by Bill Lindo

An excerpt from the author’s blog, posted on November 15, 2023

Our world has changed over the last two years. This change is occurring in real time because of television and the internet.  It seems that for the first time, we are experiencing change like never seen before.

…On the sideline there was a meeting with the Chinese president and over 24 leaders of different African countries to prepare for the upcoming Belt & Road Forum. According to news reports, President Xi was surprised by the calls made by the leaders of the various African countries. The African presidents and prime ministers told him that they did not want the future to be about China coming to build infrastructure in their respective countries; instead they wanted China to help them to industrialize – to become industrial economies, where machinery controls the manufacturing process. By making their own steel, aluminum, copper, plastics, cement, and machine tools, they would be able to build their own infrastructure.

…Last month when the African delegations went to Beijing for the Belt & Road Forum, China gave them their answer – YES, China would help them to become industrial nation-states. Russia also promised to help Africa in this venture.

…Then on October 7th soldiers from the military wing of the Hamas group crippled the Israeli army. Israel cannot admit they were outsmarted by a Palestinian army and has instead resorted to lies – calling the Arab army a group of terrorists. The Hamas attack of October 7th has saved the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and having a State of their own. Just in September of this year, President Biden of the United States had convinced Saudi Arabia to reach an accommodation with Israel, but Hamas knew Ben Netanyahu and how he would react to the Hamas attack—the continuous slaughter of Palestinians, now amounting to 11,000 + persons since October 7th, to the horror of the world. Now, because of Israel’s actions in Gaza, a State for the Palestinian people has become a war cry by the vast majority of the world, even the United States.

…And for Belize?  How will all this turmoil affect Belize and its people?

Our world depends on crude oil and natural gas to fuel our transportation systems – cars, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes. And for those who live in the temperate zones, to heat their homes during winter. Agriculture today, with only 10% globally of the workforce, can feed over 8 billion persons because of crude oil and gas. Our modern world supplies us with an endless supply of goods never thought of 100 years ago, much less 2,000 years ago. Manufacturing is only made possible because of crude oil and gas. We hope that in the future, fusion energy will replace crude oil and gas, but it has not happened yet, so ENERGY must come from crude oil and gas. The alternatives have not proven to be efficient or effective.

In two months, BRICS enlargement will start to occur, and Bloomberg says, the supply of crude oil and gas will be nearly completely controlled by BRICS+.  Thus, if this Israel and Hamas fighting spreads and gets Iran involved, Goldman Sachs predicts crude oil prices will rise to USD $150+ per barrel. Belizeans can NEVER afford to pay $20-$30 per gallon for petroleum fuel. Belize’s economy will collapse. Already, food and fuel inflation are taking a heavy toll on the economy of Belize. Any further steep rise in prices will create tremendous hardship on the Belizean people.

…In Belize, the PUP has as one of its cardinal Principles, to strive to ensure the self-sufficiency of the economy of Belize by Belizeans themselves. To this end, in September myself and a group of Belizeans submitted a proposal to the Government of Belize to enter a Public-Private Partnership to establish a group of heavy industries in Belize using local natural materials to locally produce aluminum, PVC plastics, cement, and steel.

According to the proposals submitted to government for Cabinet consideration and approval the project will accomplish the following:

“In summary, to satisfy PlanBelize this project will:
Create 20,000 new concrete houses in 5 years.
Reduce inflation in construction by some 33%
Reduce the trade deficit by 7%
Reduce poverty by 12%
Create 24,000 new jobs at a minimum wage of $12 per hour.
Reduce crime by 10% due to improved living standards.”

We will see how the government reacts to this proposal by local Belizean investors to start Belize on the road to self-sufficiency in industrial production to create a truly independent Belize. The George Price’s Mixed Economy model is the only way for Belize to weather this coming international storm and survive as a thriving modern country able to satisfy the needs of the majority of its citizens.

Long Live an Independent Belize!

Note: Bill Lindo is a Belizean writer on political economy and a businessman. He has been, for the last 46 years, a supporter of the People’s United Party of Belize. His dream is for Belize to become an industrial nation-state.