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Commentary: Truth, lies and tax
May 23, 2013
It is no surprise that the UK’s Guardian newspaper has once again attacked the Cayman Islands and other Overseas Territories. What does come as a surprise is when the article is written by a highly respected former editor of The Times and displays a lamentable lack of understanding about recent changes in the offshore world.
Commentary: Real men make decisions. Recognize you were chosen!
May 23, 2013
Relationships can be some of the most beautiful experiences ever had or they can prove to be perceptively damaging. In most relationships that have “run their course” do you find either person wanting to be the first to say goodbye, especially if that relationship has been had for more than a year?
Commentary: Law and Politics: Ninety days gone - now the action
May 22, 2013
All the changes and new managers and ministers are in place, and the new leaders have completed their first 90 days in total control – so we wait anxiously for the bold moves by government to begin to deliver on its promises of restoring hope, jobs and opportunities for the thousands who voted overwhelmingly for the NNP.
Commentary: Preservation of the Garifuna intangible cultural heritage
May 22, 2013
The Garifuna communities, spread over Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, have kept alive their common language, oral traditions, music and dances. Although still practiced on various occasions, these are changing considerably, as the Garifuna language is less often spoken. On May 18, 2001, the...
Commentary: Help wanted: A government derailed!
May 21, 2013
The policy of Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony in the 2013/2014 budget is not only antiquated, but baseless. It is rather unfortunate, that the prime minister, who is also the minister for finance, is clearly off the mark on what is needed to jump start a comatose Saint Lucian economy.
Commentary: Insecurity vs common sense, intuition and intelligence
May 21, 2013
Why are you so insecure? This was the question posed to me by the man who is now known as my ex! Mr X is a 30-year-old carpenter that believes it is okay to have a 23-year-old female as his "best friend" while being in a committed relationship that has very little trust.
Commentary: Immigration hearts could be shattered by Washington
May 21, 2013
On April 10, thousands of immigration reform supporters gathered together in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. to rally for the inclusion of a reliable path to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented residents living in the United States.
Commentary: Tourism Matters: A few rays of sunshine on the horizon
May 20, 2013
There is a very fine line when writing a column like this. The risk of being branded as a pessimist is high. I only hope that readers will focus on the message that I am trying to convey and perhaps apply some of the content objectively to look at issues in a broader, more holistic way. When I heard the minister of tourism recently predict...
Commentary: I'm in! You're out!
May 20, 2013
Politics is a strange business. A strategy that was meant to unite has become one of division and antagonism. And this has split many societies right down the middle. So much so that, like war, when one political party is in office, the other is seen as the enemy to be vanquished. Even debates in the halls of government are...
Commentary: The state of state of the world - Part 2
May 18, 2013
From Mexico, Latin America, we enter through Texas into the United States, where a major immigration bill is being entertained in Congress after some twenty five years since the last one was passed under a Republican administration on November 6 1986. From my own empirical observation...
Commentary: From the Left: The extremism surrounding the gun control discussion
May 18, 2013
At this year’s National Rifle Association (NRA) meeting in Houston, loaded rhetoric predicting ominous government conspiracies filled the Convention Centre floor, along with displays of guns, ammunition, camouflage clothing and more. Some of the speakers and the performers – Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent...
Commentary: Remembering my nephew Tim Quant
May 17, 2013
It is axiomatic that parents should not have to bury their children. But too often tragedy upsets the natural order of things. This is why my family often marveled at how truly blessed we were that our parents never suffered the unspeakable sorrow of having any of their children die before them. After all, there being 17 of us...
Commentary: Not a Caribbean Man?
May 17, 2013
Tension is developing toward the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) from some quarters in Jamaica. This was exemplified by a column in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper written by an immigration attorney, Mr Ronald Mason. I believe it is fair to summarize what Mr Mason said as follows...
Caribbean governments: Interventionist or facilitator role?
May 16, 2013
The question of the role of government in Caribbean society is a recurring one. In the initial years of the post-independence period, many countries of the region saw government as having to play a pro-active and interventionist role. This was because the post-colonial era revealed the lacks and deficits left by the colonial...
Commentary: Guantanamo: Who created this chaos?
May 16, 2013
For all the rhetoric associated with a naval base, there’s something absurd about Guantánamo. It’s an absurdity so perpetual that it reads like fiction. Yet, it’s the perceptible horror of wasted and infirm men imprisoned without trial for more than a decade that interweaves a concrete dreadfulness so convincing that...
Commentary: Time to wake up, Trinidad and Tobago: The Jack Warner affair
May 15, 2013
Jack Warner is a big name in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and in world football. He has been in politics and government for the past five years, most recently as Minister of National Security, and served on the executive committee of FIFA (world football’s governing body) and as head of the Americas football federation...
Commentary: School improvement and effectiveness: Addressing educational underachievement
May 15, 2013
Lack on planning, vision, guidance and support, and zero involvement of students often cripple an education system! In my opinion, every education system should embark on a diverse curriculum design for effective learning. The drawback that exists within most education systems is the fact that the authoritative...
Commentary: The Caribbean: Who's your advocate?
May 15, 2013
There was a hearing on energy in Latin America and the Caribbean in Washington in early April and the Caribbean was absent. This was not because the region was not on the agenda of the members of the House Subcommittee on Foreign Relations who posed questions to panels that included senior ...
Commentary: Law and Politics: Waiting for the action to begin
May 14, 2013
Now that we have all the ministers and other chief public officials in place – including our first female governor general, duly sworn in as the Queen’s representative in the tri-island state – all the attention is now focused on when will the action begin, and how much longer those waiting in the queue of expectation will have...
Commentary: Tourism Matters: Is there more we can do?
May 14, 2013
Short of a miracle and/or a radical change in the way we do business, it appears we have headed into one of the most challenging tourism summers in recent history, hot on the heels of a poor winter. With still no game changing strategies, other than one or two tinkering offerings on the horizon, is there more ‘we’...
Commentary: Most Grenadians scared to discuss the existence of a creator
May 13, 2013
I personally do not understand why most Grenadians are uncomfortable discussing if there is a supreme creator of the universe or not. Basically, such a topic in my opinion is just an intellectual debate and there is nothing to be frightened about.
Commentary: Simply a roadmap
May 13, 2013
As the Jamaican coffers begin to absorb the previously approved $932.3 million Extended Fund Facility loan granted by the IMF, the country’s nationals sit and await the implementation of the structural reforms that promises to ultimately alleviate poverty and induce...
Commentary: A victory for accountability and justice in Guatemala
May 13, 2013
Retired General José Efraín Ríos Montt, the US backed dictator who governed Guatemala from March 1982 to August 1983, was sentenced by Judge Yasmín Barrios to 80 years in prison on Friday, 50 years for genocide, and 30 years for crimes against
Commentary: The state of state of the world - Part I
May 11, 2013
A few weeks ago, as I attended the ACS (Association of Caribbean States) summit in Petionville, Haiti, I was enthused while watching the family picture of the heads of government of the Caribbean and of Latin America. They were pledging to work together like a true family.
Commentary: With OAS blessing, Belize acquiesces to Guatemala demands... as usual
May 11, 2013
Belizeans and true friends of Belize, in the ongoing saga concerning Guatemala’s unfounded claim to Belize’s sovereign territory, there is a new and deeply troubling development. On Wednesday, 8 May 2013, Belize’s foreign minister and his Guatemalan counterpart...
Commentary: Why I ignored the Jodi Arias murder trial
May 10, 2013
You probably know by now that Jodi Arias was convicted on Wednesday of the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. Prosecutors presented gory and salacious evidence, which proved beyond all reasonable doubt that in 2008 this...
Commentary: A Brazilian WTO Head: An opportunity to make trade work?
May 10, 2013
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is now set to appoint a new director-general. He is Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo, Brazil’s long-serving ambassador to the organisation. His appointment is good news for developing countries in so far as Carvalho de...
Commentary: Can Caribbean Airlines lead Caribbean airline integration?
May 9, 2013
It never fails. Just as soon as the airline begins to show signs of fractured operations, there is a flurry of Caribbean government “actions”, and a plethora of expert articles on what ails the airline and what should be done to make it better – almost no one seems to...
Commentary: CXC @ 40: Testament to Caribbean assertiveness
May 9, 2013
2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and, while the organisation has been promoting the milestone, it is a significant watershed that is insufficiently noted at all levels in the Caribbean.
Commentary: The role of government
May 8, 2013
Much can be argued about the role of government in modern economies, such as its responsibility to balance the concerns of the populace via meaningful consultations with trade unions, civil society, NGOs, and the private sector, to attain harmonized national policy...
Commentary: Can you hear me now? Communication problems at local government level
May 8, 2013
Historically, local councils spend a great deal of money on printed communication, leafleting and gazetting. Local government as a whole needs a collective review of an increasingly tired-looking communications strategy, which places its well-established channels...
Commentary: Law and Politics: A completely new government now in control
May 7, 2013
Upon taking over the office of governor general by Dr Cecille La Grenade on Tuesday 7th May 2013, the NNP government headed by Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell is now in full and completely control of all departments, with new officials in charge in every case.
Commentary: The Caribbean: An alternative future?
May 7, 2013
The independence project in the Caribbean has recently come in for deeper observation by some Caribbean scholars, who begin to wonder, whether the course Caribbean countries have taken since independence has been beneficial to the majority of Caribbean people.
Commentary: Tourism Matters: Are there any lessons we can learn?
May 6, 2013
Recently published online by Caribbean News Now, hotelier Rob Barrett, the CEO and operator of three hotels on Antigua -- St James Club, Galley Bay and Verandah Resort and Spa -- announced some very encouraging news. “The first quarter of 2013...
Commentary: The essence of life
May 6, 2013
The week of April 21 to 27 was commemorated as National Volunteer Week; an annually celebrated period during which special recognition is given to those who engage in the selfless act of volunteering. Volunteers are invaluable to the various private, charitable and...
Commentary: If it is April it is checkup time!
May 4, 2013
April is the time for the birds and the buds to surface after their hibernation in winter. Even in the tropical Caribbean, the Spring season is clearly visible, with the new leaves from the mahogany and the cedar trees surfacing after they have given their corn filled with...
Commentary: Granting citizenship to some Guatemalans violates the Belize constitution
May 4, 2013
Article-29 (3) of the Belize constitution that deals with dual citizenship reads: No person shall be entitled under the provisions of this Part to be a citizen of Belize or be granted citizen of Belize if such person shows any allegiance to or is a citizen of a country that does...
Commentary: NBA player comes out as gay. Great. But courageous...?
May 3, 2013
Ex-Baltimore Ravens and gay rights activist Brendon Ayanbadejo has been stoking media interest in recent weeks with his efforts to have four closeted NFL players come out at the same time. Well, one NBA player, Jason Collins, just stole their thunder by becoming the...
Commentary: The agony of Caribbean travel re-visited
May 3, 2013
Concerns surrounding state-owned airlines in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries clearly exist amongst a wide cross section of the Community. Evidence of this arose not only from the fact that fellow writer on Caribbean affairs, David Jessop, tackled this...
Commentary: Connecting the internet to intellectual property in the Caribbean
May 2, 2013
The last decade has seen the emergence of the internet at a pace that has left those who use it scrambling to grasp at the enormity of its existence. Policymakers, rights holders, legislators, content creators, users, producers, and a host of others...
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