Antiguans and Barbudans are politically backward in many respects. We are. It is the truth and while you may not want to swallow that truth, it isn’t going anywhere. We do not seem to embrace the full spectrum of ideas associated with liberal democracy – The idea upon which our political system is based.
We don’t like the idea of a vibrant multiparty democracy with high levels of accountability and transparency from the government. We want the same thing we have always had. A choice between two parties who differ very little on political or economic practices and only differ on two issues: (1) How corrupt they are, and (2) How effective they are at implementing policy. Outside of this, the UPP and ABLP are pretty damn similar.
They both espouse the same dead end economic policy of clamouring for foreign investment to build mega luxury hotels and condos to create a handful of upper income jobs, slightly more middle income jobs, and a whole lot of lower income jobs.
Neither the UPP nor the ABLP has espoused any serious shift in economic policy for the nation, nor suggested a plan for coordinating the education, labour, and financial sectors toward building up industries other than tourism. Essentially, each administration arrives in office devoid of any real economic growth and development strategy and simply attempts to RAMP UP the decades old FDI tourism charade.
What does that mean? Sell more land. Give more concessions. Raze more coastline. Create more all-inclusives. Over and over and over. They are big onto luxury property development now as well, for whatever boom it brings in terms of construction.
The result is that they create economies of wealth that are largely inaccessible to the average Antiguan and Barbudan. They have destroyed much of the coastal vegetation, wildlife, and sea life, and more and more they privatise access to beaches.
There is a silent mantra in Antigua and Barbuda that the best parts of this island should be parcelled out for the exclusive enjoyment of the rich. If the land is pristine, picturesque, and dreamy, the best thing to do, is to give a developer the all clear to build right up on the beach, reduce access to the public to the absolute minimum, and bulldoze all the vegetation that supports biodiversity and related recreational and economic activity.
On the political front, no party has engaged in any meaningful reform of the political system of the public sector in over 3 decades.
There’s been virtually zero constitutional reform. That’s an embarrassment for any administration. There’s been no reform to bring in fair and reasonable forms of local government – a system that, if done right, could break the sickening habit of reisdnets having to contact MPs and Ministers directly simply to get basic local community issues addressed.
There has been no reform to ensure that there is always a healthy sized opposition in Parliament, regardless of an election result.
There has been absolutely no reform aimed at creating independent authorities to probe allegations of maladministration, wastage, corrupt contracting, corruption, overspending, etc. None. Absolutely none.
There has been no reform to better empower and equip independent authorities to handle the issue of boundaries, elections, and electoral reform, and or malpractice. ABEC does its best, but is limited by its mandate and the lack of scope and resource given to it by law.
The list is endless.
There has been no reform to the public sector despite the fact that it is overstaffed, underresourced, in need of greater expertise, and in need of greater legal protection from politicians.
Look no further for an indication that the economy is stagnant than the fact that the economy is NEVER doing well enough that politicians feel confident that they can downsize the civil service.
We know the public sector is bloated. We know it needs to be rationalised. But politicians know that they cannot do it because the private sector cannot absorb those people. But hold on, I thought the economy was booming! Is it not booming?
Nepotism and clintelism is rife in the non-established sector and in statutory corporations where politicians have more influence. Every major segment of the public service is understaffed and underpaid – police offices, public school teachers, and nurses.
Added to that, public servants are as much victims as they are guilty. They are victims of a poorly designed system where politicians have too much power, public servants have too little protection in standing up for what is right, change is slow, pay is low, and mobility is non meritocratic.
But many of them are also some of the most useless, lazy and incompetent people you will ever encounter. Many of them should be fired for lateness, poor customer service, insubordination, abuse of leave, abuse of sick days, incompetence and dishonesty.
Successive administrations have prioritised retention in the public service as opposed to performance, and have propped up a cancerous culture of mediocrity in the workplace which is pervasive throughout the entire country.
Where the hell is a country going when its public service is so unfit for purpose? The public service is supposed to be the tip of the spear, not a repository for the least qualified and most unemployable people in society.
The public service is meant to be the state’s primary resource for reshaping the social and economic reality of the country by providing the highest standard of services and intervening in a myriad of ways to correct the problems of the economy and society.
Its members need to be efficient, highly qualified, versatile, dedicated and effective at their jobs.
Does that sound like Antigua and Barbuda’s public service to you? Our service screams entitlement, laziness and incompetence.
Just as bad is the fact that the governments does not to this day, maintain enough real estate to house its own civil servants, and still spends significant sums of/ taxpayers’ dollars to rent space from a consortium of different landlords. Government buildings are routinely in disrepair.
That the government should be a tenant to so many landlords is a disgusting concept which indicates the complete and utter lack of self-awareness of the leaders of this country.
Then we have a bizarre and frankly asinine taxation regime in this country which is flouted shamelessly by those with political connections and by those to whom politicians have dolled out free passes and concessions in exchange for things known and unknown.
We have zero income tax. Zero. But we have outlandish taxes slapped on much of what comes in at the port. So Gaston Browne pays no income tax on his double digit salary as Prime Minister. And the CEO of a major company pays no income tax in their double digit salary.
But the poor man pays more for everything from a lawnmower, to laptop for his child, to a phone, to the furniture he wants for his home. Do you think Gaston Browne or the CEO flinch when they have to buy a lawnmower? Or a laptop? Or a phone? Or some living room chairs?
So who exactly does it really benefit, to have no income tax, while at the same time, putting high import taxes on so many of the goods we need, but do not produce here? It only makes life harder for those who earn less, when you try to get most of your tax revenue from consumption. And we have a lot of poor people in this country who earn very little. I guess they can always go to their MP and beg.
But hey, Gaston Browne says income tax is a no no. He’s worked in banking, so he must know what he talking about, right? So he and others in a higher income bracket will pay less, while you in a lower income bracket will be told, “sorry, the government doesn’t have the money to fix x, y, or z right now”.
And we smile and bend over for it.
Antigua and Barbuda has such a massive problem of income inequality that we cannot avoid being classified as a high income country due to the obscene pockets of (untaxed) wealth in the country, which in tern, causes us to be excluded from opportunities for grants and concessional funding from international sources.
Who loses? The poorest. Look at the state of the housing stock in this country. Look at the ghottos that nobody wants to call ghettos but which we know are ghettos. Look at the complete absence of any form of national urban renewal plan. They have never even conceived of such a thing. Never.
Imagine if 30 years ago, in 1993, the government enacted a housing and urban renewal policy that dictated that every effort be made to incentivize people who wanted to build a new home to do so in a designated, modern community development, and not in the traditional underdeveloped and ghetto areas that we inherited from the colonial period.
Imagine if the government used the vast amount of land it came into possession of during the 20th century to execute this policy through offering potential new homeowners land swaps, to exchange the private land they owned in these older communities and would otherwise build on, for a plot they could build on in a new development with good roads, modern utilities, a modern design, and accommodation for things like community complexes, public offices and small businesses.
You would slowly decongest the overcrowded, delpidated, aesthetically unappealing communities that many now live in and drive all new home construction to moden new residential developments.
You could partner with housing companys, offering contracts to build subsidized homes. You could attract domestic investment to construct apparements for those who want that option.
Imagine what our communities would look like today with a modicum of planning and foresight. And after 30 or 40 years of the operation of such a policy, you would have significantly decongested the communities that were never properly designed, serviced, and planned in the first place – and it would become easier to get people out of them, raze what remains, and then build anew.
Why can’t Antigua’s residential communities have planned parks for recreation? Proper community and public use centres for after classes, youth clubs, sports, and community administration? Why can’t they have designated zones integrated into the community for small businesses to offer services to the residents? Why are we so content to treat these things as unobtainable?
Why do we want to live like rats and dogs without efficient basic services, with rancid gutters outside our homes, and with streets that flood with a few minutes of rain?
Our island is so run down, unplanned, dotted with ghettos, and unclean, that anyone who wants to build a hotel here realises that they need to keep the tourists inside and make the property all-inclusive. Because realistically, why would they want visitors to drive down Old Parham Road or Factory Road and be hit with the stench of chicken fat and piss mixing in the gutter outside a fast food shack? Why?
The stink and dirt and filth that we have accustomed ourselves to in St. John’s, and on Factory Road, and on Old Parham Road, and in our communities, IS NOT NORMAL. IT IS DISGUSTING.
They trim the grass now and then when they feel like it, and we breathe a sigh of relief, as if the place is not still a hot, haphazard, decaying mess.
Meanwhile, politicians are being knighted. For what exactly? Nothing in the place works. They told us the other day that at one point there were only 3 garbage trucks servicing the WHOLE COUNTRY. They told us it was because of technical problems that needed repair, and admitted that the contractors were not maintaining their vehicles, etc.
WHO HAS TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT NONSENSE AND RESIGNED? WHO HAS BEEN FIRED? THREE TRUCKS FOR A NATION OF 100,000 PEOPLE? THAT IS A CRIME! EVERY WEEK THEY ARE LATE!
AT THIS VERY MOMENT I HAVE TWO AND HALF WEEKS OF GARBAGE WAITING TO BE PICKED UP. I AM SICK TO MY EARS OF THIS COUNTRY. WASTEMEN IN GOVERNMENT! WASTEMEN IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY!
Heaven help us. All they do is handout, handout, handout, and payout, payout, payout. But they build and develop next to nothing. And when they do, they stand in line for a knighthood. They have no vision. Our leaders are merely travelling salesmen.
The core philosophy of our political parties is patronage – use state resources or the influence of public office to immediately satisfy the wants and desires of your tribe perpetually, thereby diminishing the time, energy and resource of the state spent on investment in policy solutions and infrastructure, in turn ensuring national stagnation.
Look at the state of social security – plundered and starved in a collaboration between the ABLP and the UPP to impoverish the most vulnerable in society. Always late or just broke as f. No accountability.
Clinics with no staff and no supplies. Wtf is that? Mental hospital where people casually walk in and sell drugs to the patients. What TF IS THAT??? Young men idle left right and centre doing nothing but smoking weed 24/7, and the only interaction so called leaders have with them is to ask them for a vote.
Then we go begging and complaining on the international stage about how unfortunate we are and why we are entitled to the world’s money. Reader, please take heed of what I say. Your country is not underdeveloped in 2023 because of colonialism or because of globalisation.
READ IT AGAIN, PLEASE.
YOUR COUNTRY IS NOT UNDERDEVELOPED IN 2023 BECAUSE OF COLONIALISM OR BECAUSE OF GLOBALISATION.
Your country is underdeveloped in 2023 because you keep electing talentless, visionless, incompetent, self-interested, greedy, corrupt, nepotistic people to spend your money (public funds) for you.
You keep electing people who at first, see a position of national leadership primarily as a prestigious personal achievement, and thereafter as an entitlement until death.
You keep electing people who genuinely have no coherent vision for where they want to take you. Unsurprisingly, they then lead you in circles. At the end of the journey, you are exhausted and have gained nothing.
Sit down with your representative and ask them how they wished people in Antigua and Barbuda lived, what kind of jobs they wished people in Antigua and Barbuda had, and what kind of society they want Antigua and Barbuda to be, then ask them how they think we can get there, and in what time frame. Their responses will most likely be ingenuine and disappointing.
The truth is that most of the people you elected are out to make their own lives easier, not yours. They are following their own path to self actualization, not setting a path for your children. They are enjoying the personal, professional, and financial benefits OF receiving and dolling out patronage as a member of a party in power. The holistic development of your country is an afterthought.
They do not lose sleep over their failure to deliver even the most basic services with consistency, because that is not their primary goal in office. Their primary goal is to be in office and enjoy the status and entitlements associated with it. They are the antithesis of change. They thrive on the status quo.
They thrive on being able to throw scraps at the poor and win another election. They thrive in a system with no oversight of their actions and no accountability for their failures. They thrive on being mediocre people with nothing comprehensive to offer you except favours and handouts and their influence. BUT NO REFORM AND NO PLAN.
Sincerely,
Ernest J. Farfingbottom
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Thank you Ernest J. Farfingbottom
Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
Blah! Blah! All you people do is complain. What can you personally do to improve the lives of Antiguans and Barbudans.
@Antiguanman8, did you not see what people like me did, doing and trying to do but is being hindered. What kind of ignorant response was that?
They are valid complaints on the merit. You need to help politicians accountable, to do their job also and not just what each of us citizens and civilians can do.
We do not have access to state funds like politicians do but most of us do more than the politicians.
You have to stop being ABLP and be for the People. You still have ABLP as your party, which is fine, but push them to do better and more. Doing so does not require you to leave your God ABLP that you can not hear anything bad about.
Focus on progress and use sense.
@Antiguanman8 you are an ingrate. So you are proud of the way Antigua is? You all are wicked and evil. Shameful just f Shameful.
Spot on! The reason for no change is Nothing has changed! The colonial masters are now black, greedy, and ignorant, extracting for themselves as the colonials have always done. Their ignorance in development is the reason for the state of the island, and born in the ghetto, they have normalized ‘life in the ghetto’ throughout the island where the island people occupy.
The clean areas, hilltops and beaches are reserved for FDI projects. Antigua is ruined and Barbuda is being programmed to be a newly rich ghetto of 450 homes, serving new Massas by Mexican & Phillipinos, replacing the native Barbudan who will be reduced to almost slaves again in their own island!
100% Truth and facts.
Regardless of anyone’s political affiliation – This article was Spot-on Accurate.
We boast of a booming cruise sector, of homeport…over 50,000 passengers transiting through our port and yet there is no land side facility, no terminal. What we have is a circus, an temporary tent is erected, mobile toilets. Seriously?
This article is not helpful. You started with your broad brush, suggesting that all that is happening now would have still happened if there was a change of govt! Would we have had the Alpha Nero mess?? See, those kinds of decisions come from a dark place where ABLP alone resides. They and they alone are taking this country down . So although you may not recognize it, because you do not want to deal with them directly and singly, you are giving them cover. Focus man! Focus.
Thank you for writing this honest social commentary.
You hit the nail on the head @ Ernest Farfingbottom, though painful to read in some parts.
Antiguans have been “played” by our politicians for far too long, and they have forgotten that they serve “us” the general public for the greater good.
However Ernest, the positive outcome to what you and many articulate and the enlightened Antiguans have highlighted in our politics and politicians, is that more and more citizens now understand the duplicitous, self-enrichment and underhand practices at play.
HOPEFULLY AT LAST, ANTIGUANS ARE NOW WAKING UP FROM THEIR POLITICAL SLUMBER …
You really think so, wide awake in a deep slumber more like. How long before they really wake up?
We rejected the A.C.L.M ….enough said!
I think Ernest is depressed … might be the rain
Get some sleep or fresh air, you will feel better
Fact: We live, where others vacation…some people wish not to be in the cold concrete fast-paced better-organized world; others don’t have a choice.
I try to be thankful for the good while cognizant of the bad. Some days, I too get depressed and focus on the bad. Usually I feel better after venting.
Fact: Until we die, we have to live. So may we have the serenity, have the courage and have the wisdom.
Love❤️
@Ernestine, the world is good and bad but that does not mean we cannot try to make it more good. That does not mean we must accept the bad and not attempt to make it better. It does not mean that us leaving the concrete to vacation at the beach is us conveying Antigua’s governments and procedures makes sense.
Antigua is a small Island, I honestly believe with better government each and every citizen should have already have nearly a million in their bank account, free advance medical care, free education up to at least a Bachelors degree, proper and adequate government services but they have none of those.
In fact to win elections, candidates are talking about gutter cleaning and grass cutting as a gift to voters because in 2023 these services are still rare, considered gifts.
The name alone says where this article should be. All set of platitudes and pie in the sky talk.
Apart from tourism name one area Antigua can EFFECTIVELY compete in globally or regionally.
What is lamentable here is that this writer has not offered himself/herself up for public service. Attaining higher education has made many of us live in a state of Utopia.
We know how to fix everything. We know how to make it perfect. Notwithstanding that many things mentioned are a reality, one must take into consideration the culture of our people. For many things to work, there must be buy-in by almost every citizen or resident of the country.
There would have to be a paradigm shift in the thought process of the people.
For things to radically change, democracy would have to be abandoned, and perhaps adopt a fascist or communist dictatorship style policy.
The mentality and educational level of almost every single person would have to be elevated.
One of the disadvantages of higher learning is it can create a level of angst, anger, annoyance, apathy to one’s environment.
We become “know-it-all” but do nothing to begin the process of the change we wish to see. Only talk. How many civic organizations do we support? How many charities are we connected with? How altruistic are we with our gains in wealth and/or education?
Don’t misinterpret my response to your musings, but being euphoric in your thinking accomplishes nothing whatsoever! Just noise and no one really hears you. Some may agree but check back in a decade, if you’re still alive to see if anything has changed.
We are politically partisan driven people who culturally cannot see the big picture.
“One hand washes the other”. “One hand can’t clap.” Unknown authors.
The PM, any PM, for that matter, has to answer to the financial voter moreso than the local voter. Hence, you, as the verbosely astute writer that you are, ought to have known this before penning this disdainful epistle, condemning the condemning the common man for his decision or choices.
We are born, we eat, excrete, we repeat, then, we die. (I can’t rhyme)
Slow your role. If you want a different society, you have to migrate to another part of the world where the structure meets your perfect standards.
So stop blaming everything and everyone else and take responsibility for you.
Nat you, nah, nah, nah, nah, Nat teday.
God bless Antigua and Barbuda. 🇦🇬
Says the wife beater from overseas
I am in love. Perfectly said. It was so perfectly said that I believe the word perfect is an insult to this article because it was beyond perfect. The writer is amazing.
This articles expresses everything I was thinking. I was just thinking in the US when I am representing a client in an immigration case and Immigration screw-up, commit an error, I can proceed to both an administrative appeals process and even to congress men and women or senators who all have staff to contact the USCIS (immigration) and express to them the error in which (USCIS) must respond and typically correct the error when they see the politicians are involve.
In Antigua, I has a problem with an administrative agency, the police and the firearms board, and I contacted the Prime Minister, Attorney General, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the representative of constituency at the time, Mr. Samantha Marshall and pleaded for them to intervene because the business that I am opening is a matter of National Interest and National security base on its substantial merit and National importance. Do you every one of the ABLP politicians ignored me, this is the party that my entire mother’s family support and never once flipflopped. I even preferred them, and all of them ignored my request or say they can not help. What kind of government officials are able to say they can not help dealing with any government agencies in the US? None. They literally have the power to help. Not like Antiguan politicians who say they will not help because they did not get all the money they wanted or because it is not their family or friend who us starting the business. Every politicians can intervene in the US when government agencies are delaying results, committing errors, etcetera, even by simply sending a letter. Recently on the news USCIS is delaying work authorization so 31 congress people wrote a letter to USCIS recommending they give all expired work authorization cards automatic extension to 540 days, even if it is expires. USCIS agreed and did the same. While the politicians I admired, looked up to, respected, wanted to meet, told me they can not help or intervene or outright ignored my plea for them to simply demand for a decision to be made on the merit and expeditiously so I can stay in Antigua and open my office that will employ 5 to 50 people, donate $100,000.00 to the village of bolans, and donate the other National security/police devices and equipment I was told the police wanted. I literally purchase them with a garage full, bedroom full of these night vision tactical goggles, metal detectors, helmets, laptops, walkie talkies battery, walkie talkies, vehicle tracking devices, and even vehicles to donate to the police in honor of the fallen officer in the motorbike accident.
But instead my role model the soon to be knighted Cutie Benjamin ignored my pleas (we both know why), Samantha Marshall (she always ignores any request for assistance I ask for and send you elsewhere), Prime Minister Brown also ignored it saying he can not intervene when the law clearly shows he can but I am not his son. Then asked Chet Green for help, nothing. Lionel maxhurst (all arrogance, no empathy). But my family is still the biggest supporters of them. I have some patience, because I can not wait for any of these family members of mine to want my help, I will say go to your politicians. I will not be rude but I will be firm. These are the politicians my family members almost cut off my neck for. You think any of these politicians care like I did for you? Did any politicians send you money during the pandemic? Did they help you during the pandemic? Who did? And I am not saying this for praise, I am trying to show you who genuinely loves you more.
My family members and voters do not actually realize that zero of these politicians care for you and love you at the level you should be loved and cared for. But it is not just ABLP that is most incompetent and uncaring and should never be supported until they change but also the UPP also.
Like I said in precious blogs in around the year 2009 I contacted UPP for assistance while I was in Law school asking for assistance and they refused me stating there are too many lawyers so they are not giving any grants and loans, even though they did not know I knew people who immediately before and after I asked were getting grants and loans from UPP for law studies and other studies because they were well connected to the UPP.
Both parties are the most uncaring, corrupted, dishonest, deceitful and the worse part of it is that my family is so ignorant and dunce that cannot detect they are being used, manipulated, and lied too.
Anyway, the above article states every single thing that I wanted to express and I fully endorse the above article.
Antigua and Barbuda will never ever be more base on how stupid the public is that includes my family members. They will not progress until they figure out they deserve more from their leaders and instead of defending their leaders, it is their leaders that needs to defend them and do the work for the public and the work will defend the politicians. But they will never do the work.
I had to give up on my dreams of opening up a business location in Antigua that brings in correctly for me in the US over $100,000 week and base on research would have substantially increased if I had an overseas location but uncaring, incompetent and selfish politicians ignored every plea for help I made.
I can truly say today, ABLP and UPP are not the best for Antigua and I have zero interest in Antigua politics because a man like me does not qualify. I am honest, I became rich outside of politics working morally and legally hard, I share my money, I do the right things even when I am certain the other person would not have shared with me and never shared with me in the passed, even when I do not like fish and asked for the fish head to try and was refused it that person still say, oh I have no money and stupid me gave that person $10,000 cash who could not share a fish head knowing I have not had such in years.
The family God put me in, he should not have put me in, I would have been okay without a family. Without being treated like cochroach because this family is so backward and have no self-respect that they truly think ABLP care anything for me and would listen to those people over anything I have to say any day. But my heart have been hardened, and maybe when they read this they will never ask me for anything but I am waiting for that day to come for them to ask, if they ask.
The worse leaders are those leaders that see their people trying to make a positive difference to help himself, his family, his community and tell that person I can not help or ignore him like the politicians I mentioned here. Why this hurt more than what UPP did to me is because all my life ABLP was who I preferred, the attorney General was my rolemodel, the person I see on TV that was part of my motivation as a child to complete my law studies in the US. This man that I stupidly thought was a great man ignored by need for help for selfish reasons. A good leader would use this opportunity and help me despite…. but that is when you know you have the worse leaders on this earth.
My family needs to read my comment and the article here, I this these together may open an eye or two. Maybe because they are not too sensible rationally.
@my way of..This reference to both parties is what is killing us. Whoever got that into Antiguans, not Barbudans, psyche did an apparently genius thing. However, when examined closely, it’s a way to avoid personal responsibility. Where are we going to get better politicians from? Politicians come from us! And, my from observations other countries have similar problems with politicians. Where we fall down is not to notice which set can be controlled by the people and which set cannot.
It is clear from the decisions Gaston has made, that the glory of the nation first and foremost is not his first concern. It is also clear that no one in his party or cabinet care to reign him in. It is also clear that their party being in power is the most important thing to ABLP supporters. So, where are we? And, what must we do?
My take is: Vote people OUT! The citizenry needs to realize that we must not make joke with these people. Ok, so UPP was voted out. So why the hell is ABLP still there, while a simply thing like picking up my garbage is 4 weeks behind? And, then to think we are paying so much for another Vanity move- “teifing” rich people yacht! I could go but hopefully the point is made. We must develop a culture of voting people out. Especially when we see they will spend anything to stay in.
I approve this article, very good points citizens need to wake up!
Have mercy! You hit the nail dead smack on the head!!!!!!
The problem I have with this article is the broadbrushing,over generalizations and all inclusive Antiguans.
The writer must be aware of the fact that numerous Antiguans have studied and lived abroad in civilized societies where the rule of law applies to all without prejudice. Ask Imran Khan. Ask Donald Trump. What this article lacks are such key words as,most,many,the majority etc.
I think the good citizens of SMS would find this article offensive. In spite of the lunatic DAWG doing what he does, spending millions and throwing all the government’s resources at them, they rejected him and his Judas, giving hope to many here who have the capacity for rational thought.
Take a good look at ovals..
Look at the deplorable state of that constituency..
That once middle class area,
Looks totally ghetto,
and the representative wants a
us to give him a sir. Huh !
am I missing something here?
Some people and politicians have some nerve
But you know what
You get a government you deserve
Without vision the people do really perish!
I feel sad for antigua
It’s gonna take a miracle to bring us back from this dark abyss🙏🏽
I see no lies
I want to pay for this article to be place at the top of the list on this news agency for a few days. It deserves it. This news agency need to be able to take card payments.
This article is deep, and done in good-faith. What else do you need to know you deserve better Antigua and Bolans Village?
You can keep whatever political party you love but make them do better. You deserve better despite you thinking otherwise.
I have been saying this for years!! Both ABLP AND UPP are worthless! Every time I hear of another hotel being built I want to vomit. Part of the problem is also the entire Caribbean region is fighting and NOT united. You think North America, Europe and Asia wants us to be independent and can sustain ourselves? NO!
Foreigners are the same. They think they can come into our country and pass around a few dollars and they get what they want. And they don’t just do this for politicians….every day Antiguans suck it up as well. We hear how they speak.
We create all these little shops and stores in English Harbour for example to cater to the yachties and our own locals can’t even afford to shop there. The yachties come in and we swoon over them and the locals come in and they look at them as if they are there to steal.
My friend Mr Author…we are all to blame to our current situation. All our political parties have failed us and we have failed ourselves.
Until Politicians change from being Politicians and become Statesmen, things will remain as it is.
While, Lie Detector Tests are not admissible, in many Courts/jurisdictions, they’re still a very useful tool, to investigators in helping to either eliminate, and or reduce the #pool_of_suspects.
ALL POLITICIANS AND THOSE ASPIRATING TO BECOME POLITICIANS MUST(should) BE SUBJECTED TO A LIE DETECTOR TEST IN PUBLIC, regarding personal finances to Manifesto promises.
The forensics, evidence(s) and witnesses can then be used, to determine the quality of the politicians which we have, and the quality of the aspirants!
TEST MUST BE ADMINISTERED SPORADICALLY AND SPONTANEOUSLY.
Cut the #crap, it ain’t Rice Pudding nor Maw!
Ras Smood aka Jumbee_Picknee
De ‘ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
To the writer
I hope you take some solace in the term: “Shooting the Messenger”. What you have written is above their pay grade.
It has always been the case and not surprising here; that those who view your message is unfitting, they question as well as blame you the writter for such bad news and take their anger out on you.
Most have no clue of the historical context and how did we get here. VC Bird Sr. wanted to get Antiguans out of the hot sun in the cotton and sugar estates. In his view making beds and cooking meals were a better alternative. The same principle and economic model remains after almost 100 years.
I empathize with you; should you feel disconnected given stupidity, ignorance and arrogance in most of the comments here.
It speaks to his much of a long way we have to go.
Yes Winston, yes 👏🏾
These foreign hungry belly people are so ignorant it’s not funny. What democracy on the planet supports more than 2 major parties with a realistic possibility of forming a government? When did the NDP form the government in Canada or Lib Dems in the UK or the greens in Germany? America has 350 million smaddy, 30 trillion debt, and 1K mass shootings every year, millions in UK going to food banks all with 2 party, but Antigua must hab 10, utter poppycock.
Lawd! A Coo Dey: Tap nah! Tap nah Jack. Your thoughts are becoming infectious: I feel your pain, and heartily concur. A laka Colonial Back-raw, dem warn fu be. Like long neck Ostriches, with heads buried deeply in the proverbial sinking sand. And common sense is an uncommon perversion for you and I. As, I hang my head and sigh: A true, fu true.
@Dave Ray,
At least you have come to your senses and stop using the fake-ass doctorate.
This is a thoughtful comprehensive “letter to the editor” that gets to many of the issues that has plaques Antigua.
Rather than question the integrity of the writer; put up your record while you wait for your ambassador assignment.
You write: “reality, one must take into consideration the culture of our people”. What is that culture ? A culture that’s loves and is dependent on crooked incompetent politicians?
You write: “For many things to work, there must be buy-in by almost every citizen or resident of the country”.
Another of your dumb comments.
Why does everyone needs to buy-in to what I don’t know. They need to get portable water and the trash to be picked up. Teachers and nurses need better pay. What’s the buyin?
@Tennan had an arguable point for the net gain to the economy when addressing the writers criticism against subsided festivals. Junkanoo in Nassau, Bahamas supports the writers point.
Where do you pull these stupid ass ideas from when you write: “For things to radically change, democracy would have to be abandoned, and perhaps adopt a fascist or communist dictatorship style policy.”
That simply says you don’t even know JR HS political science.
Please Stick to the wig enhancement business.
Absolutely correct @ Dwaine Frazer, you totally pulled apart Dave Ray’s difference of opinions and his points of views brilliantly!
Take a bow sir …
Lol, personal attacks is your only way of responding to people with whom you disagree? I don’t expect to receive honor from my own. I obtain it where it matters, and has the ability to advance my career.
Continue to wallow in the ignorance and the mediocrity being espoused by the writer. I’m good where I am. I’m able to shower every hour, if I so choose at varying temperature levels. I enjoy full health insurance, eat well always because I choose to live life differently, void of complaining with no end in sight.
I have studied and traveled across this world, and have gained the knowledge necessary for my survival.
So go on ahead and attempt to disparage my comments. You will be in the same conundrum ten years from now, even with a change of administration.
The issue with many of you is that you know how to throw shade, but are unable to modify your problems.
You’re a complaining people. You add nothing to the growth and development of your country, only your nasty tongues. Trust me, I’m good.
Fake-doctorate and ambassadorial assignment? Really now? You know much more than I do…
Bon chance…
This should turned into a series of seminal courses and part of the social science and political science curriculum in our schools.
Again, couldn’t disagree with you more Dwaine, maybe you and Dave Ray could present both sides of this discourse in schools across the country, so that our students can evaluate and then debate the issues for themselves.
I’d love to adjudicate, but I’m sure Mr Ray would call foul 😁
(Dr). PHD Ray
When you comment on the writer: “Don’t misinterpret my response to your musings, but being euphoric in your thinking accomplishes nothing whatsoever!” That’s a criticism and personal attack on the writer.
When you write: “Just noise and no one really hears you”. You certainly heard enough to chime in.
Further, your statement: “Some may agree but check back in a decade, if you’re still alive to see if anything has changed”.
Do you realize how stupid that statement is, in view of the fact you a question if the writer has offered himself for public office?. If you did not consider the writer a thought leader, why would you raise such a possibility?
Interesting even though you suggest what’s written will not create any change. (and) We are politically partisan driven people who culturally cannot see the big picture.
Actions, become habits, and habits become cultural.
What’s needed is a cultural change; and that can only be achieved through education.
I hope when you travel the world, you stop by the museums of the countries and cities you visit; sit in on some university lectures and visit their local libraries and archives.
Study their culture and what brought you to those places other than white sand beaches.
@Brixtonian … be aware that
Dave Ray is a light heavyweight, trying to punch above his weight.
My message to him and many others who tries to degrade the writer. Your ignorance shows when all you can do is lie and obfuscate by avoiding the truth with local vernacular consistent with run shop talking points.
The taxation/duty system in Antigua has always been inendated with greed and corruption, don’t know when that will stop.
The custom workers are forever pocketing their take from the products that come into the island. This was back in 2005, but my cousin was getting married and sent down a wedding ring for her that she picked out, the value of the ring was $200us back then,so I sent it, do you know when she went to get the ring they charged her close to $950EC to clear the little box with the ring in it from customs, smdh. Also a $1000. So yeah we have always known that many have been getting rich and ripping off the system for year.
Meant to say almost a $1000
Wise article. We all need to rant at times. Hilarious in parts. The truth is often so sad. The termonolgy is Tragic Pathos.
To illustrate how we work in AU. I live in a low lying potentially dangerous area with all the forecast flooding. Irresponsible building work has been going on and the road is already two feet higher than it was..mud covers what was grass. Several properties are threatened. Tried to call the planning department and other related ministerial depts. No answer. Disaster finally gave me a number. Promises. No sign of anyone. The most concrete and only advice I have had from someone in an advisory position is ‘make it worth their while’ I did this to achieve things years ago. Now I’ve got no more money left. Perhaps our PM can lend me some.
IMHO the writer makes some good and also some misguided points. To truly understand why people choose to behave in certain ways, one would have to interact with them, and actually listen to what they have to say. The article points out some flaws in society but then assumes that they are the all the fault of this person and that person without considering the reality of history (slavery), environment, available resources including human etc. E.g. it is difficult for the average person to access water, adequate healthy food, adequate housing, transportation, even busfare. These are not just nice to have but they affect a person’s efficiency. Before you fire the public servant who is always late or has a bad attitude, do you bother to ask them if they had any water flowing in their pipe so they could move quickly in the morning? Or, if they ate enough breakfast to have the energy to walk quickly? Or, if they had to spend time arguing with family members on how to spend their limited resources that day before they could leave the house? Or, if they had to walk because they couldn’t afford the $2 busfare that day? Or, if they received supplies from the workplace yet to do their jobs? It is great to aspire to and work towards a perfect system, but is unrealistic to expect certain levels of perfection to be sustained in a resource-poor environment. Similarly with voting… Sure one party is not perfect, but has the other party shown that they are any better? Has either party really spent time asking what people actually want and need in their communities before pushing their own ideas on people? Voters do their best under the circumstances. Things can change for the better, but it would not be such a simple easy fix. It begins with fully educating the young people to take on various roles and start various industries, then giving them the resources and assistance needed for their startups to progress and listening to stakeholders and workers before making decisions in the workplace and wider society, and supporting people who are trying to do things for the right reasons instead of trying to hold them down, so working together for the common good, building each other up, supporting the weakest link instead of always seeking to cast blame and tear each other down, thereby dismantling the very society we claim we want to improve. Overtime, as infrastructure improves and industries improve and there is more money and more resources in the hands of the common man and woman, so will efficiency, politics and everything else also improve.
@ Dr Ray at el,
The Author has written a thoughtful and seminal piece which clearly outlines many of the fundamental problems that plague our society.
The question is what is the pathway to changing and transformation of what has become a poisonous culture.
Since the days of Tim Hector and Selwyn Walters no one has writter a thoughtful analysis on the topic on the failure of public policies that’s plaguing our society.
It’s time for you to get beyond the hocus and pretentious nuff and edge character and persona you quite often display.
Your use of LOL is an internet meme created by the airhead valley girls.
But let me continue.
You criticized by asking the writter has has he done. He has written a letter to the editor that challenges the current system of governance.
This article really highlighted what has been happening in our country. Under the Gaston Browne administration this country have gotten poorer. We have lost all international bank and the policies that existed to help the poor man out of the dull drum is gone. The credit unions are charging 18% on a loan imagine that. The current taxation takes every penny from the poor and they clamor to the slots machine for rescue but get poorer. I pray that someone would get a crop sprayer plane and spray some common sense over our nation. We need help.
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