Pull! Push!
Four day weekend
In case you weren't aware, Friday (Emancipation Day) and today (Kadooment Day) were/are holidays in Barbados.
Labels: Barbados, business, holidays, life
Notes From The Margin raises the alarm over Venezuelan claim
NTFM picked up his pen a short while ago (more like a month ago actually), but I've been a bit busy and didn't get around to mentioning it until now:
"After much thought we’ve decided to come out of retirement to blog on the subject of Venezuela’s claim of Barbados’ waters. This is not a full re-opening of NFTM but we felt that given our history of blogging on Venezuela and it’s territorial claims that we might be able to provide some clarity on this issue. This article is freely reproducible (once the source is attributed). In fact we would ask that given the potential seriousness of the claim that members of the blogosphere and other media propogate this story.
Marginal"News of Venezuela's claim did make the newspaper, but not before (if I remember correctly)
BFP's post.
Labels: Barbados, Barbados Free Press, Caribbean, media, news, NTFM, Venezuela
Competition in the distribution sector of Barbados: Good, bad or both?
DISCLAIMER: Insert usual IANA-type (I Am Not A...) disclaimers here as I'm in a rush (going to see Hancock tonight) and I want to post this before I forget.By distribution sector of Barbados, I mean the companies that import the foodstuffs, groceries, etcetera, that we see on the shelves of our major supermarkets as well as the smaller shops.
In some(?) cases, these distribution companies also own and operate the supermarkets (an example of
vertical integration at work here, folks).
After watching a bit of the budget this eve, it seems to me that The Government, as a result of the high cost of living, appears to be receptive and open to the idea of allowing foreign competitors to setup shop in Barbados. In addition, ownership of these outfits is to be kept independent from local entities in an attempt to, perhaps, avoid collusion/cartels(?). The aim here is that by allowing foreign entities into the market, competition will ensue and therefore drive down prices, thereby giving Barbadian consumers a 'break' or an 'ease.'
Now I'm a consumer, and I'm all for a 'break' and an 'ease.' No harm at all, none whatsoever. Or is there? This measure, I think, could very well be a double-edged sword, one that must be wielded carefully (or how about: there are two sides to every coin, or two sides to every issue, or the lesser of two evils? LOL).
Very quickly (as I'm running late for the show at the drive-in):The Good:Foodstuffs et al should be available (in theory), at competitive prices and in a wider variety, to the average Barbadian consumer. I for one am always happy to pay less. After all, I'm a
Barbadian, we like that sort of stuff, but not at the expense of quality ofcourse. ;-)
The Bad:Existing distribution & supermarket entities now faced with stiff competition from overseas competitors (who enjoy
economies of scale), may be forced to compete on price in one way by reducing their costs.
Labour is a cost. Local companies may be forced to lay-off, or reduce staff levels (i.e., Barbadian employees) in order to reduce their costs, which in turn will (hopefully) allow them to offer competitive pricing in line with the overseas players. Alternatives to lay-offs may involve: reducing their profit margins or finding ways to increase the efficiency of their businesses so as to drive down costs.
Another negative aspect of foreign entrants is that if these foreign entities are a hit with the Barbadian public, and they start to make a profit for their overseas owners, where do you think these profits are going ? I'm no expert, but I guess that our Government will probably see a 'little something' in the form of taxes, duties, etcetera, but I think that the bulk of it will be heading overseas, to a parent company somewhere.
I'm sure that there are plenty of arguements and counter-arguements to what I've said, but this is simply a little food (pardon the pun) for thought. Remember, what do I know? IANA... ;-)
In conclusion, if I may offer one slight, insignificant, tiny, suggestion from little ol' me: If you're going to allow these foreign firms to setup shop in Bim, make sure that the majority of all staff hired (even the Management team), are Barbadians.
Labels: Barbados, business, economics, food, life
Big weekend in Bim (Barbados)!
*** UPDATE (May 31, 2008): While stumbling around the RB2K8 'live'
tracking website, I found out that a team from Oxford University (of all places!) was taking part. A quick search on Google and mouse click or two onto Cherwell (OU's student newspaper)
confirmed this:
"Oxford University students who rebuild vintage rally cars will race an historic Riley 1.5 through the winding roads of Barbados next month as they compete in the Caribbean’s largest annual motorsport event, the Barbados Rally Carnival.
Members of the Oxford Universities Motorsport Foundation (OUMF) will travel over 4,000 miles to battle some of the world’s top rally car drivers, including 2006 British Rally Championship runner-up Ryan Champion."Good luck and good racing to you, OUMF!
***An exciting and entertaining weekend awaits most folks as both the SOL Barbados Rally and Mount Gay Regatta are set to take place!
Since I'm more interested in motorsports (though I rarely follow the events anymore), here are a few highlights from the freely available SOL Rally Barbados 2008 programme (
click here for the full PDF):
* 89 crews (including seven from around the region and a further 23 from Europe)
* Entries by Sweden's Bjorn Waldegard, a 1979 World Rally Champion, as well as
* Kris Meeke, a 2004 to 2006 title contender in the JWRC.
Online info on the Mount Gay Regatta appears to be scarce, so your best bet is to check with
Google.
Enjoy!
Labels: Barbados, fun, life, motorsports, sailing, weekend
The private lives of celebrities. Does the public care?
How much, or how little, do you care about what a popular celebrity thinks?
On May 6,
The Bajan Reporter posted a rather lengthy 'thesis' by one Roger Marshall
concerning the connection between Rihanna's famous 'Umbrella' song and the occult.
This was picked up by
BFP this morning and has already resulted in a
few comments (no surprise, as anything that involves religion and politics is bound to stir up the emotions). I have not read Marshall's article, nor am I planning to, as it does not interest me in the least bit.
Mind you, I'm not saying that Rihanna is knowingly (or unknowingly) involved in any of the stuff that Marshall mentions, nor am I commenting on her personal beliefs, etcetera. I'm sure that other like-minded people (i.e., people like Marshall) could find links to the occult and other artists' songs as well. It just so happened that his article mentioned Rihanna's song.
What does interest me is to what extent do the beliefs and values (etcetera) of a popular celebrity, affect how much (or how little) ordinary citizens like them.It seems like a simple and straight-forward thing, doesn't it? If a celebrity that you've always liked for years adopts a position contrary to your own on any topic (drugs, the environment, religion, politics, etcetera), will you look at them differently? Consider also if, despite their opposing view, they continue to carry out their professional life in the exact same way (e.g. movies/music), putting aside their own personal philosophy. Now that you know what they really think, would you be able to ignore their beliefs and continue to support their films/music?
Realize that whatever you (and the majority of the public) choose may impact on how much money the celebrity earns. Knowing this, the celebrity (at the request of, or on the advice of his/her agent, etcetera) may try to appear in such a way so as toavoid a potential loss (or decrease) of income as a result of his/her personal opinions. This may end up in you rarely seeing, or getting to know, the real individual behind the celebrity.
In the end, and after considering the above, who do you like, the individual with his/her private opinions, or the celebrity who will please the audience?
Labels: Barbados, Barbados Free Press, blogging, life, news, Philosophy, politics, religion, The Bajan Reporter
Public Holiday in Barbados: Labour Day
Folks, tomorrow (May 1) is a public holiday in Barbados.
Labels: Barbados, holidays, life
Public Holiday in Barbados: National Heroes Day
Folks, today is National Heroes Day, a
public holiday in Barbados.
Labels: Barbados, holidays, life
Notes From The Margin blog sails off into the sunset
"
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish"
The title of the last post on the NTFM blog (and also the title of the fourth book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, a set of books that everyone should read).
Notes From The Margin (NFTM) is, or rather was, a Barbadian blog that stood somewhere in between
Barbados Free Press and
Barbados Underground (in my humble opinion). Briefly thinking about it, NFTM was, as far as I can recall, never as sensational, explosive, informative, dangerous and as politically charged as BFP, nor was it as deeply critical, analytical and alarmist as BU (remember, I'm briefly thinking about the comparisons between the sites and going with the first thing that comes to my mind, so don't have a cow if I got it wrong).
Instead, NFTM occupied a unique spot in the Barbadian blogosphere and brought to it another voice and opinion on things primarily Barbadian and occasionally Caribbean. However, as of April 15, NFTM has withdrawn as a result of, it seems, the demands of their day-to-day lives. They (whoever 'they' were as NFTM, like BU and BFP, was an anonymous blog) were not able to maintain the standards they wished to have.
These standards have gotten
NTFM into hot water in the past, especially with a few of the other blogs (BU, BFP and The Bajan Reporter in particular). They (NFTM) linked to other blogs which posted material that was, to put it extremely nicely, 'highly controversial.' As such, the aforementioned trio removed NTFM from their respective blogrolls, I believe, in protest of NFTM's link choice. Despite this, NFTM held their ground and did not give in. Only later when one or two of the controversial blogs stepped over NFTM's line were they removed from their blogroll.
Disclaimer BFP, BU and The Bajan Reporter all link to my little blog, although, they may reconsider after they read my 'farewell' post to NFTM (which I had always linked to even after the debacle). Hopefully the trio won't get upset because IANAA: I Am Not An Antagonist.
LOL ;-)For better or for worse, the Barbadian blogosphere will be a bit more quiet now that the NFTM blog has departed. No doubt some will say 'good riddance,' while others will cry 'what a shame.' Either way, the World has one less opinion to consider and is thus less informed when it comes to matters pertainining to Bimshire and to a lesser extent, the rest of the Caribbean. Herein lies the real tragedy. For without several sources of opinion and thought to consider, the individual has a limited selection of choices from with which he or she can form an opinion.
Moving on, we've seen from the above that the Internet/WWW can simply be thought of as an extension of real life. The big difference is that on the Internet, one has the ability to say what one wants alot more anonymously, easily and with access to a huge audience: the World. Whereas before, opinions would have to be toned down or kept locked away in the dark recesses of the mind of the individual, or of the crowd.
No so today. With the Internet and the Web in particular, anyone can sign up for a blog in seconds and tell the World what they think about everything no matter how controversial, disgusting, immoral, insensitive,
funny,
boring or silly it may seem to the rest of us. After all, what is the point of having freedom of speech and independent thinking if you are censored? Yes there are limits, certainly, but what are they and who sets them?
What is acceptable today may not be acceptable tomorrow. Our morals, values and beliefs (etcetera) change with time. Nothing is static, change is constant. especially in this day and age when thanks (or not?) to technology, we are so closely linked together and are aware of each other (with regards to cultures, beliefs, morals, values, religions, etcetera).
Which leads to my final thought for the evening: Do we have any morals or values (etcetera) that can be considered universal and applicable to every single human being and more importantly, I think, that transcend religious and cultural differences, or do we all just 'make it up' as we go along?
Labels: Barbados, blogging, Caribbean, life, news. religion, Notes From The Margin, NTFM, Philosophy, World
The Right Honourable David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados, Talks to the People
(DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A Politician)
(DISCLAIMER: IANABODE, I Am Not A 'B' Or 'D,' Etecetera)
(DISCLAIMER: IANANM, I Am Not A Newspaper Man)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A Philosopher)
I first heard of the PM's planned interview/talk via the blogs and then, I think, I read something about it in one of the daily papers (sorry, can't remember which one). It's easier and quicker (for me) to check out the local blogs for information on what's news and what's happening, than it is for me to get access to the paper sometimes.
Also, not all of the print articles make the newspapers' website editions, and why would they anyway? Why would you give away all of your content for free when you could charge for it and charge for ads in your dead-tree edition? I wonder, out of a newspapers' total revenue, what percentage of it is earned from purchasers of the newspaper and what percentage is earned from running ads in the newspaper.
A full online newspaper would certainly be cheaper to run (as they are less overheads/costs, i.e., plant and equipment, staff, utilities, etc). With the reduced costs, maybe a newspaper could shift its base of operations to the web. Let the reporters write from home, or wherever and communicate via instant messaging, e-mail and so forth. Sure you probably won't have as many ads, but that's okay, you don't have that many costs and so the 'newspaper' can still survive (and earn a profit) by running ads on the website (The Nation newspaper currently has ads on their website). Improbable? Yes. Impossible? No.
But how much revenue? Will it be enough for the business to make a healthy return for its investors? What is a healthy return anyway? 10, 15, 20 or 30%? Also, not everyone has ready access to a computer and Internet access, so a dead-tree edition still is useful and there is something to be said for lazing around on the couch on a Sunday afternoon flipping through the newspaper (and comics) instead of staring at a screen for long periods of time.
Alas, I digress. Remember: IANANM, I Am Not A Newspaper Man.The point (if there is one) to tonight's post was to comment on the PM's appearance on the television and radio. As far as I can tell (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong), this is the first time that I've ever heard of, or seen for myself, a PM sitting down to be questioned by (for all intents and purposes) members of the public. This is quite simply amazing (maybe even dangerous?). It marks a radical and significant change in the island's political landscape.
STOP. Hold your horses. Hold strain. Remeber: IANABODE, I Am Not A 'B' Or 'D,' Etecetera. This post is not about what was promised and what has been delivered (or still to be delivered). It's not about the D's manifesto and it's not about the B's either, nor any political party for that matter. Put the party politics on pause people, please (try saying that five times fast). Furthermore, I've not heard all of the TV/radio discussion tonight (it is ongoing as I type this). But I need not. As far as I am concerned, the mere fact that this is happening tells me that
The Times They Are a-Changin' But for how long? Who knows. Will anything ever change? Who knows. Remember: IANAP, I Am Not A Politician. But, as I said earlier, I cannot remember a pervious occasion where something like this happened.
This may sound silly. At least, it may sound that way to people living in 'big countries.' These folks may take it for granted that they can question their politicians and public offcials and demand answers of them, or take them to task on important issues and topics. Not so here, at least, not as far as I can remember (does anyone remember?). Personified, the size of my knowledge of the island's political history is slimmer than I am, or better yet, non-existent.
Maybe some people think that questions shouldn't be asked, period. After all, politicians know more than we do, don't they? They are charged with running the country and seeing to the health and wealth of its citizens. There is also something to be said about there being a time and a place for everything and as such, a certain level of decorum and respect must be given to politicians no matter what political party they belong to (or no matter what the issues are).
But does this mean that by allowing ourselves to be governed by a minority (which we choose democratically), that in turn we must give up some of our freedom (and just
what is freedom anyway?), the ability to ask questions, to form our own opinions, and most importantly, to think for ourselves?
No. It doesn't. You have a brain, use it wisely and remember: IANAP,
I Am Not A Philosopher (LOL!). ;-)
Labels: Barbados, life, Philosophy, politics
The Economist hits the nail right on the head!
This is exactly what I'm talking about:
"STUCK in a traffic jam on the road home after an Easter break, the motorist has time to ponder many things."For me, it wasn't the Easter break, it was a typical day and I was either stuck in traffic, or going to and fro. The end result was this post:
"The similarities between economic systems, traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts."Labels: Barbados, blogging, economics, funny, life, politics, The Economist
A question and a thought or two, on privatization and the RBPF
DISCLAIMER: IANAE (I Am Not An Economist), IANAPO (I Am Not A Police Officer) and IANAP (I Am Not A Politician).A few of you, by now, should know that I tend to
think about random things while I'm on the road, going to and fro. These trips give me the occasion (opportunity), to think, question, reflect and generally study things while waiting at a traffic light, or while sitting in traffic (but still keeping a constant vigil on the flow of traffic in front and behind me, talk about multi-tasking!).
Today was no different. While I was not doing this sort of thinking (or
philosophizing?) while driving home, the question came to me much later (at around 2:45 AM).
What would happen if we were to privatize the RBPF? Don't laugh. I'm asking a serious question. Spare it some thought. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, Wikipedia has the following to say:
"Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the public sector (government) to the private sector (business). In a broader sense, privatization refers to transfer of any government function to the private sector including hardcore governmental functions like revenue collection and law enforcement."Why, in the first place, would a government want to transfer ownership of a business from the public sector to the private sector? If you can answer this, then maybe you can apply the same thinking to why a government would want to (OR NOT WANT TO), transfer law enforcement to the private sector.
So back to the question, what would happen if we were to privatize the RBPF? Do you see better pay for the officers? More equipment and resources becoming available? What about the negative effects, i.e., having a private company providing law enforcement services? If you've got an answer, my e-mail address can be found on the side-bar, alternatively, feel free to leave a comment. Based upon feedback, I will try to dispense my own humble opinion in a week or two, as I'm currently preparing for an exam.
However, I will leave you with one possible result of privatization: I'm pretty sure that our taxes pay for law enforcement (as well as for other social services). Privatization should, in theory, result in less taxes paid to a government, however, it would also mean no law enforcement for society unless you pay a private firm to provide such services (how would the poor be able to pay and should they even have to pay in the first place?).
In conclusion, one of the many roles of government (correct me if I'm wrong), is to provide basic protection of life and property (be you rich or poor). This is a social service. I can't remember where I read it, and I'm probably bastardizing what it is I read, but the essence of it was this: We, as citizens or members of society, in effect give up certain rights and freedoms when we agree to be governed. In return, it is the government's role to protect society from internal as well as external agression, conflicts, threats, etcetera. That is the price we pay for this security and stability.
Food for thought.
Labels: Barbados, economics, law, life, Philosophy, police
Current Events and Latest News
Grammy Girl Rihanna: 'Barbados, I love you! We got one'The 19-year-old chart-topping R&B songstress became the first Barbadian to win a Grammy Award when she won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her popular hit Umbrella featuring Jay-Z, on Sunday night at the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony. [via The Nation Newspaper]
Russian bomber buzzes U.S. aircraft carrier"One of them twice flew about 2,000 feet over the deck of the USS Nimitz Saturday while another flew about 50 miles away, officials said. Two others were at least 100 miles away, the military reported. U.S. defense officials said four F/A-18A fighter jets from the Nimitz were in the air. The Russians and the U.S. carrier did not exchange verbal communications." [via CNN.com]
Deadline looms in Ukraine gas row"Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is in Moscow to try to persuade Russia not to cut gas supplies to his country in a dispute over an unpaid bill." [via BBC NEWS]
Danish cartoons 'plotters' heldDanish police have arrested three people suspected of planning to attack a cartoonist who drew caricatures satirising the Prophet Muhammad. [via BBC NEWS]
Labels: aircraft carrier, Barbados, bombers, cartoon, Danish, gas, Muslim, Rihanna, Russia, U.S., Ukraine
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
DISCLAIMER: IANAM, I Am Not A Meteorologist (but I have been feeling really cold recently).We island folk have been experiencing some irregular weather these last couple of weeks.
The Nation newspaper wrote about it today, and has confirmed what most of us already knew, it has been unusually cold!
We're talking temperatures as low as 21.3 degrees Celsius. Now before you pooh-pooh and laugh off our concerns, remember that Barbados is in the Caribbean, i.e., in the tropics (a.k.a, the temperate zone?), i.e., in a tropical climate, where temperatures are usually between 28 and 33 degrees (at least, that's what my little in-car temperature gizmo reads whenever I push the button).
If you really want a laugh, then you should hear how some of us protest the half an hour or so commute to work, or the fifteen-minute wait while stuck in traffic, but that's island life, eh? I've been up North a few times, watched T.V and heard the horror stories from others and I've learned to appreciate that commute times and time spent waiting in traffic, are all relative and highly subjective.
But when the temperature drops to 21.3 in Barbados, it does cause quite a stir. As such, it was no suprise to find one or two funny comments on the weather in The Nation's article:
'Basically, I just go under the sheets but I don't mind it. In fact,
I like it because I get to sleep much better at nights since it isn't too hot," said Pastor Ricardo Payne of Elim Gospel Church, Workmans, St George. However, one of the members of his congregation added: "No, no! It's too cold at nights, man, I can't deal with it!"'However, this comment takes the cake:
'Another elderly woman who lives in Bath, St John, said: "This cool air don't bother me. When I start to see snow is when I'll get worried."'Ma'am, you're not the only one. If it were to start snowing in Bim, I'd get plenty worried too!
Labels: Barbados, Caribbean, humour, life, weather
The Economist mentions elections in Barbados
The Economist, a publication (and website), that I try to read as often as possible,
had the following to say with regards to the recently concluded elections in Barbados: (In
bold are the bits that I found especially interesting, which as it turns out, made up the majority of their article)
"Barbados
Sweet success
Jan 17th 2008 | PORT OF SPAIN
From The Economist print edition
A change of power in one of the Caribbean's best-run and most stable democracies
IT WAS an all-night party in Barbados after the island's general election on January 15th. “Plenty change,” a Bridgetown bar-owner grinned, and he wasn't just referring to the mounds of cash he was counting. After 13 lonely years in opposition, three election defeats and a series of long-running party-leadership squabbles, David Thompson led his Democratic Labour Party (DLP) triumphantly back to power, with 20 of the 30 parliamentary seats. In the previous election, in 2003, it won just seven seats.
By American standards, the campaign was blissfully short. The election was called on December 20th, leaving just two lively weeks after the Christmas and new-year break to get the voters in. There is no great ideological gulf between Mr Thompson's party and the outgoing Barbados Labour Party (BLP). But from time to time Barbadians like to shake up the political scene. Although Owen Arthur, the BLP leader, was regarded as a good manager, people felt that he had become a little arrogant after his 13 years in power, and some of his party rather too comfortably settled.
Voters also fretted over rising food prices, cost overruns on a road project and property prices jacked up by villa-buying foreigners. Then there was a row over claims by the BLP that Taiwan had funded Mr Thompson's campaign in exchange for a promise of diplomatic recognition. This was hotly denied by the DLP, anxious to avoid a rift with China.
Barbados is one of the Caribbean's oldest and most stable democracies, consistently getting top-drawer rankings for its political and civil liberties. From 1639 an elected House of Assembly—not the British-appointed colonial governor—controlled the island's cash. The first mixed-race member, Samuel Jackman Prescod, won a seat in 1843. Universal suffrage eventually followed in 1951, and independence 15 years later. On a visit to the island in 1859 Anthony Trollope, a British novelist, found it irritatingly well run.
Barbados also tops all other Latin American and Caribbean countries in the UN Development Programme's human-development index. Transparency International, a corruption watchdog, ranks it second cleanest in the region, just behind Chile. In September unemployment hit an all-time low of 7%, down from a peak of 27% in 1993 when the DLP was last in power.
“Change” (of leadership) was the DLP's campaign watchword. The new government, which inherits an uncomfortably big public debt, equal to 88% of GDP, will have other changes to deal with, too. Important business decisions are increasingly likely to be taken in neighbouring Trinidad rather than Barbados. Many big local firms are already majority-owned by Trinidad shareholders. Now two Trinidad companies are fighting for control of Barbados Shipping & Trading, the island's biggest conglomerate.
Sugar, the economic mainstay until the 1960s, will lose its guaranteed European market by 2015, and is already suffering EU price cuts. Costs are among the world's highest, but cane keeps the landscape in good order. Shutting down sugar would dent the country's confidence, too. Mr Arthur had proposed a new $156m sugar factory, using cane for electricity and biofuel, and exporting pricey premium-brand Plantation Reserve sugar. The DLP called the plan a “mishmash”, but has yet to come up with a better one.
Meanwhile, the island's medium-sized independent hotels, the backbone of its tourist industry, are facing rising costs and increasing competition from cruise ships; some have closed. High oil prices will push up air fares this year. Further ahead, global (over)warming may cut the pulling power of Barbados's tropical beaches, now attracting over half a million tourists a year.
On the upside, there may be oil. In 2004 Barbados faced down Trinidad in a dispute over their maritime boundaries, and two years later won a big slice of seabed, which America's Geological Service believes may contain some generous deposits, though the waters are deep and the geology complex. A bid round for exploration rights, which has already sparked interest from several big oil companies, closes in April. Over to you, Mr Thompson."Labels: Barbados, business, economics, life, politics
Four-day weekend!
Folks, in celebration of the
appointment of David Thompson as our new Prime Minister, today is a public holiday in Barbados. Also, Monday is a public holiday in celebration of Errol Barrow Day.
Labels: Barbados, life, news
BARBADOS chooses the DLP after three consecutive terms of BLP leadership
WOW.DISCLAIMER: IANAPP, I Am Not A Political PunditIANAPP (I Am Not A Political Pundit), and I rarely follow politics. Remember this as I am writing this post just as a casual observer, analyzing and drawing conclusions based on what l know from reading, seeing and listening to what's been going on...
I think that the D's have a difficult road ahead of them. In particular, the fact that the D's haven't won a general election in 15 years and their representation in the House has been that of a very small minority.
The tables have now turned (and my goodness, how they've turned!). The DLP now rules the House after being in the extreme minority for 15 consecutive years and having not won an election during that same time period. The DLP has delivered a K.O. to the BLP by winnning the election and by now enjoying a similar level of House representation to what the BLP has had over the years.
David Thompson should be called the 'comeback kid', or something like that, for what he and the DLP party has pulled off. As I said, I do not follow politics, but DT and the DLP must've had one helluva fight. The DLP is back after years of low representation in the House, not winning an election (while people only remembering the bad times when the D's were in power) and one of the biggest blows, CM leaving the D's to go over to the B's.
I personally thought that it was going to be a very close election (I'm not disclosing who I voted for, or even if I voted), with the BLP still winning. But lo and behold! The people have spoken. Barbadians (the majority of them), have listened to the DLP and have given them the opportunity to deliver on their promises. Amazing. Whoever said that Barbadians don't rock the boat and are risk-adverse were dead wrong.
However, if DT and the D's thought that they had a long fight to the top, they need to think again (which I'm sure they realize). Now is when the battle really starts. The fight for the social and economic future of this country is on. This will be the most trying four years that the D's have ever seen.
In particular, the costs (and paying back), of the major projects the island has recently undertaken i.e., highways and the prison, cost of living, the national debt, the fact that there will be tough economic times ahead as a result of (but not limited) high oil prices, the subprime mortgage fiasco in the US and the normal day-to-day geo-political conflicts in places like Iran and elsewhere on the African continent.
(The head of the US Fed also recently said that the 2008 outlook is worse than originally
forecased/predicted Recall: When the US sneezes, the World catches a cold, or something like that.)
To make matters worse, I believe that the DLP will come under intense scrutiny (moreso than usual, I think), especially with regards to economical performance issues. The D's asked the people for a change and they have said 'yes' (and very loudly based on the voting results). Any failures to deliver will, I think, result in a 'I told you so', kind of display from the BLP, and might make some people second guess themselves about putting the DLP in power.
I myself am wondering...even if David Thompson & Co. have a tough time, maybe the Barbadian public will be a little forgving and cut them some slack. I mean, the B's have governed the island for 15 years and people know this. As such, they should also know the D's cannot swoop in overnight with sweeping reforms and changes and magically make all of the islands problems disappear.
Put another way, when a company has gone through tough times, or when the shareholders want a change, the shareholders bring in new management (happens all the time in places like the US, CEO's step down or are replaced). However, good things do not happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work to turn around a company, and while the shareholders will be watching carefully, they also have to realize that the new management team needs time to get things organized and then, and only then, can the company move forward and make a difference (a positive one hopefully).
Despite all of the above, last night's results sent a strong message to the B's and to other political parties around the world: Change is constant. Barbadians may not be as complacent, nor as risk averse as some people would think. Obviously, Barbadians (or at least the majority of them), wanted a change. The B's had an unprecedented 3 terms (3x5, 15 yrs of Government) without any major changes in their own political party structure that I can recall (except for that big bombshell when CM split from the D's and joined the B's).
If I remember correctly, one of the CBC election panelists, the rep for the BLP had said that the loss may have been as a result of Barbadians fearing a fourth term with Arthur, or something like that. HH (Hartley Henry), replied by saying that it may not be the reason, instead, he believed citing T&T when Manning won another term, that it was because he (Manning) radically changed his Government, he saw that there was a need for new blood, and some house cleaning, and that's what he did. Hartley said that that was one of the major contributing factors of Manning's win (I can't quote HH word for word because I can't remember his exact words, only the gist of them).
I interpret this by thinking that maybe if Owen Arthur had done some radical house cleaning in his own party, maybe things would have been different. Maybe the B's might have won (by a small amount), or maybe the would have still lost, but not as badly as they have in this election. Maybe...
Howver, what's done is done and the vast majority of people have spoken, the D's have been granted their wish. The B's (I'm sure) did not see this coming, and will study the 2008 election from top to bottom like a school child studying for the 11-plus exams. The BLP will be watching every step of the DLP's movement and will no doubt be very vocal in the House, the media and in the their remaining constituents.
What still amazes (note that I did not say disappoints/excites, because I'm not getting into what political party I voted for, or did not vote for), me is the fact that the public have made such a swift and huge jump to the DLP ship. To say that it was a slaughter of the BLP may be harsh and unkind, but the B's definitely took a sound beating.
This election may even end up in some Caribbean political text books. Let future governments or current governments understand something clearly: never underestimate the power of the people, especially the majority of the people. Barbadians, under the leadership of the DLP, have some interesting and hoepfully, good times to look forward to.
Congrats should therefore go to the DLP and their supporters. It was an extremely hard fight but you proved the B's wrong, and you've won the hearts and minds of the people by winning after 15 years, and not only winning, but overcoming major questions concerning the strength of the party itself, the short time in which you had to prepare and finally, by winning the majority of the House. Be you a BLP, PEP, or PDC supporter, you've got to be fair and give Jack his jacket.
Labels: Barbados, life, politics
Election Results
Sorry, no real-time results here. I'm sitting in front of the TV watching everything. Head on over to
BFP, and
BU. They've got lots of info/comments online.
Labels: Barbados, life, politics
E-Day! E-Day! E-Day!
It matters not if you are a 'B', 'D', or a supporter of any other political party or indepedent candidate. What matters is that today is your day to make your voice heard, because today is election day in Barbados.
People from all walks of life; the rich, the poor, the in-between,
the good, the bad and the ugly, everyone, with the exception of the undecided or unconcerned and etcetera, will cast their votes today and take part in the
democratic process and elect new (or re-elect old), politicians.
It's your turn.Labels: Barbados, life, politics
Question(s) for the People's Democratic Congress (PDC)
UPDATE, Jan/5/08: Finished the post.DISCLAIMER: IANAE, I Am Not An Economist.
DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A Politician.
DISCLAIMER: IAJAQAATPACOB, I Am Just Asking Question(s) As A Tax Payer And Citizen Of Barbados.
DISCLAIMER: IAJAQAACIWNPA, I Am Just Asking Question(s) As A Curious Individual With No Political Agenda.
The last disclaimer is important. This is a non-partisan (non political) post. I am not interested in the BLP, DLP, nor PEP. I am only interested in what the
PDC recently had to say (at the time of this post, I cannot recall the exact date of The Nation's article which carried the PDC's comments), with regards to their goal of abolishing taxes
(as well as interest rates and foreign land ownership, but I am interested in their abolition of taxes proposition and I will be focusing primarily on that).
My interests are purely academic. Not political. With respect to politics, I ask that reader's take note that, as far as I can recall (but correct me if I'm wrong), none of the other political parties (BLP, DLP and PEP), have ever discussed abolishing taxes.
It is only the PDC that has made this statement.
Now, why am I asking the
PDC this question? Because (oops, sentences are not supposed to start with 'because', are they?), I am genuinely interested and curious, in trying to understand:
1) Why the PDC would want to abolish taxes and
2) How they (the PDC), intend on paying for and providing social services to the public if their party were ever to come into power.Remember folks, I'm just a
layman, seeking a little clarification and knowledge. That's all. No harm, no foul.
Before we go any further, what are taxes?
From Wikipedia (albeit, not the most professional, nor academic site to reference, but a quick and easy one to use nonetheless):
"A tax may be defined as a "pecuniary burden laid upon individuals or property to support the government […] a payment exacted by legislative authority."[1] A tax "is not a voluntary payment or donation, but an enforced contribution, exacted pursuant to legislative authority" and is "any contribution imposed by government […] whether under the name of toll, tribute, tallage, gabel, impost, duty, custom, excise, subsidy, aid, supply, or other name."[1]"I underlined 'support the government' because the government needs support in providing certain social services (police, fire, health, education, etcetera). The economists, politicians and academics can debate this definition and my addition, further. I however, will not. I will use the above definition as a suffice explanation of what a tax is.
NOTE: I am not saying that taxes are fair, or unfair, or that they are easy to pay, or that they are equally distributed amongst all of the different classes of society (i.e., low, mid and upper class, and everything in between). I am not interested in that. I'm not even interested in debating the tax rate in Barbados (for companies and individuals), nor am I interested in comparing it with other countries. No, take that discussion elsewhere, please. Better yet, go and debate it with a Tax Attorney or an Accountant :-)
To the PDC, I say unto thee: This, as far as I understand it from a layman's point of view, is why taxes are necessary and what they pay for: (Anyone out there is free to offer a counter arguement)1.
Roads. Taxes pay for the roads that we drive, walk, cycle and drive our donkey carts on. The roads may or may not be perfect (leave the politics out of this), but if the government decided to let a private sector company (i.e., companies that exist primarily to increase shareholder value, and to generate profits), take over the development and maintenance of the island's road network, what do you think will happen, PDC? Who do you think the bulk of the burden fall upon? The low, middle or upper income classes, PDC?
2.
Water. Taxes pay for the water you use. Who will be able to afford, or have access to water supplies if there are no taxes to pay to the government (which uses tax revenue to provide these services)? Yes, I know that our water 'services' may or may not be the best (leave the politics out of this), but they are being subsidized and/or provided for, by the government. Can you imagine a privatized (or non-nationalized) water company? I recall from my CXC POB (Principles Of Business) studies
that private companies exist to make a profit. I further recall from my MBA studies that private companies, of all shapes and sizes, are primarily interested in increasing shareholder value (shareholders are the people that own the company). The have to have increase the value that the shareholders made in the company, else they will investment in another business. Do you, the PDC, think that shareholders of a private water company (unless they are very morally and ethetically minded) are interested in the good of the people, or are they more interested in the bottom line?
3.
Police. PDC, the taxes that you want to abolish help pay for the protection and security of life and property. The police also maintain law and order in society. (Leave the politics out please, remember this is purely an academic discussion). How, PDC, do you plan on maintaining law and order in society, as well as protecting life and property, when there are no taxes to pay for the police force? Do we then depend on private security firms, firms like
Blackwater?
4.
Fire. PDC, a government typically provides a fire service (leave the politics out of this please), do they not? What happens when someone's house or business burns down. Without taxes to pay for that fire service and the people that operate the fire service, who will put out the fires and protect life and property? Or are you, PDC, saying that this sort of service is best left in the hands of a private sector company? What if the less fortunate cannot afford to pay the bill after having a private fire company put out the blaze, what then? Or better yet, when someone's house or business is burning, they call the private fire company and negotiate a rate before putting out the fire. Remember, a private company is interested in their bottom line. Maybe it would be more competitive and beneficial to the public if there was more than one private fire company. That way, you'd have competition and one could always go to 'the other guy' for a cheaper price (you better hope that your house doesn't completely burn down while you haggle over price).
In conlusion, PDC, consider what I've said above, and apply it in turn to other issues like: Education, NIS, Health Care and whatever other government provided services you can think of (please leave the politics out). When you abolish taxes, let me know what you intend to substitute them with in order for Barbadians to have access to social services.
P.S., I'd like to wish everyone all the best for the new year!
Labels: Barbados, economics, humour, life, Philosophy, politics
Happy Independence Day Barbados!
41 years and counting! BU has a nice night-time shot of the
Parliament Buildings on their independence day post,
check it out. You should be able to make out the blue and yellow lights being shone on the building. Those are the
colours of our flag.
Labels: Barbados, life
BREAKING: Barbados hit by earthquake/tremor/aftershock
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1945 hrs: Soon after finishing the last update, I left home to see what some of my friends were up to at our usual liming spot and to get fuel and some cash. One doesn't stay home after an event like that. It's like the hurricane parties, or going out after the hurricane has passed.
I was worried about fuel because my gas tank was almost empty and I figured that the pumps would shutdown as a precaution after the tremor. Turns out that the gas stations, the two that I stopped at, were still pumping. I wonder if they'll be doing any checks on the underground 'plumbing' to ensure that there are no damaged pipes. The other stop I made was the ATM for some cash. In the event of a disaster (or just after one) it doesn't hurt to have some cash on hand.
Before leaving, my brother wondered about the
Brittons Hill area, where the cave-in took place. Those underground caves apparently run up a great length of that part of the island and this tremor may have caused further instability, or, it may have 'settled' the loose rocks, but I'm no geologist.
People that I met and spoke with were saying pretty much the same thing, some of them said it felt as though they were dizzy/sick, others were just plain confused, one person I heard was extremely upset (and I can't blame her). After all, you spend all of your life avoiding hurricanes (knock wood) and volcanoes thinking you're safe on your little island and then WHAM!
Imagine your country was small enough to fit in a shoebox, along comes a giant and suddenly lifts up the shoebox and starts shaking it around. That's sort of what it felt like today, and
we only experienced a tremor and for a few seconds at that. No hint, no preview of what was to come.
What you think is solid and take for granted every day when you wake-up, isn't that solid after all. That, for me, was the most disturbing part of the whole thing.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1609+ hrs: Google is all over it. Check out the first few results of this query:
"powerful earthquake hits caribbean". I'm on IM with
Janine from Global Voices, she tells me that TT had a scary one last year, but this one was way stronger.
She also says that the aftershocks are expected to be quite strong.
UPDATE, Nov 29, 2007 at 1557 hrs: I don't know the state of the mobile phone network in Barbados, but I'm a Digicel subscriber and at 1557 hrs, I am unable to make outgoing calls to Cable & Wireless mobile subscribers, nor can I call C&W land lines. I cannot call from a C&W landline to my Digicel mobile. My C&W land line, however, is now operational. I can also hear quite a few police sirens in the distance.
While chatting with a friend about 30 or more minutes ago, I heard that there were people all over the streets in Bridgetown (the capital). Another friend told me, just after the shaking stopped, that his office was being evacuated (he works in Christ Church). Another friend who works in Ch. Ch. as well is now leaving the office for the day (work normally stops at 5:30).
Barbados Underground: Barbados Experiences Earth TremorDISCLAIMER: IANAEE (I'm Am Not An Earthquake Expert), but click here for what I think may be the quake that I felt (and according to the news, the majority of St. Michael and Christ Church felt, but comments on BU and BFP indicate that it was island wide). Apparently, it hit near Martinique and measured 7.3 on the scale!At around minutes to 3 pm (or minutes after) this afternoon, I felt my house shake. At first, I thought it was me feeling dizzy. I had just taken a tablet for a headache and I was sitting on the couch watching TV. This dizziness was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like being on a boat in the water, gently being rocked by the waves. I looked at the metal gate by my gallery door and it swung every so slightly. But what really gave it away, was a little stuffed dog on large shelf, the one where the head bobs up and down at the slightest movement. The dog's head was bobbing quite a bit. I left the living room (in a hurry) and went outside in the open. As I left that room, I could hear the TV creak on the small wooden stand on the floor. I went outside in the open and I could hear kids screaming from a school closeby. Neighbours were outside as well, they felt something. Another neighbour told me her mum called from Trinidad and said that a quake was felt there.
This was my first experience with an earthquake/aftershock/tremor. It was not a pleasant one. It was extremely disorienting at first, because your whole body is thrown off balance. It lasted a few seconds. During those few seconds, all I could think of was getting out of the house and into the open, away from any structures.
Land lines and mobile phones are giving a lot of trouble right now, thankfully, my DSL line is up and I can access the Internet to blog about this and to instant message and check on a few friends. A friend of mine IM'd and said that he heard half a house was destroyed in St. George. Someone
commented on Barbados Free Press that the quake/tremor/aftershock was felt down on the East Coast of the island as well.
Labels: Barbados, Caribbean, earthquakes, Trinidad
Coming soon to an airport near you: Williams Air(?)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAE, I Am Not An Economist)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAAIE, I Am Not An Airline Industry Expert)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAA, I Am Not An Accountant)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A Politician)
I'm going to go out on a wing here (a wing, get it? LOL) and make a bold prediction. I predict that within ten years (maybe less), the Williams brothers (Sir Charles O. Williams and Ralph 'Bizzy' Williams) will provide an airline service to Barbadians and eventually, Caribbean citizens as well.
What am I basing this prediction on? Have a look at today's Nation newspaper and you might see why (and possibly disagree with me). The front page headline, '
SIR CHARLES' WINGS,' gives details on the Williams' brothers plans to purchase their own plane to transport them and their employees across the region (for business meetings, etcetera).
The newspaper article starts off by landing a powerful blow square on LIAT's jaw. After all, when you have two of the region's most successful entrepreneurs identify and complain about the service and performance levels of your company, what do you expect to happen next?
Simple. They find a solution. In this case, they bought their own plane. Where some see problems, others, in particular the Williams' brothers, see opportunity. With their own plane, they and their staff should, in theory, be able to get around a lot more efficiently.
As for the costs, I'm sure they've done all of their homework. The plane, and associated expenses, will probably payback for itself within a few years in terms of the time and money saved in having to NOT depend on LIAT. Else, why bother purchasing a plane in the first place?
Savvy business people do not (usually) throw good money behind bad money, and if they do, it's only for a very short period of time. A airplane purchase is not a 'short time' kind of purchase. It's a major investment.
I'm also guessing that they will not treat the plane as a 'company vehicle,' so to speak. They'll setup a new, seperate company, let's call it Williams Air Inc., for the purpose of this article. This new company will charge the other Williams' companies for the use of the plane and related services.
For example, if Sir Charles wants to travel to St. Lucia, Williams Air will bill C. O. Williams Construction. Williams Air probably won't make a lot of profit (running a plane isn't cheap), if any at all, so it won't be paying a lot of taxes, but then again, remember, IANAA (I Am Not An Accountant).
Over time, WA (Williams Air) may not do as much travelling as it used to in its earlier days. Maybe the business interests of the Williams' brothers across the Caribbean may decline (doubtful). So, what to do with the airplane and all of the related bits? Ante up lots of cash, buy (or lease) another two planes and start a public airline.
In the past (if I remember correctly), Ralph 'Bizzy' Williams has spoken about an island-to-island ferry service. Why bother with a ferry service when you can offer an airline service? And with the Williams' brothers running the business as a PRIVATE concern (that is, no Government ownership) you can be quite sure that there will be no wastage, red tape and inefficiencies. It will be profit driven, as most private sector based enterprises usually are. It may even end up being a 'no frills' type airline, or one geared for executive travel only.
CSME (or the advent of it, as I'm not well versed on the subject) and the free movement of labour throughout the region may also be an incentive for a new, privately owned, airline. If, in theory, there is an increase in the flow of labour (and I mean skilled as well as unskilled) between the islands, then an efficient and affordable airline service will be an important requirement.
But then again, what do I know? I'm certain that there are dozens upon dozens of factors that I haven't even considered. As I stated at the begnning of this post: IANAE, IANAAIE, IANAA and IANAP.
:-)
Labels: Barbados, business, economics, life, money
The similarities between economic systems, traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts
UPDATE: Oct 22, 9:10 PM. The post is now finished.(DISCLAIMER: IANAE, I Am Not An Economist)
(DISCLAIMER: IANATE, I Am Not A
Transport Engineer)
(DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A Politician)
And no, I am not crazy. The long commute to the office does, on occasion, give me plenty of time to think about all sorts of things. In this case, identifying the similarities between economic systems (open, closed and mixed), traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts.
An Open Economy (Capitalism) = Four-Way Junction Without Working Traffic LightsIn a nutshell, an open economy is one where there is practically little, or no involvement by the State with regards to the running, or regulation, of the economy. The market is free to operate as efficiently as possible. The laws of
supply and demand rule supreme. There are no price controls, regulations, state-owned or subsidised enterprises (like our very own CBC, QEH, BWA). The
factors of production are all privately owned and operated with the goal of making a profit.
If a company is the sole provider of a good or service (a monopoly), it is free to charge whatever it wants. Dissatisfaction may lead to another company entering the market and providing the same goods at a better price. The consumer now has a choice, competition ensues and he/she is usually better off. The government stands by the sidelines and does not get involved.
There are several advantages and disadvantages to this type of economic system. One advantage is that the business owner is free to run his/her business, as best as they see fit. The lure of profit and a healthy return on investment, are typical reasons for persons starting a business in the first place.
However, a notable disadvantage exists as well. How do we protect those citizens who are less fortunate? Those in society who cannot afford the costs of a good or service (like education). Who will look after their basic needs if the market is only interested in running as efficiently as possible, and profit is the primary driving force behind all actions.
Now let's look at a typical four-way junction and motor traffic. Most
Barbadians are familiar with the junction at Redmans, St. Michael (A Shell gas station operates at one of the corners of this junction).
What happens when the traffic lights are not working? Many people will argue that traffic flows freely. I believe that this is a good example of an open economy at work. The traffic lights represent Government regulation and control. This can potentially restrict the performance of the economy (or, the flow of traffic).
Motorists heading to either the north of the island (St. Lucy for example), or the south (that is, back to Warrens) enjoy a clear advantage over those drivers who are stuck on the east or west sides of the junction, who want to go either north or south. They have to wait for someone to let them join the main flow of north and south-bound traffic. These drivers are at a disadvantage, similar to the poor in an open economy with no Government protection, subsidies, or access to basic or affordable social services (like education or health care).
The motorists who are heading north or south, are free and are mostly unconcerned about the other motorists who have to look for a lucky break in order to join the main flow. And just like many businesses (the world over), most of them may not be concerned with the other 'motorists,' or with those less fortunate members of society, unless it has the potential to negatively affect their bottom-line.
These north and south-bound motorists are using their unique advantage, non-working traffic lights (or an open economy in the case of a business), to the utmost extreme, and are profiting by not having to sit in traffic and by therefore arriving at their respective destinations in a timely fashion.
Similarly, businesses who are not concerned about Government intervention in setting prices, controlling the types of businesses, restriction of foreign investment, will clearly enjoy these advantages. There is room for competition as other businesses spring up to offer a better, cheaper product. Increased competition and liberalisation of a market (for example, telecommunications) brings the benefit of choice to the consumer. There are no 'traffic lights', (no Government involvement) to slow them down. It's a free for all.
A brief note on increased competition, liberalisation of the local market, and the admittance of foreign companies into a country, especially a small one like Barbados. While the consumer may end up benefiting by having a wide variety of choice and access to cheaper goods and services, locally owned and operated companies may end up suffering over the longer term.
Many of these foreign-owned businesses have extremely deep pockets, and can easily enter into a country, reduce the prices of their goods and services drastically, capture the market, and effectively wipe out or greatly reduce the amount of competing businesses. As a result, it may become unprofitable and impractical for local companies to maintain their respective levels of unemployment, and as such, many may have to downsize their operations. (Downsizing is a nice word for lay-offs or having to 'let people go').
But go where? Unless the foreign-owned companies are willing to hire these employees, they may remain unemployed and will not be able to purchase most goods and services. What then? The foreign-owned companies may end up closing down and heading back home. After all, without any consumers for their goods or services, it means no revenue. The overseas parent companies will probably not accept this and may end up pulling out of the country in search of greener pastures elsewhere.Trade restrictions, tariffs, subsidies and other related measures (think traffic lights, control and regulation), can be instituted by Government and can help protect local businesses and industries by placing limits on who can setup shop and what they can offer in a country.
A Closed Economy (Communism & Socialism) = Four-Way Junction With Working Traffic LightsSwitch on the traffic lights and you've got instant Government involvement and control. The motorists sitting on the east and west sides of the junction now enjoy the same advantage that north and south-bound motorists enjoy. They just have to wait for about thirty seconds for the light to change green. The traffic light (Government) is the great equalizer.
With this control, however, certain limitations and restrictions on how businesses can operate will come into play. Government's involvement in the economy may hamper its potential for growth or expansion. After all, one of the primary roles of a Government is to provide for, and look after its citizens (especially the poor or less fortunate).
As a result of their involvment, high costs (paid for by tax payers who are usually middle-class), inefficiencies and less-than-ideal goods or services are made available to the poor. But remember, something is better than nothing, and Government is primarily interested in providing services for the greater good, not in turning over a profit.
Some private individuals and businesses may not be willing to setup a business, expand an existing one, or invest in a new one, simply because of this high level of Government involvement in the affairs of the economy. It makes it highly unattractive for would-be capitalists and budding entrepreneurs. Furthermore, overseas investors would be reluctant to investment in the country. Similarly, some north and south-bound motorists may avoid the Redman's junction all together and look for an alternate route, one that does not involve traffic lights.
A Mixed Economy (Capitalism + Communism & Socialism) = RoundaboutA mixed economy is one where there is a good mixture of both private and public sector enterprises. There is a 'reasonable' amount of Government involvement in the affairs of the economy, but not as much as a true planned or closed economy. Barbados is a good example of a country with a
mixed economy.
The mixed economy, it would seem, offers the best of both worlds. There are private sector interests that are concerned with creating wealth, profit and return on investment, as well as public sector interests that exist to serve the public by way of providing essential services (like a police force, a water authority and basic health care). For those who can afford it, private health care exists, as do private schools. Society has a choice, if you can afford the best, you can have it. If you cannot afford the best, then you'll have to make do with what the Government can provide for you.
The roundabout looks, to me, like a good example of the mixed economy. There are no traffic lights, yet there still exists a basic, controlled flow of traffic. Motorists are not disadvantaged. As long as there is no traffic approaching from the right (or slowly approaching), they are free to enter and exit the roundabout whenever they feel like. There is an element of choice, although somewhat controlled, present. As a motorist, you only have to slow down or stop to give way to traffic approaching from the right. You are not being controlled by traffic lights, nor are you stuck waiting for someone to 'let you out' so that you can join the major flow of traffic.
This post is by no means an accurate or even semi-accurate analysis of the similarities between economic systems and traffic signals, etcetera and should not be treated as such. For example, there are currently major traffic issues in the Warrens area as a result of the highway expansion project. These issues affect the performance of the roundabout(s), traffic lights and junctions.
In conclusion, remember the disclaimers at the beginning of this post: IANAE, IANATE, IANAP.
;-)
Labels: Barbados, blogging, economics, funny, life, politics
Random Post
(DISCLAIMER: IANAP, I Am Not A
Philosopher)
Despite this, I couldn't help but feel philosophical and curious when I noticed the status message of a friend on Gmail Chat. If I remember correctly, it read: '
Stoicism.'
So, I asked Google, and read a bit about it on Wikipedia. After which, I crafted my own little status message, which I felt was an appropriate (from my point of view) response in relation to the subject matter.
"Be like the rock in the ocean. Eventually, you will transform into the pebble."
Labels: Barbados, education, life, Philosophy
Blogging the MBA 3
The first module,
Managing in the Competitive Environment, of the
Durham MBA is finally over. The next big "thing," will be the written exam (on Oct 27) and the assignment (to be handed in on the day of the exam), which is a 2,500 word paper based on a
FedEx case study. Marks for this module are awarded fifty-fifty. That is, fifty percent for the exam, fifty for the paper.
What have I learnt from this module? Quite a bit. I'm still "consolidating" everything, but one or two important things stand out. Take for example,
strategy and whether or not it is planned or emergent. By emergent, I mean, does the strategy of a business just evolve as a result and in response to what is going on in its environment, or is it more planned?
A military battle would have, I would think, a planned strategy. However, as everyone knows, the battle field is not a static environment. As such, the strategic plan would have to allow for changes, and the combatants prepared to respond to these changes, else the battle will be lost! So, we have a lot of planning before the battle, but in the midst of it, we have to adjust the plan to take into account changes in the environment. The strategic plan therefore is not a static thing. It may start off being well defined, but as the environment changes, the strategy must change in response, if not, then the business may suffer.
Labels: Barbados, blogging, education, life, MBA
Blogging the MBA 2
Wow. Where to begin? University induction, rules and regulations were discussed and reviewed throughout the day on Oct 1. Oct 2 marked the start of the real teaching and learning (Managing in the Competitive Environment, a.k.a, MICE). This particular module (including induction) began on Oct 1 and runs until Oct 6. Classes start at 8:30 AM (and this is Durham time, people, not Barbadian time as in, 8:45 or 9:00 AM) and run until 4:30 PM. Every day, all day.
The classes are held at the Barbados Yacht Club. The room is large (seating around twenty-five of us, if I remember correctly), comfortable and air-conditioned. There are also several power strips for students and/or teachers to plug in their laptops, as well as (slow) wireless Internet access. Students have two fifteen or thirty minute (can't remember because I'm tired right now) coffee breaks (no doubt because of the large amount of information that students have to take in) and a one hour lunch. Coffee, juice and light snacks, are all provided as part of the programme. You're on your own as far as lunch is considered, however, there is a small bar/restaurant facility on the beach that serves some good, affordable food. Alternatively, I believe the BYC itself (Barbados Yacht Club) also serves a decent buffet lunch, or something similar, but I'm not familiar with their prices.
So far, it's been a non-stop barrage of information, information and more information. No shortage of printed material (colour and laser printed I might add), each student being given his/her own copy, no need to share (major plus, unlike my BCC days, where you were lucky to get a copy of a report or assignment for yourself). We've had, to date, about three printed case studies to review (primarily concerned with strategy and the management of it) and several videos to watch (case studies and lectures). Today, our case study was on Mount Gay. This involved reading a printed case study on them and visiting Mount Gay for an extensive and informative tour as well as several small samples of their flagship product, rum!
Labels: Barbados, blogging, education, life, MBA
Blogging the MBA 1
Drove down to the offices of CariMEC this morning, paid in my registration fees, collected a few handbooks and left (after realizing that tomorrow, not today, is the start of the full day of the programme). No worries. There are two rather large texts that I have to start reading through in anticipation of the first (of six) core modules. The first being:
Managing in the Competitive Environment.
Labels: Barbados, blogging, education, life, MBA
Adventures In Facebook Land
I've never been a huge fan of any of the 'social networking' sites (hi5, MySpace, Facebook, etcetera), and have generally avoided them. My how times have changed. I'm on Facebook now. I had to join in order to view some pictures a friend took during a night out on the town. But this post isn't about my FB adventures. It's about a good friend of mine. Here's his story (which he sent via e-mail to our group):
Sep 26, 2007:
Some time ago some random gyal wanted to add me as a friend on FB. I added her, because I could care less really, but only let her see my limited profile.
It seems that today she realised she could only see me limited profile, and she sent me a message about it, here is our correspondence:
Jane Doe (not her real name)
Today at 8:13am
Report Message
? Why do i only have ur limited profile?
Sent via Facebook Mobile
John Doe (not his real name)
Today at 8:43am
Mostly because to be honest I really don't know who you are I'm afraid.
Jane Doe
Today at 9:54am
Report Message
Okay that makes sense but unfortunately that is an insult so I'll just delete you.
Sent via Facebook Mobile
John Doe
Today at 11:24am
No prob.Labels: Barbados, Facebook, friends, funny, life
Blogging the MBA
Maintaining a blog (especially one that is reasonably current and interesting) is not an easy task. It can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating (people who suffer from
writer's block will know what I mean).
As such, I have decided to blog the journey (where and when appropriate) towards obtaining my
MBA. This will provide me with some material to post to the blog, and will also offer some insight, for those of you who may be interested, into the MBA, specifically the
Caribbean MBA offered by the
Durham Business School.
In addition, it will also give me (at least for the next two years) something different to write/blog about besides
hurricanes,
disasters, accidents and the fact that
I Am Not An Economist.
Labels: Barbados, blogging, education, life, MBA
The Coach House
A co-worker mentioned to me that
The Coach House closed down, and not for renovations either, about two weeks ago. According to him, the place is to be demolished to make way for condominiums. Kind of sad I guess (especially for all of the regulars). He also told me that TCH was the third oldest building/property on the island (can anyone confirm this?) and that they will be relocating to the Baku property.
Labels: Barbados, drinks, life, social
Notes From The Field: Jumbies
(DISCLAIMER: IANAR, I Am Not A Reporter.)
Jumbies was not quite Jumbies last week Sunday. The parking lot was closed off and a large stage setup in t