est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

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Where Must Barbados Earn Money to Support its Conspicuous Lifestyle?

It is no secret Barbadians are addicted to the conspicuous consumption lifestyle. We can debate why educated Barbadians – successive governments included – continue to ignore the the consequences of having champagne taste and mauby pockets – wantonly running budget deficits in the post Errol Barrow era is with us. We can no longer support…

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It is no secret Barbadians are addicted to the conspicuous consumption lifestyle. We can debate why educated Barbadians – successive governments included – continue to ignore the the consequences of having champagne taste and mauby pockets – wantonly running budget deficits in the post Errol Barrow era is with us. We can no longer support ourselves UNLESS we borrow as a creative approach to ‘reprofiling debt’ or lobby to access concessionary and grant funding. The question we must ask is if such an approach is sustainable. At some point the country must reengineer the economic model to organically grow GDP to effectively earn enough to pay our bills (support our conspicuous consumption habit). In other words running budget surpluses must not be jettisoned for the lazy and fashionable budget deficit approach to managing our financial affairs.

Barbados is a service based economy with foreign revenue earnings mix over reliant on tourism supported by international business (IB) and foreign direct investment (FDI). It is fair to say there is a nexus between our three leading sectors, if tourism fails there is a negative earnings relationship with IB and FDI. The blogmaster is not harsh in the critique that the policies of the current Mottley administration do not inspire confidence that there is an aggressive approach to reorder the Barbados economy.

Globally, FDI inflows increased by 64% in 2021, reaching approximately $1.6 trillion dollars. As a destination for global investments, Latin America and the Caribbean saw its share decline, however, representing 9% of the total – one of the lowest proportions in the last ten years and far below the 14% recorded in 2013 and 2014.

ECLAC Report

A UN report released this week by the ECLAC, a United Nations agency, indicates that although foreign direct investment in Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 40.7% in 2021, it has not returned to pre pandemic levels. Of significance is that the ECLAC report expanded its analysis by reporting that although FDI inflows increased globally by 64% in 2021, the LATAM and Caribbean share declined, “one of the lowest proportions in the last ten years and far below the 14% recorded in 2013 and 2014″. A negative trending in FDI does not bode well for Barbados and the Caribbean given our tourism based economies. We can life in hope that the negative trending can be reversed but it makes sense to prepare for the worse by weaning Barbados from sucking 24/7 on the tourism nipples.

A word to the [educated] should be sufficient.

See full UN Report

126 responses to “Where Must Barbados Earn Money to Support its Conspicuous Lifestyle?”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    First access to $500m green bank
    by SHAWN CUMBERBATCH
    shawncumberbatch@nationnews.com

    BARBADIANS WILL BE the first permitted to access a share of $500 million expected to become available when the Caribbean’s first green bank is established under an initiative being led by Government.
    The Green Climate Fund (GCF), an international financier which helps Barbados and other developing countries counter climate change, has formally agreed to support the new entity called The Blue-Green Investment Corporation (BGIC).
    Special envoy to the Prime Minister on investment and financial services Avinash Persaud, who Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley assigned to lead the bank’s formation, says it “will likely start with $80 million of capital from the GCF, other climate agencies, social impact investors and the Barbados Government”.
    Capital expansion
    He explained that this would allow the bank, which the authorities are hoping will be launched next year, to lend over $500 million before further expansion of capital.
    “Much of this lending will be to support affordable green housing and broadening public participation in renewable energy – public here used in the sense of ordinary people,” he told the MIDWEEK NATION.
    “With that size of capital base, the BGIC would be able to make a significant difference, accelerating the transition to a lowcarbon economy, but at the level of individual households, not large companies.”
    Persaud and GCF executive director Yannick Glemarec recently signed a project preparation facility (PPF) agreement permitting the BGIC to receive support from the GCF.
    Officials explained that
    the PPP provided financial and technical assistance to GCFaccredited entities for the preparation of high-potential project and programme funding proposals to be considered for approval by GCF.
    Pegasus Capital Advisors will be GCF’s accredited entity for the green bank venture, including the funding proposal.
    “Initially focused on Barbados, the plan is for the BGIC to finance several private and public initiatives for green, affordable, genderinclusive housing, energy generation, water conservation, food security and low-carbon transport,” Persaud explained.
    “We want to support, for instance, and help scale up the HOPE (Home Ownership Providing Energy) project, which is delivering home ownership through renewable energy and building out the electric transport network. “The BGIC will not be a retail bank but an investment bank working to facilitate and support retail activity. It will do so through financing green bonds, for instance, and will seek to draw in and partner with other financial players like banks, credit unions, pension funds and insurance companies,” he added.
    Build awareness
    The finance expert also said that “in doing its job, the BGIC hopes to build awareness of a more resilient and sustainable Caribbean, and promote a paradigm shift towards resilient livelihoods and lowcarbon technologies, particularly for lowincome households and energy, housing, agricultural and transport sectors”.
    Commenting on the GFC’s key role in setting up the green bank, Persaud said: “As the FTX saga reminds us, setting up financial institutions is not easy if you want to do it right and protect investors.
    “The economic and technical support from the GCF is designed to get the Investment
    Corporation’s legal structures, governance, risk management, staffing, lending criteria and so on in shape for the GCF’s board to consider a capital injection at one of its 2023 board meetings.
    “Much needs to be done and spent before BGIC can lend or earn a cent, and so this support is critical to help us do it right and target a 2023 launch,” he noted.
    Glemarec said: “I’m pleased to see the rapid progression of BGIC that was initially proposed as an idea by Prime Minister Mottley to address climate finance challenges in the Caribbean. GCF, through its PPF, will support the green bank initiative as it will help unlock the climate innovation and investment urgently needed by countries in the Caribbean to respond to the impacts of climate change.”

    Source: Nation

  2. David Avatar
    David

    In a related matter re regional air travel. How can we optimise resources in the region and grow as a community IF…

    Airlift pressure

    Promoters and artistes worried about regional travel
    by TRE GREAVES tregreaves@nationnews.com
    GOVERNMENT AND INVESTORS are being urged to find a solution to solve the airlift and challenges affecting the region.
    If nothing is done, that could cause more difficulties for industries such as tourism and entertainment.
    Several players in the entertainment fraternity made those points as they highlighted the problems musical artistes and patrons were experiencing travelling to Barbados from within the region.
    Owner of Live Wire Entertainment, Ingrid Holder, explained how cancellations and having to travel to the United States to reach a nearby Caribbean destination affected the industry.
    “Inter-Caribbean travel has been in an extreme mess since 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s very horrendous to travel, sometimes we have to go to Miami to get to places like St Kitts and in some cases St Lucia.
    “We sadly miss airlines like LIAT that did most of the transit for us throughout the Caribbean. The intermediary airlines most of the time are delayed or postponed, so in a case where we could have travelled on the same day to go to an island, we have to sometimes go in two and three days early just to make sure we get there,” Holder said.
    Holder, who manages Krosyfah,
    and is the logistical manager for
    Hennessy Artistry, added that the early arrivals would lead to higher expenses for the promoters.
    Early arrivals
    “Some of the artistes are arriving as early as today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (yesterday) and they are going to be here until next Tuesday and that is an extreme expense on the promoter because that is a hotel, transportation and per diem for the next six days per person and we have over 100 persons coming in,” she added.
    During the site visit for Hennessy Artistry which is scheduled for December 2, one of FAS7Star’s directors, Allison Hunte said they were working closely with several airlines, including a private charter company, to ensure the artistes and patrons reached Barbados in time.
    “It’s requiring us to have the artistes on the island a lot longer because there are only two flights coming out of Kingston into Barbados, so it has been a little challenging, but we’ve worked closely with the tourist board to find solutions, but it is coming together.
    “We do know the flights are full and it’s really difficult to get into Barbados. That’s why we were strategic in partnering with Air Antilles, Caribbean Airlines, Executive Airlines (private charter) and Copa Airlines, in some instances to make sure we can accommodate some of the people and the demand from some of the other territories,” Hunte said.
    During the Iconic show at Kensington Oval last Friday, dancehall artiste Beenie Man said he also experienced a challenge getting to
    Barbados.
    He said a private charter was necessary to get in him to Barbados. Bounty Killer, who was scheduled to perform at Iconic, did not make it here that night, so he had to reschedule for Sunday night at Imagine Live.
    When contacted, president of the Barbados Entertainment Association, Rudy Maloney, said there were numerous issues at play, but he stressed that early planning was key.
    “There are a lot of dynamics at play both for the patrons and for the event producers. But I would tell the event producers to plan early.
    “You have to know where the artistes are coming from because someone is Jamaican or Trinidadian, that does not mean that is where they are coming from,” Maloney said.
    He also pointed out the implications that inadequate airlift could have for the country’s economy.
    “We advertise ourselves as a tourism destination, which means you should have airlift – that is key, whether it’s for the artistes or patrons.
    “Patrons not coming to the island affects the producers because those are numbers you are losing out on also, so we have to look at it holistically,” Maloney added.
    In 2020, Antigua-based airline LIAT, which had been facing economic woes for many years, collapsed after several regional shareholder governments, including Barbados, pulled out.

    Source: Nation

  3. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    The REAL question is, what will Bajans do when their illusionary lifestyle of ‘conspicuous living’ runs out of foreigners willing to sponsor us?

    Strangers ALREADY own all our asse(t)s…. so all that is left now is for them to apply vaseline – if they decide to be kind to us (since we surrendered so meekly).

    Where there is no vision, even if the people do not all perish, their donkeys will be badly assaulted.

  4. Happier Than Ever Avatar
    Happier Than Ever

    Stating the bleeding obvious:
    Try not spending money
    Try not building up credit

    Retail therapy is an addiction
    which does not even work except for a short buzz high

    Wisdom Healing:
    Exercising and eating well is what bodies are designed for to be healthy
    (..and wealthy and wise)

  5. Redguard Avatar
    Redguard

    “will likely start with $80 million of capital from the GCF, other climate agencies, social impact investors and the Barbados Government”.

    “He explained that this would allow the bank, which the authorities are hoping will be launched next year, to lend over $500 million before further expansion of capital.”

    Persaud has a knack for using words such as likely and hope to give himself an escape plan.

    How does an $80m capital injection lead to $500m in lending power. I know modern banking allows for the creation of money out of thin air but that applies to an investment bank that earns money from other investments and has assets. This “bank” has neither.

    “Initially focused on Barbados, the plan is for the BGIC to finance several private and public initiatives for green, affordable, genderinclusive housing, energy generation, water conservation, food security and low-carbon transport.”

    This will only be focused on Barbados. Why would another Caribbean country borrow created money from a Bank domiciled in Barbados, a country swimming in debt. forget that Persaud is associated with the bank as that is already a red flag.
    Money printing is what this bank will be doing NOT investing

  6. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Redguard
    After Four Seasons, do you actually even listen to Persaud?
    You have more patience for ‘tontos’ that does Bushie…

  7. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “In a related matter re regional air travel. How can we optimise resources in the region and grow as a community IF…”

    @ David

    This morning, I was checking on a flight to SVG, leaving Barbados on Monday, December 5, 2022 and returning Monday, December 12, 2022

    Caribbean Airlines quoted an airfare of US$1,159.99 or BD$2,319.98.

    Should’ve asked if they thought I said Miami.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    We are left to be ravaged by InterCaribbean airline.

  9. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    I was informed that interCaribbean Airline’s service is very poor.

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    PM MIA say

    ” These goals are as follows:

    Green Barbados: Ensuring the protection of biodiversity in Barbados and food supply.
    A healthy and safe Barbados for everyone on the island.
    Utilising the platform of education to create a knowledge and innovation hub.
    Leveraging geographical advantages for the betterment of Barbadians by being an entrepot for the western and southern hemispheres.
    Economic enfranchisement of all Barbadians.”

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    PM logic

    “This country may have a statistic that one out of every five persons is living below the poverty line and that is unacceptable. But the corollary to that is four out of every five are living above it,”

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    It is old equipment with a vanilla offering. The blogmaster’s experiences have not been bad so far, possibly the ‘luck of the draw’.

  13. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    Is your assertion supported? Why are so many Barbadians complaining about rising prices for necessities. There must be two Barbadoses. then. The middle income cohort is diminishing.

  14. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @David
    Don’t ask questions for which there are no answers.
    Read BERT v2.0, an extended Manifesto, half term Report, which is full of….’is expected to’, ‘is anticipated’, ‘strengthen/enhance/develop’, ‘the government plans’, “will seek to facilitate/establish”, “will advance/pursue”,,,minus most of the specifics.
    B = Borrowing, Borrowing, and more Borrowing
    E = enfranchisement or empowerment (both used multiple times take your pick)
    R = RE. as in REdirect, REinvent, REdeploy, REnew, REform, REcapitalize, REduce, REcover etc etc but no REprofiling !!!
    T = Transform
    The lack of specificity…my bad….read the last page….it has timelines!!! (and you will like the sequencing of the 3 involving the NIS)
    But….there were a few nuggets.
    “BRA completed a vetting of a stock of old tax refund arrears amounting to $173.3 million that was discovered in the latter months of 2021 in its legacy IT system”. My refund is NOT lost….lol But I am likely to get a J Bond.
    “HOPE will become the developer of public housing for the Government of Barbados”
    “Caves of Barbados had had to be provided with limited initial funding as a result of the impact of the Covid pandemic”. [it was outsourced earlier to a private entity]
    For @David…#55…”it should be noted that revenues are expected to rebound as the tourism sector recovers”.
    #6 “Fiscal sustainability has been restored under BERT (2018)”
    #160 “Programme implementation and debt service provision over the next 4 years are expected to be facilitated largely through external financing”.
    #161 “The remaining financing is expected to be met through domestic sources”
    Tings good. Now lewwee prepare for Christmas!!!

  15. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @Hants
    BERT v2.0 has its own button on the site
    https://www.barbadosparliament.com/site
    The term used is “poverty ERADICATION”.

  16. David Avatar
    David

    @NO

    Isn’t the IMF vested in a good recovery for Barbados so that they (IMF) can shop around BERT to struggling member countries?

  17. BAJE Avatar
    BAJE

    APRIL FOOLS DAY ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/11/30/independence-celebrations-pm-mottley-outlines-mission-to-make-barbados-world-class-by-2030/

  18. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @David
    I will “guess” the IMF take on BERT will be more from the IMF perspective. That is usually very monotone. You may note the IMPLEMENTATION can be VERY successful, while the RESULTS may not be? BOSS and BOSS+ as examples.

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @NO

    Very insightful indeed.

    #doublespeak
    #imfwinwin

  20. David Avatar
    David

    Jump aboard to Saudi Arabia!

    https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/barbados-signs-mou-air-services-agreement-with-saudi-arabia/

  21. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Example for PM MAM

  22. Peter Thompson Avatar
    Peter Thompson

    But David, you have not made any concrete recommendations.

    If we are to stop government borrowing, exactly what government spending needs to be cut?

    Yes we need to grow the economy beyond tourism, international business, and FDI: but what new industry should we build?

  23. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    2035 timeline for transition to 100% renewable energy

  24. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    Goodnight David:

    Are you the Grinch who is trying to steal Christmas?

  25. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Peter Thompson on December 1, 2022 at 9:10 PM said “But David, you have not made any concrete recommendations.”

    One of my suggestions is rather pedestrian.

    More and better sidewalks.

    Before 2067 I would like to see the period of maternity leave increased to 26 weeks. It has been stuck at 12 weeks since 1967. Shameful.

    I’ll leave the new industries suggestions to the very bright BU guys.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @Peter

    The thrust of the blog is first and foremost about an unsustainable way of life currently being engaged by Barbadians. How do we curb and shift behaviours.

    The difficult question you asked has been asked many times on this blog over the years and different suggestions offered. The blogmaster is of the view citizens of Barbados are entitled to share an opinion about the economic state of country and the trajectory to no where without being obligated to offer solutions. If those elected to political office stayed true to manifesto promises and other ‘pacts’ we may not be having these conversations.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    @Simple Simon

    You asked the question why?

  28. Milionària Avatar
    Milionària

    Davy’s solution was people should spend more to boost the economy
    which was misguided and delusional
    as the economy don’t give a damn
    it is cut throat dog eat dog business

    F*cking Money Man
    Milionària – ROSALÍA

  29. Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero Avatar
    Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero

    Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero

  30. Concepción Avatar
    Concepción

    God Deliver Us From Money
    Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby
    At heaven’s door
    They sell shoes
    To the little angels
    That are barefoot

    No one has told you
    That no dream
    Knows hours or time
    Or has an owner

    And the rain falls sadly
    To look at you
    Behind every raindrop
    An angel looks at you

    (lullaby, lullaby)

    Nana (Cap.9: Concepción)

  31. Concerned BU Fan Avatar
    Concerned BU Fan

    @ David

    I have two questions for you.

    The first one is, it looks like people are losing interest in BU. What do you think is the reason for this?

    Second, WHY DO YOU ALLOW the IDIOT that is using A LOT OF DIFFERENT PSEUDONYMS to ABUSE Barbados Underground with foolishness that does not have no relevance to the whatever is the topic?

  32. David Avatar
    David

    To whom it may concern, if people are losing interest so be it. Unfortunately it is what we do, mash up and can’t build back.

    You should not whether some comment or not a blog is principally about sharing the views of the blogmaster.

    You feedback about Kiki using multiple monikers is noted.

  33. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    More froeign exchange.

    https://www.nationnews.com/2022/12/02/bostic-new-job-paho/

  34. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @David, it is amusing to read your remark that :”The blogmaster is of the view citizens of Barbados are entitled to share an opinion about the economic state of country and the trajectory to no where without being obligated to offer solutions.”

    That is the retort used for everything by everyone who simply wants to blow air and not deep dive to do the real effort needed, not so!🥳😒 Your blog has matured (and the bloggers too 😎) well past that point of merely sharing opinions “without being obligated to offer solutions”!

    And that leads to the second point re: “if people are losing interest so be it. Unfortunately it is what we do, mash up and can’t build back” ….

    Are you playing tennis hear good sir … aren’t critical opinions with no commentary on possible solutions EXACTLY THAT: ‘mash up…no build back’…. Can’t go from side to side like that, brother.😎

    And finally, so what if Dub5 offers his incessant musical DJaying with a moniker change per post … he is definitely not as annoying as other bloggers who repeatedly rant with the exact SAME theme for EVERY local issue!

    He is absolutely more creative 🥳 – often times quite sensationally so – and at lest one has the option to follow his ‘Fantasy’ and momentarily leave aside the annoyances of the real world. So I would completely agree with you that ‘SO BE IT’!

    Oh and BTW… although it’s awesome to offer endless episodes of ‘How the Economy Turns’ there are other interesting, weird and too relaxing issues around the world that can draw interest of some of the BU old codgers …

    Bro, there is the soccer World Cup and per the recently ‘resumed’ Warner case and other issues (like the many African born players on almost every team, except Japan I believe) there is MUCH GRIST to chew on and STILL get into meaty economic matters and other societal issues… MUCH!

    There is the ever expanding cricket landscape and the many wealthy folks it’s creating – AND it seems the WI are being left behind – … is sports management and playing high level sports NOT a viable industry to raise our economic coffers!!!

    Do you have NO INTEREST in such topics anymore … are we so locked into certain views of the $$ and cents that we miss all the other viable ones about which MANY OPINIONS can be shared “without being obligated to offer solutions” 🤣😎

    Just saying!!!

  35. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Breaking NationNews

    More wuk fuh Lashes and 4 lawyers.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    You have the right to your opinion. You have missed the point re being not obligated to give solutions because by your admission many have been posted to the blog space through the years. It was a tongue-in-cheek retort.

  37. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    relating to a $2.325 million drug find in the Bridgetown Port

  38. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    “The first one is, it looks like people are losing interest in BU. What do you think is the reason for this?”

    One man’s opinion
    I do not believe that folks are losing interest. I believe that the series of recent changes (tweaks and fixes) has made the site less user friendly. I kept telling the blogmaster ‘if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” but he followed bad advice from others.

    The first fix was to have the most recent post at the very top of the page. This fix divorced possible responses to a comment from the actual comment and one had to scroll to the top and to the bottom if one wanted to make a honest reply. This was soon remedied.

    Having the comments at the side regardless of the post one was viewing was also very helpful. Now in order to see the most recent comment, one has to scroll to the top, hit the Home button and then the most recent comments disappeared.

    Funnily, I thought the blogmaster had almost achieved perfection just before he stared fixing and tweaking. If he could return to the state just before his many tweaks then interests would pick up again

    Personally, my like and interest in the site is just a great as it was before. I still think BU is a great product, but it is just not as user friendly as it was before.

    –x–
    ” he is definitely not as annoying as other bloggers who repeatedly rant with the exact SAME theme for EVERY local issue!”

    Dude do your rant. Let others do theirs and scroll. I will take my own advice.

  39. David Avatar
    David

    Maybe you can get it through your skull eventually the old theme was not being supported and had to be changed.

  40. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    🙂
    The conclusion stands.
    But it appears that the tweaks and fixes were required.
    Could it be that one could program around the new theme and so get back to the old state?
    Is anyone with required knowledge and skill out there? Any volunteers?

  41. David Avatar
    David

    No, technology does not work that way, it changes by the day. BU does not own the source code.

    Adjust, change or die.

  42. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    I was always impressed by what I read of ‘Bosstic’. To me he is a good man who is cut from a cloth that is quite different from our other run of the mill politicians.

    I suspect that as a honest man that he will not become as wealthy as his former colleagues, but I think he will always be at peace with himself.

    Go Bostic. Sir, I wish you well.

  43. I Am I Am Avatar
    I Am I Am

    Many Monikers are just old school Bu revival style a blast from the past going way back to 2012 end of the world prophecy.
    Yet we are still waiting for the awakening of minds for enlightenment.
    Making money is a progression like daily exercise for bigger bank.
    Easiest way to wealth is inheritance of dirty corrupted money from mummy and daddy.
    In the Global World USA has 30% wealth and all of Asia combined has 39%, but cost of living and wages is much higher which is why USA outsourced work to India and China so they can pay 20 times less.
    Barbados has to break into US and Global markets with it’s goods like sugar and rum.

  44. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    I have often poke at 555, but many of his/her posts are sound and informative.

    -x-
    Sugar and rum now appears to be hands of foreigners or a select few.

    I believe that Barbados has to gear its education system towards teaching computer skills and developing computer related technical expertise. The technological highway is the path that we should follow.

    I cannot comment on the current digital pathway being followed, but (to me) it appears to lead towards the enrichment of very few. Stumbling forward with tricks and schemes will end badly for us.

  45. African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “Yes we need to grow the economy beyond tourism, international business, and FDI: but what new industry should we build?”

    Ha…dont hold your breath, they are still making the same false promises from the 90s and before, world class, first class, full of shit, same lie told in a different way, over and over….another 30 years when most will be gone, the new misleaders will be spouting the same lies at our grands and great grands.

    Theo…it’s not so much a loss of interest as many, myself included, have moved on to other things. Some evolve and move with time. The changes are coming fast and furious and people want to stay on top of them and not at the bottom.

  46. Do Revenge (Soundtrack) Avatar
    Do Revenge (Soundtrack)

    To make more monies to support conspicuous lifestyles and material wealth also known as becoming ghetto rich one should be more frugal and less spendthrift according to economics 101 which dare I say means becoming a little jew~ ~ish

    Have a blessed Sabbath

    It is now dusk or night and dark in countries that are ahead in time zones as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and it is time to party on a friday night or at least start thinking about getting ready to do the rocksteady like uncle freddie but not uncle charlie who is a winey

  47. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    All questions are irrelevant and cannot be answered until we address the following: “I want to know what kind of mirror image you have of yourself?”

    This is a question that haunts me continuously. Was the Hon. EWB asking us a question or was he trying to drive us to a state of deep introspection where we look at ourselves and at our mirror image? Was he telling us that there was a conflict in who we are and in the way that we saw ourselves? Was it a warning that we were not as great as we imagine ourselves to be?

    Did we ignore Barrow’s warning and fell for the seductive ’punch above their weight phrase” of Kofi Anan on January 3, 2002? I have searched for where this phrase was specifically directed to Barbados but was unable to find it?

    Our warped mirror image allowed us to seize this phrase, wrapped ourselves in it and claimed it as our own. Here is his actual phrase: “We have heard a lot this afternoon about the word small. The United Nations is an organization of States, equal States, large and small. It is well known that in the United Nations there are many small countries that punch above their weight, and I am sure that there are many in this room and in this region that will continue to do that.”

    Our thought of our greatness has allowed us to twist the words of the former UN leader.

    Our mirror image has allowed us to engage in fallacious reasoning: ”Barbados is a nation, the US is a nation, therefore we can do anything that the US does”. Our mirror image does not allow us to see our small land size, our small population, lack of resources and limited finances.

    We have divorced ourselves from the truth. I will search for a recent article where the author intimated that Joe Biden was glad to be seen with Mia Mottley at some function. Our inflated ego has dulled our common sense and driven us to madness. Reality is a stranger to us. Fiction has become our truth>

    William Skinner, the question remains “ what kind of mirror image do we have for ourselves”. “There are many who have thrown an old bed sheet over the mirror to hide the image they do not want to see.”

    We can cover the mirror or turn it away from us, but the world that we live in cannot be ignored. There is no forward progress unless we confront and chase away the man in the mirror. We can lie to ourselves, we can make fancy speeches, but the world outside of the mirror grinds on. Sooner or later, we must leave our world of fantasy behind us. Reality cannot be ignored.

    “I want to know what kind of mirror image do you have of yourself?”

  48. African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2022. All Rights Reserved. Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2022. All Rights Reserved.

    I told them for years they were using what Kofi Anan said in the wrong context, i happened to be around when he made the speech, it now sounds puke worthy, they throw up the phrase everywhere and at everyone, at every other word. They too love to be laughed at. I hope no one else says anything even remotely connected to the islands or they will grab it, tief it, and we will never hear the end of it, christ. We need a break from these overblown egotistical blowhards.

    “It is well known that in the United Nations there are many small countries that punch above their weight, and I am sure that there are many in this room and in this region that will continue to do that.”

  49. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    The Hon. E. W. Barrow’s mirror image speech should be required reading at every school in Barbados. Barrow’s speech should be published in every newspaper on November 30 of each year. It should be recorded and read (yearly) over every station (radio and television) in Barbados.

    To me, for Barbados this speech is as fundamental as the US constitution is to the US. It is a landmark speech in the history of Barbados and a clarion call of a ‘leader’ to his people to abandon the false mirror image and see themselves as they truly are.

    In this monumental speech, Barrow attempts to shatter the false illusion we see in the mirror. He uses little (in Barbadians’ minds) Antigua to show us where we truly are “In Antigua, they use a small railway; but here the mothers of the nation with sons at Harrison College, the Alleyne School and daughters at Queen’s College, St. Michael and Alexandra – they are used as
    beasts of burden and there is no shelter in any of those cane fields. I have talked time and time again to the Barbados Workers’ Union about this and you allow that to continue. What kind of image do you have of yourself? ”

    Currently, e have not seen anyone who is worthy of tying the laces of the Hon E. W. Barrow.

    We confuse the importance of those in the audience with the quality or importance of the speech? We equate the actions of a cuckoo trying to usurp the nest of EWB with the important contributions EWB made to our nation.

    The microphone of 2022 is more powerful than that of May 1986. It has a louder volume and a wider reach, but the message it carries pales in comparison to the 1986 message of EWB.

    “What kind of mirror image do you have of yourself?” There is no forward progress unless we confront and chase away the man in the mirror. We can lie to ourselves, we can make fancy speeches, but the world outside of the mirror grinds on. Sooner or later, we must leave our world of fantasy behind us.

    ———–x—————-
    Ladies and gentlemen, have a great day.

  50. 🇬🇧 UK Flag Avatar
    🇬🇧 UK Flag

    🇬🇧 UK is a country that likes to say it punches above it’s weight
    it invaded every country in the world bar 10
    it used to be the richest
    and had colonies in every continent
    Americans Canadians Australians New Zealanders are all British Settlers
    and indigenous were massacred
    But, Kingdom Rise and Kingdom Fall, Babylon back is against the wall
    since the Queen of Babylon kicked the bucket like longshot down a Caymanas Park it is now the poorest developed nation

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