I AM NOT easily shocked, as we live in a very interesting world and humans are capable of almost anything. I never supported Ben Carson to be president but for him to endorse Donald Trump makes you wonder what policies or agenda he would have pushed if he had become president of the United States.
I do not believe initially the people of America wanted Trump; I believe they just didn’t want any of the GOP candidates and as a result, Trump was the only option.
Over time, Trump has gained more and more support and in my opinion, his rise reveals the bigotry, racism and xenophobia that is in many American hearts but was swept under the carpet for all these years. Democracy can be a good thing and a bad thing and the GOP is experiencing the “bad” end of the stick. The leaders of the party completely reject Trump (one of their members) to be their nominee for president, but the people (Republican voters) want him as their choice.
Barbadian citizens and politicians should keep a keen eye on this American presidential race as it is teaching and revealing so much. The GOP is responsible for the situation facing the country and the Democrats also have some responsibility as well. Politicians have manipulated, lied to, victimised, disrespected, taken advantage of, used and abused their citizens for years and all that has happened here is that the Republican supporters have taken a bold stance of rejecting of anyone who represents the establishment and falls into the category of a politician.
Some argue that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration lost the last election because the nation felt the same way the GOP supporters do. Some are currently saying the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration is a reflection of what the GOP supporters don’t want. Others are saying the only difference between the BLP and DLP is the first letter. This is a dangerous place for a country to be. Why? It could mean that the voting public is so fed up with the deceit, broken promises, misrepresentation, victimisation and selfishness of some politicians that voting in the next general election may be very low.
Alternatively, it could mean that people are so fed up with the current administration that they would vote for any candidate presented by the BLP administration regardless of if they are suitable for the job. Sadly, the frustration may be so great that suitable and unsuitable candidates would be painted with the same brush.
There is only so much the people can take and eventually, the people will respond. Sadly in America, their response has led to a Donald Trump. I don’t even know if I want to see what the Barbadian public’s response will lead to. As funny as life goes, Trump’s actions may have him on the high horse for now but the scripture teaches that pride comes before a fall. Let’s wait and see if Trump’s run for the presidency leads to the collapse of his so-called empire.
Disclaimer: I am not a political scientist or a pollster or any of the sorts. I am just an ordinary Joe with an opinion shaped by what I have observed.
Barbados Defence Force
I reject the comments made by Caswell Franklyn and others to shut down the BDF. I believe those who support such an idea may have limited knowledge of what the BDF (Regiment, Coast Guard and cadets) does. To end the BDF would mean that the security of our country and borders would be the responsibility of the Regional Security System of which Barbados is a member.
The role of the BDF is more than defence and security. It also provides military aid to the civil community and civil authorities. It is a stakeholder with the Department of Emergency Management and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and function locally and regionally in disaster response and relief missions.
The sports programme and cadet corps have contributed to the development of tens of thousands of Barbadians. It provides training exchange programmes for military personnel across the region; participates in urban search and rescue, and plays a critical role in the fight against narcotics and arms trafficking and much more.
Some believe that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it; I disagree. Though it isn’t broken, it should be assessed to see if it needs reforming or upgrading. I believe the BDF can use this opportunity to educate the people on its role and contribution to Barbados and assess whether a reform or upgrade is needed.
•Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth youth ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email coreyworrell@gmail.com.
