This isn’t a political column, even though politics affects every aspect of our lives. But this is the second time I have abandoned my intended column to broach a political shift in the atmosphere.
The seismic announcement by Honourable Mia Mottley that she would lead the Barbados Labour Party into elections beyond 2027 against what seems to be the tragicomedy that is the Democratic Labour Party, sent shockwaves along the regional ecosystem.
Due to clarion calls from both inside and outside the party, it was welcomed by many, despite the adage, often mistakenly attributed to Mark Twain, that politicians should be changed frequently, for the same reasons.
A Resilient Mia
Mottley, a long-standing politician who was tutored by Dr Owen Arthur, a renowned academic and intellectual of both Barbados and the Caribbean, has often been the envy of many regional citizens who pine for a leader with the boldness and brassy brilliance that she displays.
She first displayed cunning and durability, two skills many regional leaders lack, after she recovered from the Barbadian Ides of March when Owen Arthur PC, displayed a convincing version of Brutus and returned to the helm of the BLP and the parliamentary opposition.
Many, like our own esteemed Dr. Vaughn Lewis, shrivelled into nothingness, but not Mia, as she deftly returned to the helm of her party and then, with stunning political acumen, the leadership of her country.
Her bravado and command of rhetoric on the world stage as she demanded equity and climate justice for all, particularly countries like ours, the first to become victims in a climate calamity.
Despite this, many Barbadians, on social media, have warned others that all that glitters is not gold, and the euphoric highs experienced by others due to Mottley’s persuasive character lacked the Midas touch. They argue that we only wish for Mia over a Pip or Kamla or Andrew because we have created fictional versions of her rather than the real, far more human version they experience.
To higher heights?
And we must, of course, question this belief of politicians that if they exit stage left too soon, they will have left the ship in incapable hands, a curious belief when the role of an astute politician is like a Jedi Sith who has found their apprentice to follow them.
Do they believe that the divine right to rule has been transferred from the kings of England to themselves? Has she fallen prey to the hubris that befell Sir John Compton, Dr. Kenny Anthony, or Joe Biden and believe that she alone can save Barbados?
Cynical views from across the region have proposed a more self-serving, less communal reason for the reticence of Mottley to leave the dance floor after consecutive 10s. The reason is the orange monster who sits in the Oval Office on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
But what could Donald do to further impose her sunny disposition? PM Mottley has long been seen as a potential short-listed candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary General, a race that ends in 2026, far before her now given exit date.
Her political stances and initiatives are said to have the potential to irk the ire of the now POTUS and his minions masquerading as a cabinet of advisors. With the need for all permanent members on the Security Council to approve a UNSG, it appears that Ms Mottley has resigned to the reality, stark and unforgiving it might be, that the higher heights which she sniffed during the heady days of Miamania may be just about over.
Sadly, her decision to continue with local politics may come at her detriment, of championing the Caribbean and its policies of racial, social and climate justice at a pivotal time. The answer may reside only in our dreams, alas.