What value should we place in the word of a Prime Minister. Should we dismiss Prime Minister Stuart’s promise as election campaign rhetoric? Should we dismiss the promise the late Prime Minister David Thompson made to CLICO policyholders? Are we finally willing to say to politicians, ENOUGH!
Read Nation article PM’s Word
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The issue here is not that we don’t understand the government has no money. It is to show the yard fowls how politicians make empty promises to win elections. In the process we find ourselves in a circulate debate.
The Prime Minister’s word should be something that you could take to the bank. Unfortunately, this PM appears as though he is going senile or is a blasted liar. Somehow, I prefer to think that he is not all together there. I became convinced of that when he spoke about having lost a friend when he was laying a wreath on David Thompson’s grave on the last anniversary of his death. He hated Thompson with the type of passion that legends are made of, and he forgot.
@ David
The system is rigged to fool us, and it will continue. If you really want an example of the kind of relationship we should have with our government, you should see the ‘threat’ given today by Glenn Greenwald to the American and British governments. They stopped his ‘partner’ at a London airport under the terrorism act for 9 hours. Greenwald said they will soon see what he’s going to do to them. This is the fear all governments should have for their peoples, every one of us. Until then these boys are going to continue playing with us. This is the only issue that is important – the power relationship.
@Pacha
We are in agreement that our government should fear reprisals from the people they are elected to serve and not the other way around.
All like now so Stuart should be trying to find asylum in a country like Saudi Arabia
@Caswell
Do you recall when you spoke of the meeting where Union leaders were told of the 3-day weeks workers would be put on and Maloney denied it. Looka how things come to pass. Many people tried to denigrate you and haul you over the coals. Wonder what they are saying now??
In this case there appears to be a disconnect between Sinckler and Stuart. The privatisation issue is another one. Owen indicated that Sinckler as MOF may not have been able to do what he wants and only the PM can limit a MOF . Even in THIS crisis Stuart as a PM has been far from visible letting Sinckler take all the HEAT from the public when the PM is as equally culpable. Now anybody that can pick sense from nonsense and a blind man can see that Stuart trying to screw up Sinckler in an indirect sense. One can deduce that this had its origins from the Eager Eleven issue.
@ David
And you know that we have been arguing that it makes no difference whether it is B or D. In fact the political system is merely a self perpetuating scheme to fool us. As if both parties are playing games against the people. In other words a political conspiracy where the people will loose every time.
Like It or Lump It
I find no comfort in being right since workers are being sent home, but I was unfazed by the attacks because I knew that I was telling the truth. Unfortunately, I could not have brought any proof in my defence because I would have compromised my informant’ job. My main concern though is that the Minister of Finance went before the BCCI and publicly denied that there were any such plans and he is still an Honourable Minister of the Crown.
Is this a fall out between the P.M and the MOF? It reminds me of Owen and Wood over the bus fare issue. Since the UWI fees was a big issue in solving some of the debt problem, then we are back at square one and a big vote of no confidence in the government by the people.
wuh u de hell u getting up in here caswell taking credit for telling people ten thousand public workers would be sent home and still that is a bold faced lie from your frothy mouth. what credit u got some nerve, temporary means temp. or that is written in the constitution to mean permanent,,,u frecklefaced monkey.
@ac
Caswell uses his name on BU unlike you and he has never been sued as far as BU is aware. Pick sense from that if you can. Stop the ad hominems if you have point.
The current situation in Barbados demands a rethink of many things, education included.
The global economic situation gives rise to shifts in policy positions.
When politicians tell provable lies, how are they different to ordinary people. For example, when a citizen commits a crime, can it be argued then that we should look forward and not backward? Like CCC is saying.
@ac
What is your position on the matter raised i.e. a PM making a promise which is broken months later. This is the issue for you to address and stop attacking other commenters if you are unaware of the facts of the matter. In fact it is a matter of credibility for you like it is for PM Stuart. Remember PM Stuart ran an election campaign based on integrity. The point here is to show you partisans that it is about winning elections period.
When Barack Obama was campaigning for President of the United States of America he stated clearly that one of his first acts a new President of America would be to close down Guantanamo Military base in Cuba, reluctantly he has had to go back on his word. I am sure it gives him no pleasure but the current circumstances dictates that it remains open in the interest of American safety and security.
There goes the Nation again treating a politician’s about face as a man bites dog story, I must be living in a parallel universe where politicians’ words are sacrosanct. I await with bated breath a statement from the Leader of the Opposition that her Party will roll back the fees if it is elected to govern.
All the talk about austerity has gone out through the window, Oh yes I’m for austerity and cutting back so long as it’s the other person’s ox that is being gored. Why should I pay my fair share when the gov’t is rolling in dough? There is a reluctance to admit that this is a country with all of its eggs in one basket and when the Golden Goose is refusing to lay and is slowly abandoning the coop we still expect the eggs as before.
Wake up and smell something……
@Sargeant
No austerity has not gone out the window at all, in fact it is inescapable. What some of us are trying to do is to hold our politicians accountable. Noti If you examine the date on the newspaper you will see it is an old headline from November 2011.
We note CCC has brought up the point we had in mind. Others Presidents were impeached for much less than he is getting away with. Does this mean that either he or Stuart or Mia should be able to get away with lies? Of course there are a lot of other differences too. However, our position is that the crimes committed by both, all three, should require the application of the maximum penalty without an expectation of a trial.
my position is what good is a promise if it has out lived its usefulness. after all it is not a contract or signed agreement, it is a word given with built in probabilities and possibilities remaining as stated or need for necessary change if radicle situations occur as in the case of UWI. this foolish call about “broken promise” borders on childlike and childish behavior or even temper tantrums equivalent to that of a four year old. everybody needs to grow up and face reality. The promise lasted for over forty years and to any rationale person that is a well kept promise and those Band D who have had the fortune and privilege of advantageously partaking of that promise should be giving the govts a standing applause for keeping such an unsustainable “promise for so many years,, the cries are ones of ungratefulness and not cries of those who have the best interest of the country at heart,
Has anybody here ever heard about a social contract?
When I was a small child I lived very near to the St. Thomas Outpatients’ Clinic and if anyone had asked me then who a doctor was, I would have told them that a doctor was a white man because only white doctors attended the patients at that clinic in those days. Free education up to university level has been able to produce black doctors whose parents were maids, messenger, labourers and general workers. Government’s reversal on funding university education would usher back in the days when I was a small boy, where only those with money could afford to send their children to university.
Freundel Stuart, who boasts of being the child of a maid who lost her husband early who managed to go to UWI should have been a guide to his actions. It is people like him who having claimed the ladder pulls it up with them to prevent others from using it. At times I have praised Stuart and other times I have criticised him but this is the first time that I have been truly ashamed of him. Mind you, I don’t think that my being ashamed of him would affect him in any way since I appears that he is devoid of feelings. All that matters to him is that he is Prime Minister, even if he presides over the destruction of this country, History would record that he was PM and that is all that matters to him.
AC I can’t believe you can’t smell a BIG ASS LIAR when he is in front of you. The PM and certain members of his Cabinet are a bunch of bad liars. They should be known as the GREAT PRETENDERS!
@ David
@ac…..What is your position on the matter raised i.e. a PM making a promise which is broken months later
***********
Is this a trick question for ac?
Help a humble bushman to understand the issue….a politician makes a promise – and months later breaks that same promise…and David(BU) is looking for a position from ac on this….?
– Is it that it took home MONTHS before the promise was broken?
– is it that Freundy actually made a specific commitment?
– Or are you just tormenting ac? 🙂
…it CANNOT be surprise that a politician broke a promise..!!!!
Mr Stuart is a lawyer first and foremost. Come on, that was the lawyer talking … You guys come down too hard on Politicians … 🙂
@Bush Tea
It was just to let ac satisfy the definition of yardfowl…lol.
God help us, by her logic a politician including a PM can say anything to the people.
Let me implore readers to consult the Sunday Sun newspaper page 24a. Under the headline, “Meeting University Costs” Dr. Leonad Shorey had this to say, “This is not a surprising situation and the really regrettable thing about it is that neither the present Government nor its predecessor in office, the Barbados Labour Party, had the foresight and wisdom to take appropriate steps long ago to deal with an issue that could have been foreseen.”
Dr. Shorey was the Chairman of a committee which prepared a report for the Ministry of Education in 1995 entitled FINANCING UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.
“The committee examined all the related matters carefully and thoroughly and reached the conclusion that “if government is ……….to meet the other demands on its necessarily limited resources, then some part of the student costs should be borne by students themselves”.”
If in 1995 the resources of Government were limited, in 2013 in the midst of the worst economic downturn in the last 100 years then surely resources would be even worst.
Dr. Shorey’s Committee in 1995 recommended that students ought to pay 50% of their University tuition fee.
“To have and to hold, from this day forward, until death do us part…”
We are but dust with all of the faults of the first Adam.
Fumble, contrary to popular opinion, is not GOD.
Fumble is a lawyer and not a very good one at that (LOL) for those of you who might not have seen him argue a case in court.
THe cases he has won were those which the judge awarded him because listening to his monologue was dangerous to ones health.
Imagine Marva Clarke, the mental midget that she was, suffering through Homer, administered b the Molasses Giant himself??
Case dismissed. Costs awarded to Fumble and party. THe Agony of the Cross terminated.
The only one of the DLPites with a crystal glass is Richard Sealy and his is not really a crystal glass as much as it is de obeah woman and de spirits.
Bush Tea, i getting like dat Deeds fellow wid dis Richard Sealy and dis seeing spirits ting.
You ent know nuhbody dat i could go by and get a bush bath…ooops.. and i dun hit de send button already.. when de church people get to find out who PUDRYR is it all ovah!!
Dat and “wid dis here ring i thee wed…” dun wid
@David
Isn’t the PM a politician? What are the rules for a politician?
Rule No.1: Get elected
Rule No.2: Get elected
Rule No.3: Get elected
Rule No 100: Get elected
Why are you expressing dismay about a politician breaking a promise? Would you expect to find a virgin in a bordello?
The argument should be whether this change of direction is a positive or negative one but when the politicos and the hangers on get hold of it all logic flies out the window.
@Sargeant
No again, the argument must also be about exploring a better way to govern.
The DLP has always shown scant respect and total disrespect to the social contract. Sandy did it and not this johnniecunthole is following in the same path————–ways to destruction
This is the first year that I completely ignored all of the social commentary from Crop Over. I could tell you everything that you need to know about “Hands on yah head and wine it” or the meaning of “Condense” but social commentary, not a word. The reason for that is clear. The political environment is the source for song writing of that sort, and the topics never seem to be radically different, indeed just about every calypso that has ever been written about Politicians and the Press are as valid today as they ever were; and they change nothing…!
It seems to me that I may have to take the same approach to certain types of threads … for just about the same reasons … HA
If in 1995 the resources of Government were limited, in 2013 in the midst of the worst economic downturn in the last 100 years then surely resources would be even worst.
CARSON CADOGAN
CARSON CADOGAN
CARSON CADOGAN
Are you in right head ?
JUST ASKING
The DLP has always shown scant respect and total disrespect to the social contract. Sandy did it and now this johnniecunthole is following in the same path————–ways to destruction
ac | August 18, 2013 at 7:45 PM |
my position is what good is a promise if it has out lived its usefulness. after all it is not a contract or signed agreement, it is a word given with built in probabilities
————————————–
AC
YOU ARE A TOTAL JOHNNIECUNTHOLE OR JUST SEVERELY AFFLICTED WITH BIAS
CCC is the reason we have to do away with this system. Shorey was always a middle class snob and it is he who you could find to go back to the classism of the 1950’s where the like of him, like one men could rule socially. If you serve god like you are such an obedient servant of the DLP, you will be in heaven! Good there is no heaven!
@ David
Point taken with ac, ….but wunna fellows carrying a joke a bit too far now…all this business of expecting politicians to solve the complex problems that we now face, of demanding transparency, good judgement, effective communication and other good management practices ….SURELY it is now clear that expecting these things is just a lotta shiite….
DAVID, THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN. YOU CAN’T GET MILK FROM A STONE. PACHA is right!
ONLY BY A FUNDAMENTAL SYSTEMIC REVOLUTION will it be possible to see progress made in addressing the serious challenges that we face….and wunna fellows don’t want no revolution….wunna like um so…
In hindsight, it will become clear that Fruendel may have been the very best person as PM …precisely because he hastens to do nothing.
Wuh skipper, if you had no idea what to do or where to go, your VERY BEST OPTION is to stand still.
Put some enthusiastic idiot in place and we would most likely rush headlong over a deep cliff… LOL…the main threat arising from standing still is that we will starve slowly,
@ Piece
Man um is a real pity that they won’t let us old fellows run this damn place…. We would fix up every shiite quick so….
When ya ain’t frighten to dead everything becomes much easier…..in fact the only REAL challenge is the “wid dis here ring i thee wed…” ….and with all the free time we have while they go to church, we got the time to run de place….
WRT the bush bath…..
Bushie advise you to leff out dat…! Don’t mind Baffy…
Dat ain’t for you….you won’t be able wid the repercussions…
De heart ya know….
…..’noint wid a little coconut oil and Vicks and get the Madame to rub some bengays on the neck and shoulders….and ting..
LOL that should get Sealy outta ya system…. 🙂
BAFBPF;
With respect I must disagree with you this time.
The current situation is the worse that Barbados has ever experienced and cannot be corrected by the current crop of politicians, either D or B, although the B’s would have done a better job if they were in charge over the last 5 months or so. It’s too late for them to make any real difference if they came in now.
There is no confidence in the ability of the DLP to implement anything
There is no confidence in the PM to lead Barbados
There is no confidence in the Minister of Tourism to turn around our Tourism.
There is no confidence in the Minister of Finance to manage the finances of this country.
There is no confidence in the Gov of the CB
There is no confidence that the budgetary measures being implemented by the Government will be successful.
There is no confidence in the ability of this Government to turn the economy around over any timeframe.
There is no confidence in the ability of this Government to keep the IMF and other international funding agencies of last resort out of Barbados in the very near future
Imho all the data suggests that the Government, having watered down the original policy prescriptions that might have substantially corrected the situation and opted instead for an extended period of not totally unpalatable medicine, will find that its measures will not work. I think that there is probably a continuing and even escalated capital flight that can lead to an IMF programme in the near future with its traditional conditionalities. (Why do you think that no one has addressed this by telling the Public that the March / April $300M leakage has been staunched?)
This situation is starkly new for Barbados and several calypsos will be sung on it in coming years.
The Panel discussion on the Budget is being streamed at the following url
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/school-of-politics
same ole shite talk coming out of one bush tea mout, so given your scenario nothing should be done, the same ole repetitive tripe u have said over the last five years except missing in this crap is BBE, there is a problem that need to be solved and all people like u do is add more garbage to the situation but nothing of solvable solution u need to take your own advice and hush,
@ Carson C. Cadogan | August 18, 2013 at 8:07 PM |
“Dr. Shorey’s Committee in 1995 recommended that students ought to pay 50% of their University tuition fee.”
Carson, lying MF Carson, GBYIRH Carson Cu*T Hole CaDOGan why then did you curse and vilify Uncle Tommy Miller for proposing the same thing?
Uncle Tommy proposal was made even without the knowledge of Dr Shorey’s realistic recommendation that would have allowed for the long-term existence of the Cave Hill Campus.
Here is what the miller proposed that incurred your wrath and defence of the DLP’s unassailable position regarding the protection of its sacred cow now sacrificed on the altar of economic reality that a functioning stable society can only exist if there is enough (surplus) wealth created from a dynamic vibrant economy:
“millertheanunnaki | November 24, 2011 at 11:31 PM |
@ Old School | November 24, 2011 at 10:30 PM |
The PM has already given his “iron clad” assurance that tertiary education is sacrosanct and will NOT be cut. Or is he just gassing off as in the case of assuring CLICO investors that they will get back their money? From whom, from where and when?
All the PM is doing is testing the propaganda waters. I am prepared to bet that by this time next year Bajan students enrolled at UWI would be contributing 50% to their education either by way of educational loans or from their private funds. But there may be a graduated introduction over a 3 yr period. Watch this space!”
“millertheanunnaki | November 26, 2011 at 8:00 AM |
@ uneducated | November 26, 2011 at 7:13 AM |
“The welfare nature cant continue. Britain had to look at funding education and we have to look at it too.”
Not only education but a range of other social services! The civil service- both at local and central government levels- is also being cut back to financially manageable levels.
Now how do you view the PM’s intractable and totally impractical position of making tertiary education a “sacred cow” even beyond the scalpels of the IMF? Or should we be so “uneducated” as to fall for the propaganda and electioneering gassing off as in the case of CBC. Now here is a perfect entity to privatize as a way of showing that the Stuart Administration is doing something to restructure the economy without breaching its social contract with the disadvantaged! But what we get is a totally unsustainable and untenable position being taken up. There is certainly no hope for this country when we have persons in the form of Mr. “Physical Deficit” making pronouncements to justify keeping CBC as a state entity in these harsh economic times.”
Can you Now appreciate the prophetic insight of the miller’s contribution both then and now?
Dr. Shorey’s Committee in 1995 recommended that students ought to pay 50% of their University tuition fee.
but carson what was MR STUART,S response to such proposals as recent as November 2011. stop clutching at straws to hoist you on your own petard. you can do better than this.
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@ Bushie
In the philosophies that Stuart likes so much several people argue that when there is no clear path forward the best thing, is to do nothing. We must therefore congratulate Barbados, for we have the perfect man in place right now, if you are so persuaded. Our philosophy is that there has never been and will never be a right man or woman. The people must retain their power on a day to day basis and not cede it to anyone. People who are professional liars, bandits, trickters and thieves
To those people (esp those who classify themselves as younger people) who are reading our PDC posts/ blogs on BU but who are not blogging/posting on here, we ask of you the following: to commit yourselves to serious political action for the sake of the honour and salvation of the broad masses and middle classes of people of this country.
This is the time to help get the rid of the DLP/BLP from the governmental political landscape of this country.
This is indeed the time!!
There is no other time!!
Thousands upon thousands of people in Barbados are sick tired and fed up with the DLP and the BLP and their characteristic stupid ignorancies – some of which they have been mindlessly recklessly foisting on the existences of some of our people.
This is the time to tell other people via whatever communication mediums (Facebook, Twitter, the blogs, the call in programs ) that you and they must commit your/them selves to organizing and implementing the thrust towards the development of a new coalition building people-centered progressive nationalist dispensation that must instead be created in and for Barbados.
Whatever you do will be great and will count in the end.
For, otherwise this dedevelopment crisis prone path that the country has been taken along principally by DLP/BLP governments on towards greater social political material financial collapse and ruin in Barbados in the medium term will be as certain as night follows day.
This is and will not be an option, it is a reality that is presently unfolding.
PDC
Bismarck said “Politics is the art of the possible”, I would add that Politics is the art of the pragmatist. I also heard the PM speak about the importance of the vaunted “free” Education system and how it transformed Barbados and he was not going to abandon any aspect of said system.
The PM also has to face reality and no matter what he wants or desires nothing focuses a politician’s mind as the knowledge that he has to face the IMF in the morning (slight apology to S Johnson)
Bushie said ………….
”ONLY BY A FUNDAMENTAL SYSTEMIC REVOLUTION will it be possible to see progress made in addressing the serious challenges that we face….and wunna fellows don’t want no revolution….wunna like um so…”
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Can’t make we laugh so much, man. We know what the Bajans need but all we can do is to try to help them come to the conclusion that is obvious to us.
I note the seeming glee of people like Miller at the prospect of the IMF entering the fray. I note the seeming glee with which they are prdicting the downfall of my country. My question to you all is What then? Even if draconian easures are introduced the government will still stand. Even if draconian measures are introduced the country will not sink beneath the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.Even if the IMF enters (which they can only do if invited by the government) these would not be removed even if there were an election. Owen or the BLP cannot come again like he did when the BLP won the last election and say he had driven the IMF from the door and then turned around and introduced the same measuares that the IMF had recommended. remember that the hike in water rates introduced during his “reign” was an IMF recommendation. the sale of land for the highest economic value was their recommendation also. Your bellyaching has gone beyond the normal partisan politics but have become a sign of complete paranoia at your inability to get the type of response …panic..that you would like to see. You are so disappointed that you have not seen the items on your agenda adopted that you don’t know where next to turn. Time will tell for it passes constantly. You people got problems not the people of this country. Your party has problems.
@ Bushie
If we had our way we would run the government something like a credit union.
@Sargeant
But there is the political fallout from telling what appears to be a lie. Good luck to him.
@ Alvin Cummins
Why are we to be limited to B or D? Should there not be a universe of options available to Barbados. And since both B’s and D’s have mismanaged, lied and stolen from the people of Barbados is it not time to proscribe these entities and lock up leading members?
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