Of course deliverance is coming and, in a “Churchillian sense”, these elections signal the beginning of the end of the politics of nothingness in Anguilla. And, furthermore, to echo the sentiment of US President John Kennedy’s inaugural speech, the torch must now be passed to a new style of politician who has been tempered by his/her formal preparation. They have been schooled and are able to use their training as a tool for change.
It is said that an hour is a long time in politics. More than ever the last five years of this administration seem like an eternity in which nothing much is happening. But many people are saying: “No more of the old nonsense!” And what is happening now, from a political standpoint, is a CHANCE to breathe again. From the AUF perspective, it is the opportunity to begin to build a new nation brimming with hope and promise.
The message is that people agree that much needed and necessary work must begin now. They are fed up with mundane politics and incompetent and clueless politicians. Those in the AUM did not possess the prerequisites necessary to cause change. Therefore, it appears, that the people have turned back to the Anguilla United Front (AUF). The Party of CHANGE! For them it is the right time to throw out this regime and replace it with persons who have a better understanding of representative government
This is not simply a talking point — it is a political reality to be achieved NOW in order to move the country forward. It is the AUF that can initiate the changes for building a new Anguilla. What we yearn is to build a classy, yet classless, society that impacts the betterment of all the people, politically, as well as economically. Not just the few whose real concern is the raw politicization of the situation, and care only about their status in the nation.
And when an objective appraisal of the real issues is made, it will become clear that it is not the power or constitutional status of the Governor that is forbidding — but rather the idea that power-hungry people want to replace the system with themselves.
THAT is the scary thing to contemplate. It gives us good reason to first look at an advanced and improved document that reflects our needs. A document punctuated by reasonableness rather than by emotion or the lust for power.
The unfortunate collapse of the Flag Project showed that there is more to nation building than the loud political noises or jockeying for power. Their demise speaks to the question of our economic reality. Noticeable, because despite noises emanating from this Administration — they still could not put Anguilla back together again. When Flag left Anguilla we were left outside in the sun without a ray of hope to carry on. It was the contributions of the EU and DFiD, the very people some so vehemently castigate, that helped to prevent an“economic sunstroke”. The economic lesson coming out of Flag was you cannot do anything here without foreign money, and that a prudent and development-oriented government must realize and pursue that initiative. A modern approach to developers must be adopted and the “you een born here” syndrome be rejected.
Since we do not have the kind of money required, our pursuit of it must be assertive. Raising that kind of money by begging is not an option. So to argue saying: “seek ye first independence and beg for the rest after” – is like trying to grow roses in the Artic.
Therefore the incoming government must be practical and pragmatic in weighing all options in the light of nationalism; separation; globalization; and how to best go about it. And decide whether or not to maintain the status quo or what is the best replacement.
Recent economic stagnation has already made it abundantly clear, the crucial role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in our development. It is no longer any argument that FDI must be number one on the government’s “agenda for development” as well as supported with good and informed human resources.
This important first step must be undertaken in order to start the growth of the present state of our socio-economic health. It must be sorted out and treated. Stagnation under the AUM has shown ordinary people they are more severely affected by bad actions of bad government. The sound of a sizzling frying pan is a better sound than the unproductive dialogue on independence now which, in reality, is sterile and premature. Build ye first the core of the nation and all else can be added! We cannot eat the pie in the sky — we have to keep our feet on the ground and deal in the realm of real possibilities.
It is the question of power, and where it lies, that causes hang-ups and keeps on choking the desire for meaningful discussion on real issues. That has to be cleaned up now. Where once gossip was par for the course, and where our politics was low-level, no longer can it be one-dimensional. Independence under these circumstances has become a crutch for them to lean on, and serves only to stifle good economic proposals for change. It has become a crutch for propping up the irrational and emotional rants of incompetent leadership.
Realistically, we must be cognizant that politics is a human endeavour and it is challenging for imperfect humans to create a perfect political system. But there will always be some people who are better at it than others. It therefore seems fair to give the best the chance.
Supposedly, constitutions are documents in which power sharing is outlined. So in cases where constitutions are poorly drafted, and badly worked, there will be friction. Obviously, then, the creation of a robust and workable document will need the best minds to do it. It is not a simple academic exercise but rather an undertaking that requires practical, forward looking, hard nose and knowledgeable input. These considerations must be taken into account before putting pen to paper. Realistically, it cannot be achieved by knee-jerk emotionalism or a desire for flag waving.
It is of paramount importance that we clear the decks on matters surrounding these issues because, until we do that, we will not be able to “ regularize” key areas in the system that will enable us, to some extent, to reduce the inherent problems of power-sharing.
So if the election results proclaim the deed is done, and there is no more the need to rehash, what others did, what we should do now is to grow up and become more politically mature and be better equipped to handle the important stuff. AND because politics is about choices we must learn to rationalize our choices realistically. That, perhaps, is our political flaw, namely, our reasons for deciding for whom we should cast our vote.
What is hoped for is a good and prudent Government. One that understands that we cannot pursue our best interests when we behave as though we are dealing in an atmosphere of thought that prevailed among the early nineteenth-century colonialists. In this day and age that kind of thinking is defunct. The issue in contention in most developing countries, particularly in the last forty years, has been the impact of globalization on the local population. Once upon a time colonization was a way to earn money to take back to the mother country. Now that system has been remodeled to make things somewhat more humane.
For us we want to encourage and negotiate with the former colonial powers to bring back some of the MONEY they took. It cannot be business as usual. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, like it is done in Hong Kong, Kowloon and Rangoon, must benefit all concerned. The new leadership under Victor F. Banks, based on prior experience seems poised to handle that. Those persons who have worked with him recognize his capabilities – and say his mistake was in playing second fiddle to fiddlers who were not very good and, in many cases, were playing the wrong tune. It was not his tune but it is OK! Deliverance has now come. And the cruel fact about independence remains. Without investment you will be simply putting another egg in the frying pan when what you really want is “bacon and eggs.”
Where is Pharaoh? Does he know that the people are gone? Tell him that deliverance has come! The people went with Moses and Victor and Cora and Niel and dem to build the new Anguilla.
