Arthur blames leaders over travel
Dr Jean Holder (right) presenting a copy of his book to former LIAT CEO Dr Warren Smith.
Thu, July 15, 2010 - 9:13 PM
Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur believes the region is paying a price for independence, including the troubles of Caribbean carrier LIAT.
He said the region could only address issues related to LIAT if it was understood that the region had paid a heavy price for insular nationalism.
Arthur was speaking at the Caribbean Development Bank, Wildey, St Michael, on Wednesday during the launch of Don’t Burn Our Bridges: The Case For Owning Airlines, a book by LIAT chairman Dr Jean Holder.
“Our problem, whether it is putting a single economy together or a single regional carrier together, is that insular nationalism has become so embedded and institutionalised in the Caribbean, has become such a deeply emotional issue that it is . . . standing in the way of serious progress,” he said.
Arthur, who has long championed the integration movement, said when Caribbean prime ministers decided to create a Caribbean Community in 1974, they determined that the next step would be to have a regional carrier.
“It speaks to how far we have retreated as a region that the same governments of the region that want to have a regional community decided that they did not want to own the regional carrier,” he stated.
Arthur said there was a modern crisis in the region where governments could no longer afford to operate each of their societies as a separate entity.
“The societies are wallowing under the weight of trying to carry the costs of government in a small society.” (NB)
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Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please: We regret to say that the aircraft (excuse accidental pun), that brings in “money from heaven” to each of these “island-countries” each day, ...er, is permanently delayed. This unfortunately will mean that the word “free” is being removed from our vocabulary, together with the phrase/mantra, “government got money”. In future, along with our children, grand-children etc, we will all, have to pay for everything we use, or eat. This includes water from taps, rent, education, cell-phones etc etc. Hopefully, in will not include sex, but we do have a committee of eminent cuntultants, “looking into” this. Have a nice day.
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Comment LinkThis is a moment for us in The caribbean to stand up for something. Mr.Arthur has his finger on the problem with Carribean societies.Nationalism is embedded in our societies and it is hampering our progress.
Small island economies are suffocating under the weight of bigger economies and it it not making anysense why we in the English speaking Caribbean at least begin to harmonise our economies.
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Comment LinkWell said Mr.Arthur. It is good that someone has come forward and spoken on this issue. Especially coming from someone as knowledgeable as you. We in the Caribbean had a vision of a federation, light years ahead of the European Union, and still our insular nationalism continue to cripple our community.
Many of us in the Caribbean, do not like to hear this type of dialogue, because we do not like that our Caribbean dirty laundry is being aired in public. The current economic situation that is at hand, cries out for more Caribbean integration.
Caricom leaders must take the much needed steps, for further integration of our communities immediately. If left in its current state, the economies of our small states will become extinct.
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Comment LinkI respect Mr. Arthur’s personal opinion but I disagree. Nationalism is not really a situation in small countries alone. The German people have also taken their leader to task for having to bail out Greece. Furthermore, Barbados and Singapore ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore ) used to be shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of national development. Why is it that Singapore (another former British colony) is a small island only about 2X the size of Barbados and it’s development has continued to sharply climb while Barbados has begun to fall? I think this is an easy out for the leadership to blame the Caribbean people rather than take the personal responsibility themselves. In terms of independence. That’s what independence is a declaration that your nation and its people will from then on handle its own personal responsibilities on its own. The only British colony I think that reversed its independence order was Anguilla and possibly the The Turks and Caicos Islands?
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