Is This BLP Shame? Considering Truth And Transition

Submitted by George C. Brathwaite

You know my political affiliation; I have been loyal to the BLP and that is where my support lies — with the political party as a mechanism for ensuring our continued liberties as well as the social, economic, and political development of all Barbadians.

I do not need to be caught up in the euphoria of political transitioning, but I will say, that my political party is not necessarily acting in a manner that I would have thought enlightened persons who should know better would respond to whatever challenges that exist.

If Mr. Arthur has the support of the MPs, so be it. If Ms. Mottley has been found wanting for support or sheer alacrity, is there not a better way of dealing with the matter as opposed to what appears vulgar to the sensibilities of Barbadians even though it may resonate with glee in the opposing political party. Is it reasonable to suggest that notwithstanding the popularity of Mr. Arthur, the show that has now become a public debacle is debilitating for the BLP as an institution?

Are We About To Witness A Political Watershed Moment In Barbados? Mia Mottley Holds The Answer

Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands (l) Opposition Leader Mia Mottley (c) Former prime Minister Rt. Hon. Owen S. Arthur (r)

There is the saying a week in politics is a long time. For several months Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has led her troops to push the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government on a number of issues. The more notable have been the CLICO Affair and government’s housing program managed by Minister Michael Lashley. A recent CADRES poll has given Arthur a narrow lead over Mottley in national popularity, according to pollster Peter Wickham this is to be expected given Arthur’s profile as a former Prime Minister. The margin of error in the poll makes the difference irrelevant anyway. Although it has come as no surprise to BU the move by Arthur and cohorts to jettison Mottley as leader of the Opposition, the question arises why has it surprised Mottley and her supporters?

In October 2009 former Prime Minister Owen Arthur staged a press conference at UWI. The level of criticism which Arthur directed at Mottley during that press conference should have sounded the alarm. Dr. George Belle when asked to comment on what was an early sign of Arthur’s perspective on Mottley’s leadership stated the following, “the party decides who is the leader and a leader emerges. If a leader emerges who is a genuine leader, they will sustain their leadership and that is also politics”.

The Arthur cabal has issued Mottley a summons to attend a meeting on Monday at 10 AM. If we are to judge from the utterances of Arthur, Payne and Clarke this week, the decision has been made by a majority of the parliamentary group to support Arthur. Mia’s attendance (under protest if she decides to) would be to receive her job description to list her new role. Mottley has the option to play along, take the matter to the annual conference, cross the floor, resign from active politics or …. Barbadians should know very soon which path the embattled leader of the opposition will take.

Swimming Up Stream #1 – Our Flag

Kammie Holder

On the eve of Barbados 44th Independence I want to speak about our flag and what it should mean to you. What does it mean to you since its adoption as our symbol of independence on November 30, 1966?

Flags stir up emotions in us, that few other symbols can and some persons see it as a national insults to desecrate a nation’s flag.

The blue color in the flag of Barbados represents the sea, and gold symbolizes the golden sands of the island, while the broken trident centered represents the break from our colonial past. “Flag etiquette and flags have been a symbol of human achievement since ancient times. Flags have been used to lead armies to victory and to claim ownership of vast territories. For every Barbadian that sovereign piece of cloth with its blue,gold and black colors of Barbados  should be the embodiment of Pride and Industry. It’s more than a colorful  piece of cloth we call a flag but is a symbol of who we are, what we believe in and where we belong.

Our flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.Thus its an accepted fact that people respect the symbolism of the flag, whether it is your country’s flag or another country’s flag. How many of you unknowingly and knowingly disrespect the highest symbol of our sovereignty? Thus here are some tips on how to and not to treat our Flag.

Securing Greater Freedom And Liberty From The Democratic Labour Party And Barbados Labour Party

Submitted by the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC)

Very often the PDC is on  BU and elsewhere stating categorically that both the DLP and BLP must be KICKED OUT of the parliament of Barbados within seven years time, for all the evils and wrongs that they have over the years been doing to the broad masses and middle classes of the country, and, too, to the otherwise fairly good name of Barbados.

And, to support this assertion we in the PDC have been pointing a lot of Barbadians and non-Barbadians in the direction of the large amount of evidence that exists in this fair land of these diabolical treacherous transgressions that these two intellectually politically bankrupt backward contemptible factions have long been deliberately recklessly committing, especially when they have been at the helm of government of this country.

Too, we have been constantly saying – and in very specific ways – why these factions must be voted to HELL OUT  of the parliament of this country by the majority of voters of this country.

So, even though we are not in a position now – because of spatial constraints -  to recite examples of the above truisms, we will nevertheless continue – with great justification – to drill these truisms into the minds of  many of the masses and middle classes of people of this country.

 

Mia Squeezed, For Failing To Play Ball

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

Anytime I hear a person is arrested, my first question is ‘what’s the crime?’ You just don’t apprehend persons, humiliate them and sentence them without making allegations or setting forth the charges. I recall in the last general elections, where the Democratic Labour Party cleverly and successfully brought a series of charges against then Prime Minister Owen Arthur. In all his ranting and raving on the public platform, he never once addressed or answered the questions. The verdict of January 15th, 2008 suggested that he was tried and found wanting by the electorate and was sentenced. That, to my mind, is natural justice.

This past week we heard of the political arrest and soon to be sentencing of Mia Mottley, but to this day we are yet to be told of the specific charges that are being brought against the Leader of the Opposition.

I am no fan of Mia Mottley. Indeed, this column has been in the forefront of highlighting her shortcomings as a leader. But, from when do I have a say or influence in the running of the Barbados Labour Party? Peter Wickham’s recent poll also highlighted the relatively poor rating of Mottley in the eyes of the general public. But, from when does the leadership of the Barbados Labour Party factor in the views of the public in its decision making?

 

The Politics Of “Never Again”: The White Backlash In Post-Racial “OBAMA’S America” – How the Evils Of Structural And Institutional Racism Is At The Foundations of Modern Socio-Geopolitics

Submitted by Terence Blackett

“If man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” – Martin Luther King’s Speech in Detroit 23^rd June 1963

 

On June 14^th, 2001, George W. Bush in what was meant to be a snide remark to Swedish PM Goran Perrson (though unaware of television cameras still rolling) facetiously opined – “It’s amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity and incumbency.”

Since Bush’s disastrous two-term tenure as president – is anyone really laughing? Where are the LOL’s folks? What did George Bush and his Religious Rights friends do to the American moral landscape – touting the virtues of democracy to the known world while at the same time, living a hypocritical lie immersed in the politics of greed, corruption and destabilization?

As I sat to write this article having imbibed and digested Deepak Chopra’s book – “The Third Jesus”: The Christ We Cannot Ignore, I became even more conscious of how the religious politics and ruminations in American society at this present moment raise sinister challenges which few are truly aware of. Religious voices are muttering everywhere but none of them seem to be making any real sense – especially within the establishment of the Religious Right.

Tourism MATTERS – V

 

Adrian Loveridge - Hotel Owner

As two of the last four Tourism MATTERS columns have been dedicated to the subject, it was refreshing to hear the Minister of Tourism recently state that Barbados would be increasing the use of social media to promote the destination.

This following the earlier appointment of a Director of Social Marketing by the Barbados Tourism Authority’s advertising agency in North America, MMG Worldwide, and their launch of a social media tool called Travel Share.

Not wanting to regurgitate large sections of a MMG media release explaining what the objectives of Travel Share are, it would certainly imply that this agency is at the cutting edge of maximising the benefits from this medium.

It therefore continues to beg the question, why are our tourism policymakers seemingly so slow to fully embrace what is considered by almost every competing territory, an absolute integral part of marketing?

An example is Facebook.

African Snails À La Carte

Thanks to iWatchya

See Related Link: Hard As Snails

The Political Temperature Close To Melting Point In Barbados – DLP BLP Leadership Issue Trumps Economic Issues

Two years adrift from 2013 the political temperature has risen to almost melting point. The sudden and grave illness of Prime Minister David Thompson has exposed a leadership issue in the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in the event he decides to remove himself from the equation. The recent CADRES poll has thrown out Christopher Sinckler as the people’s choice. Unfortunately for the DLP, a party which has recently emerged from the political wilderness of 14 years, it does not* have the political capital to become embroiled in a leadership squabble.

On the other side of the divide the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in the aftermath of an election defeat saw Mia Mottley being elevated to leader of the party. As far as the public was* concerned former Prime Minister Owen Arthur resigned to make room for the young energetic Mottley to takeover.  To the surprise of many, soon after stepping down Arthur held a press conference at the UWI during which he expressed some concerns about Mottley being leader of the party.  It therefore has come as no surprise to BU and political pundits in Barbados to hear of rumblings in the BLP regarding whether Arthur or Mottley should lead the party.

The BLP leadership issue has been given wings in recent days by BLP Chairman George Payne, he indicated that he was unaware of Mottley’s interest in taking over the chairmanship of the BLP.  On BU in recent days we got the conflicting position from BLP surrogates that Mottley has indicated interest in taking over the chairmanship of the BLP. It is convention that when the leader of the party expresses such an interest the incumbent steps aside. The taking over the Chair by the leader of the party is usually done as the party gears-up for a general election. In the case of the BLP it could be argued it is more a power play from Mottley.