Tourism Matters XIV–Keeping An Eye On Crime

Adrian Loveridge - Hotel Owner

If I had to name one single issue that could seriously endanger our most important industry, it would be any breakdown in our overall ability to keep our visitors safe and secure. Sadly, it seems that a few of our policymakers, both in tourism and those involved in national security believe that by keeping crime against tourists out of the local media, no-one is going to hear about it. What they do not appear to comprehend is that with the internet, social media and the increasingly popular blogs, it’s almost impossible to keep anything secret.

The days of playing ostrich are gone!

Daily, past victims of crime, their relatives, international media, previous visitors and potentially new ones all visit these sites. It was alarming to recently log onto the Barbados Forum section of the world’s largest travel reference site, Trip Advisor, and see that of the first 20 topics listed, three were crime related.

Government is about to embark on spending a reported BDS$6 million in our largest single market, the United Kingdom, to stimulate forward bookings. More negative headlines like ‘Dream holiday to Barbados that turned into a nightmare after barrister was shot by robber’ in mass circulation publications could seriously diminish the effectiveness of that marketing spend.

Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart Expected To Throw His Backing Behind The Appointment Of Chief Justice Designate Marston Gibson In The Face Of Moves To Build Roadblocks

Chief Justice Designate Marston Gibson

Today’s Nation newspaper headline cries, CJ Hitch!

It was back in August BU broke the story – Barbados Government Selects Next Chief Justice From Outside The Inner Ring – of Marston Gibson’s selection as Chief Justice (CJ) Designate. His appointment was heralded then by Barbados Underground (BU) and we continue to support Gibson’s selection moreso in light of today’s Nation report. It is an open secret, endorsed by many who practice law and interact closely with the Judiciary, it is in urgent need of leadership from the top. A hindrance to accomplishing much needed efficiency within the bowels of our judicature has been the inability of recent CJs to make waste of the boys club of lawyers which has throttled the efficiency and effectiveness of Barbados’ Court System.

The Nation article exposes the move by ‘some’ who have hijacked our Judiciary and now feel threatened by the coming of the 13th Chief Justice from outside the inner ring. We ask Barbadians to support Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart who is unfamiliar in the role of kicking butt, one which the late Prime Minister David Thompson performed with some competency as evidenced by his selection of CJ Designate Gibson. It is instructive when former President of the Barbados Bar Association (BBA) Wilfred Abrahams was asked by the local media to comment on Gibson’s selection he was conditional in his congratulations. He took the opportunity to inform the public that in his opinion suitable home grown candidates were available. On another occasion while on a radio talk show he was heard questioning the non extension of David Simmons’ term. Perhaps all has been explained with the selection of Wilfred Abrahams to represent the Barbados Labour Party in Christ Church East in the coming general election.

Peter Boos Pushing To Make Barbados Entrepreneurial Hub By 2020 – Is He Fighting The Political Ghost Of Sir Lloyd Sandiford?

Submitted by the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC)

Peter Boos

The idea that Mr. Peter Boos has of making sure that Barbados becomes the No. 1 entrepreneurial hub in the world by 2020 – is one big bogus idea.

Such an idea needs to be put alongside that of another big flawed, foolish idea – one which was often bandied about by the last BLP Government in the early 2000s, and one which by mid 2000s had become utterly meaningless  – the bid to make Barbados become a developed country by 2020.

While the PDC has no qualms whatsoever with Mr. Boos’ voicing  support for the development of a strong entrepreneurial culture in Barbados in the long term, we have great difficulty at this stage with this attempt of his to “play” with the minds of many people in this country, with this illusory notion of Barbados becoming the No 1 entrepreneurial hub of the world by 2020.

Furthermore, whereas we do not have any problem with this goodly public figure espousing values consistent with the achievement of a better entrepreneurialism for Barbados, we do have fundamental misgivings with he and his group (Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation) having held a useless ineffectual two-day Barbados National Entrepreneurship Summit in the expensive plushness of a Needham Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, decorated with “flashing lights”, and interrupted with “pulsating music and snazzy slideshows” ( pg. 15 Monday, December 6, 2010, Barbados Business Authority), when, at a point in time of increasing, great hardship and misery for so many thousands in Barbados, he and they could have made use of the ordinary comfort of some community centers, some schools across the country, to put forward real effective ideas to help solve many of the fundamental social, political, material and financial problems presently facing the broad masses and middle classes of people of this country.

What a spectacular dastard shame!!!

Popular Culture And Scientifically Cultivated Ignorance

Submitted by Ras Jahaziel

 

The British explorer, H.M. Stanley was enthralled by the economic prospects Africa had for his country:

He is reported to have said “There are 50 million people beyond the gateway to Congo, and the spinners of Manchester are waiting to clothe them. Birmingham foundries are glowing with red metals that will presently be made into iron-work for them so that our trinkets shall soon adorn those dusty bosoms, and the ministers of Christ are zealous to bring the poor benighted heathens into the Christian fold”

– (H. M. Stanley, Journalist and Explorer)

 

In the above statement it is clear that Slave dealers were not only interested in slave labor, but they also saw Africans as a potential MARKET…. if their wants and desires could be effectively re-arranged. From out of this mercantile desire on the part of Slave dealers sprung a billion dollar industry to manufacture a product called POPULAR CULTURE.

This re-arrangement of the African’s taste buds has been so successful that today the African’s head is stuck in a Macdonald’s box…figuratively and literally. The African is COLLARED AND TIED in the European STRAIGHT JACKET…figuratively and literally. So too are dogs and cats and all domesticated creatures captivated by their taste buds and by their bellies. Just as destructive as the military force that was used to capture the African is the insidious manipulation of popular culture to capture the soul of the African.

CAPTIVATION of a people’s taste buds, CAPTIVATION of their wants, CAPTIVATION of their idea of beauty, CAPTIVATION of their idea of God equals CAPTIVATION OF THEIR MINDS.

VAT Thieves

Submitted by GoWeb Caribbean – (blog written by Caswell Franklyn)

 

Since the election in January 2008, I have refrained from criticising the DLP Government.  As some have suggested, my silence had nothing to do with my becoming a member or supporter of the Dems.  I have not.  I wanted to give the new Government a chance to govern, without me as a distraction.  I also felt then as I do now that the two alternate options offered by the BLP (Arthur and Mottley) were the worst possible choices to be prime minister, and I did not want my comments to be seen as giving aid and comfort to either of them.

While I do not want my criticisms to be of benefit to the current BLP leadership, I must object to some aspects of the 2010 Budget.  I cannot understand the lack of informed opposition to the Budget.  Either they remain on an extended honeymoon, or the country is convinced by the Government’s excuses for its failure to perform adequately by blaming their shortcomings on the global economic crisis.

The Minister of Finance has inflicted devastating tax increases that will hurt the poor and middle classes unnecessarily.  Their apologists claim that those punitive tax increases are for the greater good.  I have no difficulty if that were the case, but I remain unconvinced.  If Government did not believe that it could get away with anything at this time, it would not increase the VAT rate now.  Every effort should have been made to collect the millions that VAT registrants collected from the public and criminally put in their own pockets.

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Did Shell Oil Company Mamaguy The Barbados Government?

Submitted as a comment by Terence Blackett

 

The NATION NEWS piece on the SOUTHERN FARMERS settlement is such arthritic journalism that it boggles my mind that in this day and age (given 21st century technological know how & educational meritocracy) that a leading broad sheet reports are so impotent and lacks even the basics in terms of clarity and understanding…

For one – did not the NATION* reporter responsible for the piece including editorial proofing and oversight recognize that there were actually [33] farmers in the original “suit” which came down to [30] AS* of 2006/7 and that there was an ideological split between the farmers based on misinformation, gerrymandering, corruption and hypocrisy on the part of certain well-know LAWYERS* (bastards whose self-interests outweighed those farmers who were frankly “catchin’ their arses” to eat, pay bills and send to school their kids)…

One faction (THE PRINCIPAL PLAYERS) were citing their losses over the decade + and wanted compensation NOT* only for loss of earning, loss of livelihood but the accrued anguish they suffered as a result of SHELL’s recalcitrance, disdain and myopia in dealing with the literal lives of human beings…(These guys were aggrieved)!!!

The Scourge Of Praedial Larceny And The Necessity Of Eradicating It With Urgency In Barbados

Submitted by Yardbroom

Praedial larceny lament Manager of Friendship Estate, Patrick Bethell (right) has decried the impact of praedial larceny on agriculture, after suffering at the hands of thieves once more. Here, he inspects one of the uprooted cassava plants along with CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Society, James Paul. Both want the police to do more about the theft of crops. (CA) - Nation Newspaper

A report in Barbados Today, the online newspaper – 8 December 2010 – reported: “The Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to ensure that food crop farmers glean greater appreciation of agriculture as a “business”, especially given the changing trends within the sector.  Record keeping for profitability is the theme of a seminar stated to be held at the Barbados Worker’s Labour College, Mangrove, St. Philip.”

This initiative is a noble one and The Ministry should be applauded, not because last week I alluded to initiatives of that kind in my submission; “The Untapped Potential Of Boys On The Block In Barbados” here on Barbados Underground.  When I then wrote:  “We need to have a long term plan, with clearly identified achievable objectives.  Within that plan, among other initiatives, we could take a serious look at farming, agriculture, horticulture etc, underscored by academic qualifications from reputable learning establishments.  Some element of financial support, for those who are ultimately qualified, would be necessary as an incentive, but this would be an investment in people, to get them started in business enterprises”.

Agriculture has an important role to play in the Barbados’ economy at many levels, if it is not relegated to Cinderella status.  However, there will not be much profit, if scarce resources, effort and hopes for the future are employed, only to be spirited way by thieves.  We must seriously address this problem of praedial larceny, which now stymie expectations and deny many industrious hands, the lawful fruits of their labours.

Think Outside Of The Colonial Box

Submitted by Ras Jahaziel

Marcus Garvey

This excerpt that follows is chosen to strengthen the point that what we are clinging to in our colonial mentality is nothing more than European invented identities that were created solely for the benefit of Europe/America.

The slave economy of the past was never for the benefit of the slave. Similarly the slave economy of the present was never designed for the benefit of the modern slaves that do not like to see themselves as slaves because they have fridges and telephones and TVs in their rented and mortgaged houses.

As an African you have to look past the enticing trinkets of Europe and face the fact that you are still doing the same exact thing that you were brought on the slave ship to do…PROVIDE CHEAP, EASILY AVAILABLE, AND EASILY DISPOSABLE LABOR. The truth is that you have graduated from the field to the sweat shop, and you survive on what is left over after the modern slave-master or CAPITALIST counts his billions. How long should we sit here with our fates pinned to the fortunes of the billionaire white man while praying that he will soon have an economic recovery?

This is the time when we have to dare to reinvent ourselves in our own image, and we must not be content to cling to the fragmented arrangements that were made solely for the benefit of The Colonizer. If you were far-sighted you would see that this is the only thing left for us to do if the future generations are to be saved from a fate where prostitution is the main vocation.

WikiLeaks Leveraging The Power Of The Internet To Change The World

Photo Credit: AFP

“In his editorial [of today], Assange wrote that democracies require strong media to keep governments honest and that WikiLeaks helps fulfill that role. “WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption.”

Even as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is battling a Swedish extradition order on an obscure charge of rape, there is another battle being waged and the scene is on the virtual battleground of the Internet. Despite attempts by the ‘quote unquote’ authorities to shutdown WikiLeaks, empathizers of Julian Assange on the Internet are bragging that the WikiLeaks website has been duplicated in 500 locations so far. BU did a check before posting this blog and the WikiLeaks website is indeed up and running.

What is interesting about the WikiLeaks saga has been the debate suggesting that the authorities may seek to regulate the Internet. What is evident if we are to judge by the denial-of-service strikes on MasterCard International, PayPal, the Swiss Bank which has frozen the assets of Assange and others is the power which techno savvy individuals have to fight back from their bedrooms using the  Internet. The proliferation of proxy servers which sit in onion networks makes searching for some of these guys like that of looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Electricity Usage In November Attracts 17.5% VAT

Chris Sinckler, Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs

Rookie Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler has delivered his first budget and admittedly it was at a difficult time. BU does not have the expertise to apply the required analysis to determine if it was a’ ‘good’ budget or not. Seems oxymoronic for people to be labeling an austere budget as good anyway.

Since delivering the budget Sinckler has had to to clarify or reverse a few of the financial measures which he announced. It is not unprecedented that a Minister of Finance would have to ‘tweak’ his budget but one senses that the impact of this budget has not been adequately assessed or anticipated.

As an example the following note was received from a BU family member.