It’s a dump. No two ways about it, it stinks, full of discarded bodies, threats of exposure, conflicts run amuck. It just keeps piling higher, just like a garbage dump.
Why is this? What kind of self respecting person would put themselves up for the kind of abuse, in the face of impossible challenges, to serve a public that just wants handouts?
None that I know would, that’s for sure.
Let us analyze the situation, as best we can, as laypersons.
Our political leadership, sometimes lately called our political elite, an oxymoron if ever there was one, is comprised mainly of lawyers, and currently feature the progeny of former lawyer/leaders.
Aside from the fact that these are argumentative people at best, and skilled in the arts of manipulation and interpretation, for special interests, i.e. clients, they are not exactly the most ethical group we could choose our leadership from.
Looking at the purely practical side, as lawyers, whether they win or lose the clients case, they win. Financially, they can do themselves no wrong.
To most lawyers, only two of whom I would count as friends or acquaintances incidentally, most will agree, the law is an ass, to be interpreted to their own favor, and if the client benefits, then good show. But it is not the show and as we can see from our parliamentary debates, an extraordinary show it is.
So this special interest group has wrested control of our country from the actual entities that are charged with running the country, the permanent secretaries of the various ministries of government. This is why they are called permanent, because they stay there.
It is a career thing. Not elected for 5 year terms.
I say they, the politicians have bypassed them, because at every turn, the politicians are into everything, and at every level. This has come to include cutting “business deals” with almost every foreign person and entity that sees the potential to make money in our country. It is not that we Bahamians do not see this potential for ourselves; it’s just that we are sort of, well, controlled or excluded by these lawyer types.
But to get back to the business deals, the ones that are supposed to be good for the country that will increase our G.D.P. or create employment for Bahamians, and be profitable for the foreign investor also. Lawyers just are not good at them and in fact, by their training, for them to win, someone else must lose. This shows in the deals they have cut as of late. They are not good deals.
Businessmen (and women) on the other hand, are intrinsically good at cutting deals, and in fact, all things being roughly equal, if two business persons are negotiating with each other, both will get a good deal. If they do not, they and their business will suffer. Or they will breach their contract, and need lawyers, who will ultimately win, for themselves, of course.
If we agree that our country, with it’s over 3 billion dollar debt, and its rampant crime, and its “D’ average school grade, is in trouble and is facing ever increasing pressures and challenges ahead, should we not consider consulting with, or better still, electing those types who are good at solving problems? Those who are good at surviving in adversarial scenarios and who stay in business despite these challenges?
In point of fact, the adversarial conditions that business people overcome and succeed against are created wholly by these same lawyer politico types, and those who follow them.
Our current crop of 2nd generation political elites does not believe in consultation, except where they must, in order to win. But they will only consult with other lawyers, thus compounding the problem. Lawyers come in on a problem when all other avenues have failed, and a judge must intervene to settle a dispute, and argue with each other, and the judge, to convince of their clients correct position or standing in the dispute.
This is not what we need in our house of assembly at this time.
We need action, and an honest evaluation of our countries various dismal situations, so the problems can be fixed, not argued about.
I note with interest, the creation of a “forum” at C.O.B. to study the ramifications of these trade agreement we are heading for.
Let us save some time here, on behalf of our people. Let C.O.B. students study them, for the purpose of academic debate: but let government and business people consult together on them with the purpose of creating policy and seeing the pitfalls.
These trade agreements are no school project. I can understand the politico’s fear of the ramifications and issues that business people will flag or raise, but I think they should fear more the public outrage and anger if they do not consult with the business community, and misstep.
