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Kammie Holder

Here is Swimming Upstream  which was not published 24 September 2010. We now know clearly why some politicians behave the way they do and why some persons feel they are more equal than others in Barbados. Thus as an ignorant and naive person I wish to share this with the wider public. The blogs are uncensored and sometimes libellous but fair enough to allow persons to judge fact from fiction. Its never my aim to libel or slander but to only speak my mind in a respectable way. You judge for yourself.

Wimps, Pimps and Political deadweights. After hearing the mouthings of Charles Skeete, Owen Arthur, David Ellis, Vincent Layne and Mia Mottley I am scared. Why am I scared? The forty or more years of growth Barbados has seen is being threatened by a lack of clarity of purpose by my government. As a patriotic bajan I run the real risk of being marginalized for calling things as I see them or even targeted by the vindictive among us. However, the national risk is even greater than the local risk to me thus I accept whatever poison arrows may be shot at me.  Never, will I swap my integrity or honesty for a token invite to a social gathering at the expense of being a wimp or pimp.

What has me even more troubled is that our Capital inflow from the offshore sector has dropped from over a 1 billion to just 90 million. Mr. George Huston, how can you sleep at night? Mr. Hutson, the offshore sector is one of two sectors which provides needed foreign currency for our commercial existence. Why cannot you get up like Minister Richard Sealy and Donville Inniss and get things happening. The easiest and most convenient thing is to blame external forces. I am further convinced that you can do the country, my party and yourself a favor and do the honorable thing, resign!

As student of military history and strategy we know that a good Officer takes responsibility for failure of a mission on behalf of his men. On the contrary, the success of the mission is shared by the Officer and men. We have lost too many man hours to water outages and the economic cost to the country is too high in a time of low productivity. Dr Denis Lowe, you should be man enough and tell the acting Prime Minister that the management of the ministries are beyond your capabilities and ask the Governor General to revoke your warrant of appointment.

All is well with my soul and the truth shall set me free or attract vendetta. We can continue to bury our heads in the sand and hope things work out, or we can seek to collectively take corrective action. Barbados belongs to all Barbadians and their is no room for partisan politics.


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94 responses to “Wimps, Pimps and Political Dead-weights”


  1. Ok, give us sometime to find the offending parts of the submission.


  2. Kammie Holder wrote
    “Capital inflow from the offshore sector has dropped from over a 1 billion to just 90 million.”
    “The easiest and most convenient thing is to blame external forces.”

    Did you research any material before writing this article?

    Can you tell us where the new Investment growth areas are?

    How about writing a second article that tells us where Investment money from Europe and North America is being channeled.


  3. Were you given any reasons why your article wasn’t published?
    Your article is your opinion and not the media that publishes it, isn’t it?
    I don’t see any problem with what you ‘ve written. It falls under “opinions”. I can relate to what you ‘ve said.


  4. Kammie Holder; Why are you scared of the “mouthings” of Charles Skeete, Owen Arthur, David Ellis, Vincent Layne and Mia Mottley? ordinarily one ignores or refutes mere “mouthings”. Could it be that, taken collectively, they appear to constitute substantially more than mere “mouthings” and the outcomes they point to are really scary indeed?
    From reading your piece above it seems that you have taken a first step to try to pick some low lying ministerial fruit but what about the others who might have contributed, even more than the ones you have mentioned, to an apparent national malaise by their actions or inactions? Do you plan to deal with them later?
    I see little reason for your fear of reprisals based on the content of the article itself as it appears to reflect your impressions only with no in-depth facts brought to the table and I therefore look forward to seeing substantive follow-up articles in the non-traditional media from you.
    I just skimmed through tonight’s edition of Barbados Today and it has at least 2 pieces which should be good news for you and all of us. That there is to be groundbreaking on a new big Hotel in St Philip next week and that the IMF, while calling for the Government to put some austerity measures in place, has praised the Government’s management of our foreign reserves. That last one sounds very counter intuitive considering the “scary” aspects of the latest comments you refer to above. I suspect however that the devil is very much in the details of that story.


  5. @de hood

    Commenters will now have to input a name and email address. Hoping that it allows for a better conversation.


  6. Hants? Kammie referred to Owen’s BIBA speech of 21 September


  7. David, why a response to “de hood” who appears not to have made a submission on this thread? Is anonynity over on BU?


  8. @Jeff

    How do you arrive at such a conclusion.

    Commenters are free to enter a name and email of their choice. The reason for the change, we get so many commenters as anonymous it makes it difficult to thread a conversation.

    The comment directed at de hood was in response to his question on the pancreas blog and for informational purposes it was posted here. Not removing de hood’s name was a mistake.


  9. Ok, so it is that one can enter an anonymous name and a fictitious e-mail address so long as the name is not “Anonymous”?


  10. @Jeff

    Correct


  11. Kammie Holder,

    “Never, will I swap my integrity or honesty for a token invite to a social gathering at the expense of being a wimp or pimp.” – Kammie Holder – in the above post.

    The above quote represents the stuff great leaders any where are made of. Fantastic. Superlative. Such represents a stance that coincides with some moral principles of the highest human order.

    But, Kammie, do not you realize that many of the mouthings of Charles Skeete, Owen Arthur, David Ellis, Vincent Layne and Mia Mottley, represent the old political way of doing things??

    All of the above are living in the past. They belong to the old, inefficient, exploitative western oriented model of so-called social development of our people.

    The thrive on emotionalism of knowing well how this euro-centric model works based on what they have been taught or how they have been conditioned.

    Many of us in Barbados want to go forward not backwards into the past.

    Many of our people’s search is for the implementation of models of development that suit our people and their constituencies.

    Kammie, you – to a very good degree – represent the type of political people many of us want in the present and in the future in this country.

    Keep it up and try to get more people with similar ideas with you.

    And, Mr. Holder, dont you realize that some of the people you mentioned are more afraid of you than you may think???

    Think, Kammie, think!!!!

    PDC


  12. Are we in agreement there is nothing worrisome to the point the Nation should have refused to publish the submission?


  13. @ David
    Absolutely in agreement.


  14. @ David

    To be quite honest with you Bush Tea would not have published the piece either. It falls below the standard of what the bushman would consider minimum for a national newspaper.
    The piece is nothing but a collection of cliches and what comes across as the feeling of exasperation of the author.

    It is well placed here on BU as a post.
    Kammie needs to understand that writing at the level of a weekly national newspaper requires the writer to bring something special or new to the table.
    As an example, my main man Lowdown manages to express the same exasperation, and even in more depth, but in a manner that is creative, down to earth and ‘native’. He is funny, vulgar, rude, and personal while at the same time hard-hitting, incisive and direct.

    Maybe the new editor has a new vision for the paper and has set some new standards for writers…. we can only hope…

    Kammie’s piece sounds like he wrote it ten minutes before the deadline and while getting ready for a function.


  15. @Bushie

    Trust you!

    Ok we are getting some where. Perhaps after reading Kammie’s preamble some have been misled i.e. the article defamed someone. Frankly BU found nothing to suggest such is the case so it means Kaymar decided to flex her might. Perhaps Kammie will advise us and put this matter to bed.


  16. Exactly,David. That’s why I asked if Kammie was given any reasons for the piece not being published? I understand what Bush Tea says, but is there any understanding/ agreement between the Nation and columnists re. standards etc. ?
    Interesting to know why the decision was made not to publish.


  17. This is why I think the Nation did not publish the article.
    Kammie Holder wrote.”
    “Wimps, Pimps and Political deadweights. After hearing the mouthings of Charles Skeete, Owen Arthur, David Ellis, Vincent Layne and Mia Mottley ”

    Who is the “wimp”, who is “living off the avails of prostitution” and who are the deadweights ?

    If this article was written at a level that is beyond the educational level of Hants, please tell me wher I can find the correct definition of a PIMP.
    an doan tell me to listen to Fitty cent song he is a rapper not a Philosopher or learned gentleman like dr.GP


  18. @David, there is an Editorial about blogs in The Advocate that may be worthy of discussion.


  19. @Hants

    Thanks, household currently putting a few words together.


  20. @Bushtea
    Kammie’s contribution lacks unity, and coherence. It is difficult to find the real point and several sentences that could be considered the main or supporting point sentences usually lack reasons and details.

    @David
    It looks like Kaymar was not briefed on Kammie’s intended role with his column, and wonders why he is accorded prime space; having no reasonable answer she cuts him.


  21. @ checkit out.

    While thats good. there also all the stalled project around that need to get going. Like four season and the 600 million black bess project that was in the Barbados today the day before. so the net is we are still down.


  22. @David,Pimps apply to persons who are afraid to speak truthfully just to maintain an invite to a social as mentioned in article.

    Wimps applies to those who are afraid to live and speak their minds on national issues, thus the ones who are dead before they have taken their last breath.

    Charles Skeete spoke about the economy, Vincent Layne spoke on Brasstacks about a indifference at Licensing Authority, David Ellis spoke about persons reluctance to speak their minds on national issues, Owen Arthur Spoke about the fall in Capital inflow from the Offshore sector and Mia Mottley spoke about silence.

    Denis Lowe is an acquaintance and George Hutson walked with me every Sunday with the National Trust. Thus as a supporter of the DLP unlike partisan BLP supporters who remained silent under the last government, I must speak honestly about what I perceive as a shortcomings. Who benefits when deceit replaces truthfulness? The whole country will eventually suffer! Its hoped, that these gentlemen will realize what I have said, others may not be bold enough to say.

    I am not Richard Hoad and was never born a twin, life is constantly evolving and I will not try to be replica of anyone. Barbadians are sleeping it seems, and will one day wakeup in amazement. Too much is taken for granted, while we experience low productivity and a lack of creativity as well as innovation. Continue to bury your heads in the sand and attack the messengers.


  23. Although Kammie’s INTENT might have been good , his CONTENT was lacking, even though it was far above the standard of the average post on BU.

    @ David

    Re
    The reason for the change, we get so many commenters as anonymous it makes it difficult to thread a conversation.

    I find it extremely difficult to thread most conversations whether the posters call themselves annonymous or not. Much of the goo on BU is coherent and off topic, contributes very little, and makes it very clear that this litteracy rate is a very big myth.


  24. David; I totally agree with BushTea’s sentiments above. The standard of the article was not up to par.


  25. @GP

    We are all by now very aware of your opinions of BU commenters.

    @Kammie

    One should always go with the courage of one’s conviction; we will always have detractors. God knows BU can empathize.

    Our feedback is to listen and adjust accordingly.


  26. Kammie Holder wrote ,”Thus as a supporter of the DLP”.

    Brilliant. You are repositioning yourself for the 2013 politics of inclusion bandwagon.
    Clydie, Kerrie an Kammie. Has a nice ring to it. Would have sounded even better if Hammie was included.


  27. I do not know if I can agree that the article is not at all defamatory of anyone. In your opinion, is “pimp” a defamatory word? If so, to whom in the passage does it refer? It may not be defamatory, in my view, to call someone a “political deadweight”, but if the point is arguable, the local newspapers would prefer not to test it in court.


  28. @Jeff

    Are you saying that in 2010 we have big hardback men and women who would go to court for being referred to as pimps in the context used by Kammie? OMG!!!


  29. @David,
    as an aside, the word PIMP is only used in Canada to refer to a person who lives off the avails of prostitution.
    Most Canadians would not understand the word in the terms Kammie Holder is suggesting it was meant to be interpreted.


  30. You have made my point, Hants. I do not know any other meaning of the word, and all a party would have to do is to prove that persons would think it was referenced to him in that way. To answer your question, David, I would think no for the most part; but might you not threaten to do so on pain of the newspaper paying appropriate ($10’s of thousands) compensation? Would you risk it with BU?


  31. @Jeff

    If you are a born and bred Bajan you know full well that to be called a pimp is akin to being called a yardfowl or hanger on to coat tail. Let us get real man.


  32. @David,
    I am not a Lawyer but the word PIMP is a derogatory term if used other than in a factual description.

    We all know Bajan “terms” but you can’t excuse a derogatory remark or name simply because it is “Bajan”.


  33. It is not that anything that Kammie said was wrong – or did not need to be said, but we all know that Kammie could (and should) have said it much more elegantly in that forum.

    @ Kammie
    To whom much is given, much is expected. It is a special privilege for a down to earth person like yourself to have the opportunity to express your opinion weekly.

    The Bush Man expects that you will live up to the challenge and (like Lowdown) become INDISPENSABLE because of the class and quality of your contributions – even while making the hard-hitting points that you are driven to champion.


  34. While on this particular issue raised by Kammie, the Bushman continues to be flabbergasted by the growing calls (including this one by Kammie) for the DLP government members to ‘do something’ about the failing economy.

    DO WHAT EXACTLY!!!??

    Do these people understand the makings of ‘an economy’?
    It is like walking up to Ninja man in Bridgetown and calling on him to ‘pull up his socks and make something of his life..’
    ….TOO LATE peoples!
    ….should have told him that when he was playing truant from school.

    Said it already but will say it again – SS Barbados Titanic has already struck the iceberg. What wanna want the captain to do now…?

    Particularly galling are the hypocritical calls from the Bees for Government to ‘do something’!!
    Wanna should be saying exactly what to do – since it is Owing that was steering the ship of state when it headed into the iceberg infested waters.

    Obviously the Thompson crew have no clue what to do – neither does anyone else for that matter.

    Truthfully, the only realistic option is to get close to a lifeboat….. but knowing Bajans, we prefer to run up and down the deck calling on some new captain to come and save us….cause we are God’s chosen.

    BT seems to recall writing a sarcastic article aimed at both Obama and Thompson, offering condolences for having ‘lost’ their respective elections.
    The point being, that anyone ‘winning’ the right to captain an already mortally stricken ship was in deep doo doo and truly deserves our sincere condolences.

    …so tell us Kammie – what should George do exactly….?


  35. “@David,Pimps apply to persons who are afraid to speak truthfully just to maintain an invite to a social as mentioned in article.”

    That’s not the definition of a PIMP one way or the other. What the author of this piece has done is called PIMPING because he is using BU to air his ‘beef’ [real or imagined] with the subjects in his piece. Now in this case the author would not only be the ‘PIMP’ but he would also be a WIMP. I think he should take up the telephone or e-mail them with his grievances. And as for a POLITICAL DEAD-WEIGHT, there’s a particular one that airs his fluff here on BU weekly. I think he calls himself a political strategist..whateva that means.


  36. @ Bush Tea @3.26
    I usually agree with what you say, however, don’t expect me an ordinary citizen to tell the government what to do. As far as I remember they asked, begged, for the job to be in government. They insisted that they knew exactly what needed to be done to improve the standard of living and bring down the cost of living.
    I have every right to express my concern and to say that I notice that the economy is going down a slippery slope very fast.
    I have the right to expect the government to tell me what they intend to do about it. I am not hired by the people to do that job.
    What are you talking about at all! And I’m not a Bee, and even if I was I would still have the right to express my concern.


  37. Who is the seer among us who can tell us who the undermentioned extract refers to. It would be interesting to hear the legal interpretation if I John Public is the same as a named person. Jeff what are your thoughts, we are here to learn.

    “Never, will I swap my integrity or honesty for a token invite to a social gathering at the expense of being a wimp or pimp”.


  38. Kammie,
    The extract refers to you, but in it you also concede that being called a wimp or a pimp is an “expense”… something not to be desired. The article does not clearly refer to anyone as a “pimp” or a “wimp”, but the reference to political deadweight is clear. Might it not then be reasonable for a reader to think that the three descriptions in the headline refer to the named Ministers? Remember, in defamation, it is not what the writer (you) intended, but how his or her words might be interpreted!


  39. Only in Barbados we would be having this conversation.


  40. By the way, Kammie, are you Mackie Holder’s son? There is a slight resemblance, in my view!

    What do you mean by your comment, David? I agree, though, the intricacies of defamation law are not normally discussed on public blogs. Would you have printed the column?


  41. @Jeff

    What do you mean by your comment, David? I agree, though, the intricacies of defamation law are not normally discussed on public blogs. Would you have printed the column?

    A rhetorical question perhaps?

    Would suggests Kaymar missed out on an opportunity to send a message.


  42. I agree, David, but she played safe.

    I know you printed it…I meant would you have done so if you were in her position.


  43. @Jeff

    If there is such a minor part of the submission questionable why would the Nation editor not remove it? Why suffer the whole article?


  44. There you go again, David. I know not what influences Kaymar thoughts 🙂


  45. @Jeff

    Perhaps someone is trying to frustrate the contract? lol

    We rest!


  46. Here is former Minister Lynette Eastmond’s point made on Facebook:

    David clearly the Nation did not publish it because they did not want in their newspaper what appeared to be an attack on Ministers in Government. The defamation point could be easily remedied. We all know that we have a media that has abdicated its role in building our democracy.


  47. @ independent @ 6.13 p.m.
    They insisted that they knew exactly what needed to be done to improve the standard of living and bring down the cost of living.
    I have every right to express my concern and to say that I notice that the economy is going down a slippery slope very fast.
    ************************************************
    Bush Tea agrees with this ‘right’ too, independent. If this ‘right’ was questioned by the bushman please accept sincere apologies….

    But Cud dear, when the DLP was canvassing ’bout the place promising the moon and the stars – you mean to say that you really believed them!!??

    When Thompie was talking about reducing the cost of living – you mean to tell bushie that you ACTUALLY expected that…???

    You were looking for FOI in 100 days too….???
    LOL – Well NOT the Bushman!!
    Get real independent

    Man look!!!!!
    Adams trick we!
    Sandi trick we
    Arthur trick we ….. and you believed David T?
    ….skipper, Davey is BOTH a politician AND a lawyer!! Does that tell you anything?
    The Dee wanted votes and they told us what we wanted to hear to get them PERIOD!!! (remember your youth and your girlfriends??)

    …so let us agree that we have the RIGHT to ask for action from our leaders – but are we really blind enough to expect it?
    It is every man for himself independently…


  48. @Bush Tea and all
    There is a need to do some significant things to stop the free fall of the economy.
    The history of changing the economic fortune next door in Trinidad and Tobago should not miss our examination.
    Do you remember when Trinidadian businessmen used to come to Barbados to make overseas phone calls?
    We used to laugh at them.
    Then came a Prime Minister called George Chambers (who was thought to be, or looked like a joker).
    Chambers revolutionized the Trinidad and Tobago economy, through among other sectors,the productive manufacturing sector.
    This was at a time when Barbadian manufacturers were being told to get out of manufacturing; that there was no future in it. Trinidadian manufacturers on the other hand,were given the incentives to go after a larger market than the regional market. They were given 150% back on their investment in plant, and encouraged to buy the most modern equipment.
    The creative profitable value- added sectors of the Trinidad economy were given a good dose of business oxygen.
    Some will say that Trinidad and Tobago changed because of the increased price of oil. It was not just having oil, it was creating a stream of value- added industry to benefit the overall economy.
    We are all aware that oil has not helped every economy in the same way. For example,a case in point is the quality of economic life in Venezuela. The economy has not been enhanced to the same degree as Trinidad and Tobago.
    So some will say that Barbados does not have enough similarity. Let us examine some significant industrial opportunities which have been ignored, or as we do best, just talk about.
    West Indian Sea Island Cotton.
    Seen as one of the highest value products in the world. Garments made with this unique fabric will fetch several times the price of regular 100 % cotton.(see how well Egyptian Cotton is being branded worldwide).West Indian Sea Island Cotton cannot be grown anywhere else in the world, but the West Indies.
    Barbados Cherry.
    Are we aware that the Barbados Cherry was being exported when available, and it’s vitamin C content was fetching millions of dollars as it is regarded as the most potent vitamin C available.
    So why have we not done more to plant, harvest, process,package, and market this unique commodity around the world?
    Bajan cherry grows almost wild in the Scotland District .So does Guava. Do you know what guava /cherry juice is made of?
    There is a diaspora market for “bush tea”. lol.
    What is the investment required? Certainly less than the salaries and perks which we pay Invest Barbados top maguffies for two years.
    So Bush Tea, let us add to this, be creative; add Barbados black belly lamb, (the fastest reproductive lamb), clay, as a facial product for the cosmetic industry.Do you know that we import clay to make pottery at Shop Hill? Ludicrous.
    Barbados has more than anybody else, 1/7th of Barbados is clay.
    It is possible for Governments to take action to turn an economy around.
    I am not an economist Bush Tea , just a regular “productive” minded citizen.
    What say you?
    What say you?


  49. @independent

    You really need to repost your comment here for Henderson Bovell to read.


  50. @ David
    You really need to repost your comment here for Henderson Bovell to read.
    **********************************************
    Man what re-post what comment what!!??

    @ independent
    If we had more people like you, Barbados would as we speak, be a world class model of small island development.
    Unfortunately we don’t and we therefore aren’t.

    There are two fundamental flaws in your piece above.
    1 – Our leaders do no think like you do.
    2 – Trinidad is no utopia and certainly NOT a model for Barbados.

    What you are essentially saying is that we should look at our assets (clay, sea island cotton, bajan cherry …etc) and use our best brains and marketing skills to develop these to the benefit of the country.
    BRILLIANT!! ….but;
    >…how will politicians, civil servants, managers and employees get kickbacks from such ventures…?
    >…where will there be opportunities for ‘delegations’ to fly to China, Japan, London, Geneva,New York etc?
    >…when ordinary bajans with names like Husbands, Riley, Leacock etc start to succeed, the problem is that they tend NOT to pay large kickbacks….. Far better to use 3S, VECO and even some locals with different types of names.

    Do you see the problem yet?

    As far as Trinidad is concerned. In the Bushman’s humble opinion, T&T is one mess.
    Do you know what inflation there has been over the last two years?
    You have NO IDEA how bad crime there is…. Witnesses to crimes are routinely intimidated and even murdered. The courts are total jokes…. BT suspects that they are too ashamed to join the CCJ.
    What Trinidad model what??
    The ultimate shame for an independent country with a 60-year-old university, and access to oil money – is to have reached the stage of having to recruit two white Canadian policemen to run their police force….

    ….but Bush Tea gets your point about the value of manufacturing….

    However if you understand what drives our leaders, you will understand why they prefer tourism – which is just a short step away from a national form of prostitution…….
    we invite rich outsiders to pay handsomely, to come and enjoy our virgin environment……
    Various pimps (Kammie was right??!!) then sit back and reap the sweets.
    Unfortunately, eventually we loose our virgin beauty (drive down the west coast) and the ‘Johns’ (oops tourists) either stop coming – or are willing only to come at bargain rates.

    THEREFORE, Mr/ms independent, the problem that you would have to fix is in the MIND of our leaders. Do you think that this is possible?

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