Barbadians Must See Beyond Sophistry

One Caribbean Nation.

National Flag of Barbados

by William Skinner

Emboldened by a now decadent and decaying two party system, we have apparently opted to embrace a society bereft of regulatory might. The citizens have been, in some cases, willing accomplices to the cowardly abandonment of their historical mission by the political managerial class. In every area of civic responsibility, we have allowed the devolution of duty whether it entails the mismanagement of the sewage systems or failure to control the destructive mini bus culture. To some degree, we are all accomplices to the current plight of our circumstance.

From blatant political party favouritism at state agencies such as the national housing, transport board and welfare departments to the obvious corporate political gymnastics of the CLICO corruption, we have been caught with blood on our hands. We allow inconsiderate vendors to dump their coconut shells any where they choose and turn a blind eye to political nepotism and underlying corporate racism and greed. Therefore, the results of our collective ineptitude have now been ruthlessly exposed.

This is not a condition peculiar to our society but one endemic of many societies in the region, emerging from a slave/colonialist past. Our plight is synonymous with those who gleefully declare the race over and the victory won long before reaching the finishing line. It is almost an embarrassment to suggest that we have been governed mainly by delusion.

These statements are not intended to be blistering and do not suggest that we cannot change the course for the betterment of our society. The question that will inevitably be posed is: How do we move on from here? The first step that must be taken is the difficult realization that independence does not mean the raising of a flag, a national anthem and too many public holidays. The elevation of outstanding citizens to that of National Hero, is indeed a worthwhile exercise but its usefulness to the national psyche is diluted if our children have no knowledge of the reason for such elevation.

However, without hesitation, we must note that the embodiment of the excellence we seek, can be found in at least one of those heroes, who with talent, fearlessness and exciting mastery, clearly demonstrated what it takes to beat a man at his own game. That same creativity and the ability to make rather than copy; to be the engineer and not the engineered, is what we ought to seek at this time of national socio-economic bewilderment.

The workshop of sustainable national pride and progress requires tools of: national energy, innovation and creativity. Having survived physical degradation, it is imperative that we believe that mental victory is now the only worthwhile goal. Against this background, the citizen must see beyond the sophistry of those whose only ambition is to enhance only themselves and should no longer allow political sycophants and corporate parasites to guide them toward their own destruction.

William Skinner is a Caribbean social commentator