— Listen to the voice sayin’ follow me
When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score
When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score
We’ve got two tribes (We got the bomb, we got the bomb)
Somethin’ this good died…
For Campaign 2013 I have been asked by numerous folk how much money am I making from both Parties seeking my expertise? 😀 Have news for wunna; I made proposals to both sides, heard nothing from either, but this is good! I have been impartial before and I know in this thin skinned society because I did not “LEAN” either way I have been ignored, this is GREAT! It means when both sides still do crap while pouring money to the radio stations and dead tree media, as they obey pipers, I am open to call matters as I see it… HOWEVER, I refused to attend every catfight & dogfight these two are having, yet I can be sent eMails 6 hours before an event to come rush and cover it? Seriously?
Every time I speak to people from their early 20’s to their mid 40’s the answer remains the same, they seriously doubt if they’re voting! I do know if I still was living in Hastings and had a choice of Verla DePeiza or William Duguid’s successor (I mean successor as well, Maria Agard is a dentist too, she’s a very nice person but I do not see her as a cut/ parry & thrust /riposte MP) then Taan Abed would get my vote in a heartbeat, especially to send a message to both sides! Having interviewed the Coffee addict, I know he sees a great need for reconstruction in this island.
All I can assume is Owen Arthur has genitalia the size of Batts Rock boulders, he claims to wish there was a Code Of Conduct when he never publicly disciplined Noel Lynch for implying David Thompson is in Hell? The DEM’s were no better – Fumble Stuart (I are not running for office, so hush) calls Lynch a woman, while Sinckler says BIPA is struck with feline alopecia?
This is what one of my old schoolmates felt about the entire effort by both sides this Election almost done (To everyone’s relief?);- “The Parties by the Parties are the best Value for No money, so I have heard. {Luciano, Beenie Man, etc.} The economic turmoil appears secondary. If you go to a bank to borrow a $1,000 to buy a snow cone cart as a business? You have to submit a comprehensive business plan with cash flow projections in Triplicate; You need to show how you are going to spend and how you are going to make that money to spend… Apparently to run an economy all that is required is rhetoric, salesman version of the truth, a musical extravaganza, TnT Carnival style music trucks and plenty trees killed to spread the propaganda on the Light company poles. No substantive information required.”
The most significant player in 2013’s hustings has been sidelined and more placidly patient than Samuel Beckett… I mean Mia Mottley, she was on Slam FM looking at how schools were renamed willy-nilly; as a Former Education Minister she felt that with this generation of Secondary pupils being allowed to pass with 40%results, then how do these youngsters go in the world of work & express themselves but when they cannot talk to you – is it any surprise they resort to Violence? {Ed’s Note – Most of the URL’s in this paragraph are full audio tracks}
The Mottley interview on 101.1 FM was a breath of fresh air as it was probably one of the few oases of Sanity during Campaign 2013! She also felt the Jamaican-like fervour for Red or Blue does not create paths for healing and making Barbados return to its former stature – the St Michael North East MP reiterated what she said at Heroes Square on January 18… If Barbados is to rebuild then you need every single Party and foreigners to recreate the standards which had Barbados as a leader within the region. {Ed’s Note – URL’s here are also full audio tracks}
Even with behaviour, both sides have different mannerisms – the Bees usually sycophantically agree and repeat everything at the top of their lungs all of what the current speaker on the platform says; yet while at a DLP session, it is not uncommon for people to block your view and hold heir own chats and God help you if you dare to state you want to ear what’s being said? Maybe if I was Hindu I’d get treated more kindly? Whatever became of the DLP’s City Candidate, Abdul Pandor? I was pleasantly surprised when the Nation examined why no White candidates at all this time around, but the matter was still wide open…
Since the 2 main political parties of Barbados each claim to represent “WE;” apart from the majority where are the Arawak or Carib Candidates, Muslim Bajan Candidates, the White Bajan Candidates and similar for the Hindu Community? What are the platforms to ensure each community gets fair treatment before, during & after Elections? How will it be enforced?
Examining the ineffectivity of the DEM’s… Can the DLP’s tribal devotion in St John truly get it out of its long time slump? Let’s see… Parish of St John under Barrow from 1961 to 1987 (1st as PM, then Opp. Leader, then PM again) and what developments occurred? Thompson holds same constituency from 1987 to 2009 both as Opp. Leader & PM… His widow Mara has same district from 2010 to present, right? What has been done for St John? Do not blame being in Opposition alone! When the BLP’s Richard “Johnny” Cheltenham held St Joseph, he went toe to toe with Arthur to get roads fixed and he was in the then ruling party, how can St John folk be so blinkered? Would it not have been better to elect poor old Evans Webster who ran every Season?
This was when the debut of the School of Government & Politics was laid before a sycophantic few opposite the burnt down Chicken Galore. The Rev. Joseph Atherley told the small gathering the proposed institute is to provide greater scope of what the Barbados Labour Party means to non-Party supporters; Provision of Mentorship, research Library and other training.
The cleric also wanted the institution to be a fulcrum in identifying the Next Generation of MP’s.
When a Prime Minister appoints a Speaker across the region, there’s no change or objection to decision yet as opposed to USA where a President’s suggestion can be vetoed, Sir Louis was citing the aborted battle for Secretary of Defence even by both sides of Congress.
The former Attorney General to “Tom” Adams notes no matter what surveys or people want, the PM decides when Elections will be no matter what the country seeks; such arbitrary discrimination residing in one person is dangerous in the former AG’s view.
In his view, unlike decades ago, Prime Ministers now tend to be aloof from their Cabinet – it used to be when a knock on the door or stop by the PM’s house (don’t stop supporting Party, yet uphold Democracy).
The one-time Education Minister sees the need for more Youth participation in any given Caribbean territory’s Administration
‘Tony’ Thornhill did not feel a PM’s power is absolute; 1 in Barbados and 2 in Australia showed not (Sandiford’s loss in 1994 to deadlocked No Confidence motion) while BLP hopeful Arthur Holder posits there’s a de jure PM but a De Facto leader (hinting Sinckler is De Facto leader, since he was 1st to speak when 2 downgrades happened last year)
The fiery Trevor Prescod asked if there’s a difference between Discretion Vs Constitution, as he saw when the persistence by Stuart in delaying Elections beyond what many expected was a betrayal to Barbadians.
I still felt there was too much spitting on each other and not enough solutions. Why not draw VAT down to 12% but fully across the board? No need for a Duty Free zone nor a Duty Free day, as there would no longer be Tariffs – even Restaurants and Hotels would be expected to pull their weight? To get folk more eager to clear their Land Tax and Road Taxes, why not allow them to pay a 5 year Bulk Fee which can be cleared in 4 months? Which is to say if Road Tax was adjusted to $325 from the steep $400 and if five years was $1275 but cleared in 4 monthly installments then no worries until 2018 would you want to chance your wheels being illegal if the fee is so reasonable? But no, let’s see who can be nastiest – this one is ugly, this one is in Hell, this one is a woman, this one is a hairless cat… Yet you wonder why youth have no wish to choose?
It is such a malaise which created an interesting session at the Grand Salle when Global Youth Shapers, the Barbados Edition tried to answer such concerns recently.
A young man saw a November concert as Culture finally being recognised as a Business, in his view? “Rock The Rock” was a step in right direction for Bajans to create a Music festival without waiting for Government to save the day.
Chris Harper, formerly of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation believes means must be established to find a quantitative and qualifiable to show both Government and/or Business how Culture is worthwhile to sponsor (Harper cited how 50 people for a Wedding came to Barbados due to one evening at a hotel’s music night)
Ebonnie Rowe, the HOney Jam impresario, however is of a different view she sees Governmental funding & responsibility is any Bajan’s right and people need to hold MP’s accountable (Speaking from her Foreign perspective, Canada provides Cultural funding in so many areas… Whether film or music, etc.)
Videographer Rivelino Simmons is of the opinion CBC is biggest cultural killer, why charge new producers money to create material for THEIR channel which lacks local material and carries old and boring soap operas from South Africa?
Again it was Mia Mottley who indicated a way forward, she urged how electoral reform is necessary. It’s important for all sides to contribute to Democracy, with a national consensus on the next step. Spend more on Food & Light than Mortgages. Quality of Social Capital is paramount, which places Barbados above other islands.
In her view, Barbadians of all ages must become politically involved, not just at a Party level but governing fates, stop looking to curse and start to build.
Also at the session was Peter Wickham who admitted the Youth vote is very fickle, enters school as Socialist but this notion ceases on entering the work-force. The CADRES polster slammed the DEM’s and praised BLP in terms of Youth development. He feels this makes young voters more analytical which Politicians fear. {Ed’s. Note – Is it enough, or is too much too late?}
If you recall I mentioned how a Poll I had gave the PEP a 23% favour with potential electorate, but instead of capitalising on an excellent opportunity to provide a new avenue for Bajans frustrated with the lack of handling relevant issues? The PEP have opted to cower in the shadows! As it was, I was seriously thinking of voting for Rosita Broome; now I may have to opt for a Write In candidate? Either Bussa who accepts no foolishness… Or do I select Ossie Moore, at least with him you KNOW to expect foolishness!
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