Power base

A smiling leader of the Nation of Islam Louis Farrakhan (in blue), arriving at Grantley Adams International Airport on the second leg of his six-nation Caribbean tour, was greeted by businessman Muhammad Nassar (right). He is accompanied by a security detail. (Picture by Nigel Browne.)

Mon, November 26, 2012 - 12:12 AM

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan says the Caribbean has the potential to be a powerhouse, with Barbados as its “natural leader”.

But he says this country needs to move away from simply being a service economy to fulfil its true potential.

Farrakhan, who arrived here yesterday afternoon for the second leg of a six-nation Caribbean tour, told members of the media and the local Islamic community that with a high income per capita, the most learned workforce and one of the finest institutions of learning in the region, Barbados must assume its role to lead the region to greater things.

“The Caribbean cannot survive as little nations with flags and anthems and suffering people when the unity of the whole of the Caribbean would make the Caribbean a regional power; and Barbados, in my humble judgement, is a natural leader in that process and that is a part of my message,” he told an airport news conference. (DP)

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Posted by J. Payne 5 months, 4 weeks ago: Is Farrakhan going to tell the rest of the Caribbean islands which he's visiting that Barbados essentially outranks them and should effectively be the capital of the rest of the region?

Nice try, but the U.K. had tried for 400 years to make Barbados the lead isle of the Windward and Leeward Islands. (On the last attempt, Jamaica held a national referendum, the public there voted against it and the U.K. gave up!) You're asking for something tried many-many-many times over.

Just let Barbados be already. Barbados' little tax base of 300,00 citizens can't carry the rest of the region. We can hardly afford the free healthcare and education now as it is. We might be paying public workers on credit and as one of the top densely populated countries in the Americas, Barbados can't handle any huge influx of more people which happens as a geopolitical or economic epicentre.

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Posted by J. Payne 5 months, 4 weeks ago: To correct myself. Actually it would be more like 1960-1627 = 339. Not yet the 400 years.

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Posted by Winston Grecia 5 months, 3 weeks ago: Does this Gentleman really believe that Jamaica or Trinidad would be willing to have little Barbados with no natural resourses be the leading country in the West Indies

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Posted by wayne husbands 5 months, 3 weeks ago: @ F.PAYNE, i respectfully disagree with you analogy.its more to this than the quantity,and what the minister is proposing ,is collective growth,a WE is a collection of many I's.. and if the focus of the collective is united,we can all benefit,i live in the US and i've been told why don't you go back where you came from, i courteously respond to the speaker,in ameriica"for every thousand bajans making $10 .theres 1 american making $10'000 in barbados.You choose to focus on the those who may become a burden, yet you hold the door open for the few who creates the burden,my question to you is, in the corporate and business sector of barbados,what percentage is owned by barbadians? Taking many positive aspects of our country into perspective,i hear Minister Farrakkan saying that despite of our size ,we can play a leadership role in a combined market.the other point i would like to comment on is the comparison of farrakkan's proposal to the UK's. 'he has no vested interest,the uk had all vested interests" well at least "NOT YET"