Against The Tide

Against the tide

myopia, mi-o-pi-a, n. lack of imagination, foresight or   intellectual insight

Prime Minister David Thompson, supported by his Cabinet, has taken the expected reactionary view to the issue of immigration by our Caribbean brothers and sisters without apparently identifying any real solution to what is perceived as a problem by so many Barbadians.

What is even more disturbing is that his lukewarm attempt to solve the “problem” makes no mention of people who are not our neighbours, but who are here illegally. The lack of a clearly defined message makes it appear as if Caribbean people are being targeted as the scapegoats in the immigration morass.

There are a few things that Barbadians must consider when examining this question of intra-regional migration. First and foremost we cannot extract it from the larger mission of regionalism.

Half a century after the concept of a common people with a common destiny was first mooted are we satisfied that as members of a geographic region with a similar historical experience that there is more that unites us than divides us?

Are we satisfied as well that our future prosperity lies in unity and not isolation? If the answer to these two seminal questions is yes then all that remains is how we choose to accomplish the goal.

As a region we are not without experience in this regard. Despite the failure of the political structure of Federation, the University College of the West Indies, the West Indies Meteorological Service, the West India Regiment and the Federal Supreme Court and their successors are proof positive of the benefits of pooling our resources.

From Carifta to Caricom to the CSME the goal has been collective effort for individual gain. Regrettably, community has often been subsumed by sovereignty for the sake of political expediency and to the detriment of greater prosperity than we currently enjoy as a region.

So where do we go from here and why is it important to Barbadians. First, the reality of the situation – in a world where the economic pecking order is constantly being re-defined to benefit the giants it is obviously easier to build alliances with the countries you know and with whom you have something in common.

The facts already indicate that Caricom countries buy fifty-two percent of our exports; twenty percent of our tourists come from neighbouring countries and the Caribbean Basin is a natural extension of the local market for companies, large and small, wishing to expand their operations. So if we are going to continue to grow our economies in an international climate of constraint, the Caribbean community is already a natural fit.

Naturally we must expect our neighbours will wish to have the same opportunity for growth that we do. The stronger they are, the greater opportunities exist for us to trade with them in both goods and services. It therefore stands to reason that if we pool our resources to avoid the cost of duplicating regulatory, legal; research and financing institutions then the benefits will accrue to all.

People though are the market. Not companies or institutions nor even sovereign states. Once the people prosper, the market will prosper. This is why it is urgent for the Prime Minister to push for a common protocol to define contingent rights.

If a man is working and paying taxes it is not unreasonable for him to expect certain benefits from the state. Prohibition does not work. It will create an underclass that can potentially undermine the system. It is better to embrace a man for mutual gain than to try to shut him out.

When will the Prime Minister recognize this next crucial step?