Caribbean Caught in Crossfire : COVID-19 , A reminder of Historical Truths

-
One Caribbean Nation.



Caribbean Heads of Government
As the Caribbean continues to battle the COVID-19, our vulnerabilities to the vagaries of global politics/trade become more pronounced. The most recent revelation concerns the alleged refusal of US ports to release vital equipment needed in the region to combat the spread. While the US embassies in some regional countries, are denying this claim, it is obvious that small and relatively poor countries, are incapable of countering such developments.
Being caught in the crossfire of global political and other  conflicts is nothing new to the region. We were made to fight for the British armies, in wars that were not of our making. We recall American naval bases in some territories, placed there to bully governments from becoming too close to Castro’s Cuba. Of course, at that time, the cold war between the USA and Russia dominated global politics. Today, we witness a kind of coziness between these once declared super enemies.
History does have a way of repeating itself especially when it is encouraged. Before the arrival of COVID-19, the region found itself divided over the conflict in Venezuela, where the US government is hell bent on removing that country’s leader. Indeed, we were totally embarrassed when we saw a photo of Caribbean leaders, sitting outside, the US president’s office, at the white house, waiting for an audience. It reminded us of students, waiting outside the principal’s office at some high school.
Immediately after this embarrassment, we were exposed to a split in CARICOM over who should or should not meet with the US Secretary State when he visited the region a few months ago. Fortunately , the current Chairperson of CARICOM  Heads of government, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, made it clear that she would not accommodate the high handedness of the US Secretary of State and refused to give the meeting a regional stamp of approval by not attending. A position fully supported by the (MCG)Mahogany Coconut Group.
It is obvious that the major world powers still see us as colonies although the Independence movement of the sixties, gave us our freedoms to be masters of our own fate. We need leaders of great vision and tenacity, when attempts are made to divide and rule us thereby making us pawns on the global stage. Even in a pandemic, we cannot relax our vigilance.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barbados Elections 2013 and Cash

-
Image
The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting   cash, cell phones, IPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows- black and white, - who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities. While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand, by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign? We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money. We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to t
Read more

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more