They lie, the CSME union cannot help us
JAMAICA is the only Caricom member to not prosper under independence. The Barbados dollar is still two to one, the EC$2.70 to US$1; even with bauxite and Usain Bolt our dollar is crap.
We joined Caricom and were sucked into this CSME union by stealth; that it would be to us as the European Union to members. Poor EU ones got billions in subsidy for giving up autonomy; we the poor in CSME paid. Please note the UK is now trying to get back powers it ceded to the EU and the Sunday Observer sais ‘Britain prepared to walk away from EU’. It is being overrun by migrants; wages and lifestyle eroded so the Government says they may leave the EU by a referendum set for 2017. In 1989, in Grenada, when our politicians approved “deepening economic integration by advancing beyond a common market towards a single market and economy” who knew? In 2001 we signed treaties to open our borders and give our economy a single focus as of 2015. Do you or the PSOJ know this focus? Ask Cabinet or your MP.
Friendly Caricom morphed into CSME — a federation inked on foreign soil and imposed surreptitiously by follow-on treaties. Right now, our capital, Guyana, has problems as President Ramotar prorogued Parliament ostensibly to consult, but in reality to avoid defeat. Their politics is Indian vs African: Mr Nagamootoo left the PNC, and with dougla (African/Indian mix) help, ally with the Afros; Indian Presi Ram in trouble so “he lock it down!” The OAS is worried, as Guyana is a South American nation and may destabilise the continent. CSME is silent. It has 15 votes in the UN but no clout; eminent jurist Patrick Robinson proves Brand Jamaica has clout with 186 UN votes — Congratulations, Patrick. Still, our capital’s business is ours, so PM Simpson Miller must dispatch former PM Golding to keep democracy alive there.
What federalists call Caribbean is the West Indies — remnants of English isles most in the Eastern Caribbean (EC). The French embraced their colonies so island people, as Thierry Henry, move freely and get benefits in France; the British link up 14 poor islands then cut them loose. The “Mar Caribe” is our neighbour’s phrase – Caribbean. Caricom is the English club for joint negotiation with those who won’t deal with a dozen mini states. Guyana and Jamaica do not fit well as they can walk from Guyana to Brasil and see Olympics in 2016, and we in the Antilles can swim to Haiti; so a single economy can only work for the closely knit EC islands. CSME will not free us easily as we have the prospects and clout it needs.
A federation needs money and might or why do it? Our capital is a South American country with disputed borders, so when Venezuela entered Guyana’s waters, seized the Teknik Perdana as it surveyed the sea floor, CSME was silent. News blackout? PetroCaribe oil buys a lot of silence. Life is a challenge for a union of the poor and powerless. Caribbean integration is a chimera traversed from the West Indies Federation our parents rejected. Our leaders bought a new “puss in bag” with no proof of concept.
Integration is dated, as no leader subordinates her citizens to others today. We ran the Caymans and TCI, travel and work freely yet had no single economy. Now we are outvoted 11 to one in CSME by men who smile but carry old grudges. Union of land-based contiguous, democratic states — UK, USA, Australia, EU, Canada, Gulf states — is done. There is no federation of small island states. CSME is freaky; it has a continental member, one in a new time zone, and the core EC islands are far from both. CSME thinks “divide and rule” can overcome the pull of Guyana to its continent or us to our neighbours, but geography is more powerful than British history. The USA is godfather to islands as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam; CSME has no sugar daddy. Since 2001, there is a marked reticence by federalists to call the CSME by name; they prefer Caricom as is “feels good” and is less resented. But the basic flaw remains — CSME is poor, lives on aid, loans, and cannot bridge the ocean between us and them. What kind of ego wants 14 countries when you can’t even run one well? Little tin gods!
One Observer headline on November 11, 2014 was ‘Freedom of movement problems undermining Caricom’s credibility’. Secretary General LaRoque may be misled or disingenuous as poverty is the real problem. Rich nations can open borders, but CSME is a poor political union masquerading as an economic force. Sir, where are the viability studies? Your Fort Knox? How much did Caricom/CSME beg or borrow this year? A union that cannot fund itself is doomed!
The EC are used to island hopping, intermarriage, trade, and Guyana’s boats sell tons of jelly coconuts; we are too far. Mr LaRoque is late as Shanique Myrie unmasks a flawed union. We are in trouble yet no member will absorb even five per cent of our unemployed. The UK absorbs tens of thousands from EU states. If you can’t afford union “fahget it!”.
The Indian cricket fiasco is icing. Two private sport businesses have a dispute. Mr LaRoque begs time for West Indies to pay US$42m ($5 billion) and calls a meeting of a “prime ministerial subcommittee of Caricom” to get a “grand settlement”. Is a private sports deal gone sour Cabinet’s problem? Are prime ministers jokers? They say cricket builds character? Check the West Indies team! We forbid PM Simpson Miller to attend or use our taxes for this as we are a country in crisis. We want no part in Caricom’s cricket folly.
Partnership is our future not federation. President Obama promotes the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We want the best deal from a partner not to join or rule his country. For instance, Asians choose Australia for education, so we can be a venue of choice for offshore training — engineers, technicians, teachers, doctors, nurses in our zone. Cabinet must rise and seek these treaties so we can mine our backyard. Private jets of our professionals may fly to offices in Puerto Plata or Jacmel in the day and be back in Norbrook by 17.30 if we do it right. Because of distance we cannot do this in a CSME union.
Friend, I do not want to be a six-month president or control many islands. I just want to make mine great. The powerful USSR is gone; CSME soon. Americans fought a bloody war and repudiated The Queen’s honours; erected firewalls to protect their independence; even the president has to be born in the USA. We are too trusting of people we don’t know. Louis Farrakhan warns of the black “Sir” or “Lord” who suckles on the teat of Empire. Despite political enthusiasm for this arranged marriage the EC people are strangers and Mr LaRoque knows our future is in our backyard. Let us meet our neighbours. Stay conscious!
Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advises the minister of education. franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com