On the 54th anniversary of our Independence as it is referred to signify the slashing of our navel string from former empire, several issues floated around the fertile mind of a lowly blogmaster about what to blog.
We will read, listen view the usual scripting by program directors at the media houses. Barbadians everywhere will share on social media platforms things barbadianna. This is a good thing. The BU household is proud of what our tiny 21×14 little rock has been able to achieve with negligible natural resources. Like many countries across the globe, we are experiencing challenges that come with having to survive in a competitive space.
Some of us reflect on where we have come and try to visualize the road ahead still to be travelled. It is to be regretted that the some who are moved to engage in such reflections do not represent the majority. A reasonable observation is that the vast majority of the population is easily influenced by messaging from the establishment. Should this be the case given the billions of dollars allocated to education since 1966? A definition of the purpose of formal education “is to provide a knowledge source to enhance students’ skills, methods to capitalize and motivate their curiosity (BU emphasis) to improve their wellness and understand how their environment works...”. Hold this thought!
Barbados Underground (BU) was born after Adrian Loveridge had to sit in a separate VOB studio because it was the condition imposed by then minister of tourism Noel “Barney” Lynch. Several Loveridge columns were severely edited by the Nation newspaper were posted unedited to BU. The same courtesy was extended to Peter Wickham when the Nation declined to publish articles they considered to be defamatory. BU posted the articles unedited. Last and not least the same courtesy was extended to Senator Caswell Franklyn. The blogmaster is happy that today the individuals mentioned appear to have overcome whatever challenges existed with Starcom Network and Nation Publishing which denied them access.
To use another definition- a well functioning mass media should “inform, persuade, entertain and transmit culture“. Can we honestly opine that local media if evaluated on these four measures pass the test?
@ David I read some of the press comments you posted and will say just this. Anytime someone says the NIS Fund is sound cause it has 4 or 5 billion dollars in assets stop reading the article. It equated to me saying I have a $50,000 car cause that is what I paid for it, don’t mind it’s ten years old and has a market value of $5000.
John A
The quote inspired this blog for what it indirectly condemns as an irresponsible media, dishonest heads institutions and prominent others whose agenda is to protect the establishment at all cost. Why are we not having constructive engagement from the thousands of Barbadians educated at Cave Hill and elsewhere? Why has there been no commitment to remove the fog that has enveloped the National Insurance Fund? Why has traditional media given token coverage to this matter?
The topic of the NIS has to be the most posted topic on BU. Despite assurances by successive governments, it has become crystal clear to this blogmaster the time has come for all issues good and bad affecting the NIS fund to be laid bare and as a people agree to a palatable way forward.
On this 54th birthday of our Independence this is the matter top of the mind of a lowly blogmaster. The ask therefore is that 54 not out is a good time to mark fresh guard.
@John A sadly Covid 19 is a respiratory thing, and hastily removed all the breathing space they thought they had gained. And then exposed that, with a prior serious underlying condition.
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