Selling our resources for pennies on the dollar

Fri, Oct 9th 2015, 12:32 AM

Although the politically influenced masses may disagree, a blind man could see that the Bahamas, this modern day society, has developed – or has not yet emancipated itself as yet from – a minimum wage mentality. Piece by piece, just after the reign of Sir Lynden Pindling, the best parts of our country went from being auctioned off to the highest bidder, to being sold at depressing at minimum wage rate, to now a practical giveaway.

It seems as though the last two men elected to manage this beautiful archipelago somehow swayed from the philosophy of Sir Lynden, who encouraged the leasing of land to foreign investors rather than selling. Between them, they have sold most of our sustainable resources to foreigners for pennies on the dollar.

Yes, I would agree – Sir Lynden could have done more for by way of infrastructural development and a more dynamic, sustainable economy. However, he encouraged and had laws set in place for a Bahamian land ownership program. He inspired men and woman of this nation to dream and motivated them to own a piece of this rock if they are truly going to secure their identity as a Bahamian.

Modern-day politics have become diluted and watered down to the point where issues of importance to the people go out the window, while manipulation, trickery, deception and craftiness are perpetrated by those skilled in the art of the blame game. Clearly, our politicians are out of touch and lack the ability to properly lead and take this country into a better future. It stems from their disregard for young mothers who cannot maintain a roof over their children’s heads; fathers who are turning to the streets for a way to survive; children who are becoming statistics, career criminals and prostitutes.

They seem to not care about kitchen-table issues that affect the majority of the good people of this nation. Even those who had their run-ins with the law, but desperately make attempts to turn their lives around, don’t get a break and are unable to “See the mirage of the city, for the cloud storm of smoke” that is encouraging them to consistently return to their lives of crime. The level of violence is at an all time high. The PLP pointed the finger at the FNM during their time in office. Meanwhile the rate of violent deaths under this government supersedes the rate under the previous.

Still, the question is, “Who is really to be blame”. The answer is, I blame them all.

Past and present prime ministers seek the wisdom of church leaders and other prominent members of society, youth directors and coordinators, as well as every Tom, Dick and Harry; everyone but themselves and their leadership, or lack thereof, as to where this nation has gone wrong and what can be done in order to salvage what is left of it. What measures can be taken to retrieve guns and destructive weapons from the hands of our people, while preserving the balance of protecting the good youths of this nation?

Well, prime minister, I don’t have all the answers, but I know that the best formula is both broad and simple – give them a job and make them feel as though they are a part of something; that their voices are being heard and their lives and issues matter too. Unless you are fully prepared to dedicate your time and the resources necessary to do this, cease the long talk and crafty speeches.

Although I do not support the current leader of our nation due to his lack of connection with the people, I have to accept him and work along with him, because he was the hand that we all were dealt, unfortunately. In my opinion, he seems to be a person that prefers awarding friends with important responsibilities, rather than assigning the necessary qualified individuals to get the job done in a respectable, profitable and decent manner. When he’s not doing that, he’s out recruiting advisors and committee members from all over the world but the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and indeed the world, to give him their opinion on conditions facing our people, who themselves have been offering genuine solutions all their lives, for free.

Personally, I think whoever is advising the prime minister should be taken out of that role or immediately fired for poor and fruitless advice. Value-added tax and all of the other backbreaking weights added to the backs of the already struggling Bahamian people are a demonstration of out of touch leadership and poor advisement. The prime minister always seems to put the cart in front of the horse when it comes to vitally important decision-making. He should’ve waited until the opening of Baha Mar and other developments likely to improve the economy before taking such damaging steps.

If you don’t give me a way to provide for my family, how can you demand that I render taxes unto Caesar? That is like going to see a loan officer seeking a million dollars without any capital or collateral in place, but expecting to get the money based on what you are intending to use their money to create. Come on, prime minister, seriously?

The gaming industry has become a flop from the perspective of what they promised it would do for the country’s economy; Junkanoo Carnival was a failure; and please don’t let’s talk about Baha Mar. All of your attempts and lifelines of economic hope ended up being a complete and utter mess.

I guess if you had waited before adding all the additional burdens on the people and youth of this nation, potentially there would have been a window of hope for some of those guns to be put down in exchange for paychecks. But, as expected, everything that is done by the PLP government always turns out to be scandal-ridden and messy. What we are seeing displayed before the world with Baha Mar is nothing new.

I will conclude with this: The leaders of this nation, from the late great Sir Lynden to Christie, all of these men that led and continue to lead this great nation called The Bahamas, are partially responsible for the destructive conditions of this country and its people.

Fox Hill Prison and the cemeteries are being overrun with the bodies of our people and youths due to this lack of opportunity, which compelled most of them to adopt criminal behavior due to hardship and neglect. If you want a reason why, take a clear look at yourselves, politicians, because you were the reason some of them did what they did.

Indeed, I do agree, many children who became parents before they learned how to be children are responsible for their children’s broughtupcy or lack thereof. However, this modern day society contains a lot of “manufactured” criminals, those whom became participants in criminality due to hardship and poverty thanks to a system that is designed by the government to keep its people depending upon them. They spoon-feed people just enough to keep them breathing, but not enough for them to become independent of the system.

Come on, the people aren’t stupid; we know what is going on. They want us to stay in the conditions that we are in and kill out each other so that they, their friends and lovers, and those they went into bed with them professionally, can benefit from the best of it all.

No opportunities are in place for our young people; especially those who may have gone through the prison system to help them revamp their lives after returning back to society, and this because that is the way the government of The Bahamas always wanted it to be. They don’t care about us, they really don’t, despite the stories they bring forth during the election cycle.

All our prime ministers – and especially this present one – have had blatant minimum wage mentalities toward the people. This country is sold out to foreigners and the Bahamian people are simply scrapping by on the crumbs that at times fall from the rich foreigner’s table.

– Deno P. Ellis

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