Submitted by Heather Cole
During and after the 2016 general elections in the USA, there were allegations of the undermining of the electoral process, conspiracy theories, scandals, computer hacks by Russia and fake news. The linkages in all of these stories are that they have exposed a threat to democracy in the USA. It is now self-evident that even the most solid democracy was not prepared for such an onslaught which easily circumvented the law to allow for changes in norms, traditions, customs and rules to create the Trump Administration.
The circumstances under which the 45th President of the USA was elected left many persons in shock. Just as they were coming to terms with that shock, a spate of executive orders from the new president and the confirmation of candidates who are not only in direct contradiction with their new leadership roles but also lack experience, have added to the shock factor.
The shock factor has been both good and bad. Many people have become more politically aware. The volume of attendance at Anti Trump demonstrations makes a strong claim that the majority of the people are putting up a resistance to Fascism in government. Groups have popped up all over the country, in every state and town to oppose the direction that they believe the government is headed. The networks are flooded with news both for and against the new Administration. Countless petitions have appeared online which also oppose the government and lest one forgets those angry town hall meetings. The people have been asserting their democratic right to protest. However, the level of stress has risen, undocumented immigrants now live in a state of fear of deportation, there is a Muslim ban of immigrants from selected countries, relations with some foreign countries are at an all-time low, there is a lack of trust of the Trump Administration and division in the country is along party lines. Making America great again is not off to a good start. The best hope for impeachment seem to be after the 2018 midterm elections.
Likewise in Barbados, the present administration also came to power in the midst of shady circumstances. There were no stories of meetings with Russian spies but there was the buying of votes which in essence makes it a fact that the electoral results were fraudulent. This constitutes an undermining of the democratic process and was the enabler for the administration to do as it pleased as it was a forgone conclusion that if the people did nothing about the election results, the party could get pass them with anything. In other words they did not have to be accountable to the people. There was no response by the people to this shock factor.
Fast forward to the present with the island in a state of economic turmoil having received its 18th economic downgrade from Standard and Poor’s, since the coming to power of this Democratic Labour Party Administration.
In a direct contradiction to what has happened in the US, the people of Barbados have remained passive. Resistance by the people has not come to light in Barbados. Enshrined in the Constitution is the right to protest but despite massive loss of jobs, homes, businesses and investments and the over burden of taxation, the widening deficit, increasing debt and constant downgrades there has been no such action on the people’s part. There is no Betsy Devos yet Barbadians have been denied access to public education at the UWI. There is no Scott Pruitt yet the government was hell bent on building a plasma gasification plant to destroy the environment and Barbadians. We however have Chris Sinckler, the Minister of Finance and Delisle Worrell the Governor of the Central Bank who created the perfect conditions to breed downgrades causing the economy to self-destruct. There must be a reaction to this 18th downgrade; it is a shock factor.
I have witnessed the effects of the devaluation of the dollar on the Guyanese economy and it was not pretty. Every street in Georgetown was filled with beggars from the most vulnerable to able bodied men. Not enough food is grown in Barbados to provide for the population. What will happen if we run out of foreign reserves to buy food or pay for oil and gas? Will the entire island be a reflection of what is currently happening in Caracas, Venezuela? One wonders how long our junk bond status will affect our capacity to borrow. Will it be 10, 20 or 30 years? This nightmare is our reality.
It is the opposition Barbados Labour Party that is leading the fight against policies and results of the Freundel Stuart dictatorship. Some are of an opinion that a protest march will achieve nothing. One can also be of the opinion that the strength in numbers can play a significant role in demanding that the Prime Minister whose only act now seems to be in delivering disingenuous speeches; would not only fire the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank but that he will also resign and call an election.
Recently, the renowned journalist Dan Rather stated that “everyone who normalizes Mr. Trump now or has in the past, will have to answer to future generations for acquiescence, silence or sophistry- if, indeed, not outright cowardice.” The same can be said of the majority Barbadians who have normalized the present Democratic Labour Party Administration.
In the final analysis, it is about time the people put up a resistance. It was in reference to some of us that Dan Rather also said “we love our country too much to let it falter without a fight.” I can therefore only urge every Barbadian and resident of Barbados that despite your political affiliation for the common good of the island to join the march on Saturday March 11, 2017 against the present administration; that they step down from power and provide the electorate with an opportunity to provide a new mandate for the creation of a better Barbados that they failed to deliver. We need to make Barbados great again and along with a new mandate from the people must be an amended Constitution that provides the people with the power of recall.
@Pachamama March 8, 2017 at 9:30 PM “We are talking about radical change in social norms, morays.”
You know that a moray is an eel right? lolll!!!
I think that you mean mores.
@Vincent Haynes March 8, 2017 at 4:43 PM “And of course, every Bajan knows somebody who had a relative connected to Guyana through one of these “stories” and is therefore an “expert” on the two country’s immigration policies.”
They are not “stories”
They are truths.
Every Bajan village had its men, and some women too who had gone to BG.
And to Panama.
And to Cuba.
Just as every Bajan has relatives in the United States, and in the United Kingdom.
@Hal Austin March 9, 2017 at 4:38 AM “We have discussed this some weeks ago.
You join Pachamama now in using the royal plural now?
Wunna too full of wunna selves.
Just say “I”
Bajan men is something else.
@Piece,March 8, at 10:25 PM ; re… THe Voter apathy among the young ones will be eradicated by Rihanna Fenty…i.e. her natural following and its impact on the vote…
… dat dere is a power behind the throne greater than the king itself.”
Well stated senor and I appreciated that from the git go…in simple terms that great power behind the throne is name recognition popularity and voter conviction to make an election statement .
Blend those two and political victory is assured.
Your link re candidates who died and were still elected is interesting. I was aware of that but never knew the nice factoid that former AG Ashcroft was once at the losing end of contest where a deceased candidate bested him.
But back to your point of Rihanna closing her umbrella so there is much rain that chases away political apathy. Is that not what every political party aims for with the powerful leader or candidate.
I certainly ant’t no pol scientist so Hal and all can dismiss my remarks from jump street but I would suggest to you that the best previous Rihanna model (no pun of course) that I can offer is Don Blackman. It was pure spectacle, glitz and glamour when he jumped into local politics…coming as he was with his US made academic star appeal.
Yes Ms Fenty would multiply that by an outsized factor but at the time he certainly ‘rained’ on voter disinterest: de place was wet with fervor.
And BTW an aside to the ‘deceased politician’ thing. Just as we saw here with Ms. Thompson the spouse of very popular pols often also enjoy a winning political repass.
Popularity and conviction…powerful mix!
@Hants not sure why it was “talkin shiite bout do like Taylor Swift an Paul Neuman” in reference to Ms Fenty.
I was being complimentary of her efforts and achievements and thus the spin-offs that accrue to Bdos. Admittedly, I do not follow her career closely now and thus had no context for the Harvard award.
My remarks re music scholarships etc is a specific context to her old school (as those two had done) and how she made her fame and fortune.
Clearly she already does more than enough things beyond that with her cancer center foundation.
Kudos to the lady’s life and achievements.
@Hal Austin March 9, 2017 at 6:07 AM “We need re-call legislation. If constituents are unhappy with an MP they should be able to recall them through a local plebiscite.”
And who is going to pay for this?
You?
I know that I don’t want to pay any more taxes, especially taxes to fund some politicians campaign.
if I have to pay more taxes let it go to teachers and nurses.
Let it go to the people who do real-real WORK.
@David March 9, 2017 at 6:39 AM “more important is the need for individuals who care enough to serve the people.”
You know that bad coin drives out good coin right?
http://bit.ly/2mEWi1H
The racist animals in Colombia are alive and well, although known as this side of black…brown people.
“News > Latin America
Colombian Human Rights Leader Assassinated
Published 18 January 2017
Afro-Colombian human rights activist Emilsen Manyoma is the latest victim in a wave of attacks against human rights defenders in recent months.
On Tuesday police in the Pacific coast city of Buenaventura announced they had discovered the body of Afro-Colombian human rights activist Emilsen Manyoma, 32, and her partner Joe Javier Rodallega, who had been missing since Saturday.
RELATED:
Amid Violence, Colombia Rights Activists Need Urgent Protection
A prominent leader in the Bajo Calima region since 2005, Manyoma was an active member of the community network CONPAZ where she was an outspoken critic of right-wing paramilitary groups and the displacement of local by international mining and agribusiness interests.
For the past year, Manyoma played a key role in documenting attacks on human rights leaders in the region as part of the recently created Truth Commission.”
@@Hal Austin March 9, 2017 at 6:07 AM “We need re-call legislation. If constituents are unhappy with an MP they should be able to recall them through a local plebiscite.”
With your breadth of experience can you please explain what exactly the recall ability to recall an MP would do to actually improve the elective process and more particularly the ‘benefice’ to the constituents.
I understand the concept and its benefits to recall a chief executive like a city mayor or state governor but am at a lost to understand how a MP’s recall (in government obviously) changes ANYTHING.
Can his/her leader not appoint the recallee – in our case – to Senate and still fly in the face of the electorate by appointing him/her to a suitable post.
Again this is awesome theory that is shredded when the rubber hits the road….seems to me!
Simple Simon
Mores
Yes, yuh got mah ……………… in English
However, in American, if there is such a thing, they will know what was meant.
WARNING: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/94379/moodys
Meaning: In default with little prospect for recovery. Run, run, run to the bank as long as you can!
Tron..ah wonder if Fruendel and Carson C. Cadogan get it now…lol
No borrowing = no debt
No debt = no downgrades
My 11 year old grandson understands that.
We know borrowing occurs from time to time, but if Fruendels is stopping the borrowng now that everything has gone tits up, why did he not stop borrowing when hardship was still bearable…7 years ago, when the government was dizzily wasting taxpayer’s mony,
“JUST SHORT OF a week after Standard & Poor’s lowered its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Barbados, Moody’s Investors Service, has followed suit.
t bond and issuer ratings to Caa3 but maintained a stable outlook.
The ratings agency said its decision was based on the continued increase in government debt, very limited prospects of fiscal reform and the resulting “rising domestic and external financing pressures that are very likely to impair the government’s ability to service its debt”.
– See more at: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/94379/moodys#sthash.dcZ7PkNh.dpuf“
@ de Ingrunt Word aka DpD
You asked “…Can his/her leader not appoint the recallee – in our case – to Senate and still fly in the face of the electorate by appointing him/her to a suitable post.”
No
Because the change will state “no such person having been recalled shall be allowed to serve in senate, or in any substantive role of and governance role even to include statutory corporation where it shall be considered shifting the buhkvunt to another post to discomode the people of Barbados
Look, you is a man who I know doan drink but I feel de madam putting rum in you salt breads…..lolol or pun udder tings heheheheh
You mout snatch still growing? Heheheheh
This is usially te only option left with runway debt. …debt consolidation.
WHAT COULD MOVE THE RATINGS UP
“Upward pressure on the rating could build if the government initiates a credible fiscal consolidation program to arrest the rise in debt-to-GDP ratio and put debt on a sustainable downward trajectory. These developments would likely be accompanied by reduced reliance on short-term debt and financing from the central bank, and a rebound in international reserves.”
Piece.., ah hope Fruendel and Carson C.Cadogan aint playing the race card to cover up government incompetence. ..cause ah telling them now, that scam could only work on their dottish, slow witted yardfowls AS’ s/ACs and Alvins..lol
Are there already moving trucks at FCIB in Warrens to relocate their HQ? Coyote, I do not think they can stretch butter with oil for another year …
Rome is burning and Nero plays the harp, planning his Domus Aurea on the ruins. Another wrong official statement on the rating agencies and they will downgrade within the next six months to D. We all know, the next wrong statement will come within the next 24 hours. Somebody is playing with fire.
Let me assume, what the reactions will be – as usual:
PM: “They cannot downgrade Barbados as a country. The downgrade is irrelevant, since we do not intend to borrow.”
MoF: “Being an economic genius, I anticipated the downgrade, however …”
FCIB: “The downgrade is totally unjustified.” (since we are overloaded in our books with local treasury bonds)
Barbados Unions: “It is time now for a huge increase for our salaries.”
Pastors next Sunday in church: “Do not worry, you can still drink rainwater and eat roaches. The situation in USA and UK is also not perfect.”
Anonymous person on phone to international moving company: “Yes, I need five containers for next week to Canada.”
in other words barbadians are so infected by what others think of them so much so they think nothing much of themselves
As’ s/ACs…..bajans need not worry about what others think of them…,”others” are well aware that it’s the dummies in government caused the cockup….not the tax paying bajans who will now suffer the consequences of government incompetence.
Have yall no,p shame, it’s the dummies in government now being laughed at…not the people, ah told yall that scam will not work.
And the people, minus dimwitted yardfowls..want to see yall fry…lol
angela Skeete
You are a clown. That nonsense by the Prime Minister is not going to fly but I does tell you kind of idiots the DLP sees as its base and how they can be tricked and fooled with utter garbage.
What is needed is natural, well managed and carefully crafted civil and corporate disobedience to force the PM to give the people the opportunity to decide if this administration still enjoys their confidence or whether are now unfit to continue governing the affairs of Barbados.
Confidence and incompetence cannot be siblings.
Lawson…where are you my friend, you are welcomed to the US but ya gotta be Canadian…over 55 years old, super wealthy…and white. ..lol.., ah hope that fireman’s pensions exceeds 10 million a year or ya cant enter the US..lol…
….Lawson and my Justin looks like Tom Cruise as opposed to the scumbag illiterate. Ya remember you were trying to get in my head and make me believe you married a black bajan woman, well that will backfire on you it is true and ya want to visit the US…cause trump said only white, rich Canadians are being allowed to cross that upstate border. ..no one else…no muslim Canadians, no black Canadian, ya better not have a tan, ya hear..lol
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-travel-ban-canada-tourism-kellie-leitch-only-if-white-and-canadian-a7620106.html
“Trump has opened his arms to immigrants, but only if they’re white Canadians
Faced with an avalanche of tourist cancellations from Canada, congressmen are letting Canadians of 55 and over who own or rent property in the US stay there for an extra two months a year
Robert Fisk Vancouver @indyvoices 2 hours ago
White non-Muslim Canadians welcome, Muslim Canadians of any colour, don’t waste your time in coming to the border Getty
Funny how another nation’s sectarian hatred comes seeping over the national frontier of its neighbours. Mexico is now fighting off the US President’s wall mania. Justin Trudeau’s Canada looks squeaky clean compared to America. You can forgive the Prime Minister’s vanity – Trudeau is now posing Tom Cruise style, eyes narrowed in love towards his wife in her cringe-making Women’s Day photo-op with her husband. Not long ago, the same couple blessed the cover of Vanity Fair. But he’s the guy who walks tall on immigration, welcomes Syrian refugees with affection, tells them they’re “home” and generally makes Trump look like a scumbag.”
This is some very ugly stuff..the US needs to be boycotted, not even trump’s impeachment can walk back this spreading poison of race hatred against anyone who is not white or wealthy, it will take another 60 or 70 years to reverse that damage, but why bother….just boycott the US completely, show them how much they need to world….and how quickly they can be economically destroyed.
“Faced with an avalanche of tourist cancellations from Canada and Europe now that the Trump regime is settling into a racist border policy, congressmen are desperately hoping that the Promoting Tourism to Enhance our Economy Act will help to keep the cash flowing into America – because it aims to let Canadians of 55 and over who own or rent property in the US stay there for an extra two months a year. The 55-year old lower age limit for property owners or renters suggests to you that wealthy white Canadians might be the tourists which Republicans (and Democrats, one should add) have in mind.
And you’d be right. Because this is the villainous explanation for the bill – which would allow certain Canadians to spend more time per year in America than in their native land – provided by its cosponsor, Republican Ted Yoho of Florida: “We want people with good standing to come here and stay as long as they care. We come from similar backgrounds, we believe in the same thing. There’s no assimilation [necessary]. The morals and mores we have are pretty much the same as they have, so it’s pretty much an easy transition.”
Caribbean people….stay away from the US, this will not end well.
Butt head aka London Morris. Yes what i stated in my comment is true. Barbadians are a bunch of insecure people. First it was the colonial masters steps . Now its is taking the crumbs that fall from the imperalist table and in addition to being kick in the a ss. Sad but true wunna like it so.
As’ s/AC’S…..yall buried a pitchfork to kiss yall colonial master’s ass, refused to spend thousands to upgrade the sewage system but wasted 7 million dollars or more of taxpayer’s money to impress ya colonial masters …what was the dude’s name again, was it Harry……
…….and the poop exploded into the streets and the sea the same day.., while yall were like a bunch of useless slaves parading on the Garrison or where ever the fraud celebration was held…
….have yall no shame.
angela Skeete
Um is people like you does do the most damage to poor people cause rather than the the PM and Government to fix the economy, you finding fault the original of the people or persons doing to assessments. This blasted economy is going to collapse and a lot of poor people and middle class people going to get crushed permanently.
19 downgrades?
but remember the PM said early upon becoming Prime Minister that he does love to sit in his tub washing his socks without a care in the world
Yeah..Well Well I was playing with the coconut of yours … I never said I married a black lady….is you see me with one ..I be holding her for the police…but you are right firemen pensions are over a million dollars most of my friends are either in florida or arizona for the winter, just dropped one off at the airport going to Hawaii for a holiday. so you are right again Trump wants us rich white guys but where you are wrong is your boyfriend looks more like lyal lovett. and that eye narrowing is cross eyes. It is easy to see who wears the pants in his family, are you sure you want that.
Lawson…try crossing that upstate border, and the mutts from the hicks will be holding you for ICE…lol..ya will have to call my Justin, cross eyes and all…..ha haha.
We will see going golfing in NY in a few months, if i get into trouble i will ask them if they know of you, ..oh wait thats customs not nypd. They must have locked your boyfriends mum up somewhere havent heard any ramblings lately.
Lol….
Please forgive the insertion but it MUST BE NOTED…since this too is Resistance
In fact unlike this Support Mia MUGABE march ting, this BU action is REAL RESISTANCE
In what can certainly be give another “Hats Off”, and standing ovation, the patriotic blog, BARBADOS UNDERGROUND and their support of the campaign against 8 Police Officers of the Royal Barbados Police Force has led to 2 of of the * officers who sought to murder Nazim Blackett, being tried for Police Brutality. this July
For more of this unstinting campaign by the Blog see the article https://barbadosunderground.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/the-brutality-of-the-royal-barbados-police-force-with-video/
It just goes to support the belief that “a few good men can turn anything around”
To the Honourable Blogmaster David King and his household thank you for a job well done
http://imgur.com/a/XZ2Ll
Piece…you are seeing results, perseverance seldom fails.
Someone pointed out to me today that CGI, once an island player in the insurance field, never had to go looking for or worry about getting their hands on free policyholder’s money, is now trying to sell insurance from facebook, because so many people got smart and stopped giving away their money freely to CGI Insurance, by pulling their policies and going to other insurance companies.
It was a nice 5 or 6 floor tumble out of CGI Towers , if the authorities were real authorities, Harris would not still be misusing and abusing the supreme court…. but it’s not over till it’s over.
…. progress for may things has been achieved
progress for many things has been achieved.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fox-news-anchor-shepherd-smith-donald-trump-russia-lying-too-much-friends-bill-hemmer-shannon-bream-a7622026.html
So much for the clown with the moniker Nationnews who claimed Fox News had to “toe the trump line”…read for yaself, the media in the US does not have to be pimps or yardfowls for governments or business people, they cannot be muzzled..,….they are not the media in Barbados.
In the name of father son and holy ghost
Haffi be like a lion to reach zion
Rasta Dread
I’m the Toughest