Born in 1930, Budapest, Hungary, Soros hails from a Jewish family. Due to the invasion of the Nazis in 1944, his family was scattered. Soros experienced trauma and tragedy; suffering and surviving; loss and grief. The author of several books, Soros wrote: The Alchemy of Finance (1987), The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Open Society Endangered (1998), and The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The
Read more
There is the saying often posted in this space that the price of freedom (democracy) is eternal vigilance. A necessary component to safeguarding our freedom (democracy) is a relevant media. An extract from The Role of Media in Democracy: A Strategic Approach authored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) states:- A free, objective, skilled media is an essential
Read more
Some issues it is more effective to avoid being prolix. The blogmaster will make the point by stating the following. Voice of Barbados (VOB) popular mid-afternoon talk show program should be renamed The Peter Wickham Show on Mondays which is his scheduled day.
Read more
Submitted by Paula Sealy The current administration has invested in the media and media personnel has invested in the Mottley administration. Some media practitioners were forced out of CBC and landed at Starcom. But some of the others are riding the fatted calf for all it is worth. (David Thompson spoke of the fatted calf being shared among the DLP
Read more
Barbados has officially joined the ranks of politically polarized societies. Like the fly on the wall the blogmaster has been observing the quality of debate on a myriad of issues and as a commenter on BU would describe it, the signal noise is deafening and the divisiveness is real. Permit the blogmaster be clear, citizens of a country giving vent
Read more
The Barbados Underground household extends sympathy to the family of the late Dennis Johnson. Some may recall Dennis was an active commenter to the blog in the period 2008 to 2015. Unfortunately he stopped because of the constant ad hominems and how anonymity was abused to distort by a few. Notwithstanding his position this blogmaster respected the man for what
Read more
A few months ago the blogmaster relented to a request from two post-grad students and shared a few insights. The result in the paper attached – CASE STUDY REPORT – What are the motivating factors for news blogging? The Case of Barbados Underground. Unfortunately the information sharing from Barbados Underground was not as free flowing as should have been ideal
Read more
Submitted by Chefleur In a Sunday Nation Article of 2020 – Next Friend not happy her case is thrown out – I reported some anomalies in an elder abuse case in the High Court in Barbados particularly the difficulty in getting the relevant agencies to respond. First of all, I initiated that article in a social media group intending to
Read more
The country continues to be embroiled and pitched forked from one issue to the next; transitioning to a republic, pandemic, tanking economy, DLP resurrection, National Insurance Fund (blogmaster’s pick)… The latest issue choking public conversation-feeds is veteran journalist David Ellis answering the call up to national duty to serve in the role as Covid 19 Public Advisor. The blogmaster has
Read more
The blogmaster tuned into the Brasstacks show on Voice of Barbados yesterday because the topic was about press freedom. It is a ‘large topic’ and one that could not be fairly discussed in 2 hours. The moderator Dr. Kristina Hinds gave it her best effort supported by panellists David Ellis, Carol Martindale (journalists) and Michelle Russell (lawyer). A few observations
Read more
After the volcanic eruption in St Vincent, the Government held a news conference on 11 April 2021, and declared that fake news was killing us. The Government explained that the Commissioner of Police will be asked follow-up on fake news, since it can lead to a loss of life. I expected the press to ask some questions about this new
Read more
The COVID 19 pandemic continues to be a challenge for many countries across the globe including Barbados. To shutdown or not is the question being asked by Barbadians. This evening’s briefing by the government will provide the answer. Latest numbers presented by BU’s Lyall Small posted to COVID 19 Update page Community spread has now been officially declared in Barbados
Read more
The conviction of former Minister Donville Inniss in the United States of America an his upcoming sentencing has been smothered by news of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. The matter blipped twice in the newsfeed this month when first it was reported Inniss fired his lawyer Anthony Ricco and replaced him with Joel Hirschhorn to challenge how he (Inniss)
Read more
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
Read more
This morning the blogmaster entered the local newsfeed from traditional media to be swamped with the predictable-news about the selection of General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) Toni More to represent the BLP in St. George North in the upcoming by-election. The proposal by the government to rename the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill in Owen
Read more
Prime Minister Mia Mottley continued the recent trend of making controversial and contentious announcements. She revealed government’s recommendation to rename the University of the West Indies in recognition of the late prime minister Owen Arthur. To honour convention of parliament parliamentarians in the Lower House set aside yesterday to pay tributes to the late prime minister. The blogmaster has no
Read more
It has been more than ten years the Barbados economy has been performing poorly – a situation triggered by the global financial crisis of 2008. Some of us are old enough to remember the oil crisis of the 70s as well as the fiscal challenges of the 90s which negatively affected the cost of living for Barbadians. There was the
Read more
The editor begins by affirming that Barbados “continues to be a predominantly Christian society” and alludes to evidence of the same in the national anthem. To his or her credit, the editor makes it clear that the church is NOT the building or structure but the people who worship there. For pointing out this, we must thank the editor. Why
Read more
Barbados Underground 