Back of the Envelope Musings about Matters of State
Some smart person is reported to have said never let a crisis go to waste. There can be no disagreement the raging COVID 19 pandemic has created a crisis of gargantuan proportion for countries everywhere. Small island states like Barbados will struggle to sustain a standard of living it has become accustomed. The 64k question facing the tiny island- what are we as a people doing to make good on the advice to not allow a good crisis go to waste?
A pillar issue of Barbados Underground from inception of the blog has been to focus on the importance of a governance system that is fit for purpose. In the opinion of this blogmaster when the former prime minister Fruendel Stuart against all advice allowed parliament to dissolve on its own- there was nothing the citizens could do about it. We were helpless has the economy suffered in a lame duck period. The May 24, 2018 election confirmed Stuart’s decision was contrary to the will of the people. He was punished for his error in judgment which some say has set the country AND Democratic Labour Party (DLP) back a millennium.
Stuart’s obstinacy gave insight to how easy it is for an errant leader to expose fault lines in a democracy. The ‘impotence’ of the people to effect change except on Election Day every five years is scary. We pay lip service to the fact Barbados is a democracy, however, the more discerning among us know there a political and professional class who do the bidding of an economic elite who occupy the space at the pointed end of society’s pyramid. It has not gone unnoticed the leader of the free world – the position of president of the USA is promoted as such – by his maverick behaviour continues to add more stress to a Covid 19 infested world.
… The pandemic has laid bare and intensified these issues, increasing the risk that the region will suffer another lost decade in economic terms and a major setback in social conditions. The crisis sounds an alert that requires that measures be adopted aimed at overcoming the present-day levels of inequality, poverty, and informality, which constitute not only the main obstacle to development but also the seedbed of populist and/or authoritarian “solutions.” They also constitute the seedbed of organized criminal violence, a real and growing threat that should be fought with the legal instruments of democratic government under the rule of law.
One common denominator in the face of the crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic is that the Executive branch has greater responsibility but also enhanced powers. In numerous countries of the region the exercise of these powers has led to the issuance of emergency laws to fight the pandemic. The executive branches should make responsible use of these exceptional measures to make sure they do not lead to human rights violations and arbitrary restrictions on liberty. The same applies to the exceptional use of the armed forces during this period; those forces should make their contribution with professionalism and without getting involved in any tasks entailed in maintaining public order…
IDEA
The average Barbadian may not be aware the Constitution of Barbados gives the Prime Minister of Barbados enormous powers (primus inter pares). During the Covid 19 pandemic we have witnessed imposition of the Emergency Powers Act which adds to the authority of the prime minister to act without consulting parliament. The blogmaster does not suggest for one minute there is evidence of wanton abuse of power by Prime Minister Mottley. The suggestion is that the citizenry of Barbados needs to become more aware by shedding the disinterest it has shown up to now in matters of governance BEFORE we have to react to an unforeseen event.
The recent by-election in St. George North has given rise to a few stark realities. We have a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) led by a politically astute leader who will continue to outmaneuver her opponents until she is bored with it. While this makes for good theatre it should provoke citizens to be concerned about the robustness of our governance system. As we continue to manage our affairs in a Covid 19 period agitation for change to ensure a relevant governance system will be required.
@ David
The question remains: Are the current policies of this administration geared to achieving success in the new era as a result of COVID. Was the throne speech intended to usher in a new path? Did it meet the expectations?
BTW Stuart and company are now history and outside of the prognostications as to whether the DLP can rebound , beginning a piece like this ,with a reference to them is a poor attempt for cover. Stuart and company have nothing to do with how the Mottley government performs in this new era. In other words deal with what is before us. For example are we going to pretend that the tourist industry is going to be soon back? Are we going to believe the fantasy about the cruise industry rebounding? Note what happened with the 25 passengers and 65 crew we now have in the Harbour? Are we importingCOVID?
Is the 300 million given to resuscitate the tourist industry a viable policy?
Are we even prepared to accept the window dressing about fixing the roads which has now been exposed by the heavy showers?
Did you read what Lennox Chandler recently say about agriculture. He said it’s going no where . There is no plan. A completely different picture to that painted by the Minister of Agriculture.
Mottley and company either have the solutions or they do not.
Simple as that . There were given the greatest mandate ever to govern. They must be held accountable. Everything else is political PR and mumbo jumbo.
Peace.
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Stuart .Stuart Stuart
Stuart left parliament two and half years ago but the political parrots keep mentioning his name
The issues call for solutions crime keeps increasing the enviroment of rat infested bridgetown worsen
Govt decides to blow up buildings during a time of economic starvation monies which could be placed in areas of neglect like the QEH
Local businesses enterprises which govt promised to give a helping hand is literally left out in the cold reality that govt would not help
Yet govtt continues a hiring practice for the largess known as consultants
The poor man now succumbs to silent as a way of survival
Underscoring all that is a media running cover for govt whilst govt use them as a propaganda machine touting all is well
The final nail in the coffin is govt cutting off the head of the unions whose voice would have been a necessary balance in forcing govt to do right for the workers
Yet when barbados is callled a failed state the critics jumped forward with blinded patriotism
The truth lies in growing unemployment
Rising crime and unconscionable poverty levels
Barbadian is not on a prepice but have fallen over the cliff
Never mind our enviroment which is in dire need of attention as landfills have reached their levels of capacity
A govt now using COVID as a defense for its failure
Lest all forget govt had ten years to criticize and which some of that time could have been well spent brainstorming for solutions
So here the country and people are no better off than four or five years ago along with an increase of additional debt because of govt propensity to borrow
Not good
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The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has welcomed two former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) members into the fold.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made the announcement today at The Glebe after a “thank you” motorcade on behalf of Toni Moore, who won the by-election which was held in St George North on Wednesday.
Mottley said the crossover was handled quietly.
https://www.nationnews.com/2020/11/14/connelly-grant-join-blp/
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@William
The article sharing Chandler’s perspective on agriculture was posted to Carmeta’s Corner.
Regarding your substantive observation about government’s policies being fit for purpose. The reason this blog was posted is to signal we need to make better use of the crisis to trigger fundamental changes to the governance system. The PM is saying the right things but there is a sense from this blogmaster we need to do more.
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@Hants
Wooing Rodney Grants will cover off Santia Bradshaw who won the seat marginally.
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@ David
At some point in time, we have to call a spade a spade. I don’t think saying the “ right things “ is policy. Outside of the proposal , that was stolen from @ PLT and then branded as the Home Stamp, there has been nothing but cliches and new speak: fit for purpose , mission critical , a a bundle of acronyms but there has been little or no implementation.
Like many I have endorsed some proposals: replacing the eleven plus; we now have a 100% Bajan station; and the excellent management of the COVID.
However we must be critical of increasing high priced consultants and skillfully finding work for party supporters while unemployment climbs and workers cannot get their severance payments.
The COVID provided cover for the mishandling of too many foul ups and the AG cannot give a clear policy on crime.
Furthermore the new Minister of Tourism is daily contradicting the realities and engaging in nothing more than useless PR. There is widespread disaffection in teaching profession and serious matters are not being addressed. For example hundreds of primary school children are without tablets or do not have the facilities at home to take advantage of the online programs.
It’s time for workable solutions and we need to be told why so many of the over promised but under fulfilled large scale projects are yet to start.
We have established that Mottley is a politician and a communicator but with one of the largest cabinets in the Commonwealth, we should be seeing more implementation and less grandstanding.
The Throne Speech was supposed to be a reset but after all the fanfare what really is there to show.
Furthermore she has a large enough mandate to demand more from the private sector but she seems incapable of reading them the riot act but was quite eager to give them excessive tax breaks and allowed them to get away from paying money they owe the treasury.
Peace.
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William……all you are outlining there means nothing when people still live in LaLa Land, in a make believe paradise…they don’t care that everything has sunk because the only people who would be feeling it is Black people and even in black minds, that is not important enough to care about.
an ugly mirage being exposed, even on FB..
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@William
There is a reason this blogmaster from time to time takes the time to highlight the transformation in places like Rwanda, Singapore, Estonia etc.
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The idea that a crisis should not go to waste was intended to be another opportunity for moneyed interests to cheaply acquire public assets and otherwise do things that would normally be unacceptable. Shock therapy we say in disaster capitalism discourses.
This comes up agianst good governance ideals. And the economic metrics especially those in relationship to wealth disparities show that the top 0.10 percenters are further consolidating during Covid. Owners of technology companies are one example.
Therefore, it would be counter-intuitive to expect the GoB, given its current position, to buck these backward trends and go in the opposite direction relating to governance as argued by David. Not that we disagree with this position.
Of course, we see democracy or governance, as herein described, as an economic system with very little to do with politics.
And as an economic system it is impossible to separate the national balance sheet of just three years ago from what is happening today and what will happen five years from now.
This entreaties by William Skinner to forget the recent calamitous, largely self imposed, pre-Covid crisis of Frundel Stuart and his band of cowards is not dissimilar to inviting us to accept the notion that Barbados begun only sometime in May 2018. That there was what Fukuyama called “an end of history”
Permit us to know better.
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David
We have recently returned from Rwanda and had mentioned that that country’s perceived economic rise was largely due to a partial military occupation of Congo and a conspiracy with Western companies and government to institutionalize the thief on Congolese national wealth, mineral resources. Uganda is also a key participant in the form of colonialism. We also would suggest that Estonia and Singapore are unrepresentative of regimes Babados would want to model.
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@Pacha
Is it about copying/mirroring the models of countries mentioned or working to identify triggers in Barbados to precipaitate the transformational change required. It was charisma led in Singapore, military in Rwanda etc but what cannot be refuted is that there were events which created the disruption. One had hoped that Covid 19 following a serious economic event would have served as a tipping point. can we say that it has?
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@ Pacha
All I said was that the current administration needs to clearly demonstrate how it intends to proceed. The impression given was the last Throne Speech, was going to be instructive of such and it fell flat.
Every single person who understands our historical colonial past knows that we are struggling to emerge from a slave economy.
At no time did I suggest that we forget , forgive or ignore the misdeeds of the Stuart administration. I simply stated that Stuart and company cannot be held responsible for how Mottley and company handles the economy since the COVID did not occur under their watch:L.
I don’t need any lectures from you or anybody about when the world began or when it may end. I do not need to assume that I am the fountain of all knowledge . Their is dogma , dialectics and then there is reality.
I choose the horse for the course. Ninety five percent of your articles to BU have been centered on USA politics. Ninety five percent of mine on issues directly affecting the Caribbean and Barbados.
Yet everything you have written is known to those who follow basic world affairs . However would want to convince yourself that everything I have written is nothing more than regurgitation of outdated solutions.
Once more even in this simple contribution I have made about the need to have some clarity on what my Prime Minister is up to, you jump in talking about some “ end of history “ history theory. The little children would say you trying to be cute.
Gimme a frigging break and whatever space shuttle you are in try and point it toward earth.
You ask me to “ permit us to know better” That’s the best I can do today.
Peace.
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Follow the Singapore, Rwanda or who ever model you can think about, do to BLACK PEOPLE who form the 97% of the Barbados population who nobody care about, whatever you like, but don’t you dare touch the WHITE BAJANS AND INDIANS who form 3% of the Barbados population.
Let them continue to be at the top of the Totem pole while BLACK PEOPLE continue at the bottom at the bottom of the Totem pole.
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Can the blogmaster conclude by your non response about Sir Kyffin financing the NDP there was a lack of transparency/disclosure by Haynes?
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The current administration have given clues many times over before and after the election
Mia never claimed to have solutions for the barbados economy
Except during time in opposition levelling words of harshness and criticisms
Not a word came out of Mia mouth to how and when solutions would be tabled
Not even mention of going to the IMF was told to the people
Now for any one to belive with all possibility that Mia have solutions to the economy is silly
Mia first order of business was to default then ran off to IMF with cup in hand like a beggar
Next order was to implement harsh austerity directed by the orders of the IMF
Next to quench the pain emitting from the hot austerity flames burning on the heads of the people she bought electric buses and garbage trucks
The question of expecting Mia to forward solutions can be found in her design smoke and mirror plans
Media propaganda and more borrowing from the IMF
The people like it so
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And the WHITE BAJANS must be allowed to keep the Millons of dollars they inherited form their SLAVE MASTER ancestors, and the many, many, many MILLIONS from the Barbados Treasury over the the years..
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Skinner
Yuh behaving very badly. We merely attempted to use a two edged sword in opening salvo. Lol
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@ Carson
That is why we need inheritance or death taxes. Why should children inherit millions that they had no part in earning? Inequality is the biggest creator of social strife. Our politicians never talk about inequality and how to resolve it.
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William Skinner
“BTW Stuart and company are now history and outside of the prognostications as to whether the DLP can rebound , beginning a piece like this ,with a reference to them is a poor attempt for cover. Stuart and company have nothing to do with how the Mottley government performs in this new era. In other words deal with what is before us.”
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Your statement above is not only ahistorical but factually wrong in all regards as well.
No government of Barbados can ever be deemed as history. Indeed all future governments will be in some ways influenced by or affected by the actions of this here BLP government.
In terms you may understand, the last government made all kinds of commitments (debt) and now this and future administrations will be limited in actions based of their ability to repay within the contexts of what they want to do.
The fact is that not only the Stuart regime but all past administrations will affect this present government in positive or negative ways everyday. Even the excesses of the late OSA will be biting this Mugabe regime. So we then have a circular firing squad of BLP politicians shooting other BLP politicians in the foot.
Skinner, thou art a stranger to the truth.
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@Pacha
Thank you, Stuartâs administration embodies all the issues we complain about ON STEROIDS. It surpasses Sandiford. It shows a progression. There maybe a time this BLP administration will be mentioned in the same context. Williamâs inability to discern the nuance of it all through a jaundice eye means we have to filter his political perspectives LOL.
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HAL
We are in a mess, with a messy Govt.
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Still no help for our BLACK ANCESTORS in England from our BLACK GOVTS. here in the Caribbean.
We are only interested in maintaining WHITE BAJANS strangle hold on Barbados.
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Does anyone realise the shift in power that has occurred since May 2018
There is the merchant class
The IMF
and a govt which will continue its stronghold as it infiltrates the minds of the people with propaganda
No opposition can take such control of such might and power
Democracy now only stands as a symbolic gesture to be used subliminally at election time
Meanwhile the three powerful movements collectively would do as they please as they impose their will on the people with Mia championing their causes
God help barbados as the peoples eyes remain closed to what is happening
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Mariposa
Well said.
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@David
Wooing Rodney Grants will cover off Santia Bradshaw who won the seat marginally
++++++++++++++++++++++++.
Just did a little fact checking and HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING? That’s a load of pig manure, Bradshaw received 75% of the vote and Grant received 21%.
What marginal what
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@Sargeant
The assumption by pundits is that 2018 was an outlier. Should have clarified when you factor national swing.
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@ David
“Can the blogmaster conclude by your non response about Sir Kyffin financing the NDP there was a lack of transparency/disclosure by Haynes?“
The Blogmaster can conclude whatever he chooses. William Skinner does not know if Kiffin Simpson was a financier of the NDP. On that count, William Skinner cannot say that Haynes wasn’t being transparent.
William Skinner can however conclude that the DLP and BLP both get finance from Bizzy Williams because Williams say so publicly. I never hear Stuart or Mottley say anything , so I guess they ain’t transparent.
Rule one Comrade David: Don’t throw big rocks if you live in glass house.
Peace.
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@William
You were obviou;y not a member of the NDP inner sanctum which numbered one.
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Carson what i am observing is govt making sure to have a stronghold on electoral voting going into the next election
What better way to do so by being inclusive which is an attempt to cleverly snatch votes away from the dlp party
SGN election results also revealed that there was a 10percent taken away from the Bees
This inclusiveness can collectively help make up for lost ground in the general election
Once again the notion that old hands is a hindrance to political parties is once again being proven wrong
Mia would use old or new to win the next election
The people being gullible would fall for the smoke and mirror plans of this govt
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I hope to see more articles on this blog calling for Integrity Legislation. The Barbados Labour Party , like many things, promised Integrity Legislation from DAY ONE if they won the General Elections of 2018.
How many years were they in power now?????
It would seem that their RICH WHITE BAJAN AND INDIAN backers don’t seem to comfortable with that promise.
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This makes for interesting reading:
https://barbadosunderground.net/2017/11/18/barbados-labour-party-promises-to-enact-integrity-legislation-from-day-1-if-elected/
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Which Bill failed in the Senate before the House was prorogued? The government indicated in the Throne Speech the Bill will be represented. Of course we are waiting to see what happens.
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I don’t think Lord Nelson stature shoud be “relocated””, it should be DUMPED in the Ocean.
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……..but, but that is longer than DAY ONE.
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I am one hundred percent for dumping the statue of Lord Nelson into the ocean where it rightfully belongs.
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Glycette Drake
Hear, hear.
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Everyone complains about the lawyer dominated political class but no serious discussion about why. The news this morning about two persons who ran in the last election for the DLP have joined the BLP. Persons with successful law practices can sustain themselves without political patronage .One of the individuals seems to be into technology and said he spoke to the PM about her technological vision for Barbados.It can be argue that as a young man he needs to support his family and so why not follow the the political patronage that the government can offer.It is about survival in Barbados.In the opposition party for the next fifteen years can be a daunting future for any non lawyer politician.The other guy was always involved in political patronage as his organization built most of the houses in Lower Burney. It also shows he was not a popular community practitioner as he had the support of Hamilton Lashley and still lost big time in his home town.
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So what have Mia done to help the people of barbados
Here is my Xmas list
Blew up the NIS
Imported COVID
Bought new buses
Bought garbage trucks
Won the SGN election
Remove Nelson
Place her name on a Barrow plaque
Gave tax breaks and waivers to the merchant class
Promised barbados to become a Republic
Endorsed insults by members of her party calling barbadians IDIOTS
Oh spent millions importing COVID
Spent millions to stop COVID community spread
My Xmas list in part made up of govt handouts
Bajans response is silence
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Lest we forget wrote ” said he spoke to the PM about her technological vision for Barbados.”
The PM could make him minister in the ministry of INNOVATION and blame the DLP for any failures in said ministry.
SENATOR THE HON. KAY S. MCCONNEY is the MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND SMART TECHNOLOGY and could be in need of help.
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Amazing how many of it are unable to critique the governance model we operate from which all the problems being highlighted flow.
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David
Isn’t the government collaborating with Estonia on the innovation/digitisation front? What role did one of the government’s much maligned consultants play in Estonia? Can you identify the changes since 2018 that are straight out of the Singapore play book? They do exists.
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@enuff
Admittedly there are efforts to aggressively push digitation/innovation in the public sector but it does appear to be slow.
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Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech Covid Vaccines 💉
President Bolsonaro has long criticised the vaccine because of its Chinese links and said it would not be purchased by his country. He has also engaged in a political fight with the governor of São Paulo, Joao Doria, who has publicly backed the trial.
The vaccine, developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech, is one of several in final-stage testing globally. Sinovac says it is “confident in the safety of the vaccine”.
The firm has already been using it to immunise thousands of people at home in an emergency use programme.
Brazil has been one of the countries worst affected by coronavirus, recording more than 5.6m confirmed cases – the third highest tally in the world after the US and India – and nearly 163,000 deaths, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University.
Why was the trial halted?
On Monday Anvisa said it had “ruled to interrupt the clinical trial of the CoronaVac vaccine after a serious adverse incident”.
It did not reveal what had happened, nor where it had taken place. Late-stage trials for the Sinovac vaccine are also being conducted in Indonesia and Turkey, but neither of these countries have announced a suspension.
Indonesia’s state-owned Bio Farma said on Tuesday that its own Sinovac vaccine trials were “going smoothly”, according to Reuters news agency.
How will the world vaccinate seven billion people?
Have we finally got a coronavirus vaccine?
Dimas Covas, head of the Butantan institute conducting the trials, told local media that the trial’s suspension was related to a death, but insisted that the death was not linked to the vaccine.
This was backed up by Jean Gorinchteyn, Health Secretary for the state of São Paulo, who told a news conference that the death was an “external event” that was not related to the vaccine.
Mr Covas said that there had been no adverse reactions to the vaccine.
“We found this Anvisa decision strange, because it is unrelated to the vaccine. There are more than 10,000 volunteers at this moment,” Mr Covas told TV Cultura.
He said the suspension had caused “indignation” and that the organisers of the trials had not been consulted. In a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Covas said he hoped trials would resume soon.
Sinovac said on Tuesday that it was communicating with Brazil about the reported incident
“We learned the head of Butantan Institute believed that this serious adverse event [SAE] is not related to the vaccine,” it said in a statement. “The clinical study in Brazil is strictly carried out in accordance with GCP [Good Clinical Practice] requirements and we are confident in the safety of the vaccine.”
A pause in a clinical trial is not unusual. In September, the UK paused trials for another Covid-19 vaccine after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction.
Some West-Indian countries preordered Sinovac Biotech Vaccines ???
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So who is going to take the first round of vaccines, someone gotta go first, i select the yardfowls, then the lawyers, then all politicians..
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“Admittedly there are efforts to aggressively push digitation/innovation in the public sector but it does appear to be slow.”
am going to get even more entertainment from watching them cockup everything…
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A good model to replicate.
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We have to make better use of technology to create efficiencies.
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“BICO back into exports”
A good model to replicate.
Only now?????
You mean to tell me that the WHITE BAJANS AND INDIANS who control the Barbados economy didn’t have enough common sense to see that putting all your eggs in one basket was idiotic?????
No BLACK BARBADIAN did not tell them that????? Or they ignore that good advice as they usually do????
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The BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY GOVT. will come up with type of scheme that BLACK BARBADISNS are made GUINEA PIGS.
And the most BLACK BARBADIANS will LOVE it.
Watch and see.
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The Barbados Labour Party is use to selling out their own people. Even though they look like them and come from the same BLACK race.
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All black faces rotating in and out of the haunted house parlliament are potential sellouts, yall were bred that way..
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I can’t ever remember seeing this video by Afra on BU..someone ought to make one for Barbados.
and they can’t blame UK or Europe for this, they HAD/HAVE A CHOICE….to do right by their people and THEY REFUSED…it’s all on them, ya can open opportunites for those whites, syrians, indians, other tiefing politicians and lawyers etc to get wealthy, ya can damn well do it for the people who elected yall crabs..
“How some Caribbean politicians underdeveloped their countries. Afra Raymond
thank you for standing up against corruption. Any Caribbean country impacted by corruption impacts all of us, Haiti and Guyana are prime examples.”
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Ac, what’s happening with your party?😭😭
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The DLP today is just like open warfare that went on during the Thompson era when he and Kellman were cutting each other’s throats and then there was the mass exit from the party.
Not that George Pilgrim is any great loss…he is a perpetual loser.
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An American journalist would ask Pilgrim,Were you the gentleman that wanted to be president of the party last month and campaign manager in a an election last week? What could have cause your resignation?
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An American..??????
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An American??????
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An American????
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Now that black Bajans (some) have finally removed from public purview the last vestige or symbol of their physical bondage (Nelson’s erection) when are they going to remove the mental manacles which still enslave their psyche?
How about starting with the renunciation of the brainwashing (mental slavery) which they have been subjected since 1843?
When are they going to rid themselves of the same colonizing religion and get back to the worshipping of the God who made their skins black in the first place; or even their ancestors’ voodoo or obeah West African gods?
Why not start with the boycotting of the Anglican Church whose future in its own mother country is assured as Barbados getting $20 billion in reparations for the sins and scars of slavery from a broke British government.
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@Miller
The removal of the statue is not meant to be part of the process of emancipating our minds from the shackles?
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@ David November 16, 2020 5:25 PM
Any time a people seek to ‘tear down’ any symbol of oppression they must be prepared to replace it with something that has ‘uplifting’ inspiration and future relevance to the cultural psyche of that same group.
There should never be a void in a country’s past as can be seen by the deliberate elimination (by the English) of the Amerindian ‘society’ in Barbados.
What is going to replace Nelson in the Heroes’ Square right in the heart of the country’s Capital?
How about an Obelisk or Column memorializing, in name, all those who were notably involved in the anti-slavery and liberation efforts and movement?
Are mentally liberated Bajans prepared to honour their real heroes, if only in names mentioned on a wall of remembrance?
How about a roll call from Granville Sharp to Olaudah Equiano (aka Gustavus Vassa -who walk along that Bajan boardwalk of shame) to Wilberforce to Clarkson to Nanny Grigg to those gunned down in the 1937 uprising to Wynter Crawford to the currently recognized national heroes?
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@ Miller
There should be a monument commemorating the 1937 uprising. There should be no person but a symbol that salutes the struggles of our people. However I would not be surprised if the corrupt BLPDLP conspire as they often do to do otherwise.
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