Letter From Brooklyn : A take on Barbados General Elections, 2022

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Michael Headley

One Caribbean Nation.


Letter From Brooklyn












By Michael Headley
Earlier today, January 10th, a caller on VOB's (Voice Of Barbados) down to brass tacks, requested that speakers comments, for the January 19th, snap General Election, should refrain from engaging in Gutter Politics. I found this laughable because without some so-called Gutter Politics the electorate will be treated to a barrage of hyperbolic statements, from various politicians, regarding how many more houses, roads, schools, etcetera, that they will build, if they are elected or reelected.  

The reigning Politicians, and aspiring ones, will extol the virtues of how they have, or will, skillfully handle the economy, tourism and other industries, agriculture, health care, unemployment, old age pension, increasing crime and lawlessness.  They are trying to convince   potential voters that they have the tools to steer the ship of state into a safe harbor.  But history shows that their rudderless policies often run the vessels aground.  In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, 'a plain blunt man' was able to incite the common people, by convincing them that the late Caesar had included some goodies, for them, in his will, similar to promises in the manifestoes.     

Gutter Politics can flow deep and contain all past and present debris, that registered voters need to filter out, to make informed decisions.  Had not for Gutter Politics voters wouldn't have heard about the comparison between a Great Dane and a Bull dog, a Walled house or a Shanty, or sewage free streets and the silly season.  An opponent was considered a sluggard and was admonished to go to the ant for guidance.    No apologies needed.  However, no reference was made to the Babylonian king Belshazzar seeing the handwriting on the wall.  

Getting down and dirty, to score points, is used by all politicians, to catch their opponents with their pants down.  And with the help of some sycophantic media mouthpieces, a ruling party can use that platform to spew more dirt.

Michael Headley is a social commentator. 

Barbadians go to the polls on January, Wednesday 19th., 2022

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