The Case of Barbados Underground

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 REPORTWhat 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 but the paper is a fair effort. The reason the blogmaster agreed to share – there is an urgent need for more bloggers to setup on platforms like WordPress to secure more control of the content and therefore be protected from the tentacles of the establishment. Posters to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms are beginning to battle with interference from the publishers AND we know how easy it is to report a post on those platforms.

The blogmaster takes this opportunity to express deep appreciation to all contributors and commenters to Barbados Underground from the inception (est 2007).

See paper attached:

<object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://barbadosunderground.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/case-study-report-motivating-factors-for-news-blogging.pdf&quot; type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of <br><strong>The case of Barbados Underground.
The case of Barbados Underground.
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Trying to Muzzle Barbados Underground

For the cause that lacks assistance, the wrong that needs resistance, for the future in the distance, and the good that [BU] can doGeorge Linnaeus Banks

One of the challenges the BU household has had to manage from inception is the ‘right’ of the BU community to express opinions and share information protected under the cloak of freedom of expression. The BU household has zealously guarded  this ‘right’ because the traditional media players in Barbados- with a few exceptions  -have relinquished the role it is expected to play in a breathing democracy.

With a few exceptions BU has managed the majority of our battles with lawyers and WordPress away from the public – the main reason, to not betray the code of confidentiality members of the BU household has sworn to honour at any cost.

A recent notification from a local lawyer is interesting because as we always do in an effort to be fair to the aggrieved party is to request copies of the offending BU links for our review. If after a process of review that may or may not include legal support, we will amend, remove or leave the links being questioned. Through the process BU ALWAYS share the reasons for the final decision taken. On a few occasions we have apologised to the parties. In this case, after several weeks have passed, the local lawyer has refused to share the links of concern to his client and instead transmit a veil threat of a legal action to come.

The second event of this week we want to share is the attempt to muzzle BU for sharing comments on Facebook (FB). Obviously the BU household has no control over the comments policy of FB, it is the main reason we have operated from the more protected platform of WordPress. The opportunity to practice freedom of expression on Facebook can be hijacked with ease by those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. It is interesting to note the most significant interactions David of BU engages on BU is with Minister Denis Kelllman. We plead guilty to ‘ragging’ him on the issue of the GROTTO because we hold strongly to the view that it is the public’s right to know if it pertains to how taxpayer money is spent.

Let the message go about that Barbados Underground will continue to defend the right of the BU community to freely express itself AND at the same time fairly respond to objections raised by parties who feel defamed in the process. All aggrieved parties are asked to do is click on the Send Confidential Message at the top of this page to share a brief note detailing the concern and links to blogs and comments being questioned.

The silly season is approaching.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Christmas

merrychristmasHere is wishing everyone in BU land a Happy Christmas.

Members of the BU household wish to extend a hearty thank you to all who shared comments and submitted contributions in 2016. The social media space continues to grow and exert influence in our community despite the naysayers. Let us continue to highlight the issues as we see them and as the right to freedom of expression affords.

Remember to eat and drink responsibly -Christian or not!

2016 Budget Doodle

Barbados Parliamentarians 2013

Barbados Parliamentarians 2013

BU thought to share a few doodles from the BU note pad about 2016 Budget and related.

We should declare that except for listening to some of Sinckler budget presentation and most of the reply by the leader of the opposition one was left with a feeling of ‘what next’. It is obvious that government’s fiscal and monetary interventions to date have not realised the improvements ALL Bajans have yearned the last five or six years.

There is talk about the economy turning the corner but how it this possible if the Central Bank continues to print money against the advice of all? Isn’t it a commonsense position if a country (or individual) spends more than is earned over a protracted period there will be no discretionary money to invest and develop? BU commented before the budget was delivered that the government would have added more taxes to slow consumer demand to protect falling foreign reserves. On the other side of the equation the economic model we have calls for consumer spending to fuel growth. We are caught between a rock and a hard place as they say.

Prime Minister Owen Arthur use to preach during the period of plenty that tourism revenue will never be adequate to pay the bills, we have to supplement with revenue from foreign direct investment (FDI) and international business. This is the model Arthur bequeath to the country. Barbados continues to feel the brunt of such a policy. With FDI drying up and international business not as robust the Stuart led government has struggled mightily to maintain the economic model it inherited with a deer caught in headlights policy approach. One thing we should have learned since 2007/8 is that the world has shifted how it does business. Capital flows from North to South is receding, oversight bodies mandated to track how money flows across the globe to support criminal activity means that the economic model we are tied to is under constant threat. How the international banks have been slimming down operation in the Caribbean is a bellwether of what is in the forecast for the region. The Caribbean Development Bank, a homegrown independent financial institution, has been posting concerns about the debt burden of Caribbean countries for more than a decade.

The inability of our governments in the last ten or fifteen years to build relevant policy and not implement lazy policy prescriptions means we proudly wear the title of banana republics.  Managing economies is a complex business in today’s world. To place blind trust in a group of individuals who we refer to as the political class is reckless. Bear in mind our best people are not motivated to offer themselves for political office. This means that the majority of those who represent us in government come from the bottom of the barrel. A reminder that the people get the governments they deserve. The parliamentarian will shout across the divide in parliament to ‘char yuh mudda skunt’ then want to play the role as leader in civil society. The Attorney General will succumb to political narrative then wonder why violent crime is on the increase. Sir David Simmons has chaired many Commissions across the region and therefore must be privy to sensitive information about criminal networks and level of endemic corruption. Why not leverage the fact that he is Barbados based for the benefit of the country? We all have skeletons don’t we AG Brathwaite? You do not want BU to expand.

The idea of having to pay a 2% levy so that the monies can be placed at the disposal of Minister Lowe to buy trucks we find repulsive. Lowe should have been fired given a poor performance at Sanitation and Drainage. He should have been fired given his lead role in Cahill Energy scam. He should have ben fired given that he was a Peter Allard stooge. The bigger doodle (or dawdle?) is that in 5 years we will be back to where we are today, trucks not maintained and taxpayers having to saddled the burden of cleaning up after an inefficient, ineffective and or corrupt politician and minions. In addition, at a time we should be discussing waste management in the context of leveraging what we have that is working, we have Bizzy Willliams cussin Anderson Fat Child Cherry, Cherry cussin Lowe, Bynoe from B’s Recycling retreating to the protection of God and so forth. Does it not make sense for all of the players in Barbados to sit around a table, serve them generous portions of soup and come up with an approach for a  waste management approach for Barbados that is homegrown? If you need support from consultants it would be requested on our terms? And the requite transparency of course.

Finally, it must be stated that there is no public trust in the mouthings emanating from our parliament. Young people and millennial could care less and even independent civic minded Barbadians (like the BU household) are struggling to remain engaged. Lack of confidence in this government would have been reinforced by the calling of a Budget in the middle of the Olympics. One has to conclude this was delibere by the government to deflect public scrutiny of the 2016 budget.

We agree with the leader of the opposition that the period 2008 to present deserves to be labelled the the lost years.

.

All Bajans Need to Participate in our Democracy, Including LAWYERS

Poster designed by Pieceuhderockyeahright

For OUR democracy to work effectively ALL stakeholders in civil society must participate, advocate, agitate, support … to become DISENGAGED is not an option.

Join the Poster War – #bajanswantchange

 

 

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St. Lucia Facebook Page Censors Alternative View on Walid Juffali

Walid Juffali

Walid Juffali with former wife Christine Estrada

Freedom of expression is often taken for granted by the many who comment on Barbados Underground blog. One does not have to agree with views expressed by others, however in a democratic society, we should always be willing to defend the right of others to disagree. Usually when alternative ideas contend the big winner is the opportunity to learn.

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The Jeff Cumberbatch Column – An Evolving Democracy (II)

Jeff Cumberbatch - New Chairman of the FTC

Jeff Cumberbatch – New Chairman of the FTC

BU shares the Jeff Cumberbatch Barbados Advocate column – Senior Lecturer in law at the University of the West Indies since 1983, a Columnist with the Barbados Advocate since 2000 and BU commenter – see full bio.

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Donville Inniss: Politicians Do What They Like, Social Media Will Do What We Like–And the Deeds of Politicians Will Be Registered on the Internet for Review by Your Children et al for All Eternity

Submitted by Artaxerxes

I was flabbergasted after reading in today’s Daily Nation that Donville Inniss, while speaking at his St. James South constituency branch meeting, mentioned “The Opposition party in Barbados now has mastered the social media…….. and they are being heavily used to spew a lot of filth.”

David BU, these are the types of issues you need to articulate more and raise on the blog for comments. In my opinion, Inniss is essentially saying social media needs to be controlled in the same manner the Advocate, CBC, Government Information Service and, to a lesser extent, the OCM Network are influenced to report in favour of the DLP.

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Whoso Keepeth His Mouth and His Tongue Keepeth His Soul From Troubles

Submitted by Quinzel (BU looks forward to the BU intelligentsia translating this submission)

Mystery

It is a Mystery.

Here is valuable wisdom! If you rule your speech, you will save yourself from trouble. Your mouth and tongue are two of your greatest enemies. If you will keep them under control and only speak the right words at the right time, your life will be blessed. It is unruled speech that gets men into all sorts of trouble. Here is wisdom for a good life.

You can get into trouble by filthy talking, foolish talking, and jesting. You can damage your reputation, hurt others’ feelings, and waste time with such talking. God despises such speech, though they are very popular with the present generation; and He is coming soon to judge the world for these very sins (Pr 14:9; 26:18-19; Eccl 7:6; Eph 4:29; 5:3-7).

You can get into trouble talking negatively about others. Men will know you are wicked, and you will create enmity and strife. Though easy to commit, the blessed God hates backbiting, slander, talebearing, and whispering. They are much like murder, in that they destroy another’s reputation (Pr 10:18; 11:13; 16:28; 18:8; 20:19; 25:23; 26:20-22).

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Seasons’s Greetings

Aside

merrychristmasDear BU family, Commenters all

BU apologizes for the disruption caused to our readers and contributors over the last 48 hours. Site traffic drops below average during the holiday period and the BU household belatedly grabbed the opportunity to transfer the blog (BU) from bajan.wordpress.com to barbadosunderground.wordpress.com.  Due to the large size of our blog the operation took longer than anticipated. A few comments were dropped as a result of the migration.

We made the decision to change the URL for easier access. Again, thanks for your patience.  Wishing you and yours the best for the holidays.

BajanFlick Blog Launched!

New Bajan blog launched!

New Bajan blog launched! – click image

Barbados Underground is pleased to introduce BajanFlick blog. We all have a smartphone (blackberry, iPhone, Samsung etc) let us use them to improve our way of life. If you see a ‘Kodak’ moment which is in the public interest, capture the pic or video and email BajanFlick blog.

Twas the Night Before…

Submitted by HAMILTON HILL

CLICO Policyholders suing, finally!   Photo credit: Nation

CLICO Policyholders suing, finally!
Photo credit: Nation

There seems to be some direct correlation between snow fall and slumber. As I sat last night at the old desktop intent on taking in the happenings in my Barbados via the world wide web, mother nature delivered her calling card in the form of powder white, and equally light snow. For me light snow makes for heavy eye lids so quite soon I was fast asleep…and now I understand why they say peaceful sleep.

I am reading BU where it has been reported that PM Stuart has shared with us a secret that has been kept better than the code to the vault of the US treasury. I am preparing to cuss Prodigal Son for his claim that my PM didn’t even know what “de damn date was till de inner circle tell he. “I just had to get the jump on AC, CCC and ! for surely my three compadres would not permit Prodigal to get away with such disrespect for a man, my man who has just created major history in Barbados. Just as my finger is about to press the submit button so as to upstage AC and them, David writes that PM Stuart…my man of the century has just announced that a major player in the CLICO master con would be arrested and his assets frozen, all this to take place on or before nomination day.

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Donville Inniss HC

Donville Inniss - Minister of Health

Donville Inniss – Minister of Health

Of course the DLPites will challenge Barbados Underground (BU) because we are about to ask a few hard questions of a DLP minister. In a recent contribution to debate in parliament Minister Ronald Jones confirmed that ‘the blogs’ are not partial to one political side or the other. BU agrees with Jones, it is an uncompromising characteristic of BU.

Before he [Inniss] became a member of parliament he was involved in managing a portfolio of offshore companies. There was the revelation that a few of the companies included in his portfolio were x-rated websites. Minister Inniss publicly declared when he was challenged by the media that the x-rated websites were no longer part of the stable of companies he had an interest. Further, in keeping with what is required he had ceded the management of his business to others when he was appointed a minister; BU assumes to his wife Gail Williams-Inniss.

In the absence of freedom of information legislation the public is left to accept the word of Minister Inniss. We have no evidence that Inniss has been less than truthful but in the interest of satisfying transparency, the public should have recourse which a FOIA would provide. Regrettably a general election is about to be called and the draft FOIA continues to languish in the office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.

The documents attached show that Minister Inniss was served to appear in a matter in Virginia.

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Should BU Exercise More Editorial Control?

The following recommendation was submitted by St. George”s Dragon for discussion.

BUBU needs to consider adopting a set of rules in respect of posts which are vicious or hostile. I believe this is important in order to be able to demonstrate to those who are starting to make noises about banning Barbados Blogs that there is a degree of editorial control over what is posted. If done in the right way this would not be censorship, just make the Blog a more responsible place and elevate the discussion. Apologies to other websites from which I have borrowed wording  but as a start, what about:

  • BU promotes a receptive, transparent and civil atmosphere for comments and users. Critical, in-depth and intelligent discussions and debates are encouraged. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to voice their opinion regardless of identity, politics, ideology, religion or agreement with other community members, as long as those opinions are respectful and constructively add to the conversation. However, this community does not tolerate direct or indirect attacks, name-calling or insults, nor does it tolerate intentional attempts to derail, hijack, troll or bait others into an emotional response. These types of comments will be removed from the community. Individuals who consistently or intentionally post these types of comments will be warned and, if necessary, excluded from the community.

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Jack Warner Matter: Another Blog Being Given the Squeeze

Jack Warner BEFORE he resigned from FIFA

Jack Warner BEFORE he resigned from FIFA

BU stated in its recent blog when attacked by Ontario counsel for Barbados resident, Eugene Melnyk:

“BU will unhesitatingly side with any blog on which bully boy tactics are attempted, even if it is Barbados Free Press (BFP) – indeed, on the sole occasion that BU did take up cudgels on this issue – it was on behalf of BFP, believe it or not. Reciprocation is, of course, not anticipated.”

BU understands that such an attack has been made on BFP in relation to the FIFA and other issues involving Jack Warner and that BFP has been ordered to remove its reporting on Jack Warner by WordPress.

BU has also carried reporting on Jack Warner and therefore considers the instruction to BFP to remove its reporting to be completely out of order and has no problem with BFP providing the link to this blog to WordPress as being BU’s condemnation of their instructions and its support for BFP in these circumstances only.

Related Link: Eugene Melnyk Puts the Squeeze On Barbados Underground

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Social Media and Protecting the Right to Freedom of Expression by Ordinary People

Submitted by William Skinner

Social Commentators Carl Moore and Peter Wickham have been critical of "the blogs"

Social Commentators Carl Moore and Peter Wickham have been critical of “the blogs”

Barbados Underground and all locally based blog operators should resist the attempts to silence them, by the so called guardians, of what is acceptable media and by extension acceptable journalism. The simple truth, is that the growth of what is called the new media, has given expression to those, who were once systematically barred from national discourse.

While I will never subscribe to the use of excessive vulgarity in any form, written or oral, I believe that this is being used as a red herring to censor the freedom of expression that blogs such as Barbados Underground are now in the vanguard of ensuring.

Barbados is steeped in intellectual snobbery and I suggest it pains those who always thought that they alone will be the chosen ones to see their names in print, pontificating on all matters, while the rest of the population, worship their superior academic and intellectual skills. They were entrenched as the fountains of all knowledge. That class status has now been forever discarded.

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Government Moves Integrity Legislation Pass the Lower House

As incredible as it may seem to some, the Prevention of Corruption Bill, 2012 has passed the Lower House on its journey to being proclaimed. Hopefully this will be done before the Prime Minister rings the bell for the next general election. One suspects though that Prime Minister Stuart will deliver on this piece of legislation, this is the stuff legacy is built. Perhaps the one regret is that yet again Hansard will NOT record a contribution from the leader of the Opposition Owen Arthur.

A listen to the debate disappointed yet again. Members of parliament on both sides joined hands to paint a picture of a courageous group who has had to bear the brunt of vilification from the public. References were made to the #16 ranking which Barbados holds on Transparency International. The Prime Minister referenced the need to recognize that there is a perception that many in public life engage in questionable behaviour, therefore the need to have integrity legislation.  The listener was left with the impression that the government although tabling the legislation, has done so kicking and screaming.

To state the obvious integrity legislation serves many purposes. In private enterprise rules governing code of conduct is routine. It ensures that all employees are aware of the consequences of certain actions. It helps to feed a culture of excellence. BU posits that many practices which currently fly under the radar may be discontinued or forced into the open with the advent of integrity legislation. Should we remind the Attorney General that Transparency International’s ranking is based on a perception index? It is known how PSV permits were procured by may as a good example. A read of the Auditor General reports from 2006 also helps to form positions unfavourable to politicians and others in the public sector.

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TB, BU Is With You In Your Darkest Hour

On the wings of love…

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Many of you have been asking about Terence Blackett who up to a few months ago was a prolific contributor to BU. He along with Zoe and Georgie Porgie were part of a formidable triumvirate who – with pride- used this forum to defend their faith based doctrines.

BU has learned of the tragedy which the Blackett family has recently experienced. The BU household extends our deepest condolences to the Blackett family and entreat Terence and his wife to keep the faith despite the testing circumstances.

Out of respect for Terence and his wife we have deliberately withheld intimate details about the tragedy. If it is his will he can share with the BU family.

Terence if you find the time listen to this song which encapsulates what we are unable to cobble together in words.

Not This DAVID – Who Writes For the Blogs!

Submitted by David Bryan, Attorney-at-Law and former General Manager of the Barbados Advocate Newspaper

I received a telephone call last Friday June 8th, 2012 by a concerned person, who decided to do what rarely Barbadians do, when they have heard a rumor about someone, and that is to approach them directly about it.

Even though I was surprised what this individual informed me on what people were saying concerning me, in this country. Indeed, I was not disappointed, since it is systemic in our culture to gossip about individuals regardless of the consequences this behavior may cause. Hence the law of libel is there to protect such innocent parties.

In any event, I would like to “clear the air” as it relates to these rumors which according to my anonymous friend were circulating for the last 5 or so years, to which I obviously had no idea, until now.

Why the last 5 years? Well as the story goes this was the time, that the Barbados Underground and the Barbados Free Press started their blogs. It was also around the time in which I resigned as General Manager of the Barbados Advocate newspaper.

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Re: Some Comments To Rescue And Rebuild

Submitted by Looking Glass

Some comments suggest we know and understand little about the country and less about how the world spins. Some party faithfuls without knowledge or facts preach falsehood in tattered narrowness. A few seem to have difficulty with the written word. Prodigal Son asks if theSt Joseph hospital was sold how could government “be able to lease it out.” Yes I said the BLP sold the port, airport, the National Bank and the hospital in the north. Is the northern hospital located inSt Joseph? Austin (not Hal) asks if I “honestly consider what the Bajan public is getting from the current PM is leadership.” The article dealt exclusively with the BLP not the DLP. To answer your question try reading my other submissions.

According to Enuff the submission is “symptomatic of a government that fails to accept that public policy and behaviour inspires the private sector to invest….” Does he mean the current opposition? The submission dealt only with the BLP. To find out who bought the Port and Airport ask those who know but choose to be conveniently unaware.

I am not suggesting the private sector is to blame. That sector (White) built and developed the country. For example four arrived as indentures (another name for slaves), worked on the plantations some of which they later owned, invested their savings in business and built Bridgetown, all by utilizing the only natural resource, the land. (Little England 2). Politically it provided education for blacks (CodringtonCollege) and other social facilities at a time when the Uncle Sam considered the Nigger to be 5/8 of a human. And they supported the abolition of slavery. Recall the Conservative Party? You voted them out of power. Why is another story. Today the private sector provides the bulk of taxation used to support social services, government employment and remains by far the largest employer.

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Transform Or Perish!

Submitted by Pachamama

We must transform or perish,” Arthur warned yesterday in an address to the Barbados Association of Office Professionals at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre – Nation Newspaper

Leader of the Opposition, Owen Arthur

Today the corporate media has Owen Seymour Arthur mouthing the arguments that BU has made for several years about the pressing need for radical transformation in Barbados, as a cultural construct. But we think he means the economy alone. Any real cultural transformation, the type we have been calling for, must of necessity transcend the dubious arithmetic methods of the Keynesian, post world war two architecture, to which Owen Arthur is an avid devotee. He knows nothing else and this old dog cannot be thought any new tricks. He seems to have now awoken to the truism, which has been obvious to those of us who closely follow global events, that all of what we think of as Western ‘civilization’ is under threat – and may well collapse sooner that we think.

This is a man who whole-heartedly embraced the Washington Consensus Neo-liberal policies of his masters in American and European capitals for more than 30 years. This is a man who is known to have a close relationship with one of the most plutocratic ‘leaders’ in the West, Tony Blair. It was Blair who spearheaded an illegal war on Iraq to steal Iraqi oil. Arthur has no history of transforming anything, with the possible exception of his personal life. We well remember him shedding crocodile tears on the floor of Parliament in a public relations (PR) gambit to attract resources. That this kind of man would now want to present himself as an agent of transformation is an affront to all that is Barbados and more particular those of us who have been fashioning this argumentation for many years.

Arthur is no more than an imposter!

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Emails To BU Editor

I’ve been bothered for some time now by an incident that occurred a few months back wherein a Muslim man was charged with bestiality and instead of being prosecuted under the laws of Barbados, the Magistrate chose to hand him over to the Muslim community to deal with the crime.

What I cannot believe is that the Attorney General has done nothing to correct this horrendous wrong that has been committed by this Magistrate, and that Barbadians seem to have accepted this as the norm.  Since when did Sharia Law become legal in Barbados?  If a Rastafarian member was arrested for smoking a weed cigarette, would that person have been turned over to the Rastafarian community to deal with him.  I DON’T THINK SO!!!!!!

This is not something to just sweep under the rug.  It sets a very bad precedent and is sending the wrong signal about the laws of Barbados.  I hope that this is brought to the attention of the Attorney General because I think that he’s the only one that can right this wrong.

Cat Woman

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Setting The Record Straight Now And Going Forward

Many have questioned the reason for the bad blood which exist between Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground (BU). Up to now we had taken a decision to use whatever reputational capital we had acquired to absorb all* attacks directed at us. The attacks on BU have been centred on race related concerns and in recent weeks we have observed surrogate blogs adding to the vitriol being spewed. The real reason for the antagonism we know is our conflicting position regarding the Nelson Barbados Group matter. This is a matter which has seen Prime Minister David Thompson being engaged. What all of it has done is to spur us to stay true to the ideals which BU seeks to represent. Why have we decided to depart from our policy of direct engagement with Barbados Free Press now becomes the obvious question.

We had hoped the perpetrators of  the uncalled for attacks on BU family member ROK would have abated after WordPress requested a blog be removed/changed that was offensive to ROK. As time has passed the attacks have become more and more vitriolic whether from the blogmaster of Barbados Free Press or via comments. All Barbadians who have followed the career of ROK know he has given unstintingly to the country Barbados in which he lives, most notably as an Intervenor in public utilities hearings through the years.  It would therefore be negligent of BU if we did not use our blog to expose the duplicity of Barbados Free Press who by the weight of the evidence in our possession has been disingenuous to the cause.

The effectiveness of the blogs as a tool for social consciousness and social change is largely dependent on the anonymity of bloggers. Very few people are willing to put themselves and their families at risk of being sued or becoming the victims of official displeasure and censure or, indeed, in some cases of facing torture and even death in extreme cases. The advent of the blogs has allowed people with a social conscience to exercise that social conscience with minimal risk. The blogs have also allowed anyone who wishes to, to inform themselves, without the spectre of persecution that once visited both author and reader. It is against the foregoing we view the attack on ROK as a cowardly act by Barbados Free Press and in recent weeks by Dave No-balls Speller.

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Barbados Blog Accused Of Defamation

BU highlighted the plight of an 80 year old Canadian man on October 18, 2008 who alleged that he had been swindled by an offshore company based in Barbados. The Barbados based offshore company Bridge Management (Barbados) Incorporated reportedly received several million dollars from many Canadians who now seem to be fighting a losing battle to redeem investments. Some frustrated investors in Bridge Management Barbados Inc have since used the BU blog to exchange information and extend moral support during this time of great anguish.

In keeping with our promise to be transparent in how we operate, BU has taken the decision to apprise the BU family of an unfolding situation. Yesterday (4 January 2010) we received an email threatening legal action if we did not withdraw certain information from the blog referred to above. We have sought a legal position and BU’s position is our blog did not defame the person purporting to be Frank Mastrocola.  However, out of an abundance of caution we have taken certain actions which are outlined in the document attached.

We ask the BU family to continue to be responsible when posting comments and continue to use BU as a vehicle for freedom of expression.

Flight Delays

Adrian Loveridge - Hotel Owner

Submitted by Adrian Loveridge - Hotel Owner

Can we really learn some lessons from the events of the 22 May? We had over 40 persons to meet of three different flights that day. ZM drivers had been arranged to meet then based on scheduled and quoted arrival flight times. Close to the original arrive times it became obvious that there were going to be delays, so the sensible thing to do was to first check with the airline. One major carrier hadn’t even changed its local recorded flight arrival announcement since 9am that morning, despite the aircraft being diverted to St. Lucia and eventually landing at 4pm. On checking its website, the announcement stated that both the inbound and outbound flights were cancelled.

Another airline had not updated its recorded announcement since 11am that morning, again relating to a flight that should have landed at 9.50pm but finally arrived at nearly 2am the following morning.

Yes! We eventually extracted that it was a problem with fuel, but this should have not taken anyone here by surprise. Where does our A1 aviation fuel come from, and who had been having the problem with contaminated fuel for days?

Trinidad of course!

Also knowing the vast amounts of taxpayers monies invested in the various pipelines from Oistins and massive storage facilities at the airport, did we really not have two or three days supply of non-contaminated fuel?

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Barbados And The Eastern Caribbean Festival 2008

Barbados High Commissioner to Canada, the Honourable Evelyn Greaves and OECS States representative Ms. Anita Joseph will address Montreal residents as ACCESS BARBADOS PRESENTS ‘Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Festival 2008′

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The final Caribbean summer’s program of activities in Montreal will be held on the 23 August 2008 at the Van Horne Park, from 12noon to 8.00pm with a spectacular diverse and exciting heat wave of Barbadian and Caribbean culture, arts and crafts mix with goods and services. This year marks 100 years of trade between Barbados and Canada and the 50th Anniversary of the Barbados Tourism Authority in Canada. It will be a land mark event for Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean Islands and the City of Montreal.

The new Barbados High Commissioner to Canada will deliver the keynote address. A wide variety of Caribbean products including canned and bottle goods, upper end agricultural products, packaged goods, rum and its by products, plus hand and needle crafts will be on display. This initiative of Access Barbados is aimed at assisting with the expansion of all aspects of cross-cultural links, trade and economic ties between the Barbados Government, other Caribbean Governments, Quebec and Canada as a whole. Continue reading

We Shall Overcome

Dear BU Family

We blog with a heavy heart tonight. We have long ago accepted the reality as to why we committed to start Barbados Underground (BU) in 2007. In the heat of the last general election we came face to face with the sacrifice we will have to make if we are to continue BU. For sensitive reasons we prefer to avoid getting into the details of some recent incidents which have occurred. Suffice to day the BU household has placed itself at risk because of the bold step we have decided to take to expose issues from the underground of Barbados.

Recently we ran a series of blogs which focused on the lack of leadership over the years which Barbados has shown in the development of alternative energy sources. We would have touched on the subject earlier when we interacted with Stephen Worme , Chief Marketing Officer at the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited. We take this opportunity to thank Mr. Worme for his willingness to interact in the blogosphere. At the same time we appreciate that he works for a company which may want to communicate with the public by using the traditional media where information can be better filtered and controlled. As long as he is a paid servant he would have to do the BL&P’s bidding. Just ask Mr. Michael Browne who has been recruited by Vic Fernandes to be the hatchet man on the call in show. David Ellis seems to be a bystander in the whole process of late.

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Solar Energy Policy In Barbados Exposed

IQEP.com

The following was submitted by a member of the BU family. We have published with minor edits in the interest of creating greater public awareness on the importance for all stakeholders in Barbados to pursue a sustainable energy strategy. We are sure that Keith Headley (the son of the late Oliver Headley, solar energy pioneer), Bush tea et al can lead the discussion on behalf of the other non-technical members of the BU family. If the BU family member who made the submission wants to reveal his identity, we invite him to comment as well.

Barbados Underground

The information included in that attachment was part of a presentation by Professor M. Scott at the Future Centre on Dec.10, 2007. I invited him to speak to the stakeholders here (Barbados) because he knew what he was speaking about. I asked, “If I could arrange a meeting with the stakeholders here would you be willing to do a presentation for me?” He agreed.

I had met Prof. Scott briefly before but on this occasion, I learned what he did. He was amazed that Barbados had not made any strides in Solar- PV business. He felt Barbados could the leader in the Caribbean. I am confident he would do everything to assist Barbados.

Northern Ireland under the leadership of Peter Hain, commenced a project by offering grants to householders to install PV on their rooftops. The system worked like this:

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Skyrocketing Oil Price Uncovered

The price of crude oil today is not made according to any traditional relation of supply to demand. It is controlled by an elaborate financial market system as well as by the four major Anglo-American oil companies. As much as 60% of today’s crude oil price is pure speculation driven by large trader banks and hedge funds. It has nothing to do with the convenient myths of Peak Oil. It has to do with control of oil and its price. How?

Source: Asia Times Online, William Engdahl

The skyrocketing price of oil on the world market has prompted many Barbadians to finally express an interest about how the price of oil is determined. The local media seems happy to encapsulate the complex pricing mechanism used in the oil business to increasing demand from India and China, and some other bland explanations which are not note worthy. Alternatively readers to BU must be familiar by now with the theory of Peak Oil and the role of the speculators.

Although there is no economist in the BU household here is our simple analysis of a highly complex matter.

We 100% agree with William Engdahl, the author of the article quoted above. The article is very long, but we will attempt to summarize the key points towards understanding the mystery behind how some very powerful people and corporations are ‘fixing’ the price of oil. The article confirms what some pundits have been trying to communicate to mainstream media, who continue to ignore the truth which cloaks this issue. The New York Stock Exchange (Nymex) based in New York and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) located across the pond in London are two of the main players responsible for ‘manipulating’ the price of oil.

Source: Asia Online Times

How are they doing it you ask?

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Barbados Underground vs Barbados Media

Slide1

On January 18, 2008 the Barbados Media was charged in the Court of public opinion by BU (Plaintiff) and was found guilty by the Voices of the People in the Blogosphere. The battle by the PEOPLE against the Fourth Estate continues.

  1. How can media practitioners in the twenty first century function in a world without an oversight body i.e. an association. Who said ‘united is strength’?
  2. When David Ellis, Vic Fernandes, Albert Brandford, Ricky Sigh and a ‘very few’ others retire, who are the fresh young journalists waiting in the wings?
  3. The Nation newspaper was a profitable entity, why was it sold?
  4. The Advocate newspaper once attracted the title of venerable. Why shouldn’t the PEOPLE be allowed to access the archives of the Advocate to do research online?

A democracy cannot flourish if the Fourth Estate reneges on its role to society. Our media places heavy emphasis on reporting, some say regurgitating news from the international wires, but there is the advocacy role which is even more important.

United Nations Has Become A Failed Organization

food shortage

As food shortages wreak havoc among Haiti’s poor, people make and eat “dirt pies.

The question is asked by ordinary people every day, why is the United Nations(UN) organization often ignored by the world’s leading countries? Do you remember how the USA and other countries ignored the UN in the Iraqi affair? It is also known that many of the world’s leading countries owe huge sums to the UN in membership dues. In the blog below we highlighted the stupidity of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) which gave the Champion of the Earth Award to former Minister of the Environment despite the obvious mega-error in judgement about placing Greenland Landfill which she presided over in the former government.

This week the outgoing President of the United States George Bush requested his legislature to vote USD70 million dollars to be used to buy food for the poor countries around the world given rising prices. No doubt President Bush has done this to shore his sagging popularity, never the less the poor countries around the world welcome the act of generosity. We will not pour water on the kind gesture by speaking to the issue of how much of the aid makes it to those in need.

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Barbados Underground Commenter Makes Suggestion To Improve Traffic Congestion At Wildey Triangle

Submitted by BU Commenter Permres

Early in the week – 29 April 2008 BU published the public announcement which listed the change in traffic flow in the Wildey, St. Michael area, referred to as the Wildey Triangle. Barbadians have been filling the airwaves and blogs with feedback on the effort by the government authorities, in collaboration with 3S Barbados SRL to relieve traffic congestion in the area. one major feedback which has come to the fore is the reality that the decision makers did not consult the businesses on the Wildey stretch.

The BU family member who submitted the sketch posted above appear to have taken the bold step to demolish the Texeco Gas Station. The other key change appears to have stop traffic turning right coming from the Upton road to go in the direction of Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.

The BU family is encouraged to provide feedback on the suggestion!

Barbados Reaches The Crossroads

David Thompsonmia mottley

Prime Minister David Thompson            Opposition Leader Mia Mottley

The country has been catapulted into a period of debate which the recent policy action by the government of raising petroleum prices has triggered. We expect that against the backdrop of financial volatility in the global market these discussions will continue apace. We think the dialogue is healthy for the country to ensure that the expectations of all the participants in our society are on all fours regarding the ideal path preferred for our small country to pursue given the global economic turbulence which we will have to navigate.

BU member Adrian H may not want to hear us repeat that there is not one economist in the BU household. However we do accept the point he has made previously, if economics is about the distribution and consumption of goods, then as a consumer we are qualified to speak on this heavy issue which is currently occupying the country.

Let us fast forward the discussion i.e. skip the bit about rising oil prices etcetera. Frankly we are disappointed at some of the political rhetoric which has erupted around the issue. The problem facing the country is one which must be tackled in a non-partisan manner. The truth is Barbadians have become fat cats, and have taken on a behaviour induced by a high absorption rate of materialism caused by a misplaced thinking honed over decades. Some have said it is a failure of our educational system to have inculcated a generation with the behaviour that consumption spending aligned to high personal debt is a sustainable approach to financial planning.

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David Thompson's Mentor Revealed

david thompson

We were not able to cross check this note sent to Barbados Underground with the usual due diligence. Be that as it may we think that there is enough in the content which is worthy of public consumption. We have a new Prime Minister and there is the normal tendency to want to know all that there is to know about our young leader. We know that former Prime Minister Owen Arthur was the son of a shopkeeper. According to the note writer, Prime Minister Thompson is the son of a porter (father) and a nurse/secretary (mother).

Dear Barbados Underground

I live in Connecticut, USA, and I read your blogs regularly. I sent the following letter to The Nation newspaper while on holiday in Barbados, but they have not publish it. So I wondered if you would publish it on your blog please.

Here is what the writer had to say:

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New Page Added

perscription-tablets-image

We have accepted the suggestion from a BU family member to facilitate discussion on medical matters which is a topic area that should interest us all. Based on our exchanges with and between BU family members posted over time, many of you work in the medical field or possess information on various medical issues acquired due to personal circumstance or otherwise. Medical Corner seeks to encourage ANYONE to submit views on medical experiences earned, new developments in the industry or any related matter which readers feel can serve to educate the BU family of a medical nature.

View the new page which appears at the top of the BU homepage to make your comments.

Barbados #1Rag (Barbados Advocate) Mentions The Blogs~Whatever Next?

The Advocate’s editorial today is dedicated to blogging and clearly mentions Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground.

‘polibogs (political blogs)’

No! I don’t think so, both frequently cover non-political topics.

Observation by our frequent writer Adrian Loverige

The Advocate’s editorial today is on blogging

MORE than one commentator in recent times has commented on the role played by the popular local blogs in the recent elections. The blog, or web log, as it is more formally known, takes a variety of forms, but essentially describes an online journal. They can be the personal musings of one author or, like the local “poliblogs” (political blogs) Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground, can be written by many authors, or contributors, on a common set of topics. Online media such as the BBC, the Trinidad Express and the Times, to name a few, provide opportunities on bIogs, for readers to discuss topics which they have covered. It should be also noted that both of the major parties in Barbados employ blogs as a means of communicating with its supporters and others.

Soapbox

The blog is not immediately to be compared to a newspaper, so far as the law is concerned. It allows for a greater degree of anonymity, thus guaranteeing a degree of freedom of expression quite unlike that historically provided to the press. It is not that the blog is not subject to the laws of defamation, for example, but the ability to identify the writer is fraught with procedural difficulty, and the liability of the host provider for the statements of a contributor is not absolute.

There is no doubt however that the blog is here to stay. It has democratised free speech in a way that was not possible a few years ago, when “only a small number of powerful speakers (and writers) could dominate the marketplace of ideas”. Now, as the court put it in a recent Delaware case, the Internet blog allows anyone to “become a town crier with a voice that resonates more than it could from any soapbox”.

More than that, in Barbados the political blogs, without judicial or legislative intervention, have served to revolutionise the traditional balance between the individual interest in reputation and the right to freedom of expression, and have done so in a way that goes beyond even the much acclaimed US defamation law. At present, officialdom seems prepared to ignore this, but it is at least incongruous that one law should apply to online communication while a different, and more restrictive, law applies to the printed media. And by all indications, the readership of these blogs is in excess of that of the two local daily newspapers.

Freedom and development

We make it clear that we are by no means proposing that the blogs be restricted in their freedom of expression, but rather that the authorities consider carefully whether such freedom is in keeping with the development path of this island and, if so, whether it should not also be extended to other media.

In the Delaware case to which we referred above, the court treated the blog as a “vehicle for the expression of opinions” and held that a reasonable person reading blog statements would not necessarily “assume that such statements are factually based and researched”, as opposed to, say, those in the Wall Street journal In consequence, these were to be regarded as either “subjective speculation” or “mere hyperbole” and thus not actionable.

With all due respect to that court, we differ from this view. We consider rather that the blog is merely the online equivalent of a newspaper, and that they should both be subject to the same laws in respect of freedom of expression; no more, no less.

Read an excellent article on this subject posted over on a sister blog: Living in Barbados: Blogging: The local press takes note

Bush Tea’s Advice For P.M. David Thompson

unknown-96.jpgI wish to say that Bush tea is not politically a partisan. (This is for personal, selfish reasons. I am already committed to a national cause much higher than any party, group or friendly society. I would equally have wished Owen Arthur well and offered genuine advice for his success as PM….(and I actually did, but that is another story.)

My instincts are that PM David Thompson will be the best Prime Minister that Barbados has ever had (and this is even without any advice from Bush tea). He has all the requirements, he has been well prepared through his time ‘in the wilderness’, he has matured excellently and he has a great family structure.

(… oh wait, did I mention that he is a full 100% Combermerian? As is his wife?)

David,

 

SERVICE

Remember that you offered to serve Barbados when you applied for this job. There are two points here :SERVE is the OPPOSITE to rule. Every morning, when you wake up, remember that the great power you have is solely for the purpose of empowering this country, especially the weak and poor.

Second point- serve ALL Barbados.

-DO NOT LOOK at the ballots to see who voted for you. “BARBADOS” DID!

-Use ALL of this country’s BEST brains- and you do not need to buy their political loyalty or bribe them to do this. Use Commisong and let him stay in his PEP. Use the best of the BLP performers – and let them remain BLP (You have the wisdom, self confidence and tact to do that…It will be well worth the effort.)

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Ideas & Suggestions=Solutions

Ideas & Suggestions

David….a Suggestion.

The role of the blogs in uncovering for the public the real ‘goings-on’ behind the scene at the political level has been mind blowing -and good for the country.

However, that letter referred to by Adrian, as well as some feedback from Water works Department and more recently the Fire Service leads me to believe that there is an even greater role for the blogs to play, in exposing the gross inefficiencies, graft and complete lack of integrity in most of our businesses and institutions.

This would also enable us to see those organisations that are well run and that operate with high levels of integrity. This is important because it does not make sense to me, to expect that we will be able to produce top class leaders nationally when we allow a culture of dishonesty, graft and nepotism to bloom throughout the country.

Here is my proposal.

Every month, we select 6 organisations and invite specific analysis of their performance and operations. The CEO or whoever the organisation determines, would be invited to write the lead article (failing which we will invite anyone to do so) and the blog would be open to public inputs. Schools, Government Institutions, Public Utilities, Private Enterprises etc would be included. As comments phase out on a particular organisation, another one would be added. Special moderation approaches may need to be implemented to avoid persons using the opportunity for personal petty purposes – but this should be no problem. I think that this would provide a valuable national tool to promote excellence, deter mediocrity and ferret out dishonesty.

Submitted by Bush Tea

Do you agree with the Bush Man?

If so, can we have some suggestions on the entities we can discuss?

Other suggestions are welcome as we all play our part to safe-guard our democracy.

BU wish to offer the additional suggestion. Many visitors to BU and BFP are former journalists, politicians et al who no doubt are blessed with ideas, observations, theories and other forms of contribution acquired over the years; here is an opportunity to make a difference. Why depart this earth and take those ideas with you? The success of some of the world’s richest cultures are those which embrace knowledge. Students of philosophy may want to expand on the importance of sharing knowledge in the ancient societies.

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
Oscar Wilde

Fact Or Fiction?

Letter reproduced from Caribbean Net News.

Letter: Upcoming Barbados elections
Published on Thursday, December 27, 2007
Dear Sir:

By now it is common knowledge that Barbadians will be going to the polls on January 15, 2008. Prime Minister Owen Arthur is seeking a fourth term in power.At a time when most Barbadians are sick and fed up the current Government, I think that Prime Minister Owen Arthur is asking a lot of Barbadians.This is the same Prime Minister Owen Arthur who every chance he got Insulted and vilified Barbadians in favour of Guyanese immigrants whether legal or illegal. This is the same Prime Minister Owen Arthur who at a Heads of Government boasted that illegal Guyanese worked on his house.

Immigration Officers in Barbados had to walk the streets of Barbados in shame; their only crime was doing their utmost to secure the borders of Barbados. Yet Prime Minister Owen Arthur lambasted them here in Barbados and the region for doing their job of keeping out illegal aliens, Guyanese included.

On every project started by this Government there have been tremendous cost overruns. Figures now being quoted refer to $750 million in cost overruns on Government projects. The Government has no answer to this wastage of taxpayers’ money. However, they want Barbadians to give them another term to continue this squandermania.

Tourism in Barbados, the mainstay of the economy, continues to show declines in room stock every year. More and more hotels are being converted to condos with the resulting loss of jobs in the hospitality sector. This issue has not been tackled with any degree of urgency by the Owen Arthur administration.

No, Prime Minister Owen Arthur, we will not be giving you a fourth term. You had your time now move on. Time for change.

Carson C. Cadogan
Eagle Hall
St Michael
Barbados

Is The Barbados Student Revolving Loan Fund Revolving?

The Student Revolving Loan Fund was established under the Student Revolving Loan Fund Act, 1976-20. It replaced the Higher Education Loan Fund, which was then administered by the Tertiary Section of the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture.

Purpose

The purpose of the Fund is to grant loans to eligible Barbadians to assist in financing areas of study which are perceived to be of national priority.

Funding

The project was financed jointly by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Barbados but recently it has become self-financing.

Categories for Financing

The categories for financing are as follows:

I. Graduate

II. Undergraduate
Local
Regional
Extra Regional

III. Post Secondary/Technical Education

IV. Vocational Education
Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic

Source: Ministry of youth Affairs & Sports

Information coming to our ears suggests that all is not well with the management of the the Student Revolving Loan Fund. Information is sketchy and our source is at arms length from that Unit but we have been able to piece together a story which exposes mis-management, cronyism and yardfowlism at the student Revolving Loan Fund. It is generally known by many Barbadians that the fund has been abused over the years by certain ‘high-class’ people. No doubt the fund has helped many Barbadians to achieve their dreams of becoming accredited in some field of study, and for this reason we support the continuing existence of the Student Revolving Loan Fund.

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BLP & DLP TV Broadcasting On A Computer Near You

blp_tv_small.pngdlp_tv_small.png

Many Barbadians listened to and/or watched on the Internet this afternoon in eager anticipation to Prime Minister Owen Arthur’s nomination to represent St.Peter in the upcoming general election. The anticipation was fueled by the speculation that Arthur might announce the date when the country would move to election mode. Unlike our friends over at Barbados Free Press who ran a story today identifying sources that indicated the election date would be forth coming at this evening’s meeting, we have always sided with the idea that the Prime Minister would want the highway project to be further advanced, along with some of the other projects. The Prime Minister is savvy enough to appreciate that as time passes, the robust public debate on some hot and current issues like Hardwood will fade. So the Prime minister is playing his last trump. He will ride it out.

We must compliment both parties for using a non-traditional channel to disseminate information to the people. However, they have fallen a little short because they are using it to provide one-way communication. We detected some amateurism in the production and with some of the speakers on display; no doubt this will improve as time passes. (This comment was not meant to be a criticism) They need to individually interact with people at home and abroad by using the same technology. In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to making this topic our ‘Front Page’ story as election stories surface.

The countdown has started!

Please note the following:

 

  • We have provided a Submissions Page which can be accessed at the top of the page to discuss ANY issues which maybe troubling you.

  • We have updated our sidebar to show the BLP and DLP TV

Is It True That Barbadian Men Continue To Abuse Our Women & Children?

As a woman who has visited Barbados on many occasions it is with deep regret that the population is highly educated, purchase great houses and luxurious cars. Yet there is minimal discussion surrounding the rights of the girl child and women in Barbados. I do find in Barbadian society there is such a divide among class lines, therefore, people turn their faces when such incidents are not a part of their lives. The elite send their daughters overseas to school while the poor Bajan daughter either hit the employment pavements and become vulnerable to men who are old enough to be their fathers in the workplace. Such men impregnate and transmit diseases to these young women. For lack of policies surrounding women’s rights the girl child in the work place is always abused by the likes of xxx xxxxxx and are allowed to get away with such inappropriate behaviour. Where are the voices of Barbadian feminist and professional women who have remained silent when it comes to such issues. How can you go forward when you sit in silence when your children are being raped on a daily basis. I dare say progress is still far from moving forward.

To Barbados Underground you are doing great work but please speak out on behalf of the voices of those who have been silenced due to poverty or lack of education.

Source: BU Commenter

image.png A contributor to Barbados Underground sent us the above note a while ago just after we ran the Roy Morris story. It is no secret that most of the people who visit our blog do so in the hunt for political commentary. Sometimes we get carried away with posting a preponderance of politically flavoured writings and forget that the medium of the Internet gives us the opportunity to highlight or expose vexing issues which are affecting us. This approach affords the opportunity for people to get involved and work to eliminate or alleviate some of the problems currently affecting our society.

One such issue is the continued abuse of our women and children in little Barbados by our men folk. As a boy we would have witnessed situations which caused us to question: under-aged school girls getting pregnant, females getting pregnant and the siblings baring close physical characteristics to a close family member, women and children screaming because of the physical abuse inflicted by a man who felt the compulsion to demonstrate his leadership of the household by ‘throwing blows.’ We find it troubling this is an issue in Barbados which is swept under the carpet, and when it peeps out the incidences are buried in our court system. To reinforce the point there are no sensible statistics available to accurately inform discussion. In fact many of the relevant agencies, e.g. Child Care Board, MESA, National Organization of Women appear not to have websites which they can use to disseminate information to a wider public – we did not find any when we checked. The unwillingness of such important organizations in our society to adopt modern avenues to further their respective causes is troubling.

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BU Regrets….

We promised yesterday to deliver the latest decisions to be made regarding the 3S project. We have to reverse our decision because of the possibility that our sources maybe compromised.   We apologize for any inconvenience caused to the BU family.

To our sources: We would appreciate if you open hushmail email (hushmail.com) accounts so that it can facilitate easier communication.  Refer to your last emails to authenticate!

 

David

Barbadians Do You Want To Discuss The Financial Statements Of Hotel And Resorts Ltd, AKA GEMS?

 

Many Barbadians are not aware that the AUDITED FINANCIAL statements of GEMS (Hotels and Resorts Ltd) have been laid in the House for some time now

Source: BLP Column – Nation and Advocate today 19th October 2007

Yet not a single journalist, opposition politician or Senator, Independent or otherwise has reported this and exactly what debt the Barbadian taxpayer is saddled with.

To me, this demonstrates the current state of journalism in Barbados.

Adrian Loveridge

Pevious Article

GEMS GLOW?

Adrian Loveridge Needs Your Advice

Adrian Loveridge needs the advice of the BU and BFP family:

Earlier this week I met with Hartley Henry at his request. He has asked me to write a column which will replace his Thursday half page in the Nation every other week. I have tried to remain politically impartial and have never actually been a party member at any time of my life. It’s a real dilemma for me. There are so many concerning issues out there which both BU and BFP have done a superb job of ensuring at least a substantial percentage of the population are made aware of. I have been promised there will be little or no editorial interference other than writing within the constraints of the restricted defamation laws of Barbados. Of course, I would welcome the opportunity of highlighting certain issues in print, but do not want to loose any credibility as an independent thinker.

I would welcome your comments.

Thanks and Regards

Adrian Loveridge

Barbados Underground Will Not Be Moved

We have been ignoring the ranting of those commenters who prefer to engage in personal attacks towards BU and posters. We were happy to spam such comments. However, we have decided to depart from our normal action to show BU readers the sacrifice we will make when we think a cause is just. Below is a comment posted by someone purporting to be a Barbados Labour Party supporter, we do have our doubts!!

New comment on your post #748 “Airport Security Being Operated By A Fly-By Night Operator”

Author : The Promise of the Darkness (IP: 69.73.226.9 , 69.73.226.9)
E-mail :
URL :
Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=69.73.226.9
Comment:
Ode to Barbados Underground

They will come.

They will come in the darkness of night.

They will come.

Black men in dark clothing, with guns and sirens blazing.

They will come.

They will smash your doors and seize your computers.

They will come.

They will drag you out of your house at 2:00 am.

They will come.

They will take you deep into the bowels of the station and beat you mercilessly.

They will come.

Cruel men. Cruel men. Cruel men.

But in all things be thankful.

But in all things be thankful.

But in all things be thankful.

For when WE come…

We won’t touch you. We won’t beat you.

We only come to watch.

We only come to watch.

We only come to watch.

For when WE come…

We will come silently.

We will come to kill your children.

BFP&E