The Bahama Journal Editorial
With this nostrum as opening gambit, we take note of the fact that, for what now seems a fairly long season, the Bahamas seemed to conclusively demonstrate that development in a small island developing country could be successfully driven by foreign direct investment.
And for sure, Bahamians could and did exult in their good fortune by assuring themselves that, these salutary changes had come about due to their own initiatives.
Indeed, there was every indication that, the Bahamas had somehow or the other managed to escape its long history of boom and bust at the economic level.
And so it arose that, they decided to praise the late Sir Stafford L. Sands for being the financial genius behind the so-called miracle of year-round tourism to the Bahamas.
We now know that this was an illusion.
As the same record would attest and confirm: while Sir Stafford was –in truth and in fact – a major player in the development of the tourism industry, other forces – most of them external to the Bahamas- played crucially important roles in this transformative process.
Highest on the list of external forces would be the on-set of the Cuban Revolution and Cuba’s isolation from trade with the United States of America.
It was this external factor that has driven the Bahamian economy over the course of the past fifty years or so.
With this development came that transformation of the Bahamas which allowed the bulk of its people a first opportunity to turn its collective back on a development model predicated on seasonal tourism, niche banking, fishing, farming and other allied occupations.
This development brought with it ancillary political changes – some of which promised Majority Rule and some economic empowerment for those who were heretofore socially excluded and economically marginalized.
While some successes have been scored; there is every indication that some of these now run the real risk of being lost as a consequence of the hard times that now prevail.
In addition, there is every indication that things are set to be difficult for at least the next decade or so.
This situation stands in direct contrast to those days when money was in abundance and when practically everybody who was anybody could make a fairly decent living.
Things are now trending downwards; and so, as things go and grow from bad to worse – Bahamians on either side of the political divide have taken to blaming each other for this nation’s bevy of distresses.
While this ‘game’ might provide entertainment galore for those who are tuned in; we daresay that, this does the nation itself no real good.
For our part, then, we would sincerely suggest that, having grown accustomed to one version of the so-called good life [that is to say, a life driven by easy money] very many Bahamians are today panicking; this coming packaged in with the prospect that hard times might be here to stay.
While we are optimistic as regards our prospects for the long-term; we are today pessimistic for the short-term; this due to the fact that, the Bahamian people are yet to determine what they want and would have as regards real leadership.
In the interim, things threaten to disintegrate into a state akin to chaos.
And of course, this can lead to its own sad denouement in even more social distress.
Here take note that on occasion, we have bemoaned the fact that, the Bahamian people are being routinely failed by their leaders.
Evidence for this failure can be seen in practically every major institution; whether reference is to those who would lead in the field of faith and belief; education; government; the home or at the work place.
In addition, there is no gainsaying the fact that, there are very many Bahamians who are today mired in distress; with some of them teetering on the edge of despair.
And yet there is more bad news; this time around the reference we make has to do with what seems a Bahamian penchant towards dependency and lack of confidence in their own innate ability.
This neatly explains how it arises in case after case that Bahamians are loath to respect their own when they are put in positions of authority and power – thus the pre-eminence they give to foreigners and to most things foreign.
For a season, this way of things surely worked its magic.
But since nothing lasts forever, these balmy days are now receding. As they become history, a new order beckons; this being one where Bahamians will be obliged to work harder, produce more so as to become more self-reliant.
In this regard, we envisage the coming of that day when, the Bahamian people will have a national economy that walks – so to speak- on two legs; with one being foreign and the other Bahamian.
December 29, 2010
The Bahama Journal Editorial
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.