Loose lips sink ships, Ralphie…

I agree that, in theory, both the BLP and DLP are the same. The differences are created by the party supporters, who seem to worship politicians, and think that everything they say is gospel. Political strategies are often effective, in that one party capitalises on the failures of the other, so as to win votes. For example, the BLP talked about land, but did not build houses; the DLP capitalised on this short coming by introducing a seemingly successful housing strategy. Other than that the status quo remains the same. At the end of the day politicians only care about the electorate when election day is approaching. They conveniently have the time to be seen in the constituency.

Politicians, appointed officials, and bureaucrats constitute the supply side of the political market place. Conversely, the demand side of the political market consists of special interest groups and voters who are subject to what economist call rational ignorance. Rational ignorance is the voter’s choice to remain uninformed because the marginal cost of obtaining information is higher than the marginal benefit from knowing it. In other words, the benefit of becoming informed about an issue is not worth the cost. A frequent charge is that during an election campaign, the politicians usually do not talk about the issues that affect the electorate. This was blatantly evident during the St. John by-election.

One explanation for this observation is that the politicians realise that a sizeable portion of the voters will make a calculated decision not to judge the candidate based on an in-depth knowledge of their positions on a wide range of issues. Instead of going to the trouble of doing research and reading position papers on the various issues that are confronting the country, many voters elect their candidate based simply on party affiliation or on how robust they conduct themselves during the election campaign.

Another take on the theory advanced by political scientist that a low voter turnout results from apathy among potential voters, the decision to stay away from the poles can be an exercise in practical benefit-cost analysis. Non-voters presumably perceive that the opportunity cost of going to the polls outweighs the benefit gained from any of the candidates or the issues. Moreover, they also perceive that one extra vote is unlikely to change the outcome.

There are striking similarities between Gonzalves and Jack Warner they were each accused of dastardly crimes which brought shame on the caribben. Like the slimy eels they are they escape full punishment time though longer than twine Jack and Railphie shall get what they deserve.

@CCC

He definitely is, but wants to fool people like me that he is not.

Well Ralphi hit the nail on the head concerning the BLPDLP. They both in the do getting through; putting do do on me and you till we screw and still believing that we foo foo. All we do is bellow and holla whilst the representatives of the people cah way we hard earn dollars

ON ANOTHER NOTE, I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING MR GONSALVES WHO LIKES TO BE REFERRED TO AS “COMRADE’ FOR YEARS AND HAS COME TO REALISE THAT HE STANDS FOR NOTHING PHILOSOPHISTICALLY.TRUE, THERE HAS BEEN SWOME PROGRESS IN ST VINCENT UNDER HIS WATCH AS HE IS PAID TO DO BUT HIS WIILINGNESS TO SACRIFICE PRINCIPLE ON THE ALTAR WEATHER COCKISM HAS RECENTLY BEEN EVIDENT IN HIS SUPPORT OF A SYSTEM WHICH HE WAS REPUDIATING A YEAR AGO BY HIS ATTENDANCE AT THE ROYAL WEDDING. SURELY ATTENDANCE BY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL WOULD HAVE SUFFICED AND SAVE ST VINCENT UNNECESSARY EXPENSE TOO.HATS OFF TO MR STUART WHO IS KNOWN TO FROWN ON SUCH THINGS.

OFFTOPIC

Ever wonder why some roads fail so often – so fast?

What is the most common thing road beds are made with nowadays? Marl – and that’s decayed limestone……..

Remember, exposed marl will easily wash away when rained on. You’re a dummy if you don’t know this. In fact, engineers know that it’s a really bad thing to let the marl in the road bed become soaked with water…….

Want to see a road wash away? Just before the rainy season, put down a base of marl. Moisten it. Roll it. Let it dry hard flat and dusty. Then spray on cut-back tar with one or more of the spray nozzles clogged up. Put on a layer of asphaltic concrete and roll it flat, but don’t squash it all the way down as you should, so that it’s porous like a sponge………

Very interesting article,reminds me of Barbados.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Ever-wonder-why-some-roads-fail-so-often—so-fast-_9044681#ixzz1QIOdRt6F

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Ever-wonder-why-some-roads-fail-so-often—so-fast-_9044681#ixzz1QIMtmUGZ

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Ever-wonder-why-some-roads-fail-so-often—so-fast-_9044681#ixzz1QIMjScug

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Ever-wonder-why-some-roads-fail-so-often—so-fast-_9044681#ixzz1QIIm1NxR

@ Islandgal246

I was wondering the same thing re – Gonsalves. He musse Carib.

When politicians speak “off the record” to diplomats they don’t expect that their conversations will be made public then along comes Wikileaks. In time perhaps we will read of the conversations that Bajan politicians had with US diplomats or about what those diplomats thought about the Bajan Gov’t’s handling of the allegation that Bajan public figures had amassed huge sums in their US bank accounts.

About Gonsalves references to “Castries mullatos” .St. Lucia like other Caribbean countries was/is a society where there was a divide where race and class were the dominant elements. While Barbados had its Yacht Club which was a bastion of white privilege, St. Lucia also had a Yacht Club where those who dominated were of mixed ancestry.

What did those two clubs have in common? They kept out those with darker complexions (read black).

Perhaps St. Lucians refer to that group as “Castries mulattos”, didn’t I read that Gonsalves’ wife is from St. Lucia.

@Rose ….. please go and ramble elsewhere.

@Carson Cadogan…can you utter anything intelligent?

@ Mr/Ms/Mrs Josquin Desperez

Remember you clain to have no political preference, but your wrtings is clear that you support the BLP and you should be honest and say that. Yes my leaning is for the DLP, but i will critcize it when I have to and i have gven it a little lash here and there, but you want me to believe that you are objective when your wrtings are not..

You have not seen me openly attack anyone unless I think that he or she is not giving a balance and hence i will give the contrast. The only one i can recall really attacking was enuff who called me a parrot and who i termed the BLP scavenger. People on this blog need to remember all of us can have poison fingers.

All I am saying declare your politcal interest like some of us eventually did. We are supposed to be anonymous when we blog and i hope it remains that way.

balance/desprez
I’m glad I have two persons who are seeing politics and politician as I do, they are a twin born from two different mothers, if that is ever possible

sorry just ony asking; but when the blp took office in 1994, the economy was in a dreadful state. overtime , dlp partisans have been positing the notion that the blp’s successful management of the economy over the last 14 years was as a result of the foundation laid bt the dlp. supoose we buy that notion. i maintain that had the not had the competence to manage the socalled policies left by the dlp; then all would have been still lost. fast forward to present. the dlp comes into office to make things better and unfortunately, things become worst and they are asking me to accept their excuse that the problems we are facing is as a result of the bad policies of the blp. no way jose-. they the dlp left things in a bad shape too in 1994 but the blp were able to successfully manage what would always be a always fragile economy and only extremely biased supporters would fail to admit that we were better off in 2007 than now.

@ Just Only Asking

My friend, I do not want this to be a jousting match, but let common sense prevail. You come to this blog to spout political venom and call it being balanced. You cannot go down the intellectual line because you are only repeating what the politicians are saying, treating such as axioms, and you are not being objective. Your answer is to blame the last administration, fine, with that out of the way, what do you suggest we do to go from here? Bring any constructive economic theory (if you are able to) and let us debate on it.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, economists such as John Maynard Keynes came to the fore and developed economic theories, called the Keynesian Model, to effectively deal with that recession, in an economy that was not as sophisticated as it is at present. His theories formed the basis upon which new theories were developed, and are being used and developed upon today. Corrective economic measures were undertaken to deal with the recessions of 1980-1981, in the 1990s, in 2001, and in 2003.
Those economists did not throw their hands in the air and said that it was a recession and they cannot work miracles; they stuck to the task of developing models and testing them to create relevant theories. It is against this background that I believe that economists, working together without political bias, can do something. However, it is interesting to note that the economists in this region are politically motivated. Frank Alleyne would say something and you would believe him, Clyde Mascoll say something different, the BLP supporters would believe him. Political biases or preconceptions tend to cloud an individual’s thinking, as demonstrated by your attributes.

What I suggest that you do, is instead of being a political parrot, when considering a debate, make sure to separate the arguments into their positive and normative components. This distinction will allow you to determine if you are supporting a course of action based on factual evidence or on opinion, while trying to stay within the boundaries of positive economic analysis. In our everyday lives most of us use normative statements to discuss economic issues. Economists also associate themselves with political parties and use normative arguments to agree or disagree with some economic policy.

@Josquin

Congratulations, Courtney Blackman and FranK Alleyne recognize that we are an open economy impactged by the international recessions. It is only theoriticans like you (Mascoll) that have the answers to our problems. It is the non-partisans like you that will reduc taxes to have more disposal income for barbadins to spend more on comspicous consumption on cars and imported foods to send more fx exchange out of the country, even though our two major revenue earners are not firing on all four.. it is people like you who have caused the problems of this world. You only look at dollars and cents and have no understaning of the social issues, that is why people like you oppose the goverenment giving free bus fare to poor children. Havnt you seen that Sir Courney support that socialsit stroke and that is a socialist strategy. Go sprout all you enonomic jargon, it does not move me from my persective.

I would never forget that your party, the one for which you write, have given barbadians false hope, a house without a solid foundation must fall. You are one of the few that believe that the lowering of taxes will cause people to spend more, you are forgetting that when there is a recessions, there is a propensity to save because of the uncertainy and that is why we are having so much liquidity in the bank and the banks can offer next skin to nothing on our money sitting there. Why are we not seeing businesses expanding since there is so much cheap money around?

I must regergitate, we have managed the economy, that is the governemt of barbados, similar to what Erskine Sandiford did. He had trimmed the Public Service to about 18 000- 19 000, thereby reducing our expenditure, How has it reached approximately 30 000. Would you prefer to see the poor Public Officers get laid off? You can respond to that. Since you are an economist, tell this blog how you would restore the argicultural and manufacturing sectors?

@Island Gal

Wait you still worryinng with this rooster, this useless one. You know i does left you to carson and bonny. But you have a rooster weekend.

@Balance

I always rebuke you. Amen.