Look who is back, Bush Tea (unedited), and he is his usual provocative self!
Who dare to challenge the man who refuses to be contained in a box?
Problem solving is actually a science. The most common mistake people make in this regard is to become distracted by following symptoms of the REAL basic problem. For example, many deaths, cases of severe illness etc, occur because people take aspirin or panadol to ease headache or some other ache, or use makeup to cover up some blemish and thereby loose the opportunity to dig deeper to diagnose the REAL problem and thus the real solution to the headache and skin blemishes.
Chasing Symptoms
As a nation we are even worse at problem solving. We chase after symptoms, abandon objective analysis and allow personal bias to influence needed analysis and actions. Of course the USA presents the best case study in this regard. Here is a country with every possible thing going for it.. coming out of a record surplus on current account as recently as when George Bush took over – now clearly tethering on the very brink of collapse.
Debushing?
One may be tempted to suggest that their problems could be solved easily with an application of Gramoxone as a means of bush control. More seriously though you would think that some scientific analysis would be done to determine what has gone so wrong for the USA. That is a matter for another article, only to say that as a so-called ‘Christian’ nation one would think that someone there would notice the coincidence of the types of natural disasters, political chaos, military mess-ups and financial goofs that have befallen that nation in proportion to their rejection of God, banning of prayers, legalization of deviant sexual behaviours and dependence and faith in their technology –especially military… but that may just be a coincidence- or is God no longer on their side??
Barrow a blessing
In Barbados it is very different, and on a much smaller scale so a bit easier to assess. The outstanding feature for Barbados has been the quality of leaders we were fortunate to have in the mid and late 20th Century- and even further back. Errol Barrow would have been a definite blessing to ANY country in this world as a visionary, brave, committed and honest leader. NOTHING is as important to the success of an organisation in times of change or crisis as a strong, honest, visionary leader. Unfortunately, once such a skipper has established a period of calm, prosperity and success, complacency steps in (in calm seas), and any and every idiot believes that he or she can steer the ship- which of course any monkey can do until the next storm.
Education
One of Barrow’s legacies has been the education system of Barbados. A brilliant masterstroke at the time, this has been more valuable than any oil find could have been. I suggest that the main strength of the system was its design to filter out and refine the natural leaders and outstanding talents who would be assigned the challenge of meeting the coming global competition, charting a national path and protecting the rights of us ordinary Bajans. Note that this started at the 11 plus exams, through to the exclusive six form schools and was finally narrowed down through the Barbados scholarships.
The intent was to identify and filter out the one-in-a-thousand person who will be needed to provide wise leadership, in difficult times, for the future. It was actually brilliant – and it worked – placing this island into calm seas that few even here could understand. That was until the morons who ‘know not that they know not’ got to introduce their US sponsored mentality on this country. The seas were calm so we almost listened when they wanted to scrap the 11 plus. We paid attention to jokers who went to the mock universities in the US and came back with monkey credentials encouraging us to introduce CO-ED and to dispense with discipline in the schools. They infiltrated the administration and changed up the Barbados Scholarship criteria, lowering standards so that any above average student with enough coaching can win a scholarship or exhibition, usually in some esoteric area of study that ensures that they never return to this country thus freeing up the way for those that ‘know not’ free reign.
Question!
How many Barbados scholars are they in government or opposition now?
How many in leadership position in our businesses?
How many in Barbados at all?
If our best and most brilliant minds are not leading the way, do you think we have any chance to be competitive? You understand why Trinidad will always outsmart us? Those QRC boys real tight hear? Where our HC stars?
So here is the problem.
There is a crisis of leadership in Barbados resulting from a national failure to identify, encourage, nurture and develop our best talents who can lead in these stormy times. The current drivers can’t drive and we having accidents and thievery on every road.
The Solution.
Only a national consensus to demand that only the best qualified persons are given critical leadership positions could turn the situation around. Qualified DOES NOT mean having a degree. It means having a history of success in past areas of responsibility REGARDLESS OF ACADEMIC BACKGROUND. (Jesus – ‘you have been faithful in small things, therefore I will give you charge over great things). As I have said in a previous article, ANY IDIOT with internet and free time can pass a degree as now set up at UWI so that in itself don’t mean squat.
It should have been obvious that the current lot would not cut it…where have they succeeded before?
Unfortunately, this means that BFP’s stated fear that the alternative party will be equally incapable of manning the ship is justified. Which of them have demonstrated examples of success as leaders? Their having ‘good intentions’ and ‘wanting to be a leader’ is not enough to bring to the table… not in these stormy times. The PM’s solution seems to be to import managers and leaders from abroad to fill the roles that should have been filled by our ‘real real’ Barbados Scholars.
BNB demonstrates that leadership makes a difference – but when most of our organisations are run by foreign managers will we still be able to call ourselves Barbadian? (What is to stop BNB from renaming itself TTNB and moving headquarters to Port of Spain?)
Finally, at what stage will PM Arthur support the idea of inviting more competent politicians (who may even demand smaller salaries than ours) to take over the leadership in our Parliament? Surely he will not suggest that BS&T was any worse than Glyne Clarke’s ministry.
Does the PM doubt that a BNB like revival is possible for Barbados should he replace himself with a LeHunte?
So then my only difference with Arthur’s approach is that I suggest we identify our best talents (actual PERFORMERS not paper jokers, party pimps, ‘whites only’ or Lodge brothers) to represent our team rather than be forced to bring in outside players, coaches and even prime ministers.
Previous Bush Tea Articles
UWI Expansion Plans Misguided~Need To First Address Relevance.
Bush Tea Is Fed-up With Richard “Lowdown” Hoad!
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