Austerity has had nothing to do with economics. It was about getting out from under welfare. It’s about politics abandoning vulnerable people.
– Barry Kushner, a Labour Party councilman in Liverpool
The political campaign in Barbados crescendoed to its unprecedented result last week. First time in our history a political party won all the seats contested. The euphoria of the win for 70% of those who voted has receded. The reality of going to the supermarket to buy food, pay the mortgage, avoid potholes which dot our highways and byways to compete with the joy of living in a tropical paradise.
In a boast by the major political parties, Barbadians were promised that policy prescriptions are available to fix all of our problems in the near time- yes with a little sacrifice from all our people. In the sharp glare of the post election period again there is the reality that for the last – approximately – ten years, Barbadians have had to suffer austerity measures. The prospect of having to suffer more belt tightening- though not appealing- appears to be required given the chronic nonperforming domestic economy.
As a boy attending secondary school, we were taught that the mixed economy of Barbados with its rich social services offering mirrored what obtained in Britain at the time. Over the years as preferential arrangements with the Mother country were retired, leaving our small islands to compete in an era of globalization, a lack of fiscal disciple of the public and household purses have seen an increase in debt. This has inevitable led to our ability to sustain the standard of life we have become addicted to in the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
The negative effect poor of budgeting at the household level will impact a family’s ability to satisfy its day to day needs to put food on the table, pay the bills, send the children to school, credit rating at the bank etc, the same can will be mirrored at the country level. Barbados is reported to be the third highest indebted country the world and the highest in the Caribbean region. We have been hit with a junk credit rating by the international rating agencies, AND, an a visit to the lone primary care hospital sees patients being feed dry bread and corn beef for lunch and sometimes dinner.
What Barbados has had to endure with a poorly performing economy in the period 2008 to 2018 is unprecedented. We can debate if the current state of the economy was caused by Arthur’s injudicious spending under his fourteen year rein, whether it was the incompetence if the former administration that was unceremoniously booted from office last week or both. We are at a point, we have to fix it. This is where the more academic writer writes that this is a seminal moment for the country.
Relevant Article:
The link to the above NY Times article was forwarded to the blogmaster by longtime BU family member Jah Ras Jahaziel Tafari. The article paints a picture of what happens to a country – Britain in this case – when it seeks to manage by the numbers to reduce its debt burden and deficit. It is a long article, worth the read.
- Historic building are being refashioned, sold, razed to convert state assets to cash
- Open public spaces community spaces sold to developers
- Budgets of state entities aggressively slashed (this includes to welfare department)
- Rapid downsizing with ‘itinerant jobs replacing full-time positions’ and ‘voluntarism outnumbering paid staff’
Read the article for more.
The thesis of the article is about the debilitating impact of austerity measures on a society. In Barbados we have experienced similarly.
- Sewage on the street
- Infrequent collection of garbage because the SSA is unable to buy garbage trucks
- Deep potholes on our roads
- Unreliable public transportation
- Increasing number of vagrants and homeless people
- Unavailability of drugs on the formulary because government is unable to pay suppliers
- 40% reduction in enrollment at tertiary institution
etc
The article ends with an the ominous warning that austerity is here to stay!
This is Britain, this is Barbados.
“What Barbados has had to endure with a poorly performing economy in the period 2008 to 2018 is unprecedented.” I could have said it not better. Economic terror driven by ALL public servants, judges and other figures appointed or promoted unter the Stuart admin.
However, another sentence, “The article ends with an the ominous warning that austerity is here to stay!”, is fundamentally wrong. Austerity is NOT STAYING in Barbados. As Bush Tea said or so, one day historians will remember the Stuart admin as some kind of silver age after god-king OSA and his golden stewardship. Austerity is JUST COMING. And IT WILL GET BY FAR WORSE.
If you compare the austerity measures so far, Barbados has just reached level 2 out of 10 on the Greek scale of disaster.
And let me tell you this: The voter can vote out the DLP, but not the debts. The debt will stay, since the island will not achieve a growth of 5% per annum to “grow out” of the debt. Tourism is the only industry left after the offshore financial industry is badly damaged. And tourism does not pay SUVs, big houses and imported food.
The years between 2018 and 2030 will later be known as the iron age.
Thank you very much Big Sinck for destroying the lifes of so many. One more reason to restrict access to UWI.
Thank you for sharing, David. I would strongly advise everyone to read this article and let it inform our discussions as we go forward trying to address the economic problems we are facing.
@Tee White
Experience has shown these kinds of issues do not attract captured in a blog fall by the wayside. You want to guess why?
Eye opener. Those that have ears to hear let them hear
In other words dont expect better but bitter
30 -0. Dem can recover.
But can Barbados?
You are a shameless yard-fowl!
You have been consistent in this forum with comments relative to “putting Barbados first,” and now you’re more concerned with the recovery of the DLP after they “eff-up” Barbadians over the past 10 years and 3 months……………….
……………..while DLP parliamentarians, some of whom started with nothing, AMASSED HUGE AMOUNTS of WEALTH?
……………And then have the gall to ask if Barbados can recover?
Fortunately, on May 24, 2018, the electorate took Barbados on its FIRST STEP to RECOVERY……….by OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTING the DLP and making sure NONE of their candidates will enter the halls of the House for the next five years……….. to “eff we up” some more.
The second step to recovery would be an investigation of all contracts given to Bjerkham, Maloney…… and friends.
Third step……..investigate how many PSV permits were issued under Michael Lashley’s tenure…… and to whom, as well as if conflict of interest issues occurred where it is alleged that Lashley, as minister of transport……is the owner of several “ZRs” and mini buses.
Fourth step……investigate why a NCC Ranger was assigned to provide Denis Lowe with “body-guard” and chauffeur services. (Don’t deny it……..the Ranger was the burly individual that drove Lowe to pay his “deposit” at the Treasury).
The fifth………..but not the final step to recovery would be determining how much money was paid to Mariposa/ac/Angela Cox-Skeete, Fcuktured BLP and Carson C. Cadogan to monitor BU and defend the DLP…….. and if such payments were at the expense of taxpayers.
Ghee whiz go ahead investigate all and everything you want also include George Payne whose noterity stinks up the blp house.
Heard the sound alarm warnk g bell clmkng from Abed mouth telling barbadians not to expect an immediate drop in prices after NSRL is repealed
Another example of why bajans would continue to hemorrhage by way of pocketbooks their is a built in mentality of greed that engulfs certain sectors in the private sector that thinks only for themselves and barbadians and country be dam.
Heard the sound alarm warning coming from Abed mouth telling barbadians not to expect an immediate drop in prices after NSRL is repealed
Another example of why bajans would continue to hemorrhage by way of pocketbooks their is a built in mentality of greed that engulfs certain sectors in the private sector that thinks only for themselves and barbadians and country be dam.
Cant belive the nerve of the private Sector after years of sucking off the taxpayers nipples to be asking govt for tax write offs under the disguise of wanting to help start up business
Well what a lark.
Only goes to show the averious nature of these people and their self need
The private sector should not be involved in any start up businesses, particularly black owned businesses, they like to jump in front to control everything and steal business ideas from young entrepreneurs, they marginalize and sideline them and use the ideas for themselves…
The private sector needs to mind their own business…successful businesses are usually started from scratch…by those trying to do so, why would taxpayers ease the private sector on taxes so they can get involved in other people’s start ups…
They are always looking for a way to rob the treasury AND new entrepreneurs, whom they were never interested in before except to steal their ideas and disenfranchise them….they have consistently done that to local entrepreneurs for the last 40 years…. them away from all new businesses.
Mia better not be enabling them.
If bajans would stop buying the rubbish Abed et al sells and create their own businesses for their own people to buy better quality item, there would be no need to see or hear from any of the gang of parasites in the private sector…
.I saw one of the Williams trying to off load cheap ugly rubbish shoes on the population which are unfit for and do not suit the island’s roads, there are local shoemakers who have built strong shoes on the island for decades and still do…buy from them..
Keep the private sector away from all new businesses.
So much for giving barbados back to barbadians the idea that the Private Sector would help “start up businesses is an ole school policy taken from the Ronald Reagean play book called trickle down economics which fed the 99% percent at the top and left the crumbs for the poor to fight over in an era when world wide global expansion took hold and big business in america head tail to China
David
I haven’t even linked in to the article you referenced by Ras Jahaziel as yet (but I will do soon) however I just wanted to immediately complement you on seeking to elevate the debate on the current state of affairs and the way forward, which hopefully, will cause persons to reflect and offer some sage perspective.
I found paragraph # 5 to be very balanced and should be the place from where discussion can start.I want you and others to be wrong but I strongly suspect you are right – that is, – that Austerity may be with us for a long time.Lord help us all.
This is why I believe it was wrong for the BLP to promise so much give-aways even though they know, based on their previous utterances that we had to climb out of a deep financial hole caused by excessive borrowing from first the BLP and then the DLP administrations.I hope that this new administration hasn’t over promised and the gullible in society don’t revolt when those promises don’t become a reality.
To ask the private sector to engage in productive,foreign exchange earning activities is like wishing for Santa Claus to take you on a ride on his reindeer to meet Mrs Claus. Yeah in your dreams perhaps.
Already we see the private sector with their hands outstretched – see todays newspapers where eddie abed is asking for write-offs for start ups.I wonder if he had any of his son’s business in mind.
@T.Inniss
Thanks, the blogmaster calls it as it is there to be called. In the politically polarized environment we seem to be progressing it is not difficult for others to label positions taken. We need to shift from the course we are on- a constant state of operating with austerity measures in place will have an impact on our society. We need to proactively assess and take measures to mitigate. We allow politicians to rule the narrative every time.
Regarding manifesto promises it is what political parties do at election time, it is what the people in the majority expect. When assuming office it takes on a different flavour.
Buy local.
I wish Mia will do her job within the next year so I will not have to be taking sides with exyardfowls……whose exgovernment NEVER STOPPED the private sector not once in the last 50 years from believing they are entitled to rob the treasury with tricks and scams OR disenfranchise and steal the ideas of business people from the majority population.
But then manifesto also work as a guide for the will of the people
it is obvious that mottley over promised
The private sector is taking no chances in meking sure that they promises are kept that is why one hears Abed shooting off the mouth first in line with his outrageous demands
But then again it is the Private Sector whose funding had help to bring forth this historical 30-0 defeat of the dlp .
Meanwhile the vulnerable poor who mottley has promised to put money in their pockets has been told by the Private Sector do not expect miracles
In the long and short Mottley has promised plenty to many it would be interesting to see who gets theirs first all in the name of goverance and giving back to the people
This is what Abed said that he has been asking past govt for the last ten years for tax write offs and they have refused
The private sector raised prices as soon as talk of the nsrl started even before it became official. The Bees promised to get rid of nsrl but Abed replies that even with nsrl gone prices wont come down. How many times have we seen this nonsense. Its a well known practice of the business class. The poor lose again. Same scene different cast. Trusting Abed and them to lower prices in spite of a reduction in taxes is akin to placing a wolf to guard chickens.
Abed should have been too afraid to even ask…those tax write offs should be going directly to the young or senior entrepreneurs in the majority population who are starting businesses. ..at least a 3 year tax waiver until the business takes off…that is none of the business of Abeds or the chamber of commerce who never help black businesses anyway…and are alwsys hogging and monopolizing everything.
So why was Fruendel promising this and that to Abed at the televised cockup with the unions anyway….ah got elephant memory.
Stop shopping with them, start ya own businesses…there is movement in the US doing the same thing, patronize your own people and their businesses, it is not hard to do….then that problem will go away permanently. ..they will have to move offshore and parasite somewhere else, while new jobs will be created for those not employed,
How many of you read the article as T.Inniss alluded? Instead you continue to squeeze tired and partisan opinions in your comments which do not align with the insightful article that is tv source of the blogview.
Repeating the same tired narrative. What the effect of protracted austerity meadow and what suggestions can we offer the prime minister to mitigate.
Instead of Abed sticking out his hand for more of the taxpayers money he should be telling the Private Sector to pay their backtaxes owed in the tune of over 6million dollars a debt which would help bring down the deficit
Cant wait to hear Mottley reply to Abed
However would not hold breath because it is pay back time
David instead of castigating readers with your bombus opinion . why not send a copy of the article to Mottley
Most are schooled on the impact of austerity programs and how having big govt effect.
Right now as we speak we have a certain Sector in this economy whose only interest is to send barbados into the hands of the IMF so their can release themselves of any responsible in helping barbados get out of the financial depression and you David talking poop
It’s quite obvious though that Mia cannot move forward until she has seen the amount of damage done to the economy and share that information with the population, that level of audit will take at least two months..
.as much of many of us may want to, we need to know the extent of damage so in the final analysis solutions can be shared going forward, until then we are left to speculate, which is of no help to a days old government..
Mia did say she will share.
Correction private sector owes govt 670million David we can have discussion on that. Dont u think.
Britain is your model welfare state although as the article points out debt and deficits have combined to decimate the social fabric of the society. Not too long ago Barbados boasted of its position on the HDI. It has been falling in recent years for some of the same issues affecting Britain today.
This will be the challenge for the social partnership. In this regard to idea to expand NGO participation is a good move, the Church et al. We will have to turn the country around together. The fractious climate that existed between government, trade unions, others in civil society made the economic mountain we have to climb many challenging. From the mouthings so far it appears some trust issues are being addressed and there is the small detection of investor confidence returning if one reads to days press.
David
Debt and deficits, or political ideology?
Investor confidence all buzz words that would replace all the promises made to the poor and vulnerable to make them feel good
Where will the money come from. Investors do not put all of their capital in projects unless they see a favourable return
Right now barbados economy is depressed high debt and no growth. So who are these so called investors willing to put there eggs in a leaking basket
When u find out let me know . Spin doctors and buzz words cannot heal barbados economy
What it needs is a healthy dose of Truth and policies to confront the realities
GATEKEEPERS
Nehemiah 11.19 reads “…Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates, were an hundred seventy and two…”
I oft times wonder about why GOD in His Infinite Wisdom even worried about us to the degree that HE sent His Son Jesus Christ for us simpletons
I mean let us suppose that Abed is in fact jacking up prices. Let one hypothetically advance that he goes on to say that the removal of the NRSL will have no effect on pricing, wouldn’t a simple request to the government consumer data department (a veritable gatekeeper that the InterAmerican Development Bank already gave money to for computers to monitor said consumer data) not ascertain whether Abed and the private sector are colluding in illegal pricing practices?
Now let us examine this gatekeeper concept just a tad more.
De IMF says that the cuntry has 1 and a 1/2 months of import cover.
Now while de ole man could spend time conversing about pertinent diversification of the economy that has never happened? and Forex expansion, I going left that for another time.
Cause I got to connect these dots to that word “gatekeeper”
most everything that is imported in Barbados has to come in via a port IF IT IS “PHYSICAL” (and legal)
Concomitantly, that would suggest that Port Records and Central bank records should provide adequate gatekeeper records for “who imported what and what entered into the gates”
This is not rocket science.
If that gatekeeping function by Akkub and Talmon was not done properly by either party then something has to be done about one, or the other, or both.
Of course even a retard should be able to retroactively examine gatekeeper records and see what component of items entering our gates are spurious items which can be denied entry and thereafter substituted by local produce or taken off the list altogether
I mean after all we are down to 1 1/2 months of import cover. Would it not behoove us to forensically examine what got us here?
And stop that haemorraging?
But such a puerile submission means that we bajans understand the function of gatekeepers and are seriously committed to their effective functioning wouldn’t it?
I agree that the proposal to include NGOs is a good idea but will they be included in the Social partnership or in a parallel type structure?
Not clear on that.
Someone before wanted names of the biggest drug dealers in Barbados.
These guys are involved especially Nigel Pinder alias Bounty in drugs trafficking marijuana/cocaine, human trafficking Jamaican strippers in the local strip clubs and fraud.
They are HEAVILY involved in bribing Barbados Police who work with them in collusion in a criminal conspiracy for kickbacks and to do their dirty underhand work including setting locals up and planting evidence.
Video below where you can see their actual faces:
Barbados DRUG LORDS Bounty, Rubber Guts and Dopey with PM Mottley on Saturday after her win
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1591171817646884&id=100002622425707
“I mean after all we are down to 1 1/2 months of import cover. Would it not behoove us to forensically examine what got us here?”
Until those across the board forensic audits are carried out to identify the destruction AND the culprits….we will go nowhere fact, audits take time, good auditors will take a maximum of 8 weeks..
…. but bloodsuckers for auditors, …well, we know the drill.
Many years ago the English introduced a Sunlight tax and they also had a Pol Tax not so long ago. They were both abandoned but it just shows that the Avariciousness of Governments to get money from people for the Government to Fatten themselves and for and for those who do not work but think they are entitled. England has always been a very Socialist country. After fighting the war against Nazi’s who were Socialist and winning, after the war they promptly instituted Free Health Care for All, a Pillar of Socialism, (This Free Health Care was not just for the returning Veterans). They continued that way regardless of the Government in Power and England lost its Mo Jo. They gave up all their Territories that they had in their Hey Day. England was Sinking fast under the weight of Socialism. The English Monetary Pound was no longer the Global Currency. (The Highest Tax Rate that England had been 98%).
They continued to fall in their standing in the world and also the Standard of living in England continued to fall until Margaret Thatcher. Through her Policies of Selling off State assets/businesses and Free Market Reforms, Lower Taxes and Less Regulations England began to boom. We have seen this time and time again, that those combinations encourage growth in the economy. But not all people are grateful, they want the good old days of Stagnation, Poverty and Socialism.(They were glad when Thatcher died and sang Ding Dong the Witch is Dead). I guess the UNPRODUCTIVE were Happy because they did Not Want to work.
England has to move against the Welfare Class if they are to grow again. I know someone whose brother immigrated to England when he was young from Barbados; his brother says that he is physically a healthy individual who has never worked a Day in his life. He gets Free Housing, Free Money from the Government and money from his girlfriends. And with the Influx of the Muslim immigrants who believe as part of their religion that the Infidels must pay them we have a situation where the State is OVER BURDENED by having to support All of these UNPRODUCTIVE People.
The Huge influx of the Muslims have Exacerbated this problem as Society cannot live off where the UNPRODUCTIVE class of persons becomes the Norm living at the expense of the PRODUCTIVE. Something has to give and it cannot be the UNPRODUCTIVE growing in number.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/c1/fd/3cc1fdced41b2ef0f845bfe75ebf8dc9.jpg
This is in opposition to the Parable of the Talents. For those who understand the Scripture… we have each been given Gifts. When we use our Gifts we are given more. Those who refuse to use theirs (by not working to make them increase) there’s will be taken and given to the ones that do. Never the other way around as Socialist would have you believe! It is a very fair scenario really about the Principle of “by the Sweat of thy brow; thou shalt eat thy bread”… and will be blessed accordingly!
We do not pay taxes the Government Takes our Taxes. Taxation is not voluntary it is Mandatory/Forced. I have been writing for a few years now, that the solution of theft by way of Taxation by Governments is because of the System of Governance meaning Socialist practices of robbing Peter to pay Paul and until we come to understand that we will continue to be robbed, the only intent of such, is to rule over others for Power and Gain.
“There are two and only two ways that any economy can be organized. One is by freedom and voluntary choice—the way of the market. The other is by force and dictation—the way of the State…
The State obtains its revenue by coercion, by threatening dire penalties should the income not be forthcoming. That coercion is known as “taxation,” although in less regularized epochs it was often known as “tribute…
Excess Taxation is theft, purely and simply even though it is theft on a grand and colossal scale which no acknowledged criminals could hope to match. It is a compulsory seizure of the property of the State’s inhabitants.
We must be able to have a System of Governance that allows Free Market Enterprise without all the burdensome regulations and heavy Taxation’s.
“Free-market Capitalism is a network of free and voluntary exchanges in which producers work, produce, and exchange their products for the products of others through prices voluntarily arrived at….
Man has rights because they are natural rights. They are grounded in the nature of man: the individual’s capacity for conscious choice, the necessity for him to use his mind and energy to adopt goals and values, to find out about the world, to pursue his ends in order to survive and prosper, his capacity and need to communicate and interact with other human beings and to participate in the division of labour”…
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bf/c8/6f/bfc86f7fb03492a244cc0905a12f1950.jpg
One thing for Sure is that Socialist believes in wealth redistribution, Socialist believe in Legalized theft by having the Government steal your money through Taxation and give to those who refuse to work.
https://i.imgflip.com/1zcckf.jpg
David BU
I recall reading that UK’s Chancellor George Osborne announced austerity plans for the UK when he took over at the Treasury in May 2010, while delivering a £40bn austerity budget. The budget measures were designed to turn a structural deficit in current spending of 4.8% of GDP into a surplus of 0.3% in four years.
The measures included cuts in welfare, an increase in emergency taxes, VAT increased from 17.5% to 20%, a levy on banks, higher capital gains tax and a two-year public sector pay freeze.
Osborne also said the plan to progressively cut corporation tax over a 4 year period, would help the private sector become the engine of growth, and the economy would have to rely more heavily on investment and exports over the coming years.
Interestingly, at that time, the IMF was critical of Osborne’s austerity measures and agreed with the general consensus among many economists that measures would have increased inequality and instability, while undermining economic growth.
By 2014, Christine Lagarde said the IMF had “underestimated” the strength of growth when it assessed the UK economy in 2013 and admitted the Fund was wrong in its criticism of Osborne’s economic strategy and agreed that his deficit reduction plan is “appropriate.” But the Fund expressed concerns about the housing market.
According to the IMF, the UK experienced economic growth within 3 years of Osborne implementing his austerity measures in 2010. Unfortunately, although Barbados’s “austerity measures” were, in some aspects, similar to those of the UK, Barbados’ economic situation became worse as the island did not experience any significant level of growth…….and under circumstances where none of the former DLP administration’s economic policies achieved the desired objectives.
David BU
Although Osborne’s austerity measures were “successful” in achieving the main objective re reduce the deficit and realize a surplus, the measures adversely affected the most vulnerable, which is basically similar to Barbados’ present circumstances.
According to assessments of the Osborne’s measures and his insistence to balance the budget, “while employment revived, jobs have been recast as part-time, temporary and insecure. As a result, productivity stalled. These declines will cause permanent damage to the British economy.”
“Cuts to government spending tore into welfare provision and public services. Real spend per head of population fell, and the real spend per head was particularly felt by the vulnerable citizen, as the population grew older and more fragile. Under his watch, total managed expenditure was cut in real terms by £14bn (2016-17 prices). These cuts were made worse by a 3-4% rise in population, and by the increasing needs of an ageing population.”
@Artax
Yes this is the concern- the impact on the vulnerable- of the blogmaster. whatever the society we build the vulnerable must be protected as a priority. Clearly the experience of Britain provides an insight to how austere measures permeate society.
All this goodie two shoes feeling soon come to a crashing hault. When hard questions would be asked. Notice on Sunday when Mia told
a gullible media that 8million was justifiable to help barbados rebound nobody asked even as of today where is the money going to come from
After all it is only 8 million yearly to buy new broomes
Cant wait to hear the aftermath of the “good news ” from tommorows meeting of the Social partnership which in general is all about the meeting of self interest and the interest of barbados a second thought which is evident by Abed mouthings today.
@ David
Barbados is in Such a Precarious Position that the most likely thing to happen is that they will be a short term Up-tic because of the Change of Government and a general Sense of things will improve and get better. As mentioned before as pertaining to the Precarious Position of the Government they may be Reluctant to make the Structural Changes Necessary of Free Market Principles of less Rules, Regulations and Impediments and Size of Government to Avoid and Starve off Devaluation…it will be a Miracle and not by the BLP making that we will begin to see Day light.
https://78.media.tumblr.com/6f7278a8022b49a43b8f943829b8b5c0/tumblr_n7hsdvpYEp1tf3egko1_500.jpg
“The fifth………..but not the final step to recovery would be determining how much money was paid to Mariposa/ac/Angela Cox-Skeete, Fcuktured BLP and Carson C. Cadogan to monitor BU and defend the DLP…….. and if such payments were at the expense of taxpayers.”
It would be a waste of time and/or money investigating whether AC/Angela Cox-Skeete. I can categorically state that my sister did not receive nor would she take payment for sychophantic defense of her beloved DLP.
Havent Jamaica been in austerity program by the IMF what morevevidence is needed
These programs are solely designed to repay govt debt .The poor and gullible become the fall guys after giving an excuse that things would get better .
and within a shorten period growth would emerge
These small island nations cannot afford the harsh management of the IMF as seen in other countries the first socio-economic basket to crumble falls right in the lap of the poor.
“Taxation is the Price we Pay for failing to build a civilized society. The Higher the Tax Level, the Greater the Failure… A centrally planned Totalitarian state represents a Complete Defeat for the Civilized world, while a Totally Voluntary Society represents its Ultimate Success.”
Well, to be more accurate:
“Taxation is the price we pay for failing to protect a civilized society from the predation of a political class using the coercive power of government to live off the productivity of the civilized society.”
But even this fails to fully elucidate the problem because:
1) “The price we pay” makes it seem like a voluntary arrangement in the market. It is not.
2) “Taxation” is too broad a term and fails to make a distinction between legitimate taxation and ideologically-based taxation, and
3) “Civilized society” is undefined.
So:
High tax burdens on the productive part of society is the consequence of members of that society failing to protect their interests against the predation by a political class using the coercive power of the government to live off their productivity in order to fund, not the legitimate functions of the government to protect society from plunderers both foreign and domestic, but their activities to retrofit the spontaneously and unpredictably self-ordering society into something ever more thoroughly (and ever more sclerotic) under their control…
“Government is that great fiction through which everybody endeavours to live at the expense of everybody else.”
Frederic Bastiat
https://quotefancy.com/media/wallpaper/1600×900/4617186-James-W-Loewen-Quote-We-preach-democracy-while-supporting.jpg
Well, you all wouldn’t listen. Hard ears won’t hear: hard ears will feel.
Did you see that link to FB higher up provided by “Corruption”? Our newly elected first female PM celebrating with Drug Lords?
You voted DEM in.
All two BOTH OF DEM needed to be voted out.
You had a viable option with Solutions Barbados. But you know what the street says:
A country gets the government they deserve.
Meditate on that for a while.
Barbados where I was born just had an election and they voted in a more corrupt politician than the one before.
This once beautiful island has been turned in to a haven for Drug Lords, accommodated by our present PM ( oh yeah 70% of the electorate is jubilating at the fact that we have our first female PM — just like what the USA were so blessed to escape from in 2016), just saw a FB clip of her celebrating with these Drug Lords.
I am a woman and I could give TWO HOOTS about “our first female PM” when the island is literally falling to pieces — open sewage along our south coast. Garbage collected once every three weeks if you pray hard enough. Pot holes as literally large as POTS riddling all of our infrastructure and the stench of toxic seaweed that has floated in from the Japanese atomic power plant fiasco which literally “laces” our once beautiful beaches with this filth.
But Oh YES Don’t Stop the Carnival — a very insightful book written by a secular author by the name of Herman Wouk about 50 years ago. HOW PROPHETIC.
Of course the rich and famous still flock here and lock themselves up in their “gated communities” but how long will this situation last? The middle and lower class or our country are being taxed out of existence. If I did not believe in God, I would be running for the hills.
Beautiful,
This is the price Barbadians have to pay for Barrow´s experiment called declaration of independence. 95 % of all postcolonial territories failed so far. You cannot transform medieval, tribal societies within 50 years into states with modern governance and enlightenment. It took the Japanese only 100 years, but the Germans 2000 years from first contact with Roman civilization to postwars constitution. Most societies lie between.
We both will not see the day that Barbados turns into a developed country. It might happen in the 22nd century or later, maybe not before the 29th century.
In order for barbados to be developed into a first class economical country it first have to rid itself of the “me first mentality”. Barrow idea and philosphy was founded on a community spirit of each one teach and help each other to succeed. His idea of making sure that Barbadians all received a good education was meant for all intents and purposes that the education gathered would be beneficial to building an independent barbados and finacially free and prosperous one that would have removed our dependence from being beggers on the doorsteps of our colonial masters
Bur no that never happen instead barbados has found itself having to feed the mouths of the rich and the poor and a society having nothing to give back even after years of free education
Barrow must be saying WTF
Notice Mia mulling around in the sewer with the usual talking points
The usual photo op and grandization she has use to wow the population.
How many more white papers does she needs to understand the magnitude of the delapidated sewer system after past govt have already pumped 3.5million into trying to resolve the problem
Photo op not going to stop the shit from flowing
The reality requires more spending with a high possibilty of increased spending to retrofit plus as Mia indicates building a new plan
A Project that gone bust after gobbling up millions of dollars in its first intial stages of planning
But of course it is the taxpayers money
And look what happened with all the education: Barbados has too many lawyers. A bankrupt tiny island does not need nearly 1,100 lawyers and all the needy QCs. Or look at the many economists. They mix up debts and reserves when it comes to forex, adding the CS loan to forex reserves. How stupid! And now the wonder the reserves are depleted by the end of 2018. There were never any reserves after 2013, only borrowed USD.
All the education was for NOTHING. 90 % of all Barbadians educated at UWI so far contribute ZERO % to forex. Education and national resources wasted.
It would have been better if Barrow had focused on farming and craftmen instead on academics.
South Coast Sewage Issue Deemed A National Crisis
Joy Springer May 30, 2018 banner, Top Stories
Charles Leslie (right), Director of Engineering (BWA) briefing Prime Minister Mia Mottley and members of her Cabinet (from left), Wilfred Abrahams, Peter Phillips and Kerry Symmonds, during this morning’s tour of the south coast. (C.Pitt/BGIS)
Prime Minister Mia Mottley today deemed the continuing sewage problems on the south coast a national crisis and has ordered that a Cabinet Paper be prepared in time for tomorrow’s meeting of Cabinet outlining options to resolve the issue.
After a tour of the area, accompanied by management of the Barbados Water Authority, Government officials and members of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers, the Prime Minister declared: “It is our judgement that this is the most important thing nationally, outside of the stabilisation of our economy, for us to deal with and that’s why we are here and that’s why the decisions will be made.”
She told members of the media that tomorrow’s Cabinet Paper would present options aimed at ensuring that the sewage was kept off the street; that the lines were repaired; and that long-term solutions were found to make sure that there would be no recurrence of the problem.
The Prime Minister revealed that a sub-committee, chaired by Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Wilfred Abrahams, had been established, and once Cabinet approved the plan, this committee would be meeting two or three times a week to ensure that the project stayed “on time and on target”.
One consideration being proposed, she revealed, was for two outfalls to be built, – one an eight-inch main from the Graeme Hall Swamp and the other a 16-inch main from the Sewerage Plant, both of which, she said, would go beyond the outer reefs so as to ensure minimal damage to the nearshore waters.
Ms. Mottley said she had asked Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Jerome Walcott, to approach the Canadian Government for technical assistance, which she said the Barbados Government would pay for.
Every effort would be made, she said, to get all the equipment and materials necessary into the island as soon as possible so the work could be carried out in the shortest possible time.
A second Cabinet Paper will be prepared by the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification for the consideration of next Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, she disclosed, which will address the impact of the sewage problem on the Graeme Hall Swamp and how that wetland can be regenerated.
The Prime Minister reported that the Ministry of Transport and Works had also been charged with preparing a Cabinet Paper which will deal with the repaving and the rebuilding of the south coast corridor to ensure greater integrity and sustainability. “This is how we have to get on top of this urgent situation…We have had more travel advisories on this issue than we have ever had on any other issue.
“All Bajans will roll up their sleeves and we will deal with this now. If it means that we can’t do some other things because of the unavailability of funds, so be it. But we must have life first and this is what gives us life, in terms of public health and in terms of our economy,” Prime Minister Mottley maintained.
joycspring@gmail.com
So more shit what does a secondary white paper detail that previuos has not. Mia yesterday all but concluded what Dr. Estwick stated that going forward a new plant would be necessary
So all this photo op would be of naught when the reality of further spending is needed to correct and in the interim build a new plant
@Tron May 29, 20186:56 PM “… tourism does not pay SUVs, big houses and imported food.”
But why does anybody need a big, gas guzzling, heart attack inducing SUV?
Why does anybody need a big house, when the birthrate is about 1.6 per woman? Don’t we understand that when the birthrate was 6 per woman we lived in small houses?
Some imported food maybe, although today I am eating some locally grown breadfruit, pumpkin, spinach and green banana with a little locally caught fish. Tasty, cheap, delicious, nutritious. Haven’t we noticed that most of the people who live to be 100+ and who are still active in good health have eaten a lifetime of locally grown food? Dietary austerity is good. If all of the fast food places locally and worldwide closed tomorrow I would not miss them one little bit.
https://medium.com/world-economic-forum/this-is-the-country-with-the-most-centenarians-per-capita-9b714b8e1146
Note that none of the countries with the highest percentage of centenarians are those countries which we so love to envy and emulate. My question is why do we envy and wish to emulate those countries where the people suffer serious illness and early death?
Here are the countries if you do not wish to click the link:
Japan
Puerto Rico
Italy
Uruguay
Chile
France
Cuba
Hong Kong, SAR
Dominican Republid
Vietnam
Barbados must be somewhere close to there except that only countries with more than 1,000 centenarians were counted.
@ Simple Simon,
I will be eating a piece a dolphin ( Imported by Costco.) and plaintain for lunch.
You are fortunate to be able to eat locally caught fish.
Barbados needs to up its local food production. Every little bit of food grown counts. We have been seduced into believing that a farmer is only “successful” if he is farming 1,000 acres or 10,000. But as we can see from the election on Thursday every little vote counts, and so it is that every little bit of locally grown food counts. Every breadfruit counts.
Minister of Agriculture I am looking at you.
Minister of Fisheries (blue economy) I looking at you too.
But while I am looking at you, I am not looking to you. I am busy growing my own food.
@Hants May 31, 201812:11 PM
Enjoy.
Even though I would like to see exports go up, still I believe that we have to strive to feed ourselves first. Feed our visitors next. Export the rest. Glad that you can get some dolphin at Costco.
Enjoyed a piece of your Canadian salmon recently, as a special treat. Lol
@ Simple Simon,
https://theheartysoul.com/misleading-wild-salmon-label/
Take a Listen…
https://www.facebook.com/kkaramo/videos/10155194073947245/
@ Simple Simon May 31, 2018 11:51 AM
Exactly! The greed caused the present malaise. All for foreign food, SUVs and villas.
Pray tell me what Dog dung Mia trying here.She was told over and over and over that there was no money to buy buses and garbage trucks,give the Union increases,give increases in pensions,UWI Tuition fees etc etc etc Yet she went ahead saying it will be done.
She now trying to cover her a** s**s with this press conference.
I hope Chris Sinckler will call a Press conference to refute any lies she may be telling or to explain what needs explaining.
She is acting like she is still on the platform.I have never seen any incoming prime minister doing this politicking after the election.If there is wrong doing prosecute them but how does all of this help advance anything.You win the election 30 – 0 so all at you now.
Can you imagine this she calling out a press conference to read out about waiver of duties for a huyandi coupe for the director at a hotel steupes.Well,well,well.Bare theatrics.
Get your popcorn people.
I really thought we were going to hear something substantive.Extension of contracts before elections – really Mia – let the people know what you all did in January 2008.
I can see it already this is going to be an administration of charges,inneundos,exaggeration,public relations stunts and confusion.
Yes so you find a situation worse than you anticipated according to Clyde Mascoll? Weren’t you reading the reports from the Govenor of the Central Bank – past and present?
Didn’t you listen to economist Michael Howard?
Didn’t you listen to even Outside persons like Marla Dukkeran ?
The press conference was informative. If the Hyatt was on stall why give away taxes? Why let the sewage plant collapse?
Avinash Persaud to be the new governor of the central bank.
Is that true Hal or speculation?
I am hearing something about Artherley crossing the floor.Hmm
https://youtu.be/5IizJxDrlMM
Do you remember either late last year or early this year David Estwick said they had gotten a grant or something from either United Arab Emirates or Qatar for some environment grant in the amounts of 3 or 7 million dollars and that was to be used to fix the Soth Coast Sewage plant – so why are we not hearing any thing about that?
See this is what happenn when greed takes complete control of the mind. Mia averious insatiable appetite to become PM took over the reality as how she would confront the social and economic problems while delivering empty promises
Now she holds a press conference which is more like a pity party to draw sympathy from the guillible population in case she fails to deliver
Isnt this the same Mottley who said barbados economic situation was worse than Haiti.
Mia is pretending as if all that she is revealing is new to her years
Question which the media ought to ask is given all that she has revealed how could she and where is she going to get an extra 8million to feed her expanded cabinet
This woman is truly a deceitful b.tch lies to the people and now runs to the people to cover her a.ss
Another page out of the Trump playbook.
Mia told the country she would turn water into wine. Now she holding a press conference telling the people that there is not enough bottles.
Wuhloss
Mia your best bet is to sit yuh a.ss down and stay away from the media because everyime yuh open yuh move to cover yuh a.ss yuh nose gonna grow longer
Mariposa that must be why Sturt’s nose looks like it does,