Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Belize, which is twice the size of Jamaica geographically, has an estimated population of about 400 thousand. If all those in the diaspora should return, the population would probably rise to about 800 thousand to a million! Of course, our infrastructure could never handle that amount of people. Every single department of government, every civic agency, would be overwhelmed! The health department, education, housing, electricity, our roads, our agriculture, police, courts, jails, everything! The only thing we have is land, a vast amount of real estate, and all that lies beneath and upon, unless we have to share with Guatemala! Wouldn’t it be nice if the locals who own hundreds of thousands of acres could sell their land to our returning prodigal relatives and friends instead of giving it all away to foreigners? What a ting!
The reason I bring this up is because I was reading about Southeast Asia. Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam all have populations of over 50 million; Vietnam has almost 100 million. Laos is the baby, with about 8 million. This is just Southeast Asia, not including India, China, and all those islands. These four countries have as many, if not more people, than Western Europe, maybe all of Europe (Western is a thing of the past). I don’t include Russia and Turkey in my estimates.
It is a fact that most of Europe became rich due to colonialism, even little Belgium and Holland with populations of 8 and 12 million, respectively, and are more developed than most of the aforementioned countries. These (Asian) countries were subjected to colonialism, some more than others, but you would think that because of their industrious nature, and a huge workforce, that they would be far ahead of Europe. Instead, they are still doing the work for their ex-masters; whether in technology or fashion or manufacturing. That cheap labor that they provide enriches their old bosses and much of the western world more than ever! And the colonialism continues.
As a curious person of limited education but with a limitless mind, I’m puzzled as to why it is that brown and black people carry the white man’s burden on our backs. This isn’t about racism; it’s about fairness and opportunity and equity. If you believe in your God or Allah or whatever name it goes by, you would have to believe that it did not create us all as equals. You would have to believe that it gave the white man the whips and the chains and means to subjugate us into serving him, leaving us to fight for the scraps that accidentally fall off the table. Where is the justice in all that? Then again, I don’t believe we should pity our state, but we should do something about it. But then again, when we do, we become communists and socialists, maligned and marginalized by those who would keep us in our place.
Coming back to the Jewel, Belize. We are very lucky to have been born here, those of us who have remained in our native land, and also those of us who are prodigals and left for something better. I don’t believe that most of us who left saw the potential that the Jewel had, and still does. We weren’t resilient enough to stay and battle the odds and make our little country a better place! Having that pride that says, I’m a Belizean, and proud of it!
So, here we are, wandering in that desert of foreigners and foreign-ness, and we grieve for what could’ve been, for all those lost opportunities, because of not living in the land of our birth, which isn’t ours anymore. Wondering what it would’ve been like to have stayed and failed or persevered! How different our lives would’ve turned out, our children’s future, and what would be in store for them. That uncertain future that is both exciting and scary at the same time. So good to be alive in your own land, among your own people, living and breathing that Belize breeze and sunrise and sunset and sea and flora and fauna and beauty and familiarity. Living in that euphoric state of our own little universe. Imagine a world where we were really in charge of our destiny as a country, not having to rely on the whims and caprices of others. Where we could stand up to those who challenge our legitimacy, and make them back down because there would have been many more of us! Unfortunately, we left, some of us never to return.
I forgot what this column was originally about; I just miss my Belize and all its limitless potential.
Glen