CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
By Yves Ephraim
I find it interesting that as Antiguans and Barbudans, we have become so entrenched in partisan party politics that there appears to be no objectivity when it comes to issues of the general national interests.
From observation, it appears that the party’s interests is always more important than the national interests, even if we have to defy good logic, morality, precedence or common sense.
It is my conviction that our colonial masters have so designed the terms of our independence so that we will be more concerned with fighting each other than becoming a threat to their hegemony.
And it appears to be working extremely well.
I yearn for the day when the national interest comes first.
Ideally, it would be good if at all times, the interests of all the parties’ leadership would coincide with the national interests.
With 44 years of political independence, what exactly can adult citizens like myself say has been objectively improved, having experienced life before and after independence.
Mind you, I am not suggesting that some things have not improved but rather that those improvements are not significant compared to the areas of greater importance to the wellbeing of ordinary Antiguans and Barbudans.
Let me be specific by listing just 13 concerns that most will agree are of utmost importance to our wellbeing:
1. Is the cost of living relatively better than 44 years ago?
2. Is it easier and quicker to open a local bank account, today?
3. Is it easier and quicker to legally start a business as a citizen?
4. Is primary education better today than 44 years ago?
5. Are our roads better than 44 years ago?
6. Is our running water situation better than 44 years ago?
7. Is the cost of utilities relatively affordable than 44 years ago?
8. Is the size of government outpacing the private sector compared to 44 years ago?
9. Is the contribution from agriculture more significant today than 44 years ago?
10. Is our police force better trained and resourced to handle today’s crime than 44 years ago?
11. Is it easier today to achieve the dream of owning property?
12. Is justice administered faster today than 44 years ago?
13. Is our democracy stronger than before?
It is a well known concept that before we can improve we must first admit our failures. We cannot improve if we live in self-denial.
Our failure to radically improve is linked to the failure of political administration after administration to admit when their policies are not working or yielding results that benefit the national interests.
How do I know this is true? Well, some months ago, I compared the GDP per capita (not a fan of GDP but since this is the accepted measure I will use it) of the independent islands vs the other islands that are still colonies and discovered that without exception, the islands that are colonies are all doing far better than our independent nations.
It begs the question, how are island colonies able to be better off under colonial rule than those of us who are independent to chart our own success?
I would proffer that the lack of humility to admit that a particular policy is producing the opposite effect, is partly to blame. Because the leadership is unwilling to admit that they made a mistake, they tend to double down on their already failing policy. Our leaders today would rather see the country become a “failed state” than admit they were wrong and correct the error.
Of course everyone, including the supporters, loses.
In 99% of cases the leadership never suffers the consequences for their poor or obstinate decisions. If a leader of government falls sick, he is wisped off to a different medical facility other than the one the rest of us must use; when the taxes are increased, he is exempted.
How do I know that the interest of the people have not been the priority of our politicians is because?
I will list two reasons:
1. Whereas Antigua and Barbuda’s national success has fallen below the other colonies, this country has spawn an inordinate number of millionaire politicians over its 44 year history.
2. It appears that both leading parties are so fundamentally the same, that politicians easily switch camps without feeling any discomfort. Personally, I could not join any party that fundamentally violates my personal values. I question the credibility of any politician who first claims at one point that the other party was despicable beyond measure and then find refuge in that same disparaged party.
In my opinion, any politician who really thinks that the opposing party is truly reprehensible should abandon both parties if his own party is not true his own personal values. To join the party that you publicly decried is tantamount to political prostitution. This suggests that the lust for power is greater than being true to principles. Under those circumstances, I cannot see how such a person would be concern with the national interest.
I yearn for leaders in this country that are prepared to put the national interests first and not their own personal ambitions.
I am concerned that on the current trajectory, our Fair Antigua and Barbuda will be no more!CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
You made great points and I agree to most. But there is one that I want to say that switching party may be appropriate sometimes even when switching to a despicable party if you truly believe that party is the one you may me able to impact positively, to make a positive difference to the country and the world. The party you genuinely love may be held by others with more power and charisma than you within that party. So, sometimes you must go with the other enemy for the greater good. That despicable party you maybe able to change to be better than the one you are in.
Other than this, love your points and agree substantially with the core/pith of your article.
Please keep writing Mr. Y.E.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Party politics always seem to take precedent over national affairs. Wrong is right if our party of choice is involved. We cannot be objective in anything whatsoever.
“IT IS MY CONVICTION THAT OUR COLONIAL MASTERS HAVE SO DESIGNED THE TERMS OF OUR INDEPENDENCE SO THAT WE WILL BE MORE CONCERNED WITH FIGHTING EACH OTHER THAN BECOMING A THREAT TO THEIR HEGEMONY”.
Well, you did say it was ‘your conviction’ but I do not see it that way.
I would dare say that the place ran ‘better’ pre-independence compared to
post-independence (there were some good years post-independence).
When the position change (for the better) as per the amount of ‘functionally illiterate’ people around this place, this country will reach the heights some of us believe it could reach.
Until then “God save The King”.
Who is the writer of this article?
Look, im single and ready to mingle 🤪
All jokes aside, 😃
You are a spot on? The members of the current political party, loooove to see they pm. Looking good. Building a mansion as
Big as four foot ball fields, flying first class
All over the world, eating at the best restaurants..
Meanwhile you have to sponge off every night and living in abject poverty..
But they love the fact that they’re labor party is doing well.
Go figure 🤔
As I read this article, I kept asking this question: What does he mean? Here is the issue I have and given thought, I believe even the author of this article would agree: the questions asked suits the author’s purpose and frames the direction of thought and content of thought. Would the outtake be the same were different questions were asked?
Here goes:
1. Is our housing stock better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
2. Is access to education (primary, secondary and tertiary better now than 44 years ago?
3. Is water production stronger and better now than 44 years ago?
4. Is our access to diverse work opportunities better now than 44 years ago?
5. Is property ownership (home ownership in particular) better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
6. Is our health care system (especially delivery system and specializations) better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
7. Are pension payouts better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
8. Is our tourism product better and stronger today than 44 years ago?
9. Is our right to free speech and religious practice better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
10. Is our access to utilities better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
11. Is our access to and ownership of vehicles better now and stronger now than 44 years ago?
12. Is access to finances to start and support small businesses better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
13. Is the quality of life better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
14. Is access to Early Childhood Education better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
15. Is our access to tertiary education better and stronger now than 44 years ago?
I’m concerned that just like I have done here, the author of the article asked questions to which he hoped his audience’s answer would be in the affirmative (yes). This then is where I find the author to be both disingenuous and misleading. It is for articles written like this one that the partisanship entrenchments are kept in tact.
It is true and I am concerned that political party support as manifested in Antigua and Barbuda is unrelenting but my concern goes back beyond 44 years. This is not new is what I’m trying to say. In a time when the Antiguan/Barbudan populace is far more equipped with the tools for reasoning and better decision making around policies and growth and advancement (tertiary education and advanced degrees), the populace by and large has remained indiscriminately locked into one political party or the other. I however chalk that up to the unstoppable spouting of lies and innuendos and misinformation and destructive political stances.
The author of the article, I believe, cannot in good conscience assign the political hegemonic state of affairs to the Colonial masters; rather I would strongly suggest that he revisits (or visits for the first time) the history of the development of political parties in Antigua and Barbuda for the answer.
So No, I cannot agree with the author of the article: Antigua and Barbuda is not in danger of becoming a failed state. I’m hopeful that as our population becomes more diverse political party loyalties will diminish and the Westminster style of Government will take care of itself: more people will cross party lines to vote their interest. There: I said it.
There is this state a mind that has been inculcated through the religious system where poverty and hardship is spiritualized and that the light at the end of the tunnel is seen through the success of the pastor living a perfect opulent lifestyle, so too the politicians are place on that pedestal, the people think if my politician is corrupt and thieve they might bring some pieces of the loot to them, so they become hopeful fanatics living the illusion while the politicians and their families have an opulence lifestyle traveling the world even posting pictures of themselves on camel back tours with wigs, I sometimes wonder if the wig was not an ingenious way of disguising from some of the nefarious CIP passport customers out in the middle east at the time that could have threatened the prime minister life?
Their is also a state capture so nothing function in the interest of the people, the civil servants, the police and the judiciary, and the politicians acquire the monies to capture and control these institution from the very tax payers treasury along with their one percenters elite Caucasian handlers who procure all government contracts or lands or elections against the wishes of the people.
To make matters complicated the same one percenters that is touted as investors finance and control both ALP and UPP political parties, but the latter UPP prone to make better decisions on behalf of the people, the ALP is into dealing in personal self enrichment and upward mobility of their families.
You see we may never get over this because we also spiritualize politicians like we are taught to spiritualize poverty and suffering, and the church is complicit in building this neocolinial agenda across the Caribbean and Africa owing to the fact that the church as a religious organization has been dispossessing the people of their wealth as Columbus did with the pope the day they land on African soil, Britain royal family told the Africans that they will be keeping all the lands for god, and this is how we spiritualize politicians saying god put them in power, when that is far from the truth, the Caucasian business interest and western hegemony decides who is our prime minister, but the church will teach you to obey your master, the politician that is, and you are the slave to produce wealth for that politician to loot. And in all election of any political party, they campaign rubbing shoulders with the voters, and upon winning the election they become diametrically oppose to the voters, colonialism devolve, and they set the police and army against the people and have high security that keep the people at a distance until the next election they come sit with you again. It’s like watching the changing of the guard where it always remains the same, these black politicians are like a coconut brown outside and white inside, they function as the colonial masters to oppress and keep the masses of people poor and dispossessed.
Gaston brown as a young man without any political ideology or institutional knowledge of our ancestors history is a dangerous man to lead a nation and it’s resources, you see how he holds the barbudans at hurricane Irma disaster at gun point to sell their lands to Oppenheimer a beneficiary of apartheid who is lending loans to resurface the airport runway and their PLH company and whoever Caucasian may come, as you plainly heard him having an orgasm about sniffing out billionaires, so their is no concerns about what’s good for the country, only his ability to ostensibly get his commission or party fundings from these investors, if you could recall the pay off on national television by Allen Stanford, Gaston has been cultured by ALP and the white mafias from since swiss bank days on the money takes. That bank was a laundering bank for the Russian mafias and Gaston learn some real money tricks right there, as soon as he came to office he designed NAMCO that channels untraceable funds as he please, so civil servants and politicians jockeyed in a race to work for him knowing fully well no paper trail on payments would be there, and kernel croft at the ONDCP and the FSRC has gone silent on the movements on large tracks of cash overnight.
The people have got to stop their superstitious nonsense that god put people to rule over them, that was told to us from the colonial bible during slavery for us to accept our lot for four hundred years, superstition teaches you to be passive and don’t look about your civic duties. Wake up Antigua, we are not our old grand parents that was illiterate, are you going to tell me these young educated people can be fooled by fetes and concerts and weed smoking?
The problem with this writer, is that he speaks of politics like it is some holly Grail to the human concept.
The rule of law and a honest good hearted living, predates politics..that concept of ” I am my brothers keeper” has been long in the anals of mankind way before men start fighting over who has the most goods.
Politics is only a necessary evil, but is rooted in selfishness and partisanship none the less.
So that’s why choosing a right leader is paramount, and only needs a majority to be accepted. So though it’s not the end all, partizan politics has its benefits.
Even the word of the Creator didn’t come to put us together, it came to divide the wheat from the hay. The lesser of many evils, that’s our choice in politics, because after all, none are perfect.
Politics is just a earthly concept that play it’s small roll in our society, and I for one just hate when selfish people try to take advantage of it and try to offer it for more than it is.
But politics has always been a “quid pro quo” sport.