But quite apart from his immediate political and economic agenda, the Prime Minister (Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart) is concerned about the general direction in which the country seems to be headed. In an exclusive SUNDAY SUN interview this week, Stuart, 59, pointed to falling national standards while using excellence as his benchmark for performance. The Prime Minister is equally troubled by an attitude of “instant success” most pervasive among the youth in a “press button age” – Nation Newspaper
Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart’s statement is insightful. Its relevance in the month of November should be taken advantage of by stakeholders to collaborate an set the agenda for the kind of society we want to build. In recent weeks there has been the debate whether as a country we should be focussed on building a strong economy at the expense of a society. Although there is merit in the concept, its genesis seems to be compromised by the public perception of the government trying to gain political advantage.
It appears from observation our success as an independent nation is now defined as the number of cars parked in the driveway, the number of trips taken overseas, the number of KFCs, Subways and other foreign brands which populate our landscape, you get the idea. Most disappointing is the surrender of the NOW generation to embrace anything that is foreign. Perhaps we need to blame the parents. On the current path by the time we celebrate 50 years of Independence it will probably be regarded as purely ceremonial, devoid of emotional attachment to ‘yella, blue’ and any idea of self-determination.
It should be obvious to all who read BU we are fiercely nationalistic. Some may seek to label us as freaks for adopting such a position. Last time we checked one of the accepted definitions of nationalism is “the doctrine that your national culture and interests are superior to any other”. While accepting that Barbados has become a multicultural society, it should not allow the very qualities which are alluring to non Barbadians to disappear with out a fight. It is inconceivable that France, China, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, India to name a few would allow their cultures to disappear without a fight.
At the risk of being political, it can be stated this is one of the things which differentiates the Democratic Labour Party from the Barbados Labour Party. Why can’t we welcome people from other cultures and at the same time send a loud message that our culture is not for sale? The very definition of who we are as a people and country defines culture. Why are Barbadians so timid when there is the need to protect our culture?
At the centre of the problem which is forcing Barbados to lose its identify is our surrender to the American lifestyle. Some will take comfort in the position that it is not only Barbados which is battling the problem. The American lifestyle has intoxicated the world. Built on a plank of consumption and materialism, its lure has become irresistible to a global population whose DNA is wired to cultural relativism.
Last week the UK Guardian newspaper reported – “ The Indian environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, attacked the growing Indian taste for the American lifestyle, which he called the “most unsustainable in the world today”. What BU found interesting was the desire on the part of Minister Ramesh to act! In contrast our governments and other leaders in the society have taken a laissez faire and ambivalent approach to the question of what kind of Barbados we want to build. In the meantime Barbados is rapidly losing its face. The Late Prime Minister David Thompson started the journey but Stuart needs to continue with the urgency the situation demands.
Again the question must be asked. Why are we so willing to throw away the qualities which have defined our success as a nation over the years?
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.