Barbados Secures Another $100 Million

The borrowing continues with the general Barbados population non the wiser about the economic strategy – Blogmaster


World Bank Approves US$100 Million for Barbados’ Green and Resilient Recovery 

Bnamericas

Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2023 

ESG Climate change Clean Energy Transition Financing Multilaterals 

World Bank release

Bridgetown, Barbados, January 11, 2023 — The World Bank approved yesterday $100 million in financing to support Barbados’ low carbon economic development and resilience to climate change.

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Ole time Barbados – king of the hills

Horse Hill, St. Joseph

Yesterday evening the blogmaster was fortunate to tune in to the Voice of Barbados radio station afternoon program hosted by superior radio personality Larry Mayers. He is one of a bare few, Maurice Norville another, who makes a serious attempt to program a message that connects to old Barbados.

Believe it or not his program yesterday featured hills to be found in Barbados with listeners sharing tales about the challenges of driving over Horse Hill in St. Joseph, Baxters Hill in St. Andrew, Bowling Alley Hill which connects St. Joseph to St. John, Sutherland in St. Lucy and a few others back in the day. To anticipate those who will jump in to say Barbados is flat, of course the discussions about hills is in a Barbados context.

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Tell Duguid to wheel and come again

What does Senior Minister William Duguid mean when he declared this week that Barbados “has experienced significant and disconnected suburban growth…combined with the doubling number of cars, has resulted in peak hour gridlock and increasing levels of congestion almost everywhere on the island”. He went on to PROMISE that the government “expect to develop a national transportation mobility plan that will guide future investment. We will propose transportation strategies at the island scale”.

What the hell!

What immediately came to mind after reading was – cart before the horse and the chant Mini Bus Hustle by Winston Farrell.

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Countdown to the end of the IMF program Continues (September 30th 2022)

Submitted by Kemar Stuart

Barbados is still under a state of emergency and the Emergency Management Act holds supreme as law of the land as it was extended for no logical reason by the Ministry of Health yesterday September 13th. AG Dale Marshall in the press conference sought to defend the state of emergency legislation which de facto keeps the country under a prime ministerial dictatorship.  This state of emergency legislation has a clause that gives the PM absolute power over the country as previously stated in my video and in the nation newspaper. 

(4)    When a proclamation of a public health emergency referred to in is in force, it shall be lawful for the Cabinet to make any Orders whatsoever it considers desirable in the public interest. This is a parliamentary dictatorship 

(6)    In an Order made pursuant to subsections (4)  the Cabinet may delegate to the Prime Minister the power to make such directives as may be required in the public interest. Prime Ministerial Dictatorship 

There is no emergency existing in Barbados, there will be no need to tighten protocols as we proceed full steam into the tourist season.  These dictatorship type laws need to be removed to bring democracy back to Barbados’ political system. The WHO and USA President Joe Biden declared the pandemic over however the government still finds a need to hold onto a power grab not because of a non-existent pandemic but the advantage of side stepping traditional processes under the old independence constitution which have some checks and balances in place.


While the Acting PM Santia Bradshaw and AG Dale Marshall were addressing the issue of relaxing covid protocols as recommended in my previous video and publications, a point also made by the Head of the private sector and also the head of the BHTA. The real PM mia mottley was meeting with the IMF to discuss BERT 2.0 as the countdown to the end of this current IMF comes to an end september 30th having divulged that her team are in advanced stages on pension reform . In her press conference previously she told a reporter that pension reform will indeed happen under this current program which is soon at it’s end.

Having feeling both internal and external pressure Barbados recently announced that majority of the covid-19 restrictions are to be dropped from 23rd September the financial losses are becoming too deep and this decision was announced in a press conference by acting PM Santia Bradshaw The loss of money from absent cruise ships and empty airplanes along with the fact most countries have moved past Barbados months ago is high on the list of reasons for the dropping of these restrictions as articulated by the acting PM.

This was long overdue as we had many mishaps, discrimination in how some classes of persons were treated by these covid laws and public events like general elections, crop over, unctad conference , the Afri – caribbean Conference as the public which includes the PM long ago decided that they will live with the presence of covid and lived life accordingly often ignoring the protocols.

However purposely left out the fact that The public should note Barbados has no declared constitution in place since the transition of the country to republic in 2021 and an update on when the new republic constitution should’ve been on the agenda for the acting PM and Ag’

Barbados is still under a state of emergency and the Emergency Management Act holds supreme as law of the land as it was extended for no logical reason by the Ministry of Health yesterday September 13th. AG Dale Marshall in the press conference sought to defend the state of emergency legislation which de facto keeps the country under a prime ministerial dictatorship. This state of emergency legislation has a clause that gives the PM absolute power over the country as previously stated in my video and in the nation newspaper.

(4) When a proclamation of a public health emergency referred to in is in force, it shall be lawful for the Cabinet to make any Orders whatsoever it considers desirable in the public interest. This is a parliamentary dictatorship

(6) In an Order made pursuant to subsections (4) the Cabinet may delegate to the Prime Minister the power to make such directives as may be required in the public interest. Prime Ministerial Dictatorship

There is no emergency existing in Barbados, there will be no need to tighten protocols as we proceed full steam into the tourist season. These dictatorship type laws need to be removed to bring democracy back to Barbados’ political system. The WHO and USA President Joe Biden declared the pandemic over however the government still finds a need to hold onto a power grab not because of a non-existent pandemic but the advantage of side stepping traditional processes under the old independence constitution which have some checks and balances in place.

This act must be discontinued and government should not pursue another IMF deal or pursue pension reform with this act in place.

Barbados is now a country that has no opposition leader , a country without a constitution and a country with directives that gives a PM such absolute power without any checks or balances in repeat is bordering on rouge governmental practice

Therefore committing Barbados to another program spells uncertainty especially for the future of democracy especially if your livelihood is dependent on government payout .

Only Bout Hey

Submitted by Just Observing

Only bout hey, can you rattle off a list of 40 supermarket items, but yet the supermarket total bill remains as high as ever.

Only bout hey, can a utility take money to invest in its operations, and then look to take more money years later to invest in the operations it never invested in.

Only bout hey, can a “consultant” resort to going to court to recover money from a project of which he was the Executive Chairman at the time and whose lawyer now sits in the big Chair.

Only bout hey, can the former MoF who oversaw NIS money going to a failed project become one of the country’s chief advisor on economic matters in Washington.

Only bout hey, can the Auditor General do his job year after year, only to be told year after year, we will not do ours.

Only bout hey, does a GoB claim that the systems are the problem, not the people abusing it day in and day out.

Only bout hey, can we see an increase in Covid cases and deaths, but the CMO remain behind the laptop in his office.

Only bout hey, do we send indigenous sheep to another country, instead of strengthening our own local market first

Only bout hey, can a MoT in thong and feathers say how glorious the season is, only to see the stats and stakeholders saying completely the opposite.

Only bout hey, would we depend on a single industry, watch it get decimated, then resort to depending on that single industry AGAIN

Only bout hey, can a minister not know the real or estimated cost of the largest National Identification Card project in our history.

Only bout hey, can we have three investigations into a juvenile penal institution, only to be told again…..Coming soon.

Only bout hey, can we promise 10,000 houses when we can’t even repair the 100 or so from Elsa over a year ago.

Only bout hey, can a MM vilify a MM, only to give the second MM business and concessions both in Bridge and George Towns.

Only bout hey, can a Minister of Energy lambast ordinary citizens for speaking out about energy on behalf of ordinary citizens while hugging the cloak of Parliament

Only bout hey, can a GoB devalue people’s bond investments, then ask the same people to invest in bonds

Only bout hey, can school be starting in 4 weeks and no one knows how school is starting

Only bout hey, can major education reform be in the works, but no one in education knows anything about it

Only bout hey, do we hail national athletes when they win, yet do nothing about the national stadium to help others to win

Only bout hey do we claim not to have known the NIS was in trouble, then come to the people who will suffer as a result to offer solutions.

Only bout hey, can a non-national be arrested for 3+ million dollars in drugs, and no local person at all be connected to the arrest.

Only bout hey, can “certain” major court cases disappear or be squashed, yet minor first time offences end up on remand.

Look, I gone.

BUSHIE’s Bajan Bible Version

Submitted by Bush Tea

Back in the olden days, this fella called Isaiah was shown a vision of how things would be far into the future. As a result, he issued warnings high and low directly from God who showed him the vision…. Isaiah said, inter alia, Wunna better RH listen and listen good… cause the LORD has spoken as follows: “Imagine I get these children, raised them up through thick and thin, and the brass bowls now completely turn against me? WTH!!

A cow knows who its owner is. A jackass know who feeds it But you could believe that my own BB people do NOT know where they belong? The people behaving like a bunch of idiots. No wonder their ass is grass. They have become a bunch of dishonest, mendicant, greedy, uncaring BBs – overwhelmed with crime and with wicked, unruly, corrupt children. Talking shii… about how they ‘have abandoned the LORD’ – the creator of all that exists, and how they are ‘separating God from the matters of State’ and are being more ‘inclusive’…. Dem serious?!!

How wunna people could be so damn foolish…? Wunna just enjoy suffering and pain and poverty? And yuh mean wunna going on and on and on with the jobby? DESPITE all the suffering and failures?!! Steupsss

Almost all o’ wunna sick with all kinda NCDs, heart problems, headaches, overweight, …and there are no solutions in sight…. The country is up shit street. Foreigners own every shiite – right in front of wunna faces and raping the place day in and day out. Every day wunna in deeper and deeper DEBT… Wuh – wunna worse than people who lost a war and were taken over by the enemy.

Fortunately, God has had mercy, and adopted a few BBs who stand out like beacons in the darkness. Outliers in a country of morons, cause otherwise the damn place would be like Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a WARNING. Hear the LORD’s word, wunna leaders and politicians. Listen to our God’s teaching, wunna people of ‘Gomorrah’! …and don’t come with any lotta shiite talk and mamby pamby… No Easter services, Lent sacrifices and Christmas Mass…. All those shows are just a lotta shiite… Don’t waste time with no lotta praying either – no matter how long or how pretty it sounds. ‘Cause wunna TOO wicked!!!

Clean up wunna act. Stop the lotta shiite – the bribery, the greed, the mendicancy, the spitefulness.

Stop with the albino-centric priorities.

Learn to do THE RIGHT THINGS.

Establish JUSTICE for everyone – big and small.

Look out for the weak – rather than pander to the rich and greedy for bribes.

Although wunna may be fully brass, wunna can become polished like gold…. Conform to the rules set by the God who created everything – and wunna can enjoy the fruits of the land. But the Lord has vowed that if wunna keep up the lotta shiite …., wunna asses for the grass.

Imagine that God’s own people have become no better than prostitutes – offering themselves for sale to foreigners by living off ‘tourism’ and ‘foreign direct investments’…

Imagine that justice is DEAD among God’s people?. Imagine that wunna leaders are just bribe-takers for the highest bidders.

But hear this. The Lord will exact a serious house-cleaning. There will be no mercy for the merciless. God’s peoples WILL be restored to righteousness after the BB ‘chaff’ is removed and burnt. From the remnants will arise a GREAT country, comprised of those who change their lives by righteousness. The lotta BBs will be disposed of …with no one able to extinguish the fire. A 2022 Bajan translation of Isaiah Chapter 1

Strike Action During a Pandemic!

The ongoing dispute between Unity Workers Union (UWU) and government exposes the boast we are an uneducated people. It seems the height of ignorance actors on both sides are unable to resolve a dispute involving healthcare workers during a pandemic. This has occurred in a country with a social partnership established with a mandate to prioritize a space to facilitate consultation, dialogue and collaboration. It must be stated Caswell has written in this space his lack of confidence in the social partnership. 

The blogmaster has no bone in the fight EXCEPT to acknowledge the life of a human being is priceless. If it is the grievances fueling the dispute for whatever reasons cannot be quickly resolved because of weighty imponderables – the raging pandemic has created the opportunity for reasonableness between the parties to be exercised. To maintain intractable positions with omicron starting to spike our rate of infections is an admission of idiocy. Bear in mind Barbados’ heavy dependence on tourism and the negative impact an elevated positivity rate will have on the country’s ability to earn precious foreign exchange. There is the possibility government’s finances may collapse and compromise its ability to service public sector payroll.

According to reports strike action about 100 strong is expected to take place this morning, a clear indication the chasm which exists between the two sides. If UWU backs down it may be interpreted as a defeat especially for the peppy head of UWU Caswell Franklyn who is fighting to increase his share of membership. If the government gives in, it opens the door for the industrial relations climate to become active at the worse time for government managing tanking revenues. 

Of concern to the blogmaster is the role Most Honourable Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic has been reported to have played so far. It was reported the former schoolmates Bostic and Franklyn had agreed to a third party mediator to move the dispute along. According to Caswell Prime Minister Mottley vetoed the meeting after her request for striking workers to return to work was rejected. This slammed the door shut on possibly resolving the matter or at minimum depositing it in the abeyance bucket. The call of a snap general election eighteen months from when it is constitutionally due ensures the door remains closed. This is the second time Bostic has found himself in a pickle in recent months. His surprising admission he knew nothing about an arrangement between a Mark Maloney led initiative and government to procure AstraZeneca Covid 19 vaccine from a non traditional procurement source continues to tug at sensible minds. It surprised many including the blogmaster that Bostic and the permanent secretary- who signed off on the strange arrangement- were conferred high national honour. Through it all the phlegmatic Bostic has been serving out his final days having given notice of retirement from politics in October 2021.

In the system of government we practice all ‘big works’ related matters continue to lead to the first among equals in Cabinet. Hopefully in the debate to come about reforming the Barbados Constitution, whichever party wins the upcoming election, Barbados will seize the opportunity to create relevant constitutional clauses to ensure decision making by the executive becomes more decentralized from the prime minister led approach synonymous with a dictatorship.

19-11 for BLP after Jettisoning Dead-weight?

Submitted by Observing

With only three weeks to guesstimate, a dispassionate analysis of the ruling party both at the constituency and Government level clearly shows that coattails washed in some dead weight in 2018. To be fair, the other lot had to go, but, 3 and a half years gives enough time to see who we were working with.

Disclaimer: These views do not take the opposing candidate into account unless there is a glaring reason to.

Who must and should go
————————————

Peter Philips – Did little to nothing for St. Lucy even after being planted in the Ministry of Housing.

Colin Jordan – Has done even less for labour than Esther Byer-Suckoo, go figure. A known name in St. Peter but little to no representation where it matters most.

Dale Marshall – Wins the award for being contradicted the most by the PM, for paying out the most taxpayers money SECRETLY even after winning a case twice and the most bungled rollout and retraction of recent laws. St. Joseph has sucked salt (without water) for too long

Sandra Husbands – Sandra who?

Neil Rowe – Coattails worked in 2018. Neil’s abundant and extraordinary weakness as an MP and a candidate are profound. The alternative is better by far.



William Duguid – For selfishly refusing to pass the baton and for being the worst Transport Minister ever. Didn’t do much better in housing either except for giving away contracts to Mark Maloney and money to the Chinese.

Indar Weir – Big talk, little action. St. Philip South hasn’t been this neglected since a certain former PM.

Ryan Straughn – Has done little to nothing for Christ Church East Central. Admittedly he was working with the 5 other Ministers of Finance, 4 consultants and reps from White Oak to increase debt and shaft voters with bonds every chance they get. Who has time to serve lowly constituents in all of that!

Sonia Browne – Nice lady. Should stick to the medical profession. Politics and politicking clearly didn’t work out for her.

Who can go back home
———————————-
Kay McConney – No amount of unilateral Constitutional changes can gloss over her being dead weight at the constituency level.

Rommel Springer – Just like the DLP’s Harry Husbands Dr. R only warmed a seat and did nothing in the education ministry for just over $180,000 a year



Who could go but won’t
———————————–

Edmund Hinkson – Backbencher extraordinaire aided and abetted by George. St. James North will no longer have a voice

Toni Moore – for pure betrayal of workers and shameless capitulation to capital and political expediency.

Charles Griffith – Nice fella, but you can only do so much after so many big promises.

Wilfred Abrahams – Waste of time, but the alternative is far worse. Far far far worse.

Ralph Thorne – Was never really a Bee but if the train is moving then roll with it!

Kirk Humphrey – For only showing up when a camera is around or too much noise is kept. Not to mention totally neglecting “certain specific” parts of his constituency

Who should stay due to good national appeal, constituency work, general competence or all the above
——————————

  • Mia Mottley
  • Adrian Forde
  • Marsha Caddle
  • Ian Gooding-Edghill
  • Santia Bradshaw
  • Arthur Holder
  • Trevor Prescod – Even though he now has to hold his nose and support his leader
  • Dwight Sutherland
  • Kerrie Symmonds
  • Cynthia Forde

New toss ups with nothing on which to assess
——————————————————————–

  • Corey Lane
  • Davison Ishmael
  • Christopher Gibbs

There you have it. An objective 19-11 or 18-12 government come January 20, 2022 with the power to change Constitution no longer in the hands of one person or party.

Long live the Republic!!!

Gooding Family of Southern California Extends Best Wishes to the People of Barbados, World’s Newest Republic

Submitted by Don James (MASTER MEDIA STRATEGIES, INC)
The Gooding Family – Matriarch Shirley Gooding (left front) April (centre) back row left to right Omar, Cuba Sr, Cuba Jr and Thomas

In honor of my late husband, Cuba Gooding Sr. – who was a dual citizen of America and Barbados – I,
Shirley Gooding and family, send this congratulatory message to the country and people of Barbados for
becoming the world’s newest Republic. My husband passed in 2017. However, there’s no doubt that if
he were living, he would have attended the recent regal ceremony to witness Barbados’ removal of the
British monarch as its Head of State after almost 400 years.


As the matriarch of the Gooding family, which includes sons and actors Cuba Gooding Jr. and Omar
Gooding, daughter and actress April Gooding, and stepson and musician Thomas Ware Gooding, we
share in your joy and vision of becoming a prosperous Republic.


The Gooding family has a long history in Barbados. My husband’s ancestors were brought to the country
as slaves in the late 1700s into the early 1800s. His father, Dudley MacDonald Gooding, was born in
Bridgetown in the late 1800s. Dudley’s parents, William Gooding and Edith Augusta Walcott Gooding,
had and raised many children in Barbados. Dudley ultimately lived in Cuba before migrating to Harlem,
New York but always had a true love for his home country of Barbados.

Gooding Sr

Cuba Sr. and I first visited the lovely country of Barbados in 1998. My husband, who was the lead singer
of the legendary R&B-soul group The Main Ingredient for 47 years, was humbled and mesmerized to
walk on the same soil that his father and ancestors once walked. The visit inspired my husband to seek
Barbados citizenship, which was granted in 2001. It was perhaps his proudest honor. Over the years, he
often visited Barbados to meet relatives or perform with The Main Ingredient or as a solo artist.


As Barbados begins a new and exciting chapter as a new Republic and with a new Head of State, my
family congratulates President Sandra Mason, the country’s first-ever president, who has now replaced
Queen Elizabeth II as the country’s Head of State. We commend Prime Minister Mia Mottley and her
role in Barbados’ forward movements. In addition, we congratulate R&B and pop icon Rihanna for
Barbados honoring her as its “National Hero.” My husband greatly admired Rihanna for her unwavering
love for Barbados and saw her as a gifted and phenomenal singing star, recording artist, and performer.

In addition, we send our love to all the people of Barbados. May God bless you in your new era as a
thriving Republic. Please know that our family is proud to have deep Barbadian roots and rich Bajan
blood in our proud lineage. You will always be in our prayers and an intricate part of our future. We
look forward to visiting again.


Sincerely,
Mrs. Shirley Gooding and Family

Long Live the Republic!

For many the decision to replace Queen Elizabeth II with former Governor General Sandra Mason will mean very little to many Barbadians. Hopefully after the government delivers on the promise to engage with the public next year about what is contained in the Barbados Constitution as a prerequisite to reform, civic awareness will be heightened. 

The time must come soon when the Constitution is regarded as a living breathing document to reflect the will and aspirations of Barbadians. One suspects it is only when such a connection is made will apathy and cynicism of Barbadians at the ‘establishment’ be replaced with trust.

The blogmaster is sympathetic to the argument there was enough time for this government to have reengaged the public to deflate a narrative which suggest switching out the head of state is about naked political opportunism or laziness on the part of the Mottley government. The old people have a saying that every thing happens for a reason. The irreversible process creates the opportunity for Barbadians to be craftsmen of our fate has started, let us make the most of it.

The first step to usher in an era of citizen engagement by formalizing to a republican system will see the consciousness of Barbadians raised to fight the good fight to sustain a quality way of life for generations to come.

Key points from the blogmaster’s toast to the nation reflecting realistic expectations:

  • Relevant transparency laws are proclaimed and operationalized
  • Auditor General reports and recommendations are not ignored
  • NIS and other important SOEs are ring-fenced from political interference 
  • Meaningful reform to the education system i.e. academic, technical
  • Vetoing lip service by respecting the environment i.e. waste management, educating citizens etc
  • Honouring the adage justice delayed is justice denied by improving delivery by Barbados Courts
  • Understanding the Bajan identity and implementing relevant strategies to nurture and grow pride and industry; retaining and repurchasing strategic assets for example
  • Reallocate tourism dollars to support agriculture and entrepreneurship; cottage industries to respond to a market place that prioritizes contractual arrangements above tenure for example 
  • Transform to a model for Renewable Energy in the world by banning the use of fossil fuel to a negligible number to fuel a new economy
  • Democratize the political party system with an objective of luring citizens of integrity to the political arena. Those willing to serve country first
  • Improve public transportation to a standard when vehicular traffic is banish from selected locations
  • Oversee a system of meritocracy (nuture a performance based culture) in Barbados

Members of the BU family are invited to share thoughts on the type of Barbados we must create for our children.

People Waking Up

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 to issues is expected in a working democracy. It is better than throwing rock stones at those you disagree with or worse, engaging in violent criminal acts by resorting to guns, knives and other weapons. Although Barbados has been experiencing an increase in gun play, it is mainly associated with the ‘underworld’ and has not yet permeated mainstream affairs. Again allow the blogmaster be clear, increase criminal activity in any country is linked to underlying societal issues. A subject for another day.

The challenge beginning to emerge for Barbadians is the inability of stakeholders to robustly debate issues to reach consensus or what is popularly referred to as a win win position. One may argue significant investment in education over the years should have steered us away from the current trajectory. A path that is leading to nowhere fast. Is it we are failing in the area of informal education?

All those years ago Gabby penned the popular ‘One Day Coming Soon’ banned by the Tom Adams government. Prophetically the people are waking up and we are witnessing a spiking in the lack of trust directed at the establishment – the political directorate, media, police, justice system; LAWYERS to name a few. What is creating the problem for the establishment: as it continues to sleep more citizens are waking up from various states of ignorance adding to the increase in signal noise.

Unfortunately until the political directorate makes the adjustment to align with the expectations of an ‘awoke’ people, fallout from the signal noise will continue to be a drag on any effort to move the country forward.

We have the current situation of the Mottley government forcing through the transition to a Republic. Although there is anecdotal acceptance the time has come and gone to replace the foreign ceremonial head of state with a local, there is concern enough was not done to engage Barbadians to gain buy in to the process AND if this was the plan from reading the 2018 BLP manifesto, there was enough time to have updated the Constitution in order to avoid criticism in some quarters that the piecemeal implementation does not fit an educated country well. What we see playing out as Walter Blackman accurately observed is a Barbados Labour Party government concluding it has the political capital to do as it wishes largely because of a weak political opposition.

The message in the clip never grows old and fits Barbados like a glove. Unfortunately the current predicament we find ourselves cannot be solved in weeks, months or even a few years. Good governance and concomitant success does not happen by accident, it has to be led and planned.

Watch the from 4m:50s of the video.

Join Hands Barbados – Connecting the …

Some on the blog remind us ad nauseam the influence global events have on Barbados. Such a global perspective will fail to resonate with people locked to promoting narrow agendas. It is human nature to retreat to a comfort level thinking, a high level of self awareness is required to be situationally aware at all times as it relates to making the correct decisions in thought, word and deed to realize the best outcomes. Unfortunately external factors often conspire to muddle what is theoretically a good thought process.

With the dismantling of national boundaries made possible with the ease of travel, Internet, tourism and other ‘channels’ that permit DNS like attacks on local culture- the burning question is how are small developing states like Barbados with open economies able to execute countermeasures for the good of country.

Dismantling racist tendencies in the world – join the debate if classism more accurately describes Barbados’ challenge – can be dispassionately viewed against the rise of the #blacklivesmatter movement, #windrush revelations, and of recent the #azeemrafiq affair. The world continues to treat with racism and prejudices, it is endemic in all societies. The struggle is real and must continue until humankind ceases to exist…

Barbados is a country overly dependent on tourism and its nexus international business. There was a time the Caribbean was an easy sell to markets across the pond because of our virgin like appeal and other attributes. Today there is fierce competition from non traditional players who promote offers that titillate imaginations of travellers in ways one dimensional Caribbean destinations cannot now compete. A story about the collapse of tourism costing five Asian nations 1.6 million jobs in the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Mongolia due to the pandemic emphasizes what we, including policymakers should know. In order to sustain a quality of life for our children, to rely on a fickle tourism product is analogous to building on sand, although possible, fraught with high risk.

What is a lowly blogmaster living on a 2×3 rock saying? It may be too late but our survival depends on Barbadians coming together with the common aim that positions the interest of BARBADOS front and centre. Down with the divisiveness that continues to have a deleterious effect on our society. There is a reason education receives a large junk of the national budget.

In Defence of OUR Prime Minister


The blogmaster has been a long time admirer of what is perceived as a higher level of expression of love of country expressed by Jamaicans, Bahamians, Trinidadians and a few others compared to Barbadians. A visit to the USA, UK and Canada to name three destinations Caribbean people have emigrated in numbers, you are sure to find ‘spots’ where food and other activities nurture the culture of the countries mentioned. Barbadians on the other hand are known to be more laid back and less visible to compare. 

November is the month we celebrate the lowering of the Union Jack in 1966 – in 2021 there will be the added celebration of the seminal moment we shift to a Republic. We will jettison the Queen of England and install a local, current Governor General Dame Sandra Mason. In theory this SHOULD be a moment that infuses Barbadians everywhere with pride. 

Barbadians have recently been subjected to several critiques of Prime Minister Mia Mottley from the Trinidad space. These so called social commentators have the same MO, first they register admiration of her oratory and other skills, the quick growth of her personal brand on the global stage, then proceed to attack the government of Barbados for its weak economy often citing our debt to GDP which has reverted to north of 140. True to form, Barbadians are quick to share these messages on social media platforms to bolster personal and political agendas.

There should be no argument that on the 24th of May 2018, key economic indicators confirmed the poor state of our economy. In a short three years the condition was made acute because of the ongoing pandemic, ashfall from La Soufrière volcano and hurricane Elsa did not help the cause. The blogmaster will accept the counter-argument that policies of successive governments which Mottley was a member significantly contributed to our current state. We get the political argumentation. 

In the opinion of the blogmaster, these messages being crafted by so called social commentators from neighbouring countries are designed with the purpose to make Barbadians “know their place”. How dare a person from a 2×3 island with an economy in the dumps be perceived as the leader of the Caribbean. In this space Mottley and her government will continue to feel political blows as warranted, however, Barbadians must know when to defend our good name and bare teeth by separating the wheat from the chaff.

Earlier this month Dr. Terrence Farrell a former Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and current director of Republic Bank sought to publicly school Prime Minister Mottley on the rudiments of asset liability management in banking after her “off-the-cuff and quip laden” remarks at the Barbados Chamber of Commerce luncheon. It seems Mr. Terrence’s palaver was to deliver a message to Prime Minister Mottley [quoted below]. It is not hidden from some the head of the local banker’s association is headed by the managing director of Republic Bank, Trinidadian.

It certainly doesn’t help when regional governments get economic policy wrong, and then have to restructure their domestic debt, including taking the unprecedented step of restructuring Treasury Bills which banks rely on for short-term liquidity management.

Mia Mottley and the banks

Those attending the BCCI understood Mottley was engaged in what politicians do when a general election is on the horizon with an enraged public up in arms about banks and credit unions charging Barbadians a $6.00 fee for withdrawals at ATMs. The blogmaster is disappointed Barbadians at large – including the traditional media – have not seized the opportunity to defend these veil attacks against the office of prime minister and by extension BARBADIANS notwithstanding political affiliations.

We are Barbadians first!

Difficult Conversations – Of the Highest Order

Returning to my parked car, I noticed a broken licence plate on my windshield. It looked oddly familiar. Viewing the front of my car confirmed that it was mine.

Every collision I had with that car was while it was parked in a parking lot. The damage was always minor, so I never called my insurance company. Actually, in my 30 years of driving, I have never made a claim – so why continue to pay for car insurance?

UNAFFORDABLE RISKS.

I asked that question to provoke you to think. You would be reckless to knowingly be a passenger in an uninsured bus. You would be depraved to encourage others to join you. Only an idiot of the highest order would drive one after cancelling the insurance.

You should insure against likely risks that you cannot afford to pay if they occurred. Regardless of how careful a driver you may be, if you drop in a pothole, you can lose control of your vehicle. You may be able to afford the repair costs of your vehicle, but not the medical expenses of your injured passengers.

CANCELLING INSURANCE.

An insurance policy is a contract that states what both parties are obligated to do. If you want the insurance, then drivers must agree to the restrictions that are designed to protect passengers. For example, all new drivers must be approved by the insurance company. Minors will not be approved regardless of how competent they are, or how much you want them added to the policy.

If you think that the insurance company’s conditions are infringing on your rights, then you may cancel the insurance policy at any time. But you must still humble yourself and get insured with another company, that may have more onerous requirements. What is not an option is to drive passengers while your vehicle is uninsured.

INDEPENDENT AUDITS.

Every 5 years, we elect drivers to drive our national bus. When our bus needs maintenance, we pay additional taxes to buy the parts, so that all passengers may remain safe. A driver who suggests that we could save money by cancelling our insurance, should not be trusted to drive our bus.

One of the insurance conditions that our drivers hate, is the independent audits. Every year, an independent auditor must tell passengers the actual cost of the bus parts, that our drivers claimed were needed. Every year, the auditor tells us that we were overcharged for the bus parts. But we are so politically divided that we no longer care.

HEARTLESS BARBADIANS.

Barbados has changed much since our Independence. We are no longer guardians of our heritage for our children. Once we can afford to pay the excessive taxes to pay for the overcharged parts, we do not care about the suffering of our neighbours who cannot afford to pay.

We defend and encourage the corruption of our drivers, and willingly wear their red and yellow shirts every 5 years to get them elected. Once we have taken what we can from this country, we are willing to recklessly damage it for our children. How did we become so heartless?

BARBADOS INSURANCE.

Barbados is insured against torrential rainfall, hurricanes and earthquakes, through the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Financing Facility (CCRIF). Despite not being impacted by a major hurricane or earthquake since our Independence, only enemies of Barbados would encourage our leaders to cancel that insurance.

Barbados is also insured against aggressor nations – our enemies. Commercial insurance is paid out in money. Defence insurance is paid out in blood and military equipment, as soldiers, whom we do not know, will be ordered to defend us. We have taken for granted the deterrent effect of our defence insurance.

WE ARE ALREADY FREE.

Our defence insurance costs Barbadians very little. The Queen commands the British Military, so we simply need to maintain a Governor-General. The Governor-General protects our armed forced from being politicised, and ensures that the annual independent audits are done. Our drivers hate that accountability, and have devised a way to get rid of it.

Our drivers retell the myth that they have told since our Independence – that we need to throw off the remnants of colonialism to be free. We are already Independent and free, but we have chosen to maintain insurance against natural disasters and foreign aggressors. We also want to know when we have overpaid eight times for bus parts.

CANCELLING OUR INSURANCE.

To get their own way, our drivers plan to cancel our defence insurance, without our consent, on 30 November 2021. On 1 December 2021, we will be forced to be uninsured passengers, and they will become drivers – of the highest order.

The BLP, DLP and other political parties, want uninsured passengers – for their own purposes. Our established media do not allow any balanced discussion on the Republic issue. Our drivers’ actions appear unlawful, but not one of the over 900 lawyers on this bus has challenged it in the Courts. Solutions Barbados stands alone.

GENERAL ELECTION.

Our drivers have no mandate, from us, to cancel our insurance. The Bs and Ds are out canvassing, so it seems that they will call an early General Election. It seems that they believe that passengers are so politically abused and economically desperate, that they will vote for their own destruction in exchange for a few trinkets.

Solutions Barbados stands alone in advocating for passengers to remain insured, until they choose not to be. We have 15 Candidates, but Barbadians in every constituency should be given a choice. If you love and fear God, hate corruption, and feel a burning desire to give the people of Barbados a competent alternative, then you may contact us.

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

Difficult Conversations – Giving Away Your Birth-right

Every human being, regardless of nationality or economic situation, has the same birth-right. It is their right to be true to themselves. This may be called personal integrity – a consistent and uncompromising adherence to truth, regardless of the beneficial or harmful consequences of doing so. This right is for a lifetime.

Knowing what is true of a specific issue may not always be known, but it may be found through honest evidence-based (or scientific) discussion of that issue.

Adherence to truth is an invaluable possession. Like any other possession, it can be traded. Since it is invaluable, it cannot be purchased, because there is nothing of comparable value. It can only be exchanged. Exchanging truth for truth is a meaningless exchange. Truth can only be exchanged for a lie.

LEADERSHIP.

There are two types of leaders – those who serve, and those who are served. All of us are born entirely dependent on others for our survival. As we grow into adulthood, we desire to be both independent, and all that we can be. Servant-leaders implement policies that facilitate that personal growth, so that people can reach their potential.

For various reasons, some people prefer to be dependent as adults. Whether because of trauma or mis-education, some people have no real aspirations and are fearful of being independent. They prefer to serve parent-leaders, and are content with symbolic declarations of illusory aspirations.

PARENTING ADULTS.

Leaders who are forced to lead a dependent people are doing something unnatural. Responsible parenting prepares the next generation to become independent. A generation that prefers to serve a parent-type leader, rather than soaring, needs additional training to prepare them for adulthood.

Leaders are not supposed to parent adults. When they take on that role, despite their best intentions, they can only turn that loving natural act into something tragically grotesque. For example, a servant leader will aim to provide an economic environment where parents can easily care for their elderly parents. Parent-leaders will aim to force the elderly in institutions, where they can be efficiently attended to.

Paradoxically, the deeper the care that motivates parent-leader policies, the more the implementation of those policies tends to retard and suffocate the led.

THE AGE OF TYRANNY.

Those most retarded in their development, tend to initially view increasing Government forced control as a comforting motherly embrace. Those who desire to soar will feel the tightening yoke of oppression. If the public rebels against the suffocating policies, the nation may enter an age of tyranny as leaders forcibly try to maintain control.

Every nation has its extreme radical activists with unpopular radical agendas. Extreme radical activists continually invite leaders to force their radical agendas on the public. Wise leaders decline those invitation. Unwise leaders do not.

Parent-leaders who attempt to force radical agendas, that are not supported by truth, on a country, cause the people to confront their true selves. Those citizens are presented with the clear choice of either sacrificing their personal integrity to support their leader’s adopted agenda, or standing for truth. Barbados was recently tested in this manner.

EXCHANGING TRUTH.

In an age where almost all white persons were: racists, white supremacists, and/or enslavers, Horatio Nelson was the rare anomaly. He went against the racist cultural norms of his time, and employed and promoted black persons the same as whites on his ships. He hated slavery – with a passion, and likely freed more slaved outside of North America than any other person during his lifetime.

Nelson demonstrated excellence in the pursuit of truth. Following his death, several statues of him, of varying quality, were erected. The statue of perhaps the finest quality, was erected in Barbados over 200 years ago.

THE BIG LIE.

Recently, some of our extreme radical activists wanted Nelson’s statue destroyed. To achieve their agenda, they promoted Nelson as a: racist, white supremacist, enslaver, and mass murderer of Barbadians – without evidence.

More contemporary books were likely written about Nelson than any other person. Those books were written, during the racist slavery era that he lived, by his: colleagues, enemies, and independent historians. Those books contained the good, the bad, and a lot of ugly about Nelson. But none of them accuse him of being a: racist, white supremacist, enslaver, or mass murderer of Barbadians. That is a recent invention.

DEFENDING TRUTH.

I wrote five evidence-based cited research-articles to investigate the truth. Our radical activists responded with racial slurs. They also ignored thousands of documents in the historical record, and point to a single unauthenticated letter, published in an obscure slavery-supporting newspaper, years after Nelson’s death, that did not justify their claims. Further, the likely forged letter is not part of the recipient’s formal collection of letters received.

I was asked why I was defending that white enslaver of our ancestors. I repeatedly explained that I was defending truth, not Nelson. I further explained that once we crossed the boundary of deliberately accepting lies over truth, just to support an agenda that we may support, that we would damn the next generation to a life of tyranny.

The credible historical record of Barbados contains persons who are provably: racist, white supremacist enslavers, and mass murderers of black Barbadians. Our extreme radical activists do not target them, for the apparent reason that it does not tempt Barbadians to exchange their birth-right for a lie.

FEELING THE PRESSURE.

Some of our activists are opposing the Government’s foreseen military-managed forced mandatory vaccination program. Others are opposing being forced into Republicanism. However, this is only the beginning. Despite being manipulated into opposing camps, every camp will eventually feel the pressure.

Barbadians should rightfully protest against the pressure. However, like Sampson not knowing that his hair was cut, our activists and their supporters seem oblivious to the fact that they have already given away their personal integrity – and have none left.

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