Can Barbadians find the wherewithal to dispense with the reference held for politicians and for once hold their feet to the fire?

Bajans will never stand together for integrity legislation because they have too much to lose. Too many are on the payroll and too many are getting kick backs . Why should they mess up their gravy train?

@ islandgal246 | August 2, 2011 at 6:38 PM |

Aren’t the ones to lose the most not in the minority?

There is strength in numbers and if Barbadians who are being squeezed day in and day out do not exercise their disgust then they should keep their mouths shut and accept whatever is thrown at them by the PIP.

It’s time for us as a people to join hands. Take a bow and show these politicians how.

@Guest….on a small island like ours where everybody is related there is no minority. Many will stand together on blood lines, and if their blood getting some gravy they ent gine want tah stop dat.

Why are we happy that friends of politicians should always win the contracts to supply potatoes to the School Meals or onions?

It has got to stop!

It is boring that when the politicians are in opposition they play us, when they assume government they become intolerant of opposing views.

It is time the people wise up.

Note that the party faithfuls are silent on this type of topic.

@BAFBFP

Get your point.

Bajans are known as talkers but not doers, therefore politicians from both sides of the fence knows this and takes advantage of the situation. To put what I say to the test, let anyone of these bloggers advertise widely in Barbados for a protest march anytime and you will find few marchers but more people on the side spurring on the marchers but unwilling to be identified. There has got to be a hero, A Grantley Prescod, someone willing to accept the consequences.

@Zack: “In other words, the 7pm news on CBC should be telling Barbadians about the events that BU has staged.

@Zack… The GoB funded CBC doesn’t even talk about what the Official Opposition said or did.

Why do you dream they’ll talk about what a Blog said or did?

Meanwhile, the CBC is impotent on the Internet and in social media.

Hmmmm….

Please delete my prior post…this is the corrected version.

We’re always on this blog saying this needs to stop, or that needs to stop, and the gov’t needs to do this, or the gov’t needs to do that, and we cannot tolerate this, or we cannot tolerate that. I’m of the opinion that if BU really wants to agitate for change and be taken seriously, it has to be more than just a blog, it needs to be seen and heard by the masses. Real faces and voices singing one chorus in full physical view of the public and other forms of news media. In other words, the 7pm news on CBC should be telling and showing Barbadians events being staged by BU. Believe it or not the avarage fellow on the street does not know about BU or what it is.

@Christopher Halsall | August 3, 2011 at 2:33 PM | @Zack… The GoB funded CBC doesn’t even talk about what the Official Opposition said or did.

Why do you dream they’ll talk about what a Blog said or did?

Meanwhile, the CBC is impotent on the Internet and in social media.
————————————————
Because BU wouldn’t be seen as Opposition…it would be seen as the voice of the taxpayers (the employers of gov’t), and failure to give due attention could actually benefit the Opposition.

@Zack: “Because BU wouldn’t be seen as Opposition…it would be seen as the voice of the taxpayers (the employers of gov’t), and failure to give due attention could actually benefit the Opposition.

You strangely understand exactly, and yet incompletely…

*Anyone* opposing the GoB are viewed as enemies.

*None* of them will find any “air-time” on the GoB funded (read: paid for by the People) BB.CBC.

Fortunately, we no longer live in the 20th century; we now live in the 21st century, where people can take their message to the people themselves.

Deal with it.

@David | August 3, 2011 at 2:38 PM | BU is a member of the social media, we are integrated with FB, Twitter with an estimated reach in a captive Bajan space of 100+. We are doing our little bit to share our perspective in the many issues.
—————————————
Only recently I attended an IT conference that point out that on 27% of the world’s population is online. And from having discussions in my social circles, I can tell you that the average fellow on the street don’t know about BU. I can appreciate what you have said, but in essence this blog is only about discussion, but not seriously taking gov’t to task. In order to seriously take gov’t to task, you have to become more than just a blog.

@Adrian Hinds | August 3, 2011 at 2:46 PM | The blog does not need to be seen or have real faces etc. The blogs are being use as it is intended. Real people associated with themselves need to get up off their asses and do for themselves from their own convictions. Once you are convince of something you should be willing to act;
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You get better results when you act as an organized group with a common cause, individually you can expect to be brushed off. The Arab Spring is an example of what people can accomplish in organized groups with a common cause.

@Zack

Your are entitled to your view. Just remember a minority can influence decision makers and others. Yesterday for example this blog by Adrian was tagged to a few on FB and already there is some discussion taking place in the FB Bajan space. The people mobilization you speak will occur after there is the meeting of ideas.

@Zack
If you want to start as an organize entity you will never get anywhere. The Arab spring uprising wasn’t organize it was existential. Thomas Friedman said it was more Albert Camus than Che Guevara. It took one man to say or do what many had been saying and wanting to do. That’s why I say be that man or woman, and if you are right, if your position is shared by enough people in their heart of hearts they will join in.

The Tunisian uprising:

The exact reasons behind Al Bouazizi’s subsequent outrage are not clear. Some observers allege that the police officer slapped him across his face; others that Al Bouazizi tried to complain at a center for unemployed graduates — but that no one listened to him and he heard only laughter and insults.

Whatever his intentions, Muhammad Al Bouazizi’s actions changed Tunisian history.

@Adrian

My only point here is that this subject of Integrity Legislation and FOI has been discussed over and over here on BU, and it’s not going any further than that. My other irrefutable point is that putting forward your argument as an organized group always increases your chances of obtaining the results you desire. Very few people (if any) are going to join you if you go marching in front of the PM’s office on Bay Street with a sign saying “We demand Integrity Legislation”. They may watch from a distance and agree with you, but you would need to organize people ahead of time in order to be effective.

Unless Bajans and Barbados comes out of it’s Frozen Culture Syndrome, then nothing is ever ever going to change.

There seems to be an unwritten rule that simple honest folk are ineligible for political office and this is why there is a need for Integrity Legislation.

We would settle for simple honest people who just want to serve their country. The funny thing is, we always reject those simple honest people every time they ask for the opportunity to serve and opt to elect those that are more likely to use their training to better themselves.

Here is an interesting development in India on the subject of rolling out transparency legislation:

Indian cabinet approves new anti-corruption bill
Posted: 29 July 2011 0329 hrs

NEW DELHI: India’s cabinet approved a new anti-corruption bill on Thursday that aims to create a powerful new ombudsman tasked with investigating endemic graft in the public sector.

Under the proposed law, citizens would be able to approach the ombudsman with complaints about corrupt officials, including federal ministers and senior bureaucrats who are shielded under India’s current laws.

Information Minister Ambika Soni said the ombudsman would be picked from the highest levels of the judiciary and be supported by eight other officials who would be from the judiciary or be people of “impeccable integrity.”

The proposed law, called the Lokpal bill from the Hindi word for ombudsman, will now go to parliament where members will vote on it in the next session, which begins on August 1.

“The overall thrust of the government has been to ensure greater transparency and accountability in every aspect of public life,” Soni said.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1143682/1/.html

@David
I couldn’t help but notice your disclaimer just above the text box for entering comments. Maybe you can clarify something for me. Your disclaimer says, “Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of Barbados Underground”, so I really need to know who is BU? Aren’t your comments the comments of BU? If not, then who on this blog represents BU?

@Zack

You need to define comments of commenters and a blog posted by BU.

Obviously if comments are posted under BU/David or the BU signature those comments are excluded from the disclaimer.

To David:
Why is Zack so taken with your disclaimer; next question shall be about the board of bu.

Most of us in barbados are liars, cheats, and anything for me , myself , my friend and family. This legisltion shall be a joke, especially the enforcement of it. When ne wilson raped that young lady and taken to court on her insistance, the forman of the jury said can we lock up mr. wilson our camrade in the lodge. And we know that the judiary, police, senior cibil servants and politician dance to the tune of these societies.