Barbados continues to sleep on issues that can potentially lead to social unrest should a global crisis bring the world to a standstill. I recently wrote two articles raising concerns about issues that should be of grave national security interest, however, some prefer the ostrich approach. There is hell of a lot more that threatens society, climate change is not the only existential treat.
Call me an alarmist or whatever, many laughed years ago when I wrote in the daily Nation the day would come when the national flying fish would be a scarce commodity and be imported. In 2024 a flying fish retails at $4 for one, gone are the days of 100 for $20 or $40 for 100.
I have posited too many Barbadians are distracted by things deemed important that do not protect our continued existence or make our lives better. Too many are not thinking beyond the upcoming lime or fete. Observe their absence from free lectures on social empowerment or economic mobility.
Two things have me worried about Barbados and the indifference shown by government to existential threats other than climate change. It was great we gave Guyana sheep, and that we are building out a regional food hub. However, I wonder about when another world crisis impacts shipping logistics and food shortages become the norm. The question begs, will saying to Guyana we gave you sheep and in the interest of fairness give us food for Bajans work? Show me which politician on earth will be allowed to put another country’s interest before that of the home country.
My second concern is the protection of Barbados’ national demographics computer systems when an Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb [EMPs] is detonated. Note I said when, and not if, destroying communications and power grids which all work with electrical components to give per-emptive warmongers battlefield dominance. Imagine, no working communications, no working vehicles, power stations offline, water pumping stations offline, planes crashing or gliding to the ground. The two determinants of height of detonation and explosive power of the bomb will determine radius of blast. Thus, Barbados does not know or can predict what will happen, all we can do is prepare. As a small country without the resources to truly mitigate the risk from EMPs, all we can do is to minimize the lost of data by protecting data from destruction. Some have likened the destruction to returning to the dark ages amidst potential collapse of society.
How do we preserve and protect our national data? Build faraday rooms which are just 6 sheets of metallic material without any space that are sealed with a metal door that does not permit entry of any radio waves. Barbados needs to update its national records weekly and ensure that they are stored in such a room to preserve our demographic and national data.
Law enforcement use faraday bags to protect confiscated phones from getting wiped.
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