, and seems to have been envisaged for this circumstance. Is the AFC doomed to repeat history?

The AFC’s statement affirmed its executive committee’s determination that “Alliances and partnerships should be forged with the majority decision being that the AFC, as early as is possible, proceed to forge alliances with civic society groups, like-minded political entities, and even personalities from both the PPP/C and the PNC/R, but not with the PPP/C or the PNC/R as political organizations. The pre-election exclusion of the latter two from the process of alliance building and partnership was in recognition that these two parties are wholly incompatible with the AFC, which is the Party of the future; and, that the AFC ultimately will not be able to maintain its identity and core principles if it were to ally with either one of them.”