I really don’t know where to start, and for me that’s rare. It has been almost fifty years since we’ve been on our own here in Anguilla, and while we’ve made some progress, we are in no way, shape or form where we ought to be. We have to ask ourselves the question: “After all that we’ve been through, is that all there is?” And, if that’s all there is, then what have we been doing all this time? We fought tooth and nail to emancipate ourselves from the oppressive clutches of Robert L. Bradshaw and, when you look around, the first thing that comes to mind is what happened?
An article by Colville Petty in last week’s Anguillian originally appeared in print back in 2003, entitled “Cow Dung”. It points out that one has to ask why our leaders keep making promises that they really don’t intend to keep. After all, they’re politicians and we are the electorate and it would appear that they are using the old axiom that when you find a jackass, you ride it. I’m not saying we are jackasses. Ask Jerome how he fared in the last election after making that statement, but it says that our leaders don’t think that we have the political savvy to fully understand what’s going on, a point that Mr. Hughes repeatedly drove home.
April 22nd was a historical day for it was the day on which the AUF, long banished from government, returned triumphantly by annihilating the AUM on their way to winning six out of the seven seats up for grabs. It has been almost five months since that historical feat, and ‘we’ as a people continue to wait and wait and wait for some semblance of life from this new government. You see, when the AUF was in power the general consensus was that jobs were plentiful, we had plenty of money and, according to one cab driver, “Anguilla nice,” therefore in order for good times to return, the AUF had to be returned to power. Well, the AUF has new blood, and one would tend to think that the infusion of such has to be a good thing. Mind you, the Dove Party presented as convincing a program as there was, but anyone following the campaign knew it was a foregone conclusion that the AUF would be returned to power. So much for logic.
It is not expected that there is some magic formula that will eradicate our problems – after all, they didn’t just happen overnight. However, what we would like to see are those shovels ready projects which, ironically, were put forward by the AUF the last time they were in power, but were scrapped by the incoming AUM to be put back on the agenda. Just think of the number of jobs that would be generated, the maintenance of our infrastructure, the upgrading of our schools, and so on. We seem to hit the reset button each time a new government takes over and, given the way we are, it’s nothing more than petty politics. Are we ever going to grow up to be politically astute, and realize that it’s not about us as individuals, but as a whole? When will we learn that we have to change our ways, or perish?
Our leaders right now are sitting on their rear ends biding their time. The banks are unresolved, our infrastructure is falling apart, the economy stinks and I could go on and on. If you’ve heard this before, stop me. I will use some of the same phrases time and time again, and it’s not that I can’t find new ones. I am just trying to drive home the point and maybe, just maybe, hearing it one or two times will get it ingrained in our memory banks. In today’s Caribbean News Now, David Jessop wrote a commentary entitled: “The View from Europe: Will Cuba’s gain cause the region pain?” The first line says: One of the Caribbean tourism greatest concerns maybe about to materialize: US citizens being allowed to travel to Cuba on an individual basis. He goes on to say that once visitor regulations are eased, the region will see ships calls reduced everywhere. Cuba sees itself as a major player in the region, and because they’ve been off limits for so long, now that everyone has the chance to go they’re going. Jessop says : “The conundrum now for the rest of the region is how best to respond in the short and medium term.”
Again, I ask, what’s the plan? Do we have a short term plan or a medium term plan? Frederick Douglas said: “Power concedes nothing without demand.” It has been alleged that when civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph went to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to complain about the way that the black servicemen were being treated in the military, the President agreed that something needed to be done and was reported to have said to A. Philip Randolph: “I agree with you, now make me do it.” We have waited all of our lives for our leaders to do what is right. True, we were not schooled in the fine art of governance, but we also didn’t know how to ride a bike.
We had the British here in 69, right where we wanted them – for after years of benign neglect, and with the world press on hand, they were embarrassed so much so that they pledged to fix centuries of neglect. What happened? Britain, with the help of the Foreign Office did a very effective job in stalling our Revolution. Our leaders intervened and asked them to leave, and so they packed up and left, ironically with most of the equipment to be used on St. Kitts. How is that for irony?
We have met the enemy and it is us. We will fight among ourselves, while outsiders are taking over. On August 24th, Antigua and Barbuda will inaugurate the largest airport built anywhere in the Caribbean. It will have shops, lots of gates and counters, and observation decks, further advancing Antigua’s position as a leader in tourism. It will rival anything seen anywhere in the world. Built with Chinese help, it provides jobs, jobs and more jobs. Of course, Chinese philanthropy does not come without a price. Just recently it was revealed that Russia has been investing in the Caribbean, so what does that tell us? Man will sell his soul to the highest bidder, regardless of the consequences. I am not saying that we are to follow suit. I mainly use these examples to illustrate the fact that given it’s now a global community, everyone is jockeying for position. What are we doing?
Although we are a British Overseas Territory, and is hamstrung by certain constraints, that is no reason for us to accept it as a fait accompli. We have to have someone to approach the powers that be and argue our case. For goodness sake, if one throws a stone anywhere in The Valley, one’s likely to hit a half dozen lawyers. Why for the life of me, can’t we get together and draw up a plan? Walk in there with your charts and graphs, anticipate every possible question that might come up and be ready for them. As lawyers, you don’t ask questions without first knowing the answers. In education, there’s a theory known as backwards planning. You first come up with the end result – what you want to accomplish – and then work backwards. We can’t afford to maintain the status quo.
Mr. Banks, you and the AUF saw your overwhelming victory as a mandate to govern. Well, then, for goodness sake man, govern. Perhaps Gilley said it best in his calypso:
You owe it to us, don’t betray our trust
We the people will hold your feet to the fire.
You have had opportunities to really stand out and let us know what the plan is. This inaction is really unacceptable. Gilley continues:
Don’t blow this chance, this is your time to dance
Deliver you must, we fulfilled our portion.
Our expectation is that you will lead us to prosperity
For everybody. You owe it to us, don’t betray our trust.
You have the temperament, the knowledge, the skills and all that is needed. You’re the elder statesman, and instead of admonishing the less experienced, in the house, let us see you shepherd them.
I honestly believe that this is a bellwether year for us – let’s not waste it. To be honest, I was hoping for different results, but the people have spoken. They want action. They’ve been cast adrift for far too long now, and that is unacceptable. We are still very much two Anguillas – and that’s understandable – and you have to be the government for both halves. We want to see an aggressive approach to getting things done. We want to see the reforms that have been talked about for so long, now, that I refuse to say their names ‘cause I sound like a broken record. We dislike pomposity and grandstanding. We don’t have time for that. Let’s instead focus on the task at hand and figure a way of doing this.
It has been almost fifty years since we’ve been out there, and if we had to do an assessment of where we were, and where we are now, the outcome would be something that I’m sure would be food for thought. We were left for dead, and many of us did die. Some of us left for greener pastures, but the majority of us stayed – the stubborn ones stayed. They braved pestilence, famine, disease, drought and death and, through it all, they remained resilient.
And out of that environment, we became a proud people who had to make do with what we had. Out of the ashes, we rose like the Phoenix. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. We were able to craft our own boats, for travelling, and later on we took to the air. At one time or another we had more pilots than any other Caribbean nation. We had our own planes, you could drive to the airport and get a flight to wherever you wanted to go. Today, we have to pay carriers to come in. We built an airport for American and when it was no longer profitable for them, they left. When it was no longer profitable for LIAT to come to Anguilla, they too left. Is it any wonder, then, that entrepreneurs can come in and do whatever they want because we have no balls to stand up to them? The AUF campaigned back in 2005 under the guise of getting the Junks Hole project approved.
Call Osbourne on the phone: “Osbourne, how is it going?” “Tye, It’s a done deal, It’s a done deal.” Meanwhile, Mr. Sillerman sees the Junks Hole project as a threat to his project and, if Junks Hole is allowed to go forward, he threatens to close his project, thus putting over five hundred Anguillians out of work. Guess what happened to the Junks Hole project? Never mind that the developer was having problems lining up his ducks, the government caved.
Before I go, let me say this: We are still an Anguilla who will talk when we see injustice. We still practice the old Anguilla pastime of throwing stones and hiding our hand. I admire those who write to the editor which I admit takes courage, but when you don’t sign it, well what can I say. The recent smash up over Ms Stewart was quite unfortunate, and even though I first thought what she said was deplorable, I changed my mind after she apologized and wished that she would have a change of heart and stayed. I agree with those people who wanted her to stay. We have serious problems and she was hired to do a job for which she was highly qualified. It was really a shame to hear people on the radio questioning her qualifications, but then consider the sources. We always seem to be backing the wrong horse.
Somewhere along the line, our government has to stop acquiescing to Tom Dick and Harry. We are still two years away from our semi-centennial and we should have much to be proud of. Let us use these next two years to, at least, regain some of the momentum that we’ve lost. 2017 we will have a chance to present an Anguilla that’s never been seen before. Everyone has to up his or her game. It appears that our government is satisfied to be place holders right now. As we get ready for our 50th, let us make sure that we include everyone this time. We’re seeing the maintenance of the status quo and that is not what we expected. And “If that’s all there is, then we might as well get out) in Peggy Lee’s words: “Get drunk and have a ball.” For no one really cares, and that is the sad part. Let us emancipate ourselves from mental and economic slavery. Till next time, may God bless us all and may God bless Anguilla.
