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Mother of Dragons

grenville phillips
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The recent constitutional amendment to expel elected representatives from parliament if they are expelled from their political party is the final step. Their struggle is finally over. They have won. Barbadians have lost. We treated our hard-won freedoms so carelessly that we are oblivious that we lost them all.

We now live, work, rest and play at the mercy and pleasure of the Government. The only right we have left is the right to complain. But that is soon to be removed with the passage of the Cybercrime Bill. If your complaining annoys someone, you are liable to go bankrupt with a $100,000 fine and be silenced through imprisonment for 10 years.

STRIPPED AWAY.

Our rights and freedoms were gradually stripped away by both DLP and BLP administrations since our Independence.

We have no right to accumulate significant savings or disposable income. The government increases taxes at will which ensures that regardless of how long or hard a person works, they cannot accumulate much wealth.

We have no right to our pensions and national insurance. The Government demonstrated that it could take our pensions and National Insurance at will – and changed our laws to make that theft legal.

FORCED COMPLIANCE.

We have no right to live in the houses we built, purchased or inherited. We live there at the mercy of the Government. At any time, they may increase land taxes to unaffordable levels. The current cap is $60,000 to be paid to the Government each year, just to live in our house. To force compliance, the Government can auction our property if the land tax is not paid within approximately five months of the date of the annual Tax Demand Notice for that year (Land Tax Act, Section 34). The government can also increase the cap at will.

We have no right to work. The Government demonstrated this during COVID where we were essentially under house arrest. Fines and imprisonment were imposed if we were found outside the boundaries of our properties unless granted special written permission by the Government.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABUSE.

We have no right to our bodies. The Government demonstrated this during COVID where we were discriminated against based on whether we took an injection, where the long-term side effects were never studied – because the injection was new. Unvaccinated persons were: (i) denied work opportunities, (ii) threatened with employment termination and (iii) lost opportunities for career advancement.

We have no right to good mental and emotional health. Again, during COVID, unvaccinated persons were subjected to intense and unrelenting emotional and mental abuse. They were accused of: (i) being unChristian for not getting the injection, (ii) not caring about Barbadian children who were too young to be vaccinated and (iii) being likely to give COVID-19 to their elderly relatives and be the cause of their premature deaths. Many Barbadians could not bear that emotional toll.

SELF-ABSORBED.

The loss of all our freedoms appears complete – but we do not seem to care. Our professional and civic organisations appear politically compromised. That contagion has spread to churches. Perhaps it is because we had no part in the struggle to win our freedoms that we do not treasure them. We carelessly gave them away in exchange for hampers, money and parties.

We were so self-absorbed that we forgot we had a duty to preserve those freedoms for our children – even if we did not want them. It is foreseen that when they become aware of our selfish recklessness, they will curse this generation for our stupidity.

LAST REMAINING HOPE.

Our remaining hope was relying on the integrity of our elected representatives in Parliament not to harm us. Out of our 51 parliamentarians, only three opposed the bill. The analysis by Rev Dr John Rogers was exemplary, as was the personal and professional integrity of Attorney Karina Goodridge.

Karina acknowledged that if the bill failed and someone crossed the floor to form the opposition, she would no longer be a senator. Yet, she voted against her self-interest and opposed the bill for all Barbadians. There are so few like her left standing. To the remnant in our Churches, she is Deborah. To those living in a hand-to-mouth rent/house poor poverty, she is mother Teresa. To those aware they have been stripped of their freedoms – she is the mother of dragons.

Grenville Phillips II is a Doctor of Engineering and Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com

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20 responses to “Mother of Dragons”

  1. Eugene Estwick John Knox Avatar
    Eugene Estwick John Knox

  2. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    How very insightful!

    Coming from a staunch critic may otherwise been pregnant with meanings.

    Except that there is a suggestion that the loss of many rights only happened after independence under titularly Black governments.

    Such a presumption ignored the period this country went through when labour was extracted without any compensation at all.

    Indeed, there was never a more maximalist and extractive system than that.

    Of course, colonialism, capitalism and neoliberalism were and are just marginally better than the earlier period.

    That we have long had an elected dictatorship, now bordering on fascism, has been long seen as the natural endpoint with these systems of things.

    Therefore it’s wrong to give the impression that growing up under the Union Jack represented levels of freedoms not easily determinable today.
    That there was a point of departure between this epoch and that.

    Instead of a clean break, we should see a natural continuity.

  3. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    DR PHILLIPS, PERMIT ME TO MAKE THIS A TERSE ACADEMIC EXERCISE. AS I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOUR CANDOUR & YOUR INSIGHTFUL VERBOSITY ON ISSUES OF NOT ONLY STRATEGIC VALUE TO OUR PEOPLE, BUT ALSO, THE POWER OF DISCERNMENT THAT YOU EMPLOY BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT IN THE MANY ROLES YOU OCCUPY

    Let us begin

    Dr. Phillips II’s piece, “Mother of Dragons,” is indeed a deeply fatalistic argument, but it is a specific kind of fatalism – one of complete and irreversible loss. You argue that Bajans’ rights and freedoms have been systematically and finally extinguished.

    The fatalistic elements in your argument point to the “Argument of Finality” – where the piece opens and closes with the idea of an irreversible end. Phrases like “the final step,” “their struggle is finally over,” and “the loss of all our freedoms appears complete”, present the situation as a fait accompli. There is no suggestion of a path to reverse or resist these changes within your analysis.

    Dr. Phillips totalizing narrative of loss lists numerous rights he claims are gone – financial freedom, pension security, property rights, bodily autonomy – framing them as a complete, systematic stripping away by both major political parties since independence. This creates a picture of a trap with no exits.

    You cite the “Abandonment of Hope in Institutions” where you explicitly state that the “last remaining hope” in parliamentary integrity is gone, with only three out of 51 representatives opposing the bill. You also views civic organizations, professional bodies, and churches as “politically compromised,” leaving no institutional avenue for recourse.

    Putting the blame on the populace is one such key fatalistic element in your portrayal of the public as “self-absorbed” and careless with their freedoms, trading them for “hampers, money and parties.” This suggests the population is not only defeated, but complicit and unwilling to fight, removing the possibility of popular resistance.

    The “Lone Heroine” as you opined, is the only sliver of non-fatalism in your praise for Karina Goodridge and the other two opponents, casting them as heroic, but isolated figures (“the remnant”). This “mother of dragons” imagery is powerful, but it underscores the point: they are the exception in a landscape of defeat.

    In essence, Dr. Phillips, your remonstration is avowedly fatalistic because it describes a completed catastrophe. You argue that the structures of freedom have been dismantled, the institutions meant to protect them have capitulated, and the populace has acquiesced. There is no call to action, no proposed strategy for recovery, only a lament for what is permanently lost.

    I would like to respectfully ask you, do you see any potential for a path forward that all of us might have missed, or is your assessment of the current situation – sacrosanct?

    After [3] elections, each time getting a clean sweep does not bode well! For you’ve hit on a critical point that connects directly to the fatalistic tone of your article. A “clean sweep”, where one party wins every single seat, in three consecutive elections is not just a political statistic; in a healthy democracy, it’s a significant anomaly that raises profound questions about representation, accountability, and the health of the democratic system itself.

    Why this pattern is so concerning, especially considering the arguments you posit Dr. Phillips, makes the problem with a “Clean Sweep”, in a functioning democracy, where the legislature is meant to be a microcosm of the society’s diverse views. A clean sweep eliminates that diversity of voices in the formal halls of power.

    The very disappearance of a healthy opposition in parliament with no opposition seats, means there is no formal, institutional check on the government’s power. There is no “shadow government” scrutinizing legislation, no alternate voices in budget debates, and no official platform for the concerns of the nearly half of voters who may have chosen a different party. As your piece notes, only [3] MPs opposed the recent constitutional amendment, and they were from the ruling party itself. That’s not the same as a structured opposition.

    The disenfranchisement of voters is cause for concern given that if 45% of the population votes for Party D, but Party D wins 0% of the seats, those voters have no direct representative in parliament. Their views are effectively unrepresented in the national debate. Over time, this can lead to deep alienation and the feeling that the political system is rigged or that one’s vote simply doesn’t matter, a feeling which your article strongly reflects.

    Therefore, the risk of “Unchecked Power” as you suggest, with every election producing a supermajority, the lines between the government, the state, and the ruling party can easily blur. There are fewer incentives for consultation, compromise, or restraint. Legislation that might be controversial in a divided parliament can pass effortlessly. This creates an environment where, as you describe, rights can be “gradually stripped away” because there is no institutional obstacle.

    Connecting to “Mother of Dragons”, your observation gives significant weight to your posture on what I call “fatalism on the shore”! Your argument isn’t abstract; it’s grounded in this very political reality.

    The “Final Step” arguably to the constitutional amendment is now a lamentation, expelling MPs who leave their party, becomes far more ominous in a context of one-party dominance. It ensures that even the few independent-minded voices within the ruling party are effectively imprisoned, unable to cross the floor or speak freely without losing their seat. It cements the clean sweep into permanence and raises the spectacle of dictatorship by silent consent!

    The “Contagion” to institutions is now baked in, where one party dominates for this long, its influence can seep into every corner of society. As you suggest Dr. Phillips, professional bodies, civic organizations, and even churches may become “politically compromised” because their funding, leadership, or ability to operate may depend on staying in the government’s good graces. The usual independent voices of civil society are muted.

    The “Public’s Apathy” within the populace that has experienced three elections where their vote for an opposition candidate yielded no result, may indeed become “self-absorbed” and disengaged, becoming a greater lamentation in the long run. If people feel their participation doesn’t change the outcome, why would they fight to preserve the system? Your fatalism Dr. Phillips may be a diagnosis of a symptom you’ve identified but the wider disease carries a dire prognosis: the hopelessness that sets in when democratic competition seems to have ended abruptly.

    In short, the point that a three-election clean sweep “does not bode well” is a profound understatement on my part – for it is the very engine that drives your despair – Dr. Phillips. What has been created is a political landscape where the government can act with little restraint, where opposition is symbolic at best, and where citizens can feel their sovereignty has been effectively transferred to a single, permanent ruling class entity. This is the foundation upon which your argument rest, and that “Bajans have lost” their freedoms which have tirelessly been built over [60] years, and may never be recovered (bar a revolution)!

    Thank you for your attention, my dear brother!

  4. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    It’s nice to see that our ISO Taliban finally recognises why I’ve been talking about the plantation called Barbados for years.

    Seriously though, we are one of the freest societies in the world. Our beloved government has cut taxes, trimmed the welfare state (NISSS) and fulfilled many other libertarian wishes. Citizens can relax and concentrate on doing business because the government takes care of the state and administration.

    Therefore, we no longer need democratic participation. In a market-oriented democracy, democracy must be subordinate to the market.

    Tron

  5. Eugene Estwick John Knox Avatar
    Eugene Estwick John Knox

  6. Eugene Estwick John Knox Avatar
    Eugene Estwick John Knox

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vFLibZ1VE4

    Look.

  7. Mother of Dragons – Carribwyre

    […] Grenville Phillips II is a Doctor of Engineering and Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com […]

  8. BAJE Avatar
    BAJE

    @GP2

    A VERY TRUTHFUL OUTLINE OF CURRENT STATE OF THE 2 X 3 ISLAND.

  9. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    DR PHILLIPS, I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME LAST EVENING TO FULLY OUTLINE MY GEOPOLITICAL & ECONOMIC POSITION BASED ON YOUR POIGNANT PIECE – GIVEN THE EMERGING STRANDS OF GLOBAL VOLATILITY THAT WILL SURELY AFFECT DAY-TO-DAY LIFE IN BARBADOS: THEREFORE WITH THAT IN MIND

    Let us begin

    Dr. Phillips’s scathing assessment and the current political realities in Barbados, I foresee the nation navigating a period of profound contradiction: democratic institutions will continue to function formally, while the substance of democratic accountability may further erode. The recent constitutional amendment represents a pivotal moment that entrenches “ONE-PARTY-DOMINANCE” and could reshape Barbadian politics for years to come.

    The political trajectory is now emblematic of consolidation of a “ONE-PART-STATE” dominance and with the passage of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, which requires MPs who leave their party to face a by-election, fundamentally alters Barbados’s political landscape.

    Here’s what this likely means going forward for the institutionalized “ONE-PART-PARLIAMENT” with the BLP winning all 30 seats for the third consecutive election and the new amendment preventing floor-crossing without by-elections, the possibility of any opposition voice emerging in the House of Assembly has been effectively eliminated unless the BLP itself fractures at the seams, (which is likely what will happen – as the “UNSEEN HAND” still rules in the affairs of men).

    As Dr. Phillips lamented, “their struggle is finally over. They have won. Barbadians have lost.”

    The political parties in Barbados have become “Ghost Institutions”, where Independent Senator Rev. Dr John Rogers warned during the debate that the amendment gives political parties, which he termed “ghost institutions” not recognized by the Constitution, the power to remove duly elected MPs. This creates a scenario where party loyalty supersedes representation of constituents.

    The Warning of “Exodus 1:8”: Senator Rogers’s Biblical allusion to a Pharaoh “who did not know Joseph” captures the long-term risk. While the current administration may govern benevolently, the institutional framework now exists for a future, less benevolent government to wield unchecked power, removing elected representatives at will.

    The economic paradox will be one of stability vs. vulnerability, where the political picture appears dire to critics, the economic outlook presents a “Striking Contrast” of economic strengths and emerging vulnerabilities – with projected GDP growth of 2.5% – 3.0% in 2026, while global oil price shock from the Middle East conflict, sees a (potential US$100+/barrel).

    Low unemployment (6.6%) and inflation (0.7%), will put a serious import squeeze on food, building materials, and consumer goods, given the need for strong international reserves and fiscal discipline, as outline in the IMF proviso.

    The tourism sector vulnerability is a major challenge if Iran/US/Israeli conflict deters travel – especially with the BERT 2026 reform programme ongoing and the government’s limited capacity for large-scale relief!

    The “Child Wealth Fund” and tax relief measures, will necessitate a spike in potential debt increase, if borrowing becomes necessary and it will.

    The Central Bank of Barbados acknowledges that “execution remains the principal challenge” and that geopolitical tensions “warrant close monitoring”.

    Dr Antonio Alleyne of UWI warns that Barbadians should “brace for potentially severe economic fallout” from the Middle East conflict, cautioning that “no government was able to do anything substantial” during previous world conflicts.

    The social and civic Implications that Dr. Phillips’s article posits, points to deeper societal shifts that may accelerate civic disengagement – where his observational analysis suggests that Barbadians appear “self-absorbed” and traded freedoms “for hampers, money and parties” equally suggest a populace that may become increasingly apathetic as political outcomes seem predetermined.

    Three consecutive clean sweeps can breed resignation (which is a precipice that a young democracy may internalize leading to a condition evidenced in the Caribbean nation of Haiti).

    Institutional compromise according to Dr. Phillips alleges that “professional and civic organisations appear politically compromised” and that this “contagion has spread to churches.” If true, the independent civil society voices that typically check government power may continue to weaken, and such a plight is a dangerous precedent for a society that has always esteemed high moral values.

    What the country faces is the “Remnant” vs. “The System”, with lone voices of opposition, like Senators Karina Goodridge, Ryan Walters, and Rev. Dr John Rogers representing what Dr. Phillips calls “the remnant” (the Biblical analogy to the 144,000 of Rev 7 and 14).

    Their isolation in the Senate vote (15-3) underscores how marginalized dissent has become within formal institutions.

    The political scientists on “The Hill” may not be in agreement on this position that I am taking, however, my belief is that there are [3] “Possible Futures for Barbados”, drawing together these threads, I see [3] potential trajectories:

    Scenario 1: Benevolent Technocracy Continues

    The government successfully delivers on its ambitious manifesto promises – the “Child Wealth Fund”, tax relief, economic diversification, while maintaining fiscal discipline. Economic growth cushions the political consolidation, and most Barbadians remain satisfied with tangible improvements in living standards. Dr. Phillips’s warnings are then seen by many as overwrought, even if accurate in principle.

    Scenario 2: External Shocks Expose Institutional Weakness

    The Middle East conflict triggers sustained high oil prices, tourism declines, and broad inflation precipitates. With no opposition in Parliament to offer alternative solutions or robust scrutiny, government response proves inadequate. Public frustration grows, but with civic institutions compromised and political alternatives marginalized, discontent has no constructive outlet. Social tensions rise exponentially.

    Scenario 3: Long-Term Democratic Erosion

    Over successive electoral cycles, the absence of parliamentary opposition becomes normalized. Political parties further entrench their control over candidates and MPs. The “right to complain” that Dr. Phillips identifies as the last remaining freedom comes under pressure, particularly if the Cybercrime Bill he mentions proceeds. Barbados maintains a form of democracy, while its substance, genuine competition, accountability, and representation – atrophies!

    As a final reflection on Dr. Phillips’s article, his “fatalism on the shore”, as I have opined is well-founded because it describes a completed capture of institutions, of freedoms, of the public imagination. Yet history rarely moves in straight lines. The very passage of the “Anti-Defection Bill”, achieved over the objections of a principled minority, has also created something unexpected: clear-eyed witnesses who understand what was lost and can articulate it.

    Senator Rogers’s warning to “prepare for Exodus 1:8” is also a call to vigilance. The “Mother of Dragons” he and Dr. Phillips see in Karina Goodridge willing to sacrifice her own position to oppose a bad bill, suggests that even in a system designed to suppress dissent, conscience can still find expression (if only in one person, that may become a ground swell into a greater “Remnant”).

    The question for Barbados is whether that conscience remains confined to a heroic few, or whether it can, over time, reawaken a broader civic consciousness capable of demanding more than material comfort, but demanding genuine democratic accountability.

    On that note, Dr Phillips – “I’M OFF TO MY VEG GARDEN FOR SOME REPOSE”!

  10. arguing with people in my head Avatar
    arguing with people in my head

    People seem to be stuck in the heads / arguing in their heads / building complex narratives based on tentative and tenuous thinking / losing the thread along the way / sending other people to sleep / ZZZzzz

    Barbados duopoly politics means elections boil down to two choices
    1. do you want a change of government
    2. do you want the same government

    With a lower turnout there is another third choice appearing
    3. do you care

    Byelections will give local constituents the opportunity to express choices 1-3 again whenever their elected MP changes his/her manifesto by changing parties or circumstances

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    More baloney?

    https://www.cbc.bb/main-stories/ground-broken-for-new-400m-track-at-bushy-park/

  12. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Thorne makes it official.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2026/03/03/thorne-resigns-as-dlp-political-leader/

  13. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    FISCAL AND MONETARY STORMCLOUDS ARE GATHERING SEEDED BY THOSE WHO ENGINEER CHAOS, CONFUSION AND COLLAPSE FOR THEIR OWN ENDS BUT AS HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US, IT WILL FALL ON THEIR OWN HEADS

    With the current trajectory of major war in the Middle East & the astronomical spikes in oil and gas, what will ensue in an economy like Barbados that is completely dependent on tourism & with no natural resources, given the constant borrowing & debt spiral?

    Based on the current trajectory of a major Middle Eastern war and the resulting spike in energy prices, the outlook for Barbados’s tourism-dependent economy is severe and potentially destabilizing. Expert analysis and historical precedent suggest a cascade of negative effects that could reverse years of hard-won economic progress and reignite the “constant borrowing & debt spiral” you mentioned.

    The “Double Whammy” on the tourism sector cannot be understated given the jobs that are involved and the supporting industries so reliant on the tourist dollar.

    Barbados’s complete dependence on tourism makes it exceptionally vulnerable. UWI economist Dr. Antonio Alleyne warns of a “double whammy” effect which would not only offset the government’s plan, but scupper any hopes of seeing any fiscal viability in the short or medium term – plunging Barbados into an economic crisis, and/or a serious recession.

    When demand collapses, as oil prices surge past US$100 – US$150 per barrel, airfares and cruise costs will equally skyrocket. This makes a Barbados vacation significantly more expensive for key markets (UK, US, & Canada), leading to a sharp drop in both long-stay and cruise ship visitors.

    Based on historical precedent, past oil crises have caused devastating tourism declines in Barbados. The 1970s energy crisis led to the first drop in visitor numbers in the island’s history. A repeat scenario is likely with this escalating war, possibly making 2026 a very precarious year.

    Then there is the “Import Squeeze” and “Soaring Inflationary Cost”, given that Barbados imports most of its goods, from food to construction materials. Dr. Alleyne explains that an “import squeeze” will occur through two mechanisms:

    Anticipatory hiking, where retailers often raise prices immediately in expectation of higher future costs, even before new, expensive shipments arrive and “Supply Chain Disruption”, as importers may be forced to seek more expensive alternative routes or suppliers, driving up costs further. This will translate directly into higher prices for consumers, eroding purchasing power and increasing the cost of living.

    The government’s “Fiscal Trap” and the “Debt Spiral” must not be underestimated. This is where the concern about the “debt spiral” becomes most acute. The government faces an impossible choice, with limited room to manoeuvre, (FISCAL HEAD ROOM) – as the Central Bank of Barbados and the IDB have both noted that public finances are already constrained and investment needs are large. The government’s “purse is already limited”.

    Therefore, with the inability to provide substantial relief, as opined by Dr. Alleyne, who notes that historically, “no government was able to do anything substantial” during major world conflicts. The government may try to cushion the blow, but sweeping intervention is unlikely.

    The “Debt Trap Re-Triggered” becomes the “Matrix Reloaded” – for to prevent “uncontrollable economic disruption”, the government may be forced to borrow more. Dr. Alleyne predicts that “we may end up pushing back up debt [as] government may seek to increase debt again, as a result of borrowing to facilitate those economic hardship times”. This would reverse the post-2018 debt reduction trend and “re-ignite” the spiral.

    What follows will entrench the burden on individuals, families and businesses and with the government’s capacity limited, the weight of the crisis will fall on citizens and the private sector. As Dr. Alleyne states, “Some of the burden essentially has to fall on the individual, the entrepreneurs themselves”. Businesses in tourism, retail, and transport will face collapsing revenues and rising costs, leading to potential layoffs and business failures.

    While the outlook is grim, there are a few factors that could influence the outcome as potential mitigating factors and uncertainties, where the “Lag Effect” could see (based on foresight), the Barbados government making purchases of oil months in advance, so the price spike at the pump may be delayed, but a prolonged conflict will make it inevitable.

    Past resilience shows that Barbados has recovered from oil shocks before, notably in the 1970s, through aggressive marketing and market diversification. However, the current context of high debt and a fragile global economy make this recovery much more challenging. The policy response must be made at speed and the effectiveness of any government intervention, perhaps drawing on external buffers, and/or accelerating the BERT 2026 reforms, will be critical.

    A grim forecast is not talking down the economy, but Dr. Phillips’s fears are well-founded. The confluence of a major war, an oil spike, and Barbados’s structural vulnerabilities points to a perfect storm.

    The party may be over – when reality begins to bite!

    We can expect to see tourist arrivals funnel downward in a sharp, potentially double-digit decline – while inflation significantly increase due to “import squeeze”. Government finances and fiscal drag as the fiscal deficit widens; debt-to-GDP ratio likely rises again.

    Economic growth for 2026 forecast of (2.5-3%) is at high risk of being downgraded while public sentiment and increased hardship, potentially fuelling the civic disengagement Dr. Phillips describes.

    The path Dr. Phillips describes, of a populace stripped of agency, will be accelerated by an economic crisis that leaves individuals feeling powerless against global forces and global headwinds, and a government with constrained options will be biting its nails for fear of mass uprisings!

    Thank you again, Dr. Phillips for a well-thought article and do pardon my forward eisegesis on this salient matter.

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Survival.

    https://nationnews.com/2026/03/03/more-turning-to-roadside-vending/

  15. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Interesting.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/category/local-news/

  16. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    I don’t understand the other commentators on BU. For many years, they have been complaining that there is no real difference between the BLP and the DLP, that both are essentially interchangeable parties.

    Now that our beloved Supreme Leader is finally pulling the necessary strings and creating a unified party (I’ll call it the “National Labour Party of Barbados” for now) with influential DLP big shots like the honourable Lashley and Sinckler, the BU forum isn’t happy either.

    It almost seems to me that my fellow commentators are criticising our honourable government for the sake of criticism. Hasn’t the honourable Senator Christopher Sinckler just demonstrated his unconditional loyalty to our beloved Supreme Leader with his conduct in the Senate? Please finally take note that since 2018, the wind has been blowing from a completely different direction! The people want the political power structure to remain as it is right now. Anything else, such as strengthening the treacherous opposition, would be anti-democratic and against the will of the people.

    Tron
    – an ordinary person from the common people –

  17. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    WHAT IS SO TRAGIC IS THE INSULAR NATURE OF BAJAN PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON A LIL ISLAND AND CANNOT SEE ANY FURTHER THAN CULPEPPER ISLAND

    You got “JACKASSES” seemingly everywhere that would have you believe that they are living in #NorthKorea (WHERE THE “SUPREME LEADER” – KIM JUN UN IS A #god & CAN BRING DOWN FORE FROM HEAVEN)!!!

    #WhatATravesty

    #WhatSerialIndoctrination

    #WhatTomFoolery

    Please tell me that this is NOT* the state to which our people have fallen!!!

    It now appears that the “ZOMBIEFICATION” of most “HUMANS” is in a state of complete stasis!!!

    THE COMMON PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND OF DENIAL ARE IN A VERY UNCOMMON POSITION WHERE THEY CANNOT DECIPHER WHAT IS RIGHT OR WHAT IS WRONG ANYMORE, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO ONLY ONE PLACE – EVISCERATION

    #LetsHopeMyWordsFail

    #BelieveAtYourOwnPeril

  18. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    GOOD MORNING, DR. PHILLIPS! I DECIDED TO END THE WEEK WITH A FINAL TREATISE ON YOUR EYE-OPENING ARTICLE GIVEN THAT AS THE WEEK PROGRESSED, YOUR WORDS KEPT BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS OF MY MIND LIKE ATOMS IN A CENTRIFUGAL ENTITY

    Permit me to explain the quantum physics in my mind as they relate to what you have said in this piece. My language may be overtly hyperbolic, but as an engineer yourself, I am sure you can appreciate that in industrial gas centrifuges (e.g., for “URANIUM ENRICHMENT”), centrifugal force separates isotopes like U-235 & U-238 by pushing heavier molecules toward the outer wall…

    However, this “FORCE” does not distort “ATOMIC GEOMETRY” at the electron level…

    The energies involved are far too low to “IONIZE ATOMS” and/or “ALTER ELECTRONS ORBITALS”…

    Instead, the separation occurs due to “STATISTICAL” differences in “MOLECULAR DIFFUSION” under “HIGH ACCELERATION”…

    Please forgive my fascination with all things “FREEMASONRY” & my ambit for all manner & “TYPES” of what men call “SACRED GEOMETRY”, “QUANTUM MECHANICS” & “MASONIC COSMOLOGY”, as if flesh & blood are capable of being their own “gods”!!!

    Sadly and pathetically, mankind have completely “SCREWED” up the planet and when things go “AWOL”, they then “BLAME THEIR SO-CALLED LEADERS” – when they themselves were “COMPLETELY COMPLICIT” in their own agonizing debacle!!!

    With that said, let us begin

    6th century Chinese military strategist & war architect “SUN TZU” opined: “Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat”, and as most watch the “Middle East” burn – many of the “short termists” are positing “economic meltdown” & possible “catastrophic fallout” if there is no immediate cessation to the “global disruption”, we are witnessing!

    My issue this morning Dr. Phillips is over “food security”!

    Immediate “Food Price Inflation” and a looming, possible “Food Security Crisis” is in the making.

    The CDB explicitly warned that “rising energy and food costs feed directly into inflation” for service-based economies like Barbados, where import dependence hinge and is based on significant portion of its food requirement – given that every food item transported by ship becomes more expensive due to the following global stress factors:

    (1) Higher fuel costs for shipping
    (2) War risk insurance surcharges ($1,500 – $4,000 per container)
    (3) Potential supply chain delays
    (4) Fertilizer shock, where approximately 33% of global fertilizers transit the Strait of Hormuz and fertilizer prices have already spiked and will affect –
    (5) Local food production costs
    (6) Sugar cane yields (sugar remains vital to the economy)
    (7) Crop rotation for food security

    The potential collapse of local agriculture, especially within the sugar industry is already precarious. In January 2026, cane growers warned that the industry could “collapse within months” due to cheap imports undermining local production.

    Chairman Mark Sealy stated: “If that continues, it’s a slippery slope – soon there won’t be a sugar industry in Barbados”.

    The Strait of Hormuz closure would compound this crisis to such a degree that imported inputs (fertilizer, machinery parts) become unaffordable; local production costs spike; imported food (if available) may still undercut local prices and farmers cannot compete, leading to industry collapse – as Sealy warned that unsold stock affects cash flow, meaning “farmers won’t get paid”.

    This scenario would accelerate, if the broader economic crisis deepens!

    Then there is the “Regional Food Security” context within “CARICOM’s” 25% based on the 2025 target – where Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has called for Guyana and Belize to lead efforts to reduce the Caribbean’s food import bill by 25% by 2030.

    This recognizes the region’s vulnerability to “climate change, supply chain disruptions and rising food prices”.

    If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for any measurable period of time, this would demonstrate exactly why this target matters – but it would also show how far the region is from achieving it.

    In what can only be describes as a “Hunger Games Warning”, at the March 2026 FAO Regional Conference, Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha noted “deep concern over the sharp increase in hunger within the Caribbean subregion” and acknowledged that the region “faces the highest cost for a healthy diet globally”.

    “Small Island Developing States” like Barbados are “acutely vulnerable… to external shocks” – thus, a prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure would push more Bajans into food insecurity and would trigger a cascading catastrophe!

    Dr. Phillips, here is the “Unspoken Truth” – what nobody is willing to say out loud (including the newly selected government), is that Barbados has no buffer against this scenario. The country’s strengths, which are tourism, strong institutions, IMF partnerships, “presume” a functioning global economy.

    However, a prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure would reveal that tourism is not resilient when source markets are in crisis and travel becomes unaffordable. Food security is an illusion, when 33% of global fertilizer disappears. Debt sustainability depends on avoiding shocks, and this is the ultimate shock. Currency stability requires reserves, and reserves drain when tourism stops!

    The CDB’s Jason Cotton put it plainly, the effects “can begin immediately” and the “balance of risk remains tilted to the downside”. For a tiny nation like Barbados, a prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure isn’t a economic challenge, it’s an existential threat that is looming more and more precariously on the horizon, and it is pragmatic to be as proactive, as is humanly possible, by stockpiling up where possible, and to cut unnecessary spending wherever possible.

    On that stomach-churning note, have a wonderful “Preparation Day” and “REMEMBER” to keep the “SABBATH HOLY”…

  19. Eugene Estwick John Knox Avatar
    Eugene Estwick John Knox

    What happened?

  20. Eugene Estwick John Knox Avatar
    Eugene Estwick John Knox

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