Sell, and be thankful that I can deliver you into more debt through renting. But, let me take another selfie.
So, the times are a-changing and we as a country have sat back in our easy chairs and waited for the government to guide out of the promised land. Well, they say they are guiding us into sustainable development and employment for all. However, what cost is heaping on our heads?
When we were recently out of slavery, though we think we should have stayed, and blame those bloody Haitians for fighting to free themselves from mental and physical slavery, because of which they are evil and damned -- so we say and this is according to some scripture or the other.
Yet, we acclaim to be a sovereign black country proud in our blackness, but never mentioning African-ness. While all of our identity issues are played out through murder and mayhem, deportation and repatriations notwithstanding, we blame the government for everything that goes wrong or slightly wrong in the country. But, I comin' by you to take a drink even although I ain' work in months.
While the government can agree to sell the entire coast, we don't seem to care. It is interesting that a sovereign country would surrender its entire coast to a non-national company. But who a'xing anyt'ing? So much for the ability to defend oneself from attacks to the coast. Perhaps this danger has passed and there are no longer attacks that we should fear.
We cannot legislate to protect the environment, yet we sell tourism that depends on pristine environments for its success. We destroy the mangroves, yet, that's where the bonefish breed and that's what hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists want to catch every year. Bone fishing is one of our largest attractions. We bring them tourists down and bulldoze the mangroves that produce the almost inedible fish that feed so many local guides, but we are progressing to the next level in development. Let me take another selfie.
How can we be so stuck in the selfies that we can't see the wider picture? But, if there is one thing that's true, we are up on all the lingo and we talk a good talk. Yet, what are we doing?
We don't blame government when all the old employees are sent home once a new owner takes over a business that was recently sold. Of course that is the whim, of foreign direct investment. However, let a corporation try to let go some unproductive staff members, chile', everyone but Jesus is against them.
We sell oil and the options to buy into oil production in The Bahamas, but, sorry, not to Bahamians. Let me take another selfie. We can have 5,000 employees who come to work when they feel like, but leave them there because they producing for the country. They sellin' VitaMalt and cookie and a bag o' chip on the government job, but d'as cool. Yet we cuss when 'government' give away contract to someone. 'Fire de man', even if wasn't no way he coulda do it on he own.
When The Bahamas went through the truck system did anyone complain? Did the locals raise hell? We complain about violence being of the Haitians, yet they were all born here! Send them back. Or, should I take another selfie?
The truck system meant that we were never out of debt. We were held in constant bondage to our employers, who might have once been our owners during slavery. We could not make enough money to buy our economic freedom from bondage. Yet, we are happy when the Chinese buy Bay Street. Not one soul has complained or protested about the sale of Bay Street. I guess it no longer matters.
More important is to take another selfie or me in front of the fence they are going to put up to keep me off their beach. We says we feel buss right up, c'yan work on Monday, but let the Chinese try to fire us fa dat, is to da Labour Board. But what kind a foolishness is this? When we sell off every god-bless t'ing, including 3rd (or was it 4th Street?) Coconut Grove, to them and then want to take them to the Labour Board!
While our legislation is weak and our pockets are empty, we make every deal to sell, develop, indebt, rape and pillage every aspect of our patrimony to the almighty dollar, we still shouting 'bout 'send them back'. Who you t'ink coming to do the work next year?
We could complain all we like bout government, except when it comes to rep-pat-tri-ation, cause das a good t'ing, but jus' wait an' see what's coming down the tracks How many more job the bank send south this year? How many more workers the hotel sen' home? Who payin' their bills? BEC cyan even pay to keep the generators running good. When dey sell it, don cry.
Jesus take the wheel, because the Lord does provide, only we seem to be completely lost that we must work for him to provide. Stay right there an' wait an' see what happen nex', when you start blamin' governmen', you t'ink they checkin' for you?
Wake up an' read. No mangroves, no bone fish no tourists, no reefs, worser yet! But we still rentin' jet ski and sexing up the womens. Such a wonderful picture we paint. But das we culture.
o Ian Bethell-Bennett is a professor at The College of The Bahamas.

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