“Beggars are not choosers” is an age-old adage that subtly defines the limitations inherent in having to rely on others or in having to beg to survive. It is a contradiction when you are a begging to claim at the same time that you are independent or that you are self-determinant. That is a lie and a deception because independence as a nation or an individual requires that you are able to “paddle your own canoe”. And, to a large extent, you have the wherewithal to do what you want. It does not mean that you can make dishonest ramblings; fight with everybody; and then expect that those people will give you what want. Unfortunately, there are some people here who seem to hold that view!
That attitude will ruin us. And must be replaced by the reality of the times. Now is not the time to be promoting beggars rights. This is the time for us to be thinking about how to create opportunities for work and a better future forAnguilla. Our most urgent problem is what can be done to get investment intoAnguilla. Begging at its best would only yield so much, and cannot be relied upon to meet our future needs for example, our health care services. Nothing is more important in the life of a nation than the health of its people. InAnguilla, we have the “bare bones” of a structure — one that requires great effort in order to raise the standard. To the man in the street it seems pressing that something be done soon to rid us of the inadequacies of the system. We have known this for a long time, still sick people have to be “butted and boxed” from “pillar to post” to get medical attention. While we wait and hope that somebody would give us a piece of special purpose equipment, some people die here – while some others die on their way to Puerto Rico, Barbados, Panama, Texas, and other distant places. However, Mr. Hughes’ Government’s reply is that we need independence. It is difficult to understand what good does a new constitution bring to a young man with a bullet in his back and his parents scraping around to get the flight-money from government or whosoever may help. But that is not where their heads are. They prefer to be on a plane to a CARICOM meeting hoping to drag members into Mr. Hughes’ fight with the Governor.
This Government is so bogged down with Hughes’ obsession with independence that it has become impotent and cares only about “silly politics”. They do not understand that a constitution is not the pressing need and that, instead, what ought to be done as a pre-requisite for change and development, is the setting up of standing committees with mandates to look within and outside our borders for solutions.
The lack of economic growth is caused, in part, by the worldwide recession but is further exacerbated by the wrong-headed politics of the last two years that has caused would be investors to shy away. Tourism is such a fugitive and fickle industry that we need to seek out other forms of making a living. A standing committee for industrial development should be set up to look at ways and means. The membership of this committee must be persons who see advancement coming via the availability of jobs — not by begging. This type of leadership must be pro-active and should not harp on the mistakes of the past. It must able to think in terms of real probabilities and possible realities for the future. It may look like a mammoth task but it is a challenge that has to be undertaken if ever we are going to raise our economic conditions; alter the politics; and improve the role of government. A real question we should asking ourselves is why should we walk like ducks when we should be soaring like an eagles? Why blame others rather than ourselves? Even if, according to the “Chief and company”, being able to beg is the “cause célèbre” for independence. Then the ” fringe benefits” granted under our existing arrangements are a bonus and give good reason for us to “stand pat” and look away from Mr. Hughes. Anguillians cannot afford to make that quantum leap now. It is indeed a leap in the dark!
The fringe benefits deriving from being a British Overseas Territory Citizen (BOTC), taken at a glance, may seem miniscule but, on balance, when looked at in the wider scheme of things around us are considerable, and add up to a giant leap forward. Unionists, and other such negotiators, often declare that it is not always what is in the pay packet but rather what are the fringe benefits. It is this aspect of our relationship withBritainthat is of paramount importance for us as we try to sort “truth from fiction” in the propaganda we are inundated with. But how did we get to this juncture? Flashback a little and try to figure out the thought process that prompted the situation. We tend to behave as though we have a unique right to more privileges than people anywhere. For example, there are more people of Anguillian descent living in San Pedro de Macoris than those living in George Hill. But we are often indifferent to people from theDominican Republicliving among us. There are also more with Anguilla connections living in one house inSlough,England, than the number of Englishmen on the entire island – still people would propagate the belief that the British are here because they wantAnguilla’s gems. It would be nice if somebody would show us where those gems are so they can be put to good use. People who spout this type of nonsense should be told to chew gum and stop using the stuff.
The British are here because we wanted them to rescue us from Mr. Bradshaw. At that time we preferred to be ruled fromLondonrather than fromBasseterrebecause we felt the establishment there kept all the money thatEnglandsent for the colony and spent it all on St Kitts. Now Mr. Hughes is chasing the British away because they are not giving us the money that “money givers” gave them to give us. This is the warped mindset that holds us up and prevents us from seeing things as they are and move on to the next stage. Frankly,BritainowesAnguillanothing. Maybe they oweSt. Kitts,Jamaica,Barbadosand Antigua, because when sugar was king those islands sent their millions of tons of sugar toEnglandand made many an Englishman rich. Whereas onAnguillacane production could not support a sugar industry on a large scale so from that standpoint our claim would be comparatively weak.
Today, Anguilla in some measure is a winner over these other islands because up to 1971 all colonials had a right to live and work inBritain. The significance of this was that a lot of Anguillians went to theUKand, since this was the pre-tourism development period, remittances from people inEnglandformed the bulk ofAnguilla’s foreign earnings. To a great extent many families depended on it. To the dismay and disappointment of all colonials, the 1971 British Immigration Act stopped migration toUKthereby removing whatever fringe benefits were ancillary to it. One could understand why later on some leaders sought the independence option. Things have changed that make that option forAnguillanot a first choice.
Britainhas since reversed the situation by the promulgation of the 2002 BOTC Act which allows remainingOverseasTerritorycitizens a passport and the right to live and work inUKwith whatever other fringe benefits that may accrue. These are benefits our independent neighbours wish they had but do not and cannot beg for them. The late Rosie Douglas former Prime Minister of Dominica thought of association with EU because he recognised the problems for aCaribbeanisland going it severally or separately. Sir Eric Williams, former Prime Minister ofTrinidad and Tobago, said long ago “one from ten leaves nothing”. After all, these the leaders in CARICOM can hardly help themselves. How are they going to help us? Are we stupid enough to jump “out of the frying pan into the fire” because Hubert Hughes said so? People who have been separated since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 are now looking to each for economic co-operation thereby rejecting the limitations of nationalism. Allied with passport benefits is the enhancement of our island as a safe place to invest because of our British association. Investors are less threatened by the fear of the “banana republic” syndrome. These benefits are solid reasons for ignoring the government’s stance on which way we are to go. One perspective is that Mr. Hughes is in a “suck-hole” and if we follow him we will all drown. Can Mr. Hughes guarantee us that by joining CARICOM we will get more jobs, cheaper bananas, yams, potatoes, avocadoes and such produce? If not can he tell us the size of the hot air balloon!
The points to grab are the problems of a small economy; the fact that size make a difference; that you cannot beg for everything you want; that there is no law that says when we beg we must be given; but there is a law that allows us to live and find work in the UK. We must be careful and not throw the baby away with the bath water. Ever remembering that a bird in the hand is worth a million in the bush. Finally there are no “beggars rights” — beggars are not chosers. Benefits and rewards come by hard work. The people ofAnguillamust open their eyes and watch where the wind is blowing from!
