In a surprise decision by former prime minister Owen Arthur to accept the position as Chief Economic Advisor if offered by government, many are asking if the move is designed to undermine the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) with a general election looming. Clearly the government continues to struggle with the management of the economy and BU suspects the Arthur/Government collaboration is a Machiavellian attempt to achieve a win win position.
OSA likes nothing more than ‘hitting’ MAM
He has been a recidivist, that poor fella can’t help himself
Or that Mia too sweet
We however are minded that his long standing promise never to leave Mia in charge of the BLP, become PM, is given a second lease on life.
FJS must be in the shadows, like his erstwhile namesake, calling these shots.
Seriously, though OSA has always understood the inner workings of this economy far better than most.
Still, that did not prevent him from doing serious damage previously.
So much so that all that would happen is the continued slide.
OSA is no god
He has filled his pockets and is now a paling cock
We voted ‘yes’
There is something disgraceful about this. It just can’t be the money. As a former prime minister and sitting MP he is well looked after. Plus his lucrative consultancy.
It will make for great theatre, Arthur is the ready made scape goat, paid for with taxpayer’s dollars, cause the ministers are sure not paying him from their own pockets, having already accused him of voodoo economics…lol…and sense Fruendel and his Fiends do not take responsibility for or never want to be held accountable for of their own destructive actions re governing or the economy, Arthur is the perfect patsy after the fall guy Worrell..lol
@Pacha
President’s, Prime Minister’s and others who have held high office become preoccupied at the twilight stage of their life/careers with legacy building. Should we frame our critique of OSA from such a viewpoint.
>
This move shows the intellectual bankruptcy of the present DLP administration. It is also an admission that the Government has failed miserably. But worse yet, it shows that Owen Arthur can eat and digest vomit.
On a very serious note. Europeans and others have decided that they will no longer vacation in the US, for their own safety….Caribbean people who are even more vulnerable should decide if they want to be treated ĺike animals or aliens not of this earth by the semi illiterates at US Immigration.
Born citizens are being detàined.
Stay òut of the US.
“Mem Fox on being detained by US immigration: ‘In that moment I loathed America’
Mem Fox
Exclusive: The celebrated Australian children’s author tells how on her 117th visit to the US she was suddenly at the mercy of Donald Trump’s visa regime
• News story: Australian children’s author Mem Fox detained by US border control
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Monday 27 February 2017 22.31 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 1 March 2017 03.54 GMT
I was pulled out of line in the immigration queue at Los Angeles airport as I came in to the USA. Not because I was Mem Fox the writer – nobody knew that – I was just a normal person like anybody else. They thought I was working in the States and that I had come in on the wrong visa.
I was receiving an honorarium for delivering an opening keynote at a literacy conference, and because my expenses were being paid, they said: “You need to answer further questions.” So I was taken into this holding room with about 20 other people and kept there for an hour and 40 minutes, and for 15 minutes I was interrogated.”
Caswell. …well said.
Caswell Franklyn
This move obviously shows Arthur’s willingness as well as the prime minister’s, to put ideological differences aside in the interest of country. So keep on advocating your divisive tactics because sooner than later, the people whom you claim to represent will eventually see you ulterior-motives and hidden-agenda.
David,
“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the Party.” Isn’t it true that you folk are always calling for Government and opposition to work together to solve the country’s problems? Why be upset and cast epithets when it happens. I shall see what is written and by whom.
Caswell Franklyn
What you have failed to interperatively extrapolate from this move is that fact that it isn’t about Arthur; it is bigger than him Sir. This move is about restoring the hope to the people and the nation, and as a man who claims he loves country, you ought not to have utter such words because all it does is to expose your hypocrisy and duplicitous nature.
Well Well you should try getting into Australia when will these whiners realize there is a new sheriff in town, getting into any country is a privilege not a right and if you want to come expect to be checked out. Each year when I come to the island and bring odds and ends for family I get scrutinized by customs I am glad they do it . it shows they are on the ball. I can imagine if mrs fox ever came to Barbados during a go slow. she would be complaining no one is checking her out
Now you have a lady that doesn’t like her real name so uses a nickname who’s surname was partridge but now it is fox and writes about possums I suggest any officer not checking her out should be fired. While we are on this why are scottish first ministers named after fish salmon sturgeon….whats with that . Anyways there is always two sides to a story but the main take away from this one is WW is worried about white people being stopped at customs lol you will have to turn in your beret and arm band
If you all only knew how close this shiite place is to the cliff, then wunna would not only welcome Arthur’s intervention, but would call for Mia, Grenville, Plantations, David(BU), Caswell, Miller, and even Dompey to get on board URGENTLY to save our shiite souls (SOSS)
That everyone is seeing this as a political move speaks to the fact that the political shiite permeates all the way into BU….
Arthur is a patriot – with a degree of common sense and more balls than most.
His undoing was the CSME shiite …. and the fear of personal poverty, but apart from those weaknesses, he has been a giant of bajan history.
Perhaps he understand ho close we ALL are to REAL-REAL shiite – that is beyond our collective imaginations.
If more of us had his understanding in this area, we would ALL join the panel……
@Alvin
Do you know some look to the elders among us for interventions soaked in wisdom?
>
Bushman…ah see ya logic, but seeing as Sinckler and Fruendel love puppets because of their own delusions….will they listen to Owen.
Lol…..Lawson, the day tourists need visas to Barbados, you will be the first one to cry foul….with all that talk…
……what they are doing is not securing orders, they are terrorizing travellers and people who live and work in these countries. ., ah tell ya already, you white people did not create this earth and put land anywhere.,…it will become more evident as the decades go by and people become more enlightened to the fraud yall perpetrated for centuries.
In saying that.,,, check out the Clennell deportation in the UK…….which the people are funding to reverse or the attempted deportation of the engineering student and her mother in UK , which the Home Office was forced to walk back.
This has nothing to do with securing borders but everything to do with white people and their sick mental delusions of superiorty crap and their animalistic desire to terrorize other people.
As to the scottish and their delusional sturgeon, caviar fetish for names….ya on ya own with that one.lol
Well, well, well. I simply cannot wait to hear how the acs and yardfowls respond to this! They must be whirling like dervishes trying to spin this so that it does not look like they have crawled on their hands and knees to beg the very man they accused of trashing the economy for 14 years and being responsible for all the economic ills we are suffering today, to come and lead them out of the abyss they have created through nine years of utter incompetency and refusal to listen to advice from too numerous to mention professional economists, financiers and international organisations.
It is difficult to imagine a more public and utterly embarrassing admission of total defeat, made all the worse by the fact that the idea of such a group, led by OSA was MAM’s idea, one for which she was pilloried at the time.
Well, well, well.
@ Caswell Franklyn March 1, 2017 at 6:50 AM
“This move shows the intellectual bankruptcy of the present DLP administration. It is also an admission that the Government has failed miserably. But worse yet, it shows that Owen Arthur can eat and digest vomit.”
Caswell we couldn’t put it more convincingly impressive than that. What an ugly state of affairs as far as the proper governance of Barbados is concerned.
Just two weeks ago it was the Guv of CB. Now this act of sheer vindictiveness and vengeance which is destroying the soul of man and his legacy.
Isn’t OSA an MP elected by the people of St. Peter? Why doesn’t he advise the government from that democratically elected position ratified by his constituents?
Wouldn’t this represent a conflict of interest since he would be hard-pressed to counsel the government in his capacity as the chief cook and bottle washer in the economic talk-shop while having to represent the interests of the people which might be contrary to what the government is implementing policy wise to save its electoral backside.
Why not resign from his St. Peter riding and since the government is totally lost at sea devote his time fully to saving the country in the capacity of Chief Economic Advisor (CEA)?
He has been giving the government for the past 8 years not only solid advice on the economic management of the country based on his 14 years at the helm but also critical support when it comes to voting on bills and resolutions.
What makes OSA believe the government would listen to him when Sir Frank was recommending a similar course of corrective action but to no avail?
If the current administration has rejected his advice and consistently displayed scant respect towards him how on earth can he bring anything new to the table in the capacity of head of a non-elected body of bullshit talkers with no power to impose sanctions on agents for the non-implementation of their recommendations?
OSA’s move has nothing to do with saving a drowning man called Barbados for whom he OSA has been accused of throwing overboard in the first place.
This is strictly a Machiavellian move to put more obstacles in the way of MAM ever acceding to the political throne as PM Mottley.
What the strategists behind Mottley ought to do in this political battle of Machiavellian proportion is to ‘repeatedly’ highlight all the nasty insulting degrading speeches made by the same Stinkliar and Fumbles and the other despicable lot like Jester Inch and Dumbville with his famous line:
‘We ain’t wanta hear nuttin from wunna; wunna had wunna 14 years and it’s we time now to do we ting’ (and share out the fatted calf albeit now emaciated and ready for one thing only the internment of its skeleton of bare ‘corrupted’ bones with burial rites conducted by the reformed Reverend OSA in full ESAF spirits as he listens to the replaying of those famous tapes of bribe-taking recorded in the millionaire’s suite of the Pegasus Hotel.
Why not use the pit-bull doctor in the same way OSA used another Dr. Mascot to weaken the DLP intellectual resources on economic matters?
When a thief steals from another thief, God finds it amusing and the devil smiles.
But when a liar lies to another liar, both God and the devil sleep in the same bed to console and protect each other from possible overthrow.
Where are the ACs/Angelas this morning…..,,too ashamed they now have to eat crow…a lot if it..lol, lol.
@ Miller
Bushie is surprised that you can’t read tea leaves…
Stinkliar is clearly a broken man. Don’t listen to what he says ….. that is crafted by others with a purely propaganda intent…. LOOK at the man!!!
Imagine – if you can- a fella with his balls in a vice grip…..
Now look at the man’s face and see if you can discern any difference….
Inviting Owen and firing the old fella are acts of desperation -driven by now seeing the terror of what lies ahead of him ….(AND US).
This is a poor time to be laughing and singing victory …when we are on the ship that the jackass is sinking….
People are reading too much into this move but it is rather simple. The DLP administration has finally acknowledged to themselves that they are incapable of successfully managing the affairs of this country. Unfortunately, their pride would not allow them to make that admission public. Plus, they want to hold out to receive as much as they can before they are forced to constitutionally to demit office. They have failed and should do the decent thing – call elections now.
In Arthur’s case, it shows that he has a streak of prostitute in him. He would wuk up for whoever pays. He is no patriot. Choose your “P” words carefully.
I newer thought that I would have lived to see an Arthur/Stuart Administration. I will check to see if this can be classified as the eighth wonder of the world.
Sent from my iPad
OSA has risen above partisan politics to adopt the role of restoring some confidence in this economy.Like EWB and JMGM he has reach unavailable to the wild boys all of whom are at home among the lumpens.OSA will garner sage advice from his coterie of like minded souls.If as I suspect the wild boys do not accept his brand,they would have hysopped and galled in any case.
Bushie
I am a bit more cynical that most but consider if you will that the firing of Worrell was one of Arthur’s conditions for taking on this job. You should be aware that Arthur despised Worrell and would have found it difficult to work along side the Governor.
Sent from my iPad
Don’t listen to anything Caswell Franklyn has to say because he has proven to be a divisive and controversial figure, who is unable/ unwilling to rise above partisan politics.
Bush Tea March 1, 2017 at 7:33 AM #@ Thank You for calling “Plantation”
They will need Owen to tell them what him ‘Owen” and “Mia” did under the AG Hat with him , To know and see first hand and might look to fix it, No investment can or should or need to start based on fraud.
In the NEWS white People have said “Barbados problem can be fixed”,They know, But to continue to cover up can never fix the problem, many Books also will have to be written this time to tell truth, For only Truth can fix Barbados not printing more cover up $$$money build on greed,
As said before the MOF,Police, Water Company, UDC/NHC PM and AG /CJ have the Plantations Deeds, Along with Sir Richard L Cheltenham and Sir COW, There is a lot they will have to let go with, To help Barbados, Barbados can get going right NOW,
By saying to Violet Beckles and her family ‘ We are Sorry.
March 1st 2017 the light will shine Bright for Barbados, Then it May not Matter who is in Office,
Barbados was ran by Beatrice Henry before there was 1966, loan to the Mayor E.D Mottley and other names recorded that never her paid back,
Let get Barbados going NOW,
David
No.
A uniqueness about Barbados is the way its people can strips you of all you are/ were. Prrtensions.
Anybody looking at Owen 2 days after he demitted office saw a shadow.
No, Barbados needs all well intentioned people to help
Even if some of those well intentioned are wrong, were wrong, will be wrong
Let the best new, radical ideas contend, through brutal debate, with urgency
We trust that Owen knows by now that what he knew before is no longer workable.
We would not be afraid to make him MOF. Or have 3 MOF. Stinklar, Owen and the Pit Bull. With orders to come up with solutions.
Or course, the collective genius of the Bajan people, at home and abroad, is far superior to that of all of those above.
Constant relentless politically charged rants on BU.
The government is in crisis and needs help. They asked Arthur to help and he has agreed.
I wish him and the government success in stabilizing the economy and preventing devaluation of the dollar.
A guy goes to a doctor ,the doctor says you have three months to live, the man couldn’t pay his bill so the doctor gave him another 3 months
Two weeks ago arthur said barbados only had 3 months to save itself I wonder if DR Owen will give the govt an extension
8:53 AM….”People are reading too much into this move but it is rather simple. The DLP administration has finally acknowledged to themselves that they are incapable of successfully managing the affairs of this country.”
@Caswell if one accepts your at 6:50 AM that “This move shows the intellectual bankruptcy of the present DLP administration. It is also an admission that the Government has failed miserably. But worse yet, it shows that Owen Arthur can eat and digest vomit” then how can you so easily opine at 8:53 AM above.
At 9:02 your cynicism is that of an astute man well grounded in the nuances of these matters of political pride and prejudice.
Thus your 8:53 is strange. The DLP are not ‘admitting’ economic ignorance. Simply they have found a willing ‘scapegoat’ whose malevolent Machiavellian nature has enticed him to cross over to the detriment of his BLP leader.
This script is now perfectly formed for the DLP to sing in lusty voice that they are a party that is willing to bridge the political divide for the country’ sake.
That Owen Arthur would allow himself to be in that choir under the guise of some heroic singer saving the nation is utterly amusing…because as you suggest it’s all about the end justifying his intent that MAM is not suitable.
Let’s see if the Bajan voters buy the DLP/Arthur product.
Incidentally, is our nation so accepting that former PM Owen S Arthur is the ONLY economic guru capable of offering cutting edge advice.
No disrespect to the sage as he is awesome in that arena, but really after all this time he is still THE man. Absolute smoke and princes of spite! Excellent theater.
@ mitchlans March 1, 2017 at 8:11 AM
Mitch, have you not noticed that ac has gone on preretirement leave and another a in the consortium of accredited cretins has taken her place with the evil sounding title of angel of satan (‘a s’)?
Sometime back the old hat ac was told that one day coming soon she would experience an epiphany and like Saul on the road to Damascus would be converted to become the biggest champion of Privatization as proposed by OSA and like John the Baptist lost his electoral head for preaching such new age economic theology.
Ac is hiding behind the pseudonym “a s” as her veil of baptism after being properly bitten by the Privatization serpent called OSA and is now fully immersed in its venom.
‘Hypocrisy, although of supreme sophistication, is the debasingly lowest form of lying’.
David
If there are others on the other side or amongst third parties well-intentioned those too should be involved.
Bajans has an ingrained mentality of a ‘most man’
Well Well & C, will agree that there are places where to have multiple personalities as joint heads of large organizations is quite popular.
There has to be a critical mass to save this country. Let’s this shiite about looking forward to the next election.
The government, by the OSA appointment, is essentially admitting they have erred. They should now make it possible for us to save ourselves.
@millertheanunnaki March 1, 2017 at 8:14 AM #….Well stated. I missed that before I posted as otherwise I would have deferred.
Only one issue with your script, how can the BLP not also shoot-off their foot if they “… ‘repeatedly’ highlight all the nasty insulting degrading speeches made by the same Stinkliar and Fumbles and the other despicable lot like Jester Inch and Dumbville with his famous line: ‘We ain’t wanta hear nuttin from wunna; wunna had wunna 14 years and it’s we time now to do we ting’… of bare ‘corrupted’ bones with burial rites conducted by the reformed Reverend OSA in full ESAF spirits as he listens to the replaying of those famous tapes of bribe-taking recorded in the millionaire’s suite of the Pegasus Hotel.”
This is an carefully crafted political conniption. MAM’s political skills will be truly tested to bring it crashing down.
@Pacha
You should recall that in the later years of Arthur’s tenure as PM the economic indicators were trending down. Also we had the issue of squandermania in the public service recorded by the Auditor General. To top it off the poor governance practices which occured under OSA regime help to give birth to BU.
#aroundthemulberrybush
@ lawson March 1, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Good one there, Lawson!
A pearl of wisdom wrapped in gift-wrap paper of pure comedy.
They say that a laugh a day keeps away the angry lines of the devil.
A man who sells his soul to the political devil must expect to be treated like a prostitute and be screwed from behind by the demons.
The invitation by Sinckler to OSA to chair the new economic council is the most obvious indicator to any discerning onlooker that the economy is now demonstrably over the virtual abyss and dropping fast, with little possibility of applying a reverse thruster to get back up on solid land. The DLP has eaten crow but that crow carries within it the seeds that can produce even a bigger helping of crow for OSA himself if he is only in this game to ensure the virtual demise of MAM.
Any other administration would have done the honourable thing and called elections and let the lashes from the electorate fall how and where they might while that administration slinked away from the well earned opprobium of the public.
The failed leadership of this administration, however, has as usual reacted to the situation by seeking to deflect the populace’s understanding of the situation with a transparent ploy.
Arthur has reacted to the trick in an arguably principled manner that exemplifies his claims to being a Bajan patriot, but Stuart has tricked him before with stupid strategems and one hopes that this time OSA has, in accepting the assignment, received safeguards from the one who exposed his nakedness in their first encounter, that would allow the people to know what differences ensue between his (OSA’s) advice and the Government’s future actions.
But OSA would have to be a magician and conditions would have to start changing rapidly for a positive result to come from his new insertion into a position of giving advice, which he would have no hand in implementing, to demonstrably hard-eared leaders. He is not a magician. I hope he will be successful but I am still somewhat worried.
Constant relentless politically charged ranting and raving on BU.
Let us hope the DLP stays in power until the election is called in 2018.
That will give all of you and the NEW and OTHER parties to prepare to win the next election.
Calling an election now would simply hand the government to the BLP.
And to think there is the Agard factor to come once she gets healthy.
The govt does not need Arthur.What the govt needs is bold initiatives which can create growth and stimulate the economy.
Furthemore Arthur indicates many times over that his solutions are for Privatization and govt going to the IMf
Very hard to see Arthurs solutions to be those of any help which are already in stark contrast
Mostly likely the ending would be one similar to that of Worrell while giving another piece of beef for govt opponents to chew one
David
We remember well.
OSA took neo-liberalism to its zenith in Barbados
About this there is little doubt.
And the DLP came in and continued the recklessness.
However, any moves that could show the people that the party formations are deleterious should be encouraged.
OSA has some pedigree. For it was his ‘Politics of Inclusion’ that was disliked by most Bees and Dees.
The comedy in this spectacle is Mr. Arthur complaining about feeling hurt. Owen Seymour Arthur who sandpaper people’s “feelings” left, right and centre actually admits that words and actions hurt. Imagine how Mia feels then after press conferences, newspaper comments and other jibes by Owen. Note how he identified Persaud as Mottley’s advisor and not Mascoll. The more he denies it is not about Mottley, the more it becomes clearer that it is about her. History will show that 4 years ago such a council was proposed. Imagine where we could be if that advice was acted on.
The bigly problem we have is that the debate in Barbados about where we are is being muddied by the polarization along partisan political lines. We observe it on BU daily -we are on the burning deck being burnt alive and many still have not acknowledged the perilous state we find ourselves.
>
@ de pedantic Dribbler Ma
rch 1, 2017 at 9:51 AM
DpD, if OSA was genuine in his burning desire of patriotism to save Bim from economic collapse (as he has been prognosticating for a while now) he would be less Machiavellian in his approach and more in the Winston Churchhill mould.
He is still an elected member of Parliament and for the sake of the nation he should be seeking to replace the current naïve Chamberlin-like PM.
By that move, he would be killing two managerial birds with one political stone.
The office of the MoF would automatically come under the direct influence and control of the PM which is a strategic sine qua non to drive the structural changes which are absolutely vital, even at this late stage, to avoid total collapse of the economy and by extension the Bajan society as we know it.
This is clearly a case where the besieged DLP administration has put the ‘society’ cart before the ‘economy’ horse thereby inviting a Trojan horse of economic desolation and social despair to enter through the gates of the pending Bajan hellhole.
Unless OSA moves to become the supremo and exercise a dictatorial approach in his interpretation of his own brand of “politics of inclusion” to save the economic ship of state.
Being a mere advisor with only ‘on-looker’ status will not cut it. He has been playing that role for time he has been ousted by his own political failings to recapture the government in 2013 from one of the biggest fumbling idiots ever ‘elected’ to sit in the chair reserved for primates inter parris .
One can only view his political posturing as mere window dressing to distract the naïve Bajans sitting on the political fence not to put their economic future in MAM’s morally clitoral hands.
Let us see if OSA is true to his professional calling and immediately advise the MoF (by way of Parliamentary announcement) to put an instant stop to the printing of monopoly money in the deadly political game of ‘Devaluation vs. MAM’.
Anything less than that immediate instruction to the yard-boy in the world of finance can only be construed only as an opportunity to drive another stake in the vampire back of his bête noir of motley lives and backing.
OSA is in a ‘take it or leave it’ position with any advice he gives Fumble’s Fools.
If his advice is ignored, he can simply resign and report same to the press.
His role would be that of the Titanic’s bilge pump post ice-berg; the blame for the sinking cannot be placed with him after he quits.
@ David “we are on the burning deck being burnt alive.”
should we care who bringing the lifeboat to save us ?
@are-we-there-yet March 1, 2017 at 9:59 AM #
The invitation by Sinckler to OSA to chair the new economic council is the most obvious indicator to any discerning onlooker that the economy is now demonstrably over the virtual abyss and dropping fast, with little possibility of applying a reverse thruster to get back up on solid land. The DLP has eaten crow but that crow carries within it the seeds that can produce even a bigger helping of crow for OSA himself if he is only in this game to ensure the virtual demise of MAM”
………………………………………
Excellent posts by you, Miller and Caswell today.
So what will Arthur do if the minister continues to instruct the new CBB governor to print money monthly?
What makes OSA think that the minister will take his counsel when he refused to do what Frank Alleyne advised?
@Hants
No we should not. However, OSA’s public offerings going back to his poorakey and wild boys references paints a picture. There is alo his public positions concerning MIA.
Also OSA has not introduced anything transformational as far as we are aware.
>
Hold on. I thought the DLP said that the mess the island is in now is because of the BLP’s bad management of the economy up to 2008. I have certainly heard it repeatedly. Hold on. Was Owen Arthur not the man at the helm during the time in question?
Life in the tropics is nothing but a huge joke yuh! Someone should write a book. Oh! Sorry! They did! Don’t Stop The Carnival. And since that was years ago, it is obvious that nothing changes ’bout hey! If it was not so sad, it would be funny. If it was not so funny, it would be sad enough for us to put the Dees on the check-out list. When will the sheeple learn is the real question.
@ David,
OSA has an opportunity to be the best he can be using 14 years of experience as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
A slap in the face for MoF who condemned Arthur for the economic woes in this country.
I want to know the following
The MoF states in his Press Conference that he will continue to Print Money?
Arthur is against money printing.
Will the MoF go to bed with the IMF? MoF says “No Way”
Arthur insist that it would be prudent to go to the IMF.
Will the MoF listen and take advice from this council with Arthur at the helm.?
Will the cabinet rally around this council for advice?
Will Kellman, Estwick, Inniss, Ince allow the enemy to dictate the economic running of the Government.
I have a problem with this decision. Will the captain remain captain or the crew retaliate and every man for himself.
You are right, David.
Does Fumble know about this? After all he did not know of the firing of the Governor so it is highly unlikely that he knows about this …………….after all Froons said that he does not need any eminent persons to advise his government, he has his own eminent persons.
OSA is like a dog who returns to his own vomit.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.