Submitted by the People’s Democratic Congress (PDC)

In the final paragraph of the BLP’s column in last Friday’s Weekend Nation, the statement is made that “with the BLP, comes realistic hope of returning to the good times it created”, and towards the end of the paragraph/column there is mention made of what amounts to be some slogan: “Rescue, Rebuild, Restore.”

But, what is so duplicitous and disgusting about the use of these words in that final paragraph, is that they were really intended to be used by the author(s) of them WITHOUT the author(s) conveying any real confirmatory meaning to the critical thinker/reader of them.

For, any reasonable, sufficiently recollecting mature person in a position to recall some of the political times of the near 14 years of BLP misrule (1994-2008), must truly scoff at the folly of those childish words, and must truly point to any available evidence that they have to support the view that these are just plain vain empty stupid words being spewed out by the noviciate BLP column writer (s).

Hence, what the PDC will CONTINUE to do, from time to time on BU and elsewhere, is to provide evidence of certain words and statements (positive and negative) that the principals of these old dreaded factions constantly use – whenever they are not at the helm of the government – for the consumption of the average potential/voter, in their attempt to hoodwink as many potential/voters as possible that they are worthy of their votes, but which in the face of many incontrovertible facts will show and prove that these words and statements and their meanings could easily have been used against them when they were in government in earlier times, but which  when their principals happen to use them, later on, again,  esp. when not in government, would show and prove how lying and deceitful they are/have been, and why therefore they and their parties are not worthy of being elected based purely on what these principal members misleadingly say, or what false criticisms they make of the other party, or the unrealistic promises they make to simply get voter support.

Obversely, what the PDC will CONTINUE to do too, from time to time on BU and elsewhere, is to provide evidence of certain words and statements (negative) that these old musty factions almost NEVER use against themselves, whenever they are at the helm of government, but which, by any serious examination of part of the historical circumstances in which they were governing, would show and prove that – when out of government – their use of such words, statements and their meanings against the other party governing – whether directly or indirectly used – could easily have been applied  by they themselves to the times when they were governing, if they had been that truthful and honest enough with the majority of people when governing or not, and instead were not that interested in simply taking turns at applying the same words and statements to the other party that is governing, when they themselves are not the party governing, but which because they ever so wish to get back into government they seek NEVER to USE such words statements and meanings against themselves, even though warranted, but to use such words, statements and meanings against the other party governing simply because their quest is to provide emotional and psychological momentum for their supporters and others towards winning government,  thereafter to do similar things in line with the words statements and meanings that they use against the other party governing.

So, the PDC will use the above approaches here and elsewhere to show that the BLP, under Mr. Arthur, Ms. Mottley, Mr. Marshall, etc., and the DLP, under Mr. Stuart, Mr Jones, Mr Sealy, are the same ESSENTIALLY, and are NEVER about providing any hope to Barbadians, or about any rescuing, rebuilding or restoration of Barbados at any time.

So, the fact that the gross government debt went from BDS $ 2.4 billion in 1994, to BDS $ 5.3 billion in 2007 (Dec)(Central Bank’s economic and financial statistics 2008 (Feb), showed that, in this case, the jackass BLP never cared about providing hope to the country, then or in the future. For, they knew that the people would have to bear the repayment costs – costs which they knew would continue to rise tremendously in the country.

So, what foolishness about providing hope to Barbadians, what!!! So realize that the BLP are not going to use the words: “the gross government debt is so alarmingly high”, now, although it is so, since to do so would mean that they would implicate themselves in having played a role – when they were the government for almost 14 years – in this debt having reached unmanageable proportions – for this coming fiscal year this DLP Government is projecting debt servicing over BDS $ 500 million – and would open them up to political scrutiny in the future, with  regard to their present plans to increase the gross government debt.
So, Down with the BLP and DLP


  1. DONT you know that the DLP is the worse party to form the worse government in the history of Barbados??
    WHY was Richard Sealy acting PM and not Chris Sinckler ???
    YOU really think that SOMEBODY gwine vote for STUART to be PM???
    DONT you know that the PDC should get ready ??
    IS the PDC ready to handle the reins of Government ??
    DOES this question make PDC shiver me timbers at the thought ??
    INTIMIDATED ???

    JUST ASKING

    —along with JUST SNOOZING ( Grandpa)


  2. The competent DLP government clearly has the right mix of talent to steer Barbados through these troubled times as they are doing. We have 18 weeks import cover, we are not heading to the IMF and the economy is clearly being restructured.
    The inept BLP opposition is a group of people who obviously do not like each other but are motivated to get power to rebuild their bank accounts -ask Muscle Mary. The BLP is putting themselves first and the country second.


  3. Well said by the PDC, our history of BLPDLP government is one same goverment with rotating cast of characters,pimps, crooks etc.


  4. BU was one of the first to call for Tony Marshall’s resignation from the NIS Board. According to the Nation he has been jettison. We wish him all the best.

    http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/nis-parting/


  5. Interesting to read of the Grenada initiative which although negligible is cost savings sends the right message to the populace:

    No new taxes, ministers’ pay cut in Grenada budget

    Caribbean News Now – 10 March 2012

    Government ministers in Grenada will take a five percent cut in pay starting next month, Finance Minister Nazim Burke has announced.

    He made the announcement on Friday while presenting the country’s EC$1.023 billion 2012 national budget, which represents a 15.8 percent increase over last year’s.

    The five percent pay cut is less than $300 per month.

    Burke, in his two-hour-and-25 minute presentation, unveiled a series of “expenditure reduction measures.”

    They include the pay scale-back, and savings of $800,000 by reducing by 50 percent the allocation for international travel by government ministers and officials.

    “In a period of stagnant revenues and rising costs, government – like any household or business – must do its utmost to cut costs,” Burke said.

    The largest budget expenditure, $404.8 million, will be for debt repayment, including monies owed to the Exim Bank of Taiwan.

    This is followed by a $109.6 million allocation for the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development; $73.4 million for Ministry of Finance; $65.6 million for Ministry of Health; and $58.6 for Ministry of Works.

    Burke said the economic downturn that peaked in 2008 has ended, but warned that Grenada is still facing an “economic storm.”

    He said data from the National Insurance Scheme suggests that “jobs have been preserved and increased.”

    Government is still deeply concerned about the high level of unemployment in the country,” whose population is now estimated at 103,000, Burke said.

    No new taxes were announced in the budget and Burke promised that no efforts will be spared in implementing job-creation initiatives, such as the Agriculture Feeder Road Project.

    As well, progress is being made in sourcing funding for a five-star resort in the south of the island, Burke told the packed parliament building.

    “Grenada is rising again,” he said.


  6. Maybe Caribbean governments should keep the lobby up on APD.

    12 March 2012
    APD is costing Britain’s economy £4.2bn
    New research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that Air Passenger Duty costs the UK economy billions of pounds and tens of thousands of jobs.Removing it, says the WTTC, would create another 91,000 jobs and add £4.2 billion to the economy in 12 months.’¨The research comes as Britain is about to face yet another rise in APD.From April, a family of four flying to Malaga will pay £52 extra on the price of their tickets.
    http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2000674&c=setreg&region=2

  7. old onion bags Avatar

    IS the PDC ready to handle the reins of Government ??>>just Asking

    If the PDC is ready and were given an imaginary term….boy we would soon become a magnet for nuff ‘citizens non gratis’… as an influx of these individuals would like what they have been recently seeing …Bdo’s the drug lord haven.


  8. Maybe the MP’s should take a 10% pay cut here in line with what has been suggested by Mr. Bynoe to show the populace it can work … or not!!

    Interesting to see people looking at PDC as an alternative to B and D.


  9. The PDC has never fielded the number of candidates to win a parliamentary majority, it therefore cannot be seen as an alternative. The PDC is exercising its right to offer an opinion like everybody else.

  10. old onion bags Avatar

    a weak one at that….


  11. Boy, Oh Boy
    We are really in trouble, when abyone can seriously consider a PDC government, it also shows the level at which the two major parties have fallen to. I’ve benncalling for a very long time for an alternative government to be formed from persons whith thay ability to run a government. The estimates debates yesterday, has caused me to get even more worried about the genuiningness of the DLP. My first question is the unemployment rate, only a few months ago, the Governor of the Central Bank made a fool of himself by desputing the rate reported by the BSS(the dept with the expertise to handle the job), it caused an international company to admit the figures quoted by the BSS were correct namely 12.1% . Am I to now accept the figures of the same Governor of the Central Bank that the unemployment rate is back at what he claimed a few months ago, that is 10.6% ? over the last couple of months there were layoffs from some companies and the BEC just up to last month was saying the companies can hold strain no longer, which will result in many layoffs this years, now out of the BLUES, there were thousands of jobs created withing the last few months, where were they created? I remember REDjet saying they created , I think, 70 jobs because of the new routes but where are the others? There are many questions that the public are entitled to get answers to , but for me this silly season is not only going to be SILLY but LIAR, so before I’m branded as DLP or BLP or allow the lies to raise my BP, I will find some other thing to do but to get caught up in this immature, amateur politics that has engulfed Barbados. I just hope that my pension cheque keeps coming, because I made my contribrutions since it’s inception until my time was up to retire and enjoy my benefits.


  12. @The Scout

    Is there anything the government has done which has attracted your support?

    Your perspective on the employment rate is not correct. You should follow the comments on this matter below.


  13. Hold strain! hold strain! that was an economic policy? unbelievable that “learned ones” spouted so much nonsense back in 2009 about this “global recession”. But it is not a recession. It never was a recession, it is a massive global deleveraging of 30 years of debt on top of debt, in the western (now global) ponzi scheme which is terminally ill. When one bubble burst they blew another but you cannot solve a problem with the thinking that created it, and you cannot cure a drunk with more alcohol. Tourism real estate will not return to pre-2008 levels maybe not for another decade…it was an effect of the real estate bubble, yeah the global central banks managed to kick the can down the road a few years but end the end….mathematics never lies.

  14. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ AOD | March 13, 2012 at 3:48 PM |

    Thanks for bringing a brighter light to shine on this “macro” problem.
    The local academic and political incestuous groupies just can’t see the bigger picture from a ‘helicopter’ perspective. Just dwelling on the very small symptoms instead of the underlying disease is their way of dealing with the economic hurricane that is ahead of them.
    They are fooling themselves and the wider population by promising and assuring that the “bogey recession” is or will soon be over and Bim’s glory days will soon return.
    They do not understand or appreciate that what has happened is a shift to a new dimension. No going back to the good old days! To use an analogy, it is moving from the ‘dark ages’ to the age of ‘Enlightenment’; or more appropriately from one astrological age (house) to another age.
    I don’ think these ‘fellows’ are thinking or are capable of thinking at the level you have hang your cap. Keep on shining the light, maybe it will penetrate the darkness that is out there. Some of us here on BU have already seen the way forward but it is very dark out there in the Bajan-Kuiper belt.


  15. AOD,

    Very well said, and superlatively so.

    Barbados will NEVER EVER become a world class society under such miserably poor and appaling BLP/DLP leadership!! NEVER EVER!!

    Barbados will NEVER EVER become the so-called no 1 entrepreneurial hub by 2020, at this juncture when the country is so visibly crying out for serious decisive visionary and people centered leadership and management of the affairs of the country!! NEVER EVER!!!

    At this stage Barbados has plunged from number 24 in 1993, to number 47 in 2011, on the United Nation Human Development Index, NOT under PDC leadership, BUT under backward otiose BLP/DLP leadership.

    In 2011, in one of the Barbados Business Authority issues then, it was reported that Barbados was one of the ten worst performing so-called economies in the world, and really that did not come about under PDC leadership, BUT under the dismal and ill-fated leadership of the DLP and BLP – two old archaic factions that must be sent packing back into the political dark ages from whence they came.

    Things are so bad in today’s Barbados – that under this very tepid and weak DLP leadership – the Central Bank can be seen to be busy concocting a story that the unemployment rate was lowered from 12.5 at the end of the third quarter last year, to 10.2 at the end of the last quarter of 2011 – a figure that some of the staff at the Central Bank and Barbados Statistical Service do not believe in, and therefore believe to be false.

    So, understand this: that 5 out of every 10 people that the PDC from time to time informally surveys, and at various places in Barbados, concerning the need to rid this DLP/BLP foolishness from the political landscape of this country, are entirely in agreement with that proposition.

    For, the broad masses and middle classes are coming to the undiluted realization that the DLP and BLP are the same foolishness.

    Both BLP and DLP have lost much legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of an increasingly great proportion of the people.

    These people have come to a sense of understanding that the BLP and DLP are in need of being replaced permanently, and are doing something about it.

    For example there has been the formation of a fifth party in Barbados.

    PDC


  16. Wasn’t there a despute between the BSS report and that of the Central Bank? Wasn’t the Central Bank proven wrong? Why then should we listen to stats from the Central Bank? To me The Governor discridited himself, that Institution is too important to allow itself to be dragged into partisan politics. David, if what I’m saying is wrong, then tell me what is right. To date the BSS still have the 12% unemployment figure on their website, unless it was changed this evening. Who should we then believe? Politicians should stop taking yardfowls who can’t think for themselves for a ride. At the end of the day, this is OUR country, and politicians are making outrageous promises AGAIN, when they know they CANNOT keep.


  17. @The Scout

    It was not a matter of being proved wrong, as explained elsewhere on the blog both percentages fell within the confidence interval.

  18. Observing (not to be confused with Observer) Avatar
    Observing (not to be confused with Observer)

    @David
    The 10% is being touted as major accomplishment. It’ll be interested to see who’s 10% it is. CBB or BSS. I agree that there’s no wrong but it is an election year and every percentage point counts for something. I’m still hard pressed to see a 4th quarter drop by 2% in this environment especially with depressed construction and manufacturing. Any idea when the CBB next report is due?


  19. @observing

    You are correct, the market is soft which does not reconcile with what Kellman et are saying in the Estimates Debate..


  20. It would be interesting if the following comment posted on TripAdvisor is correct:

    “You’re kidding… right?”
    Reviewed March 13, 2012 NEW
    We don’t get it… why all the praise for this old, outdated hotel????? This is by no means a Five-Star Hotel. Far from it! At the very best maybe a Four Star and that’s only because of the beach, ocean and lovely gardens. Perhaps the ratings are so high because they’re almost all from British guests. Apparantly the British standards are much lower than ours? That’s all I can figure. How do you rate a hotel so high when the rooms are cinder block walls, uncomfortable beds, linen and towels are of poor quality, furniture, drapes and rugs are old and frayed, no flat screen TV, no coffee maker, no electrical outlet in the bathroom, holes in screens, no light dimmers and old fashioned key locks that were difficult to use. Oh, and did I say overpriced? $800 a night… insane! Sure glad I didn’t pay for it or I’d be quite angry.
    We won this trip from the NBC Today Show contest “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” When we arrived at the hotel they didn’t know who NBC was and never heard of Matt Lauer or the Today Show. They put us in what may have been the worst room in the resort. Don’t get me wrong, the room itself was okay but nothing special. The big problem was it’s location. The main highway was thirty feet from our room and the constant noise from the highway was terrible. There was a bus stop right outside the fence which was a main intersection. I’ve attached a picture of the tidy bus stop along with the two views from our room. One is the maintenance area and the other is the lovely fence from our balcony. Because the room was the furthest from the beach and restaurant, we could not see or even hear the ocean. It was like having a room in the center of town. We were so far from the restaurant that the lovely breakfast served to us on our balcony every morning was always cold. We opted for cereal and sweet rolls the last few days.
    Do yourself a favor, save your money and go somewhere else.
    http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147265-d150704-r126025156-The_Sandpiper-Saint_James_Barbados.html


  21. I am not a ‘political’ sort of person and certainly not other than a “novis” when it comes to the free underground presses. In other words, I am unused to the cut and thrust of debate here or the sorts of things that people argued about four years ago.

    However, my impression remains that people voted DLP last time mainly because the BLP were looking rather tired and because there was concern that a fourth (or fifth?) term was really too much without our being seen as a one-party State – a case of ‘time for a change’. Add to that a DLP leader was on offer who was relatively young, fresh, dynamic and charismatic (or so it seemed) – by contrast with Mr Arthur who, despite all his natural political acumen, had begun to look rather seedy. In other words, it wasn’t that the BLP were ‘bad’ in themselves. There then followed the natural selection process for a new leader of the BLP – entirely conventional in political life after failure – but it was all very badly handled and brought discredit to the leadership and party. However, since then there has been little evidence that the DLP has the vision or political nonce to lead and the PM’s death destroyed whatever depth there was, or seemed to be, in the party. It then transpired that Galahad had been linked with scandal so that even his image has become irreparably tarnished – well I suppose. Couple that with evidence of broken promises and last minute promises to amend and the signs do not look good for the DLP. They remain still in short trousers as they were in fact in 2008.

    The over-all impression I have, then, is that we have two political parties who are tired and without any sort of zeal or vision. But, to go back to my starting point, in 2008 I do not remember the political scene to be as tasteless as it now appears. For the BLP it was in essence “You’ve never had it so good – don’t let the DLP ruin it” – which was probably a fair assessment. It was a case of ‘tried and tested’. For the DLP, in essence it was “Time for a change” – which, in its way, was equally fair. Given the lack of any distinct philosophy in either party, the next election I suspect will see the electorate opting for ‘tried and tested’ again – and why not? Yet despite that – the time is ripe, surely, for a third force in politics. But I have to say, my reading of the post is that if that is all on offer, we had better go back to the drawing board. Maybe Rawle will raise a flag???


  22. “Yes despite that – the time is ripe, surely, for a third force in politics” – Robert Ross, in the above post.

    Robert Ross,

    There are five parties in Barbados.

    There is not only a need for the broad masses and middle classes of people of Barbados to utilize whatever powers and capacities they have in removing the DLP and BLP permanently from the political landscape in this country, but also there is a greater need for a new model of development for this country.

    Any newer parties must be, among some other things, visionary, very disciplined, well organized, properly supported, strategic, people-centered organizations.

    It is clear that just one additional force will do it.

    Picture politics as war ( Mao Zedong was reported to have said that politics is war without bloodshed and war is politics with blood shed).

    And picture one young fledging military force attempting to conquer two opposing, battle scarred, weary, and weakening forces??

    Such a young and fledging military force must NOT seek to take them on directly but must recruit proper discipline and wily members, get sufficient weaponry from the right people, and get tactical support from the wider population until it gets strong enough to actually take on both of them (which will be weakening more and more over time).

    It must also encourage the formation of other military forces, to rise up and do the same – a common objective (an allied objective) being to remove the two military forces – either by causing them to merge into one, and then defeating that merged one force, or by causing one of them to defeat the other and then soon after when the victorious one is suffering from battle weariness and is weakened defeating, using all of the other forces to defeat it.

    ALL the newer forces must at the end of the day be at least be two times the political military strengths of the merged force, or at least three times the political military strengths of the victorious force in order to defeat it.

    The current situation in Barbados have parallels with such military tactics and strategies, in so far as there must be more than three serious progressive parties focussed unstintingly on removing the DLP and BLP from the parliament of this country, and which as time goes strengthen into serious but seperate political forces enough to defeat the eventual conquerer in the next six years.

    Thus, the idea of simply having an additional party does not cut it. THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR POLITICAL FUN!!!

    PDC


  23. @ PDC

    Yes, I spoke of a third ‘force’; and was wilfully not referring to the number of so-called political parties. I had not envisioned war tactics but am assuming you are speakig metaphorically in the same sense that the term ‘spiritual warfare’ is used – well, at least I hope so. The reference to Mao I do not find encouraging, however. Yes, I did speak of vision; and, yes, you are right, there must be discipline. BUT none of that is a substitute for policies, clearly articulated within the framework of the vision. All I read in the post was rant and the usual negative stuff about the other two – and that was why I suggested there was a need to go back to the drawing board. And, forgive me, I do not see much more in the blog. To hint at ‘people power’ is not enough.


  24. Oh and let me be clear lest there be any doubt. The word ‘fun’ is a way of saying (well, for me) that at the end of the day we must not be too serious about ourselves, that it does no harm to stand back and look at ourselves (even if we see we are total idiots) – else we are apt to miss the things that are really important and trip over our egos. I realise I did not use the word ‘fun’ HERE of course but certainly everything I have said in my blogs (here and elswhere) has been sincerely meant in the context of the idea of “honest” debate – and this includes references, e.g., to smoke on Hillaby which as I know you will realise is actually making a serious point though facetiously. And yes, I DO mean there is a need for a third ‘force’, one which will capture the imagination and even if it is composed only of poets, dancers, artists, philosophers and other writers – and maybe vagrants, inmates and drunkards but definately no fundamentalist anythings – on the ground that for them the horizon is just before their noses.
    .


  25. Robert Ross,

    The PDC is sure that you will continue to keep the ball rolling more and more, given that you said you are serious about this third force.

    PDC


  26. Yes.


  27. In another post I described my perception of the PEP as ‘racist’. That perception has not really changed. BUT last night I actually read more than the two posts I had previously read on their website. One thought struck me very strongly. The writer of the posts is very articulate, thoughtful and innovative. I found myself agreeing with pretty well everything he wrote and if the various ideas were to find themslves in a manifesto – positive and attractively produced – I do not see how that Party could fail to secure far, far more votes than the miserable result in 2008 and especially where there is so much disenchantment with the others..

    I can’t help asking why there are three ‘others’ on the political spectrum. I know nothing about the politics of this. But perhaps they should consider a coming together. And maybe the PNP should reconsider it’s cartoon of the US as satanic along with the unnecessary jibes at the former colonial power; and perhaps it should not overplay references to the past- and to Cuba. These things, it seems to me, are really rather naff and stale – and might just cause the rest of us to wonder what kind of foreign policy the Party might adopt in circumstances where the welfare of our people in the world as it is really is the overriding agenda.


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