“Politics of the Belly,” a term coined by French political scientist Jean-Francois Bayart, describes politicians as: “enriching themselves and their cronies while allowing the vast majority to languish in poverty.”
When one looks back at where we’ve been, where we are and, how we got here, where we’re heading, the only conclusion one can draw is that our leaders, those entrusted with our well-being, have done a less than stellar job – they’ve done a horrible job!
The only logical conclusion one can come up with is that our politicians were only in it for the money. None of them, except for one James Ronald Webster, can point to any one thing that they have done for the people of Anguilla. What then was the purpose of seeking public office if not self-aggrandisement?
It is said that a goat feeds where it is tied. Archaic as it may sound, there is a lot of truth in that phrase. Unfortunately, our politicians have turned goat feeding into an art form. We have specific individuals masquerading as contractors, among other things, when all they are, are shysters taking advantage of a corrupt system of government.
A perusal of our most recent history will show that the actions of a series of our governments suggest that they were more interested in what Anguilla, and by extension, the people of Anguilla, could do for them, a variation of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s famous phrase from his 1960 inauguration: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
However hard this might be to accept, a government’s job is to do for the people what they can’t do for themselves.
In the late nineteen eighties, the then government headed by Osbourne Fleming passed a series of laws that gave itself, among other perks, an unprecedented 25% pay raise. No one objected – not the British governor, the opposition, nor the people. So, Osbourne and company engaged unashamedly in what would set a pattern of ‘politics of the belly.’ That of enriching themselves and their cronies – to hell with the rest of us.
Shameful as those actions were, the process continued. The next big scam was that of boards. We wound up with commissions for every department one could think of. We had people appointed to those boards who sometimes didn’t even know why the devil they were on them – other than a payoff for supporting the party.
It wouldn’t take long for this pattern to continue. Another act of greed was getting a pension without contributing one red cent to the pension fund. Then, adding insult to injury, what would be the piece de resistance, was a hefty gratuity cheque upon retirement, or a loss at the ballot box worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, all of which boggles the mind.
All things being equal, it is difficult to accept that we, the Anguillians, are being taxed to maintain a lifestyle of political hacks whose only reason for seeking elective public office is to see what they can derive from it.
It would not be so difficult to accept if our politicians did something they could identify as beneficial for their constituents. Still, few can point to anything they have done to benefit the people of Anguilla.
So, we go back to the beginning and ask the question – Why are these people in public office if not to see what it will do for them? Anguilla’s public servants make more money than any other Caribbean government. So, is it any wonder that everyone wants to come to Anguilla to work because those Bobo Johnies are still so dumb that they don’t know we are using them?
Anguillians are some of the most brilliant people on the face of the earth, which makes it hard to understand why we kowtow to those who would rub our faces in it. Just think. Instead of us fighting amongst ourselves and coming together and each one of us contributing to his/her expertise, the possibilities, as the saying goes, would be endless. Whether or not that will ever happen is anyone’s guess. But it’s worth a try. What’s the alternative? It’s staring us in the face – coming together as one or suffering the consequences of our passivity.
All they’ve done up to this point is to give away our homeland. The former administration gave away our sovereignty to the Central Bank in St. Kitts; they’ve signed off on several laws that are contrary to the well-being of the Anguillian people. One should seek public office to contribute to the betterment of one’s people, not for what one can get out of it.
As we face an uncertain and dangerous future, all we must do is look around at what is happening in the world. But, unfortunately, we are not living in a vacuum. Sooner or later, these ripples will overwhelm our small slice of paradise. Russia is destroying Ukraine, Sri Lanka is broke, and Europe is on fire. The Panamanians are protesting high gas prices, among other things. The U.S. is facing a possible civil war if Donald Trump runs again and loses, and what are we doing to prepare ourselves for the coming onslaught?
When all else fails, constitutional and electoral reform is the deflection of choice. So here we are going down this rabbit hole once again. We’ve been there and done that – and to no avail. We will never agree to any constitutional or electoral reform revision simply because if it doesn’t benefit the party in power, they have no incentive to do anything.
Anguillians are of the impression that you can’t tell them what to do, so what do we expect that modernising our constitution and electoral laws will accomplish? We simply don’t have anyone trustworthy enough to act neutrally in the best interests of Anguilla and, by extension, the Anguillian people.
Anguilla is the only remaining British Overseas Territory with an archaic constitution, which should lead one to question why? Do we not warrant the same treatment as Bermuda, the Caymans, and the others who were the beneficiaries of the new and updated constitutions? What does that say about us as a people?
One might conclude that our leadership has been compromised and consequently severely weakened. However, it is time that we get leadership with a plan to take Anguilla forward. A plan that keeps Anguillians at home, a plan that deals with our eroding beaches, the mass exodus of our best and brightest, and jobs for our people that last longer than three months.
Anguilla, in its present iteration, is unsustainable. The island simply can’t generate enough revenue to pay its debts, and GST isn’t going to get it done. There simply aren’t enough working bodies to create the kind of money that’s needed. So, what will happen? We have a pretty good idea of what might happen. You see, Anguillians are land rich, and the Brits will want us to pay taxes on our land, and I’m afraid that’s a nonstarter.
Those we’ve elected to look out for our best interests have shamelessly abdicated their responsibility. Instead of caring about the Anguillian people, they care more about what the Brits think. What Anguilla needs right now is our version of Spartacus, a Roman slave who led the revolt against Rome. I’m not advocating violence but, at the same time, I think it’s time our people kick this government to the curb, Rock Stars and All. Stand up for that which our forefathers fought while there’s still something left for which to fight. This is not time for the amateur hour. We need the Varsity team, not the junior one.
The time has come for our leaders to stop thinking about the politics of the belly and, instead, forget about their cronies and focus on most people who have been left to languish in poverty. Till next time, may God Bless us all.
