Of late it has felt like the country is bouncing from pillar to posts on the issues. It feels like there is no structured approach to dealing with the many challenges facing little Barbados. At the beginning of Prime Minister Mottley’s tenure in 2018 she opted for a selective default (SD) that blindsided many Barbadians, leaving households reeling and trust in economic leadership shaken to this day. After all, we were socialised to see ourselves as a proud model nation—admired by the world, punching above our weight.
After the SD one must admit the Barbados economy ‘stabilised’ BUT creative borrowing options were pursued by Mottley and her bevy of financial advisors at the time- Straughn, Persaud, Greenidge (on loan from the IMF), Carrington et al. The blogmaster recalls Mottley’s frequent travels drew strident criticism, with many questioning whether the pursuit of an international reputation came at the expense of her local obligations.
Then the surge in gun-related crime began to subsume public concerns about the economy, shifting national attention from the fiscal to personal safety. The idea that murders could peak at 50 in a once-tranquil Barbados continues to feel surreal in the BU household—an unsettling reminder of how far we have drifted from the peace we once knew.
To the current: now, we have drifted not only into rising crime but into unfamiliar territory, where the response is no longer just policing, but talk of wiretapping and granting soldiers the power to arrest. These are not the measures of a society in control; this is a sign of a nation grappling with fear, uncertainty, and a loss of trust in the entities charged with the responsibility to protect and serve.
Notwithstanding the abdication from the responsible of safeguarding citizens it must be stated that the current state of Barbados is not solely the fault of government and relevant agencies; police, or external forces. It is the result of collective neglect, citizens turning a blind eye, excusing bad behavior, and failing to hold one another accountable. We tolerated the small infractions, laughed off the early signs, and allowed a culture of silence and disengagement to take root. We raised children without adhering to values, celebrated material success over integrity, and turned our back to community life which should define a 21×14 country.
Now we are shocked by the violence, the fear, the erosion of trust. Newsflash, this didn’t happen overnight. It happened because too many people chose comfort over confrontation, self-interest over civic duty. We are complaining about wiretapping and soldiers with arrest powers, but these are symptoms—not causes. The real cause is our own disengagement.
If we do not demand better and protect what is worth preserving of our preferred way of life, then no law or policy will save us. Barbados is what we make it. And right now, we have made a society where crime thrives because accountability is absent. Until we face that truth, the downward spiral will continue with or without permission.
Unfortunately traditional interventions will not be effective given our current state of affairs. There is no trust in public institutions. More and more the government will have to go the route of adopting draconian interventions in a desperate attempt to arrest the spiralling crime situation.
From pillar to post / I partying the most / Is I behaving the worst / My conduct is so gross…. - Peter Ram
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