FOR years on end, the nature of politics here at home has continually disintegrated in terms of perception but, more importantly, the world at large seems to be experiencing a similar malaise with little or no change on the horizon. On the other hand, it is sometimes said that things have to grow worse before getting better, but the big question remains: how much worse?
In St. Lucia, politics appears to have adopted all the negatives assigned to this important profession, but by the same token could St. Lucia in any way take the lead by proving to its counterparts that a greater form of civility and decorum can alter the course of history?
We have voiced our views over the years that running a country is similar to a successful business where investors should be recognised as real partners and are provided with the confidence that they are indeed serious and conscientious in working together for the betterment of all parties. We cannot expect investors to remain in a vacuum awaiting decisions which are placed on ice and at any given moment we can simply place our response into a microwave ready to be served.
Investors are few and far between at this time and Prime Ministers all over the globe are making all sorts of overtures to attract such individuals, including the mighty America, which is presently soliciting wealthy Chinese to their shores with a similar CIP programme.
Investment proposals must be taken seriously and decisions must be taken one way or another. The public in general will accept the fact that officials are not infallible and guarantees are not always perfect but a decision is better than no decision at all.
The DSH project, which has dominated the airwaves for the past several months, is a perfect example of a project which was shrouded in secrecy for fifteen months without a decision, was indeed unfair, unrealistic and unacceptable for two reasons: (a) it is disrespectful to an investor and (b) it implies that an administration lacked the ability to make a decision one way or another.
Governments have a moral responsibility to act in the best interest of its people and incidents like these should not recur. Further, the insinuations meted out by the former administration that a particular investor is tearing the country apart is also unfortunate as this kind of propaganda spreads quickly, especially in the age of Facebook and the other social media. Hopefully, our comments today will be taken in good faith as constructive criticism is always helpful.
Victor Hugo said “Where there is darkness crimes will be committed. The guilty one is not merely he who commits the crime but he who caused the darkness.” With all due respect sir, you are once again spouting the UWP propaganda. I will say without equivocation that your ideas are backward, outdated, rudimentary and deceptive. I think that you are the caused of the darkness that Victor Hugo alluded too.
Sir, the United States President Hoover tried to run his country like a business and that brought on the Great Depression. Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy recently tried to run his country like a business and the result was catastrophic. I can give you many more examples. Like you, they all believed in the theory of market fundamentalism, where the market will correct itself and get to a state of equilibrium. Sir, the prime motive of business is to maximize profit whereas a country has to provide services, safety, education etc. How can you equate the two? There is no empirical linkage between country and business. Country provides infrastructure, trained personals, etc. for business. How can a country be governed like a business? The DSH project is government largesse given to business. It has nothing to do with development. And if it did then development has nothing to do with growth. Growth is not development. Growth can be quantified but how can you quantify development?
It is necessary that your followers should be credulous and ignorant, naive and unquestioning. I can see through the facade of your deceptions.