Writer Unknown..

BTW, where are the ‘vigilant’ local media houses that should be holding this government’s feet to the fire? Where is the constant critique, aggression, and militancy they displayed towards the last administration? Much of that is sadly missing now.

Except for Barbados Today, the rare editorial in the two tabloids and a couple of talk show moderators, for the most part,  they are on a prolonged slumber – either deliberately ignoring the numerous societal ills or seemingly oblivious to the goings-on in the country as this administration runs des​pot​i​cal​ly roughshod over our rights and privileges with its blatant abuse of power.

The media’s actions (or lack thereof) are akin to an abdication (dereliction) of duty. Although, not surprisingly so, as most of them appear to be under the government’s sphere of influence.

We really miss the likes of the late patriotic giants of the fourth estate – Gladstone (‘G’) Holder, Jeanette Layne-Clarke, Ulric Rice, Robert Best, and Harold Hoyte, among a few others, who were not only fearless and undaunted but refused to sing in any politician’s choir.

The same certainly can’t be said of the current lot. Maybe, it’s REAL FEAR or the FEAR OF VICTIMISATION or the absence of future employment prospects that have gripped them.

Whatever the reason, the clear dearth of investigative journalism has allowed several serious national issues to go begging. And, they are so many!

They run the whole gamut, from the egregious to the ridiculous. Like: writing off millions of VAT $$ that some businesses refused to pay in, while the country was  defaulting on its huge debt repayment; glaring nepotism; giving a parent a knighthood; the $24 million covid vaccine ‘radical’ saga …  the botched purchase of millions of dollars of vaccines on behalf of the government that was branded a ‘red herring’ by the head-honcho; PAYING OUT OVER $500,000 for an old tourism promotional slogan/cliche that had to be embarrassingly discarded last year – more taxpayers’ $$ went down the drain; writing off over $120 million of taxpayers money re Clearwater Bay Limited – the successor to the Four Seasons project which itself was the successor to Paradise Beach Hotel; having scores of very expensive consultants and advisors – a massive drain on the Treasury; continuing the excessive borrowing spree; splurging hundreds of millions of dollars collected via VAT, the petrol tax and the unfair sewerage & garbage tax; initially appointing another Deputy Commissioner of Police when there was no legal authority to so do; insulting the intelligence of Barbadians with the ‘slap in the face’ to the police and Madame Head-Honcho’s  intervention in the Good Friday – Deacons Road – Ross Ashton matter; ar​bi​trari​ly paying several senior police officers after they had lost their court case for promotion; interference in the wider public service; the amateurish Tourism Minister making outrageous allegations about the Sam Lord’s Castle hotel project in Parliament, followed by an equally absurd and nonsensical accusation by the Agriculture Minister on BrassTacks re the  gift of 28 acres of land from Dukes plantation to the UWI – and no explanation or public apology by either of them for misleading the nation; the inordinate rush to republic status and constitutional reform without the requisite public consultation that was promised; inter alia.

Our senior journalists, political scientists,  social commentators, newspaper columnists/analysts, educators, public agitators, the watchdogs and so-called custodians and defenders of our democracy can and must do a better job of keeping important national issues on the front burner and put pressure on the-powers-that-be re accountable. To date, they have fallen short, very short of what is expected and required.

In recent times, we have had a litany of other missteps, bungling moves, and foul-ups, as well as many empty, illogical promises designed to please the gullible among us.

Apparently, few of them remember the many other hot-button issues that have fallen off the front pages, like the under-performing economy; the ever-increasing  local and foreign debt; runaway inflation; very extravagant consumer prices and the cost-of-living mess we face every day; default on repaying gov’t bonds; bragging about having over $3 billion in foreign reserves – ALL BORROWED, NOT A CENT EARNED, THAT MUST BE REPAID; the under-subscribed BOSS bond issue, that saw a particular Bank not only picking up the slack, but also covering the bills and debt of SOEs  – aka ‘printing money’; the bloated, useless cabinet; the ill-starred Hyatt Hotel project and the heartless treatment of Mrs. Ram Mirchandani re the Liquidation Centre; failure to repair scores of houses damaged by last year’s freak storm and Elsa; and, the promised 150 Chinese metal houses – only a solitary unit has been erected so far; and finally (but they are others) a predictable upsurge in crime, violence and gun-related murders.

It appears all these issues have either died a ‘natural death’ or have been ‘swept under the carpet. We wonder!!!
As a public figure noted recently, most of the local media have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. End..

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The PM speaks well, as Minister of Finance will she speak to this? – Barbados in the Dust

Emit.Zone’s comments:

To the people with liberated minds that do not think like slaves; a wise and glorious man said, look at their fruits (they speak well, but we must look at their fruits).
Matt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

If you are the owner of a business and the CEO ran it like how these people run the government would you keep him/her employed, or would you not fire them? Again, the mind of a slave would not understand this or even care. Every generation lives to make life better for the ones that are coming (children), not this GANG of leaders. That is all they are, a criminal gang led by a despot (watch Owen Arthur – presentation 1). This gang may think that getting rich by stealing and placing the nation of Barbados into poverty is the way to go; we leave them with a warning from the same wise man.

Matt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

HOPE:
The wise man gave us something that no other man could give. If you are reading this and you are part of the gang or even the leader of the gang, there is hope. For your soul’s sake and to plant your eternity into God’s Kingdom, obey the following – You must repent.

Luke 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.