est. 2007

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Bringing News and Opinions to the People

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Barbados Post COVID -19

 

[We’re] not having a Budget or anything soon because it is just too fluid [blogmaster’s emphasis] . . . The budget was not intended to have any new taxes and therefore there is no reason for an immediate budget and we therefore will wait and see,” Mottley told media managers during a meeting yesterday at Government Headquarters.

Source: Mottley: No budget, we’ll wait and see

Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced this week the cancellation of the Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals  (budget). Some will agree with Mottley that government’s economic policy is heavily influenced by BERT and relieving the country from the annual talk shop starring MPs and Senators is welcomed.

The use of the word ‘fluid’ by the prime minister is interesting against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are fixated on the public health requirement. Policymakers must also think about positioning the country to recover quickly from the crisis.

The blogmaster hopes the reason offered by the prime minster for cancelling the ‘budget’ is the usual political flummery. Barbados finds itself in a tenuous position after many years of economic decline. Two years into BERT the COVID-19 pandemic could not have reared its head at a worse time. It exposes what we have always known – Barbados like other countries in the region are most vulnerable to shocks (exogenous). It defines an open economy.

It is the observation of this blogmaster that commenters in this forum and elsewhere experience difficulty walking and chewing gum when discussing the issues.  Of course public health safety is the priority but it cannot be the only priority.

Discuss for 25 marks how we must use another global crisis to reorder the way Barbadians do business at the household and national level.

What we have to worry about is that the virus DOES NOT force us to reorder how we manage our affairs at a national and household level. If we reorder how we manage our affairs then we would have nothing to worry about. If we continue to be lacking in vision, planning, willpower, effective leadership, active citizenship and energy we will soon regret it.

There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures – William Shakespeare

This is an OPPORTUNE time to pause and reflect. This pain need not be in vain!

Donna – BU Commenter

 

 

 

 

532 responses to “Barbados Post COVID -19”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Tron this blog is very specific, post this nonsense on another blog.

  2. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David BU

    No contradiction at all. The indicators for me were always red with a few amber. No greens. Check the archives.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    Understand you now.

  4. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    First of all: Barbados is absolutely safe: As long as you live in a gated community, have your own power supply and food for half a year. A speedboat at the harbour would also be useful. You never know.

    In fact, now is the time to finally tear down the Barbadian welfare state. I repeat my demands once again:

    No new public servants and a pay freeze there for 10 years.

    Early retirement in the civil service at 55 with a 50 per cent discount on the pension.

    So we don’t sack any civil servants, but we achieve the same goal.

    Devaluation of the Barbados dollar to a level of 5:1 to restore competitiveness.

    Population exchange: Introduction of a “Citizenship by Investment” programme for investments in Barbados starting at USD 1 million. At the same time, support of USD 10,000 for every family willing to emigrate (whose head of family works in public service or is unemployed, which is quite the same).

    Cancellation of 80 percent of all laws, particularly regulatory standards or rules on labour rights and social protection.

    Flat-rate reduction of all social benefits by 50 percent, especially pensions.

    Reduction of the minimum wage to 2 USD per hour. Maximum wage for all workers and employees 10 USD per hour. Only the self-employed and bizzynezzmen may earn more.

    In return, we should unleash the forces of the free market:

    Flat-rate tax on income at 20 percent.

    Abolition of land tax.

    Increase of VAT to 25 percent, abolition of all discounts, for example on food.

  5. Ping Pong Avatar
    Ping Pong

    Cuba may have developed medications that can treat covid-19 patients. St.Vincent has already ordered medicine form Cuba.

    https://www.eturbonews.com/567170/could-cuba-save-italy-and-the-world-from-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR2NMMz2cd1MhJAJ_F9h_B3WOKObzHAvjwXrhHKA-KCU7B9z980EkdiyKZ4

  6. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Steupse!

  7. David Avatar
    David

    COVID-19: Tourism-Based Shock Scenarios for Caribbean Countries

    by Henry Mooney | María Alejandra Zegarra

    covid-19

    The COVID-19 outbreak could have considerable implications for Caribbean citizens and their economies. The magnitude of this impact will depend crucially on the spread of the virus, the duration of the outbreak, and measures countries in the region and elsewhere undertake to insulate themselves. It will also have much to do with country economic structures—particularly tourism dependence. This post focuses on tourism as a key shock transmission channel, and considers IDB regional member countries’—i.e., The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago (referred to from here on as the “CCB” countries)—dependence on this sector, while putting forward illustrative scenarios for ranges of possible shocks to output over various horizons. While for illustration purposes only, our scenarios highlight that because of the significance of the sector for several of our countries, as well as large increases in tourism arrivals during the peak period late in the year, a prolonged crisis could have a more amplified impact on economic activity via the tourism channel than one that is contained relatively quickly.

    Transmission Channels. The impact for individual economies will differ depending on the structure of the economy (e.g., tourism dependence vs. commodity exporter), and transmission channels through which the shock propagates. These can be broken into two broad categories—(i) domestic outbreak and prevention measures, and (ii) external price and demand shocks.

    • Domestic Outbreak and Prevention Measures: While there have been relatively few reported cases in our six countries (at the time of this posting), a significant outbreak is a material risk. As for any country, both the direct impact of cases and preventative measures will have implications for domestic activity and demand. Lost productivity from workers falling ill or being asked to stay home would have implications for output. Similarly, costs associated with emergency medical services, as well as enhanced security and public safety measures would place additional financial and other burdens on governments.
    • External Price and Demand Shocks: Key direct external channels include physical and financial linkages with the rest of the world, particularly important sectors including tourism, commodities trade, and cross border financial flows.

    https://blogs.iadb.org/caribbean-dev-trends/en/covid-19-tourism-based-shock-scenarios-for-caribbean-countries/

  8. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    That steupse was for the ridiculous creature named Tron.

  9. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    You do realize that your stupid leaders would not understand any of that……right…there is no corruption or bribery in it so it would not even register in their weak, small. polluted minds.

    the hardest thing is to know…now you do.

  10. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    Tron your latest POST has BU Bloggers SHOCKED, Wily thinks they are unable to understand or believe the sorry state of affairs in Barbados.

    When the local populace is trying to find some mac & cheese to eat, then they might start to understand & believe the situation for what it is. This maybe the impetus that the BLOGMASTER keeps stating is needed for his ECONOMIC and SOCIAL UPRISING. Time will tell.

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ the gardeners

    https://www.mcgill.ca/bits/files/bits/the_economic_benefits_of_backyard_gardening_in_barbados.pdf

  12. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Tron March 17, 2020 5:34 PM
    “(whose head of family works in public service or is unemployed, which is quite the same).”

    Food for thought. High wages and expectations based on the subsidy which was once granted. A sense of entitlement without hard work followed. Made worse by Unions who do not realize that Barbados is a piss-poor country and cannot seek to emulate better off countries. Need to use a merit based system for hiring. Need to revamp the Civil; Service so that slackers can be easily be fired.

  13. John Avatar
    John

    What will the WTO say about this?

    https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinese-deny-americans-coronavirus-drugs

  14. John Avatar
    John

    Trump tweeting got Chinese mad now

    https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1182873.shtml

  15. John Avatar
    John

    India restricting drug exports.

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/04/global-supplier-india-curbs-drug-exports-as-coronavirus-fears-grow.html

  16. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    This is the result of decades of the black face THIEVES in the parliament, the bar association, the judiciary and in the minoritiy community robbing Barbados/the people BILLIONS OF DOLLARS….now so dependent on keeping the island open to cause many Corona virus infections…blame the thieves, never elect this government again, they just tried to sell the Black population into slavery to UK in STEALTH…the only thing that saved the people from a lfe of generational slavery was that virus…but because they all robbed the people billions of dollars, the same virus is also a threat to the population..the people are on their own and now have to PROTECT THEMSELVES…especially from the sell out negros.

    “We accept that we are dealing with an outbreak that will affect probably three to eight out of every thousand in a fatal way. But in fact, we may affect more if we immediately close our borders, ensuring that people who depend on a weekly wage or for whom this is the only source of income may not be able to feed themselves; buy what they need day-to-day to sustain their families.

    The flights from the UK have many more people and because Barbados is so much more dependent on the UK, for example taxi drivers, hotel workers, persons working in laundries, and restaurants, tens of thousands of people in this country are going to be affected once the borders close.”

  17. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Only problem with that backward logic….the flights from UK will also dry up you common class THIEVES.

  18. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Population exchange: Introduction of a “Citizenship by Investment” programme for investments in Barbados starting at USD 1 million. At the same time, support of USD 10,000 for every family willing to emigrate (whose head of family works in public service or is unemployed, which is quite the same).

    Cancellation of 80 percent of all laws, particularly regulatory standards or rules on labour rights and social protection.

    Flat-rate reduction of all social benefits by 50 percent, especially pensions.

    Reduction of the minimum wage to 2 USD per hour. Maximum wage for all workers and employees 10 USD per hour. Only the self-employed and bizzynezzmen may earn more.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    In other words slavery. I won’t speculate on your colour and the colour of all who agree with you.

  19. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Slavery is the intention for Caribbean people, Barbados is the test run.

    that is why i cannot stand your leaders and have no respect for them, they should not even be on this earth polluting it as they are, they have no right, they are not worth the oxygen they breathe.

  20. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    There comes a time when every single citizen must support and trust their government irrespective of political thoughts or affiliations. This is such a time. I am supporting our Prime Minister and the cabinet for their efforts in this crisis.

  21. John A Avatar
    John A

    So we need to go to the next step and produce the eggs as well. We have the local feed production, the climate and the local market that loves chicken. Why can’t we set up a project to service the local and regional hatcheries with the eggs needed?

  22. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Do your research. Am getting angrier by the second and that never ends well.

    “WHO is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.

    The coronavirus can go airborne, staying suspended in the air depending on factors such as heat and humidity, WHO officials said.”

  23. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    William…am glad you can be so forgiving, i believe every last one of this government should be in a prison somewhere, from where i am sitting, they are still as destructive as ever and do not mean the Black population well….the people are in danger now more than ever..

    “Effective March 18, 2020, the United States Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados is cancelling all routine non-immigrant and immigrant visa appointments.

    We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time.”

  24. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    WURA-War-on-U
    We must think of all our brothers and sisters at this time. As you are quite aware , at times such as these, the most vulnerable suffer the most. We must therefore support the government in the interest of the National good.

  25. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @John A March 17, 2020 11:23 AM “Bajans may need to sacrifice themselves say and use local toilet paper as opposed to the imported brands at $5 a roll as well. Likewise our local bottle water brand as opposed to the US one.”

    Oh lordy, lordy. Look what is regarded as a sacrifice now. Local toilet paper. Am I the only one who was raised in a barnyard and has used everything from newspaper, Premier B.A, feed bags, bush [careful exactly which bushe you put down there] and yes even a nice smooth rockstone [don’t try this with modern plumbing systems, but still works quite well in pit toilets] Still in very good health as I approach 70.

    And imported water? What for? As long as I continue to I pay the BWA at least $80 BDS per month, I will drink ONLY BWA “branded water”.

    Clearly some of you BU folks were raised in unimaginable luxury.

  26. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    As always, the structural conservatives are attacking me. As you all know, I deliberately formulate my theses in a sharp and provocative way in order to initiate discussion. Because we all know that only 10 percent of maximum demands are implemented. On the other hand, those who present a realistic plan from the outset achieve 0 percent.

    The Corona crisis is hitting Barbados at the worst conceivable time. Unlike the USA or the UK, we have no really independent currency, since our external public debt is quoted in USD, EUR or GBP. The government is therefore unable to fully compensate for the loss of revenue in the tourism sector.

    In addition, BERT can only function in an optimal external environment. This condition is now no longer met. We are drawing more and more foreign currency loans. Every new loan from the IMF or other international organisations reduces the chance that we will get a private loan in foreign currency in the next 10 years, because institutional loans are given preferential treatment.

    The Barbadian special way of increasing taxes more and more instead of shrinking the state sector has reached its limit. We can no longer afford this false policy towards the largest civil service apparatus in the Caribbean.

    Unfortunately, I also have to say that we have not used the many years since 2008 at all for structural reforms. The work ethic is as bad as it was 12 years ago. Workers want wage increases and insist on social privileges, they are not prepared to work longer or accept wage cuts to compensate for low productivity and the overvalued BBD. These are the facts.

    Many will now say that the people have suffered a lot since 2008 and that they are now entitled to higher wages. I simply ask: what is the economic justification for this? There is none. Unfortunately, thinking in terms of entitlements and reality are not the same thing. We can no longer afford a standard of living and welfare state like in Scandinavia because we do not have oil like Norway, nor the high productivity as Sweden.

    We are lucky that Mia Mottley has so far taken a prudent course in the corona crisis. I have seen several times this week at the airport many wide-body aircraft from TUI, Condor, Eurowings and Lufthansa evacuating tourists from all over the Caribbean – because our government is not going into panic mode. Barbados has gained the reputation of a safe harbor, especially with the airlines and tourism companies – quite unlike the Pepper Islands, Jamaica and Trixidad. The impact will be felt for years, but will hit Barbados less hard because the government is now considered to be prudent and business-oriented.

  27. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Oh ye of little faith..

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/17/church-of-england-suspends-services-coronavirus

  28. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Dame Bajans March 17, 2020 10:35 AM “After the swine flu of 2009, Obama set up an office of Pandemic health and response which was the co-ordinating body for the other agencies. The stable genius disbanded it and said he should not be paying people to fight foreign viruses.”

    i was wondering about :”foreign viruses”

    Do “foreign viruses” need a visa or a passport to enter the USA or the UK or the EU or Barbados or anywhere else?

    If viruses can enter at will, then they are not foreigners.

    Can’t afford to fence nor police my lot. 400 hundred or so running feet of fencing will cost more than I can afford. But a family lives on the lot and that tends to keep “strange people” at a distance. We also learned from our father to always give some of the produce to the neighbors. If they receive it as a gift then there is no need to steal. I am still planting cassava now. The first plantings for the season are about 2 feet tall, the most recent haven’t germinated yet. I don’t mind doing the planting over a period of 8 weeks or more, because then I can harvest fresh over a period of 8 weeks or more, starting with those first planted. I bought some okra seeds today. I will do about a dozen plantings at home tomorrow. Will have to water them a bit until the rains come. I plant 4 or 5 seeds to a hole, but robert can correct me if I am planting too many or too few seeds per hole. I love cou-cou so I like to plant okras at home so that when I feel like eating cou-cou the fresh okras are literally at my kitchen door. . If some okras become a bit over ripe do not throw them away. cut them up nice and fine and toss them in a pot of soup, or make yourself a nice okra slush. Okras freeze very well. I cut up some before freezing, and some I freeze whole for when I feel like eating okra as a side dish.

    The monkeys have started to invade my spinach and garlic. I’ve noticed that cow manure is keeping them away form the cassava, but i don’t want to use that on the garlic or chives because i often eat those things raw. These things are planted at home miles away from the cow manure.

    @John !? i think. I remember the good old days when the plough would come into my village and every small [peasant farmers they used to be called] farmer in the village would have his or her-and it often was a her- lot ploghed on the same or subsequent days. So the ploughman wold organize by village and serve everybody in that community on the same day. That seemed to work well, but alas nowadays if you are a micro farmer like me cultivation services/ploughing is a real bug bear.

    Suburban lif:: In my suburban community as is the case all over Barbados there are many, many vacant lots that have remained vacant for 30 years or more. Why? Why can’t some arrangement be made to grow gardens on these plots without disadvantaging the land owner and the lot can still be used for house building later on. Using a lot for growing vegetables does not spoil it for later housing use.

  29. Dame Bajans Avatar
    Dame Bajans

    @Silly Woman:
    I soak my okra seeds over night and they germinate quicker. I blend my old okras and put them in soup or coo-coo. When they start to ripen you have to harvest every day or they get hard over night. When it is hot, I don’t go to the allotment every day and last year I had lots of old okras. I wish I could grow cassava up here. I went to two stores today and not a stick in sight. Not a yam, or christophene or sweet potato.

    Silly woman, you forgot to mention cement bags wet down with water. hahaha. One cement bag, with all its layers could last a month. Keep a skillet (paint can) with water in the outhouse along with the cement bag(s).
    Lots of people will pretend that we are from Mars.

  30. John Avatar
    John

    If you are a man and a smoker seems as though you are in trouble.

    Italy vs South Korea deaths.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/16/opinions/south-korea-italy-coronavirus-survivability-sepkowitz/index.html

  31. John Avatar
    John

    @John !? i think. I remember the good old days when the plough would come into my village and every small [peasant farmers they used to be called] farmer in the village would have his or her-and it often was a her- lot ploghed on the same or subsequent days. So the ploughman wold organize by village and serve everybody in that community on the same day. That seemed to work well, but alas nowadays if you are a micro farmer like me cultivation services/ploughing is a real bug bear.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++

    Check Ministry of Agriculture for persons who offer the service.

    Also depending on output and income here are a couple of options.

  32. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Tron March 17, 2020 9:47 PM

    As always, the structural conservatives are attacking me. As you all know, I deliberately formulate my theses in a sharp and provocative way in order to initiate discussion. Because we all know that only 10 percent of maximum demands are implemented. On the other hand, those who present a realistic plan from the outset achieve 0 percent.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    And as usual all you will get is cussing because you are not being provocative you are being bloody insulting to the majority of the population. No negotiators would ever sit down at a negotiation table with you because half of them would be so angry they would want to take you out and the other half would just take you for a clown

    The only people who would take you seriously AND sit down with you would be the minority parasites looking to re-enslave the majority population.

  33. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bloody minority parasite! TRY DA ONE AN SEE! Dis ent 1627! Ya ass would be bloody grass!

  34. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @Tron

    We are in agreement most of the time however one of your above statements…….

    “We are lucky that Mia Mottley has so far taken a prudent course in the corona crisis. I have seen several times this week at the airport many wide-body aircraft from TUI, Condor, Eurowings and Lufthansa evacuating tourists from all over the Caribbean – because our government is not going into panic mode. Barbados has gained the reputation of a safe harbor, especially with the airlines and tourism companies – quite unlike the Pepper Islands, Jamaica and Trixidad. The impact will be felt for years, but will hit Barbados less hard because the government is now considered to be prudent and business-oriented.”

    will have the opposite effect which you envision, In-fact Barbados in the future is going to be considered anything but prudent and business-oriented for going 100% against the worlds philosophy in fighting COVID 19. Having several dozen cruise ships, passengers & crew, sitting around Barbados for an extended time-frame and transporting several thousand potential COVID 19 passengers through the port and airport exposing numerous Barbadian workers from various occupations to potential virus exposure to earn a few thousand foreign currency dollars is not going to be looked on as BUSINESS FRIENDLY but greedy and corrupt. This move may have some humanitarian pluses however its also anything but prudent from a HEALTH and SAFETY point of view.

  35. robert lucas Avatar
    robert lucas

    @ Donna March 17, 2020 9:09 AM

    The mercantile class in Barbados is the reason. It is cheaper and easier to import and sell to a captive population, than to promote the development of feed rations from local materials. For example molasses can be used to produce single-cell protein (yeast) with a protein content of over forty percent. This can be used as the main protein source in rations for non-ruminants(poultry). You do not have to use molasses alone, other materials can be used. As a boy, yeast used to given to young people in food as a supplement. Coconut husk can be fed directly to ruminants (one can increase the nutritive value by adding some molasses and urea to the mixture). No one locally want to hear about such as it is said it is too expensive but it really is not.

  36. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    WRONG:

    Black Bajans need to OPEN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES…this is a golden opportunity for Bajans to EMPOWER THEMSELVES and to hell with the government and their infected hotel rooms…stay at home and start your own businesses, where there is a will and a lot of determination…you will find a way…let the black face racists stay where they are they never wanted the majority population in the hotel industry.

    “As visitor numbers dwindle in the wake of COVID-19, Barbadians should now become their own country’s tourists, Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds has suggested, declaring that now is the time to help save an industry that has done much for them.

    In a impassioned plea in the House of Assembly on Monday during its sitting on the Appropriations Bill, Symmonds told the chamber that in the wake of the COVID-19 disease, Barbadians must now embrace their country, stay home and spend money with businesses.”

  37. Dullard Avatar
    Dullard

    Agree with Wily here. What the President has done is absolutely reckless. Countries with more robust health systems are not taking any chances?

    Why do Bajans always feel and act like we know something that the rest of world does not? Why do we feel that we are smarter than everyone else? Where does this misplaced hubris come from?

    Clearly, there is no evidence to support this attitude. We are unable to solve very simple problems on the island.

  38. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    If Bajans come together and IGNORE THESE PARASITES …only the GREEDY will suffer.

    Everywhere will be on FORCED LOCKDOWN…….no tourists will be travelling anywhere anyway, call themselves intelligent but cannot see a shutdown is inevitable whether they do it or not..

    I will continue to push this clear sensible solution to BLACK PRESERVATION…look out for each other…It is time to BREAK THE DEPENDENCY SYNDROME….by reducing it significantly.

    “Several tourism officials are defending Government’s decision to keep the country’s borders open to visitors from around the world despite the fear associated with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

    The man charged with the marketing of the island, Chairman of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) Sunil Chatrani said he was in favour of the borders staying open, but warned that officials should be sensible in how they manage people coming in.

    “We are a tourism destination. We can’t say that we are shutting down everything and then still trying to encourage people. We have to be sensible about how we do it and we have to take all the necessary precautions,” he said.

    “We are a small island and as long as we do the right thing at the airport and seaport and we have the mechanism to control it, we have to be sensible. This island is too small to start shutting off borders completely. We are totally dependent on tourism and when you think about the contribution it is quite significant so we can’t afford to shut it down,” insisted Chatrani.”

  39. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Tron March 17, 2020 9:47 PM “As always, the structural conservatives are attacking me. As you all know, I deliberately formulate my theses in a sharp and provocative way…”

    Nobody is attacking you…idiot.

    You are not being sharp and provocative. You are being nasty and mean.

    PERIOD.

    P.S> And I am no conservative, structural or otherwise.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    The blogmaster will repeat for the last time before this blog is closed. Try to focus on what this blog is trying to achieve?

  41. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    And for people who like to lie on us black people saying how nasty and mean we are to each other, that we are crabs in a barrel, etc. etc. ad nauseum. ALL LIES, which nasty people of the lies of Tron would wish to have us believe. Just yesterday my Littlest Johnnie who is a place were COVID19 is spreading received a message from a niece of mine. “Since you cannot go to work this week please send me your weekly budget”. Seconds later a week’s worth of money showed up in Littlest Johnnie’s account, with a note saying, “you do not owe me anything, and let me know if you cannot go to work next week, or the next and i will continue to help you and rally others in the family to do the same.” In this family this is how we have always lived. This is how we intend to continue living.

    Forty seven years ago I was present 5 days a week for this niece’s granny, who was not related to me by blood but by marriage.

    This sort of behavior is commonplace in many, perhaps most black Bajan families. I don’t know how the nasty people who accuse us of all sorts of nefarious things think that we survived the Middle Passage and many, many years of post-slavery oppression. We did it by feeding, clothing and sheltering each other, because we understood that “today it is me, tomorrow it is you”

    Trouble comes to every living human being at some time. When it is time to give help, give. Because tomorrow you may need help.

    I’ve taught my children, the lessons that my parents taught me, and that my grandparents taught them. you cannot undo yesterday. You cannot live tomorrow today. But on this day, this today do all of the good that you can.

  42. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    People’s lives are at risk, you do not exactly have the brightest government…this can end up being an even worse situation if everyone decides to pretend that the actions of both governments are not what has led up to this moment in time that none of them could have ever envisioned through their shortsightedness.

    A deadly presence will not make them all suddenly intelligent.

    You have a LETHAL invisibile enemy that can now be seen as an opportunity of DIVINE PROPORTIONS that all of us have been waiting for TO BREAK THE CYCLE….it is now or never.

    Besides…when has either government ever listened to BU or any bloggers. Everything we have told them they fought against and are now trapped in their own contradictive actions.

    DESTRUCTIVE plans have already been put in place for the majority, they will not be easy to revise or be discarded WITHOUT INTERVENTION..

  43. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “Since you cannot go to work this week please send me your weekly budget”. Seconds later a week’s worth of money showed up in Littlest Johnnie’s account, with a note saying, “you do not owe me anything, and let me know if you cannot go to work next week, or the next and i will continue to help you and rally others in the family to do the same.” In this family this is how we have always lived. This is how we intend to continue living.”

    This is what we must PUSH AS A COLLECTIVE…togetherness, cohesiveness in the majority population…if you want to survive this and not end up in the same trap that has existed for the last 80 YEARS….which will be even worse this time around.

  44. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Get used to it..the TIDE HAS TURNED..recognize it and EMBRACE IT.

  45. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Dame Bajans March 17, 2020 11:14 PM “Silly woman, you forgot to mention cement bags wet down with water.”

    Indeed.

    But please not the first layer, that was in direct contact with the cement.

    Cement can burn hands, and everywhere else.

  46. Silly Woman Avatar
    Silly Woman

    @Dame Bajans March 17, 2020 11:14 PM “Lots of people will pretend that we are from Mars.”

    Nope. Not from Mars. From 1930’s to 1960’s Barbados.

  47. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Very credible people have been sharing this information since last night.

    Be very careful. You could be in the middle of a SET UP…from more than one source.

    “Security Alert:
    There are reports of criminals taking advantage of the COVID-19 situation and masquerading as health service staff and asking to spray houses as a preventive measure for Coronavirus.Individuals are urged to be vigilant and mindful of people you allow into your homes. Report any suspicious case to the police. DO NOT accept offers for free masks or sanitizers from strangers as they could easily be laced with sedatives creating an opportunity for criminals to easily victimise you/perpetrate crime.”

  48. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    This is serious business…it is time for well wishers and the HOPEFUL to stop pretending that it’s not. I am more than qualified to know what am talking about…ask the cousins in the palace…see how eager they would be to disuss that particular topic….that we will always have between us.

    “The two latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases announced by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday night were two Trinidadian women who were aboard the Costa Favolosa cruise ship that was anchored off Martinique for several days.

    The ship was isolated off Martinique after passengers on board were suspected of contracting the virus and French authorities there initially refused the vessel the chance to dock so passengers could get off.

    Sources at the Piarco International Airport told Guardian Media that the women returned home aboard Caribbean Airlines flight BW449 from Bridgetown, Barbados, around 8.25 pm on Tuesday.

    Sources revealed that after getting the all-clear from Martinique authorities to leave the ship, the women were tested on their way back home in both in Guadeloupe and Barbados, where they were in-transit to T&T and the tests done in one of those two countries subsequently confirmed their positive status. However, it is unclear in which country their tests turned up positive.

    A source who was present when the flight arrived at Piarco on Tuesday night and was familiar with the situation said: “Their positive results were sent to port health authorities here before they arrived.”

  49. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Donna
    @Vincent
    @Silly Woman
    @Robert Lucas
    @Waru
    @ William

    v good suggestions and submissions. these must be bleak or dire times. lets all hope Bim doesnt suffer too much.

    i havent heard my mate Hal recently and hope that he is all right.

    stay safe Bim. i wish the govt well. and cant fault their efforts thus far. If we adopt a collective attitude we could survive this virus

  50. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Hope Hal is doing well too, you take care of you and yours Greene

    . Yes a collective effort must be adopted. But the collective must be mindful THAT THEY ARE THE TARGET.

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