With the upheaval in major world economies across the globe you’d expect that our government would be discussing with us, preparing us to make the changes needed to get us through the forest. Nada. It’s like the head bushmen are asleep in their hammocks…and we’re on a picado to nowhere. All hands in the brand new full of promises GoB are busy interfering in the selection of candidates for municipal elections coming up next year. You see what’s happening? To heck with the people, secure the future for political careers!
Maybe it is a blessing in disguise. You don’t want the hands employed to repair tires, check oil and water, and grease nipples, to be tinkering with the tractor engine. Yap, maybe it’s better that the handyman dehn fight over turf in Belize City, Belmopan, and towns. But can anyone explain the silence of H. John Zaldivar at a time like this? Not a peep has been heard from the most highly trained economist in the House since the world economy started to meltdown. Instead, he too is elbow deep in local dough. And after a starching in his neighborhood, he slipped off the map. Hn, H. John’s licking wounds…
In last Friday’s Amandala, Assistant Editor Ms.Adele Ramos interviewed the new Central Bank Governor, and reported him as saying: Belize safe. So, we are sleeping well in storm shelter. Yap, if you can keep your sanity while all are going crazy around you, you’re a cool hand, my friend…or you might noh understand. Maybe the new Governor meant safe from mischief. No, there’s absolutely no fear that the new PM, and H. Esquivel will play roulette on the stock exchange with the lee money we have at the Central Bank vault. No. But, do they have the seamanship to sail our boat across stormy seas? I like history. They rescued the economy in 1984…and in 1993…if you believe the UDP.
While government leaders are celebrating victories in local wars, or licking wounds, the former government is busy setting fuel to fire…but not saying much on the world financial trouble either. There was one article in their newspaper last week that discussed the world financial turmoil, but it was all about asking questions of the government. Really, the PUP is not returning to government soon so they have no reason to be coy about their ideas. Hmmm, I yer dehn brok a bank in Trinidad, brok Prosser, and brok DFC. Then dehn brok Bear Stearns…and set the world economy in a spin. Maybe it is good for that party to keep their distance.
The only person in the nation who is talking serious talk about the world economy and what we should be doing to protect our base, and even improve it is the fearless Bill Lindo. Mr. Lindo has been warning of the inevitable failure of the world financial system for over a decade now.
The PUP and their economists never listened to Bill Lindo. And the UDP and their economists will not listen to Bill Lindo. The PUP/UDP economists are smart but, unfortunately for us, they don’t have all the tools to understand an economy. What sets Mr. Lindo apart from them is his vast knowledge of the history of world economies. If you don’t get the sense, and want it, you need only reach for your Bible: There is nothing new under heaven, Braa. What is happening today has happened before. Because Bill is a student of history he has a better grasp of the trends.
I have heard many unfair comments about Mr. Lindo over the years. The main gripe about him from the Red house is that he has the business ethics of a PUP. I don’t have the low down on him on that score to say yay or nay. I will point out, again, that if 8 to 5 ethics is applied fully to the marketplace, not one businessman will pass through the eye of the needle.
Another accusation is that he dodges questions on the Kremandala Show. How long will it take for some to understand that “dodging” is a way of answering questions?
As for him being a party man, a PUP, well, if it’s about political philosophy everyone in the world should be a PUP. And as for “personal” issues, what’s love got to do with it, Braa? The man bring di karek change when ih goh da maakit.
I don’t think that government leaders are so obtuse they can’t grasp what is going on, and the solutions Mr. Lindo has been suggesting from Everuary: PRODUCE! The fact that they talk about our need to produce more, now and then, shows that they are not entirely sleepwalking. Sadly, they never get past the blaahz. The reason for this might be that buy and sell has too much power in Belize. It might be that government has never offered adequate incentives to merchants to invest in production.
A top economist once told me that the world will not experience another depression like in the 1930’s because world economists know far more than they did back then. Quite likely the government’s economists feel the same way, and thus feel no need to speak to us on the world crisis.
And that’s where I get off the wagon and say, on the contrary, there is no better time for us to make the paradigm shift, take the ship Belize to the productive, nationalist waters Lindo has dreamed of. See, just about now, instead of watching Soap, every Belizean is glued to CNN and the Dow Jones. We want to hear, talk about the economy, where we are going. The G-7 and friends will survive. We are living in a severely depressed economy…and slipping.
Same old, same old does not serve the Belizean people. Can anyone explain why in this strapped economy, as the UDP came to office they went out and got a fleet of brand new SUV vehicles? Maybe we should kalayt the real cost of a government Minister: fat salary, SUV, retirement fund, entertainment fund, insurance, fuel…