Grenville Phillips II is the founder of Barbados’ newest political party Solutions Barbados. BU asked Grenville to give Barbadians an update on the building of the political party. The following is what he had to share:
Approximately once every 5 years, Barbadians select persons to manage their national affairs. At the time of our independence, we received a debt-free island with well-maintained pubic infrastructure. Fifty years later, our public services are generally poorly managed, and we are risking losing our country as a result of our unsustainable national debt. During periods in Barbados when money appeared to be plentiful, we mistakenly thought that our national economy was being properly managed. However, it takes no special competence to uneconomically spend borrowed money.
It normally takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice for persons to operate at an expert level. Therefore, it would seem that successfully managing a business, with about 10 employees for about 10 years, should adequately prepare an individual to manage our national affairs. To my knowledge, none of Barbados’ ministers of Government have ever come close to this minimum standard of preparation.
I do not blame any past or current member of Barbados’ parliament for the current state of our national affairs. Rather, they deserve our deep gratitude. When we had to elect persons to manage the national economy, they were the ones who stepped forward. At the end of each election cycle, they graciously demitted office and admirably accepted the will of the electorate.
If anyone is to blame for the abysmal state of Barbados’ national affairs, it is those who were adequately prepared for national service, but refused to step forward. Thus, they deprived Barbados of their skills and left the electorate to choose from among a group of unprepared, but willing candidates.
Barbados is fortunate to have had exemplary employers who have effectively trained and cared for their employees as they managed successful businesses. They willingly chose less corporate profits in order to maintain their employees during economically challenging times, and rewarded them for their productivity during times of plenty.
Those employers were adequately prepared to manage Barbados’ economy. However, rather than fulfilling their national duty, they generally ignored the call. They ought to be utterly ashamed of themselves, and are ultimately responsible for forcing Barbadians to select people who were simply not prepared to manage national affairs.
There is no shame if the electorate chooses others to lead. That is the governance system within which we operate, and the same voters, and their children, have to live with the consequences of their choices. However, to provide them with fair choices, it is the responsibility of the most demonstrably competent and caring employers to offer themselves as candidates in each general election. How else can a small independent country with few natural resources be properly managed?
Our politics has now degenerated into career politicians desperately trying to convince Barbadians that all is well while we are being drowned in debt, taxes and downgrades. It is long-past time to relieve our career politicians from this burden, but thank them for their efforts. I am publically calling all employers with the requisite preparation to review the solutions at SolutionsBarbados.com, and then contact us with the intention of being candidates in the next general elections.
The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.