Barbados Underground

The story goes that a frog placed suddenly into boiling water would jump out. But place it in cool water and raise the heat slowly, and it may not recognise the danger until it is too late. It adjusts to the change. It becomes comfortable with the discomfort. It tells itself that things are not so bad, especially compared to what could happen. Sometimes I wonder whether that is what has been happening to Barbados. Murder rates went up.

I recently spent a week in Belize and was distressed to observe that the contagion affecting other CARICOM countries has spread there. It seems no CARICOM country was spared from someone’s harmful agenda. When I arrived in Belize and the immigration officer saw my Barbados passport, he said enthusiastically, “Welcome Home.” He then explained that I could work in Belize and stay as long as I wished.

Barbados has long been regarded as one of the Caribbean’s strongest parliamentary democracies. Stable institutions, peaceful elections, an independent judiciary, and an orderly public service inherited from the Mother country. However, a democracy is measured not only by the conduct of elections but also by the existence of effective checks and balances between those elections. In other words, a living breathing democracy is more than placing an X on a ballot paper when the bell is rung.

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On-time crop a must, says Sealy BSIL head: Recent delays troubling By Carlos Atwell carlosatwell@nationnews.com Barbados’ sugar industry has suffered a dramatic decline in production this year, with the island recording a crop approximately 30 000 tonnes lower than previous years. Barbados Sugar Industry Ltd (BSIL) chairman Mark Sealy said this was largely caused by a delayed start to harvesting. He also raised concerns about delayed payments to farmers.

Collective response needed’ in crime fight COMBATTING THE THREAT of transnational crime will require stronger international and regional cooperation. That was the consensus yesterday at the start of a two-day workshop hosted by the United Nations Development Programme Multi-Country Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, held at the Indigo Hotel in Hastings, Christ Church.

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The following article was published in the Nation newspaper today and @Dennis asked that it be reproduced here with the introductory comment: Gregory “Clueless” Nicholls who does not even know advance airline passenger notification is the norm with IMPAC taking lead. QEH doctor Lafonde can provide information along with the AirPeace staff and the Nigerian connections who are part of the scheme. The money is big and how much is QEH getting from the scheme Gregory.

It started with a small group pouring libations to the ancestors. They did that for years in their small communities. Then they gained influence and were invited to official Government functions where they demonstrated the practice. We normally put our dead in coffins and remember them with headstones. We understood that the dead can cannot hear us. They have their own issues as they await to be judged for how they spent or squandered their lives.

A member of the press corps asked the Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Kevin Greenidge a fair and obvious question at last week BIMpay press conference. It was a question that should have been anticipated by the Governor and his support team, yet he completely bungled the reply.