In the Sunday, Feb 1 issue of the Amandala (#2305), Brother Ismael Omar Shabazz (Imam) gave his opinion (My ICJ opinions) on the Belize/Guatemala matter at the ICJ.
Mr. Shabazz wrote of “the naked truth of Guatemala’s unfounded claim to Belize”, and selected “eight events or milestones” to bolster our position. He concluded the first part of his argument with a comment on the Guatemalan position that she had inherited Belize from Spain. “What a big laugh!” Mr. Shabazz wrote. He continued: “When Spain ‘inherited’ these areas, our African and Mayan ancestors were well established, long before there was Spain, Britain, America, and Guatemala.”
Mr. Shabazz next quoted from H.E. Assad Shoman’s booklet titled, Belize Refutes Guatemala’s Claim, in which publication A. Shoman declares that it would be a travesty, “criminal for our poor people to have to pay millions of dollars to have this case tried in the International Court of Justice, and even more millions if tried by an arbitral tribunal, when the outcome can only be one”…that being so because, in Mr. Shoman’s opinion, Guatemala has no case.
Imam Ismael Omar Shabazz then gave his opinion on going to the ICJ. I believe Guatemala must go to the I.C.J. to clean up her constitutional blunder on her unfounded claim to Belize, Mr. Shabazz wrote. Mr. Shabazz concluded his opinion saying that Belize and Guatemala can strike a balance, to solve both countries’ economic problems…that Belize and Guatemala can solve this old problem of division and deception…that Britain and the USA can become signators to whatever agreements the future holds for both nations.
Does Mr. Shabazz really mean that Guatemala should go the ICJ…alone? Well, I scrambled for old copies of the Amandala to see if Ms. Adele Ramos, in her extensive work on ICJ cases, had revealed any instances where a sole party in a land dispute had asked that lofty body to make a ruling. Unfortunately, my files are not complete, so I can only write that in the issues I perused I did not find any such instance.
If, as Mr. Shabazz says, Guatemala must go to the ICJ (and she can’t go alone), should we go to the ICJ to accommodate our neighbor…to help her to get over her foolishness? It must be noted that foreign millionaires have reportedly stepped up to foot the bill for an ICJ venture, thus removing Comrade Shoman’s deep fear of us poor people having to bear such an extravagant tab, for such frivolous purpose.
Note that some of our negotiators have also intimated that it would be neighborly on Belize’s part to go with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice, to help them get over their problem.
Don’t cry for America
One Christmas Eve, about a decade ago, I stood in the toy section of Brodies on Albert Street, looking at two “identical” toys, one marked “Made in the USA,” the other, “Made in China.” The one from the USA cost twice as much as the one made in China. My first thought was that I have a brother and some other family in the USA, so I should support the workers in the USA. My second thought was that we have good friends here from China, and Taiwan helps us a lot, so I should support the workers in China. My pocket thought definitely that it could better afford the toy that was marked, “Made in China.”
I asked around and they told me not to fret for America, because they were still making gobs of money. They told me that American companies own the toy shops all over the world. I thought, okay, that’s very good for American companies, but what about the workers in America? Will they pay workers in the USA the savings they are making off cheap labor in China? No, they told me, but Americans will get other jobs, high paying jobs, so it will work out well all around.
There are no jobs for American workers now. Every month now we hear of the thousands of workers being laid off in America. Big stores are laying off workers. The makers of the famous Chevy S-10 reported almost 50% lower sales last month than the year before. And thousands more people lost their homes. It looks like the whole globalization thing did not work out that well after all for the Americans. It would seem that the great America is broke.
No, Henri money noh done yet. No, the great America is not broke. They still have more milk than they can drink; more wheat, corn and beef than they can eat; more cars than they can drive; more bullets than they can shoot; more bombs than they need to blow up the world; more clothes and shoes and tennis than they can wear; more houses than they can live in; and more medicines than they can use.
No, America is not broke. Their big businesses all around the world make huge chunks of money. But there is a problem with America’s distribution of its humongous wealth. In November 2008 America went to the polls and elected a president as far left as you can go without being called a socialist. One of the first acts of the new American president was to put a cap on the salaries of top executives. I think the message to the educated elite (can you spell lawyers and accountants?) is that they are living too high, that they are taking too much of the pie for themselves. Hmmm.
Cane has many
outstanding issues
The nation is glad indeed that the farmers in OW and CZL decided to go back to delivering sugarcane on Sunday. Farmers are long suffering. This strike should have happened years ago. A strike can happen again tomorrow. The farmers made their decision to return to delivering cane in the best interests of the nation. The GoB will have to make good to the farmers.