July 8, 2006

TO arrive at a position where we can reasonably estimate what the future of Bermuda will likely be, we must first reference history. In searching for an historical model, I can find no better case than the island of Grenada.

Grenada is one of the most southerly islands of the Eastern Caribbean chain, located approximately 90 miles north of Trinidad and Tobago. Formerly a colony of Britain, it received Associated State status, allowing it to be self-governing from 1967.

Bermuda, of course, has always been self-governing, but like Grenada, Britain was responsible for its foreign affairs. Grenada gained full Independence on February 7, 1974. Premier Eric Gairy led the first government, but his government became authoritarian and dictatorial, and he became very unpopular.

In March 1979, a charismatic man by the name of Maurice Bishop led a popular coup against the democratically elected government with his Left-Wing New Jewel Movement. He called his administration The People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) whose ideals were those of a Marxist-Leninist form of socialism.

Things went from bad to worse as a power struggle developed within the PRG in 1983 between Bernard Coard, co-founder of the New Jewel Movement, and Bishop that resulted in Bishop and certain of his supporters being summarily executed on October 19, 1983 in St. George's Fort. The PRG was then replaced by something called the Revolutionary Military Council.

These events occurred under US President Ronald Reagan's watch.

His response, particularly seeing that there had been a growing relationship between Cuba and Grenada, was to launch an invasion into Grenada, after securing a token force from other islands, on the pretext of securing the safety of US citizens who where studying medicine at St. George's University on the island.

The real agenda, of course, was to restore democracy and a properly elected government. Some have suggested that a Grenada in the hands of a left-wing government, teamed up with Fidel Castro's Communist regime and Nicaragua, could have been a threat to the movement of oil from Trinidad and Venezuela to the United States.

However, this was not advanced as a reason for the invasion. The most probable reason to kill the Grenada government was that it represented something that kept the United States awake at night, the spread of Communism. True, the Communist experiment has imploded, but not everyone seems to have got the word yet, so the United States is still on alert against what it calls "this menace".

Hopefully, you are still with me and are asking what has all that got to do with Bermuda?

Well, there are some disquieting parallels already, as you may have noticed, but we are at the stage when calls for Bermuda's Independence are still strong. The Government in power is known to be in favour and is probably looking for a methodology to make a petition to Whitehall look legitimate. Such a petition will find a warm reception as Bermuda sits on the British government's books as a contingent liability, while Bermuda itself is of no practical or strategic value to them.

Whitehall simply wishes Bermuda would go away, and has felt this way for a very long time.

So, in the not too distant future, Bermuda will become Independent from Great Britain. President George Bush has already had the conversation with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Blair has already answered that provided the petition has the appearance of legitimacy Bermuda can go yesterday. And that leaves the United States with a major headache. Already the US has seen the present Government make cosy with Castro's Cuba. It is appalled that Bermuda would do such a thing knowing how upset the US is about Cuba. Considering how dependent Bermuda is on the US for its economic survival, and considering the mega-success Bermuda is enjoying by its association, US officials are slack-jawed by the affront.

But the real concern, I suspect, is that of Bermuda's close (too close) proximity to Washington, DC. They simply will not allow Bermuda to become another Cuba on their doorstep. They would not allow it in Grenada, a country many more miles removed from them, so they are certainly not going to have it less than two hours' flight time away.

I think that they envision an Independent Bermuda falling prey to a Maurice Bishop-type person in very short order following Independence. I suspect that they are keeping a wary eye on a certain ex-colonel as a would-be dictator and despot-in-waiting. They are simply not going to have it! Even the present incumbent in the White House wouldn't want to invade Bermuda.

So, what to do? Remember those Washington visits where our people went over to be wined and dined by their people on a "get-to-know-you" basis? Well, now they know who our players are, and the next time we get an invitation to come on over, it will be to sign an agreement that will make Bermuda a US Protectorate, in much the same way as Puerto Rico. That will be an offer that we're not going to be able to refuse. We will have self-determination, just so long as it's US approved.

This will be a better state of affairs than that which exists at present. It will grant Bermudians the right of abode, and the right to work in the US. Consequently, Bermudians will have a reasonable alternative as a place to retire where a dollar is a dollar, and expensive Bermuda real estate can be exchanged for something more reasonably priced, leaving something left over to retire on.

Those persons who have fallen through very large cracks in the economy and are unable to work because they were trained for hotel work, of which there is not a lot of, could possibly find work in the US. And that would not be a bad thing!

An Independent Bermuda, free to determine its own future without outside interference? That is simply not going to happen! What we have at present is the best that it will be. Any change from the status quo will not result in what Government leaders and those starry-eyed independentistas have in mind. Let's be very clear about that!

EUGENE CARMICHAEL

Spain

@TIMES-18:What right does he have?

July 2, 2006

INDEPENDENCE from what? We are self-governing are we not? The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know! I attended the meeting on Independence on June 1, 2006 in Warwick.

Checking on start time the Cabinet office advised 8 p.m. Arriving at the school at 7.50 p.m. to be advised it was scheduled for a 7 p.m. start but the first speaker had just begun. Typical of one group not knowing what the other is doing.

We listened to several speakers stating why Bermuda should be Independent. The only person to get it right was the Minister who stated that it was a decision of the people. So how come it was a political meeting? (Progressive Labour Party banner displayed).

We need an event to include a cross-section of the community as speakers with a displayed lists of advantages one side disadvantages on the other and another down the centre stating total costs before and after.

Last evening I was asked to be a volunteer at The American Society of Bermuda, "Celebrating Freedom" . . . (was this a dig at Bermuda I wonder?)

It was an excellent evening until spoilt by the US Consul General who spoke, inferring that we should not be a British colony. True, it was his country's function but what right does he have to tell Bermudians what they should or should not do or be.

Maybe he, and his cap, should be sent home!

EVER HOPEFUL IN SMITH'S

@TIMES-18:Precious open land

July 26, 2006

AS regards the proposed Loughlands development, what a shame Housing Minister Col. David Burch and developer Mr. Gilbert Lopes did not take a ride around Bermuda to find derelict Government-owned buildings. Those on the base lands especially could be renovated to provide reasonable housing before deciding to build on precious open space in a central parish.

OBSERVATION

City of Hamilton

@TIMES-18: The Ball's in your court . . .

August 2, 2006

I KNOW that the general secretary of the Bermuda Public Services Union (BPSU), Mr. Ed Ball, is entitled to his opinion; however, he shouldn't be so eager to go public with it.

Even though Mr. Ball doesn't know the full background of the case involving the appointment of Lt. Col. Eddie Lamb as Commissioner of Prisons, he still supports the appointment and wishes Mr. Lamb every success as we've seen on the front page of today's Mid-Ocean News.

If I recall, the prison officers have their own association. So why does Mr. Ball feel compelled to offer his comments as a BPSU representative in this instance?

In a Royal Gazette article published on December 3, 2003, entitled "Ball defends his position after accusation of double standard", Mr. Ball stated "The Unions don't interfere in one another's business."

Mr. Ball stated that BPSU members were angry because Mr. Troy Caines went to the Bermuda Industrial Union without checking what the BPSU was doing on his behalf. These statements were publicly made by Mr. Ball when Mr. Derrick Burgess, then president of the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU), publicly supported Mr. Troy Caines, a senior Customs officer with 23 years of Customs experience in addition to a master's degree, when he was overlooked for the position of Assistant Collector of Customs.

Mr. Ball publicly chastised Mr. Burgess for supporting a BPSU member.

On June 12, 2006 I contacted reporter Mr. Scott Neil of The Royal Gazette concerning the lack of support Mr. Caines has experienced from the BPSU. I drew reference to many instances whereby Mr. Ball has publicly spoken in support of the high-ranking civil servants (i.e., Auditor General, Marine & Ports Assistant Director, Permanent Secretaries, CEO (hospital), Chief Justice position and, according to today's Mid-Ocean, the Commissioner of Prisons, to name a few.

What exactly is the BPSU doing on Mr. Troy Caines' behalf? Mr. Caines has been paying Union dues to the BPSU for the past 23 years and is yet to hear Mr. Ball or any representative of the BPSU speak favourably about his employment situation at Her Majesty's Customs.

At a time when Mr. Ball should be commenting in support of an experienced individual who is "within the ranks" (i.e., HM Customs) and qualified, he is mute, yet he states that as a trade unionist, he believes in value of training and experience. Again, double standards.

Is Mr. Troy Caines unworthy of the training that would qualify him for BPSU's support regarding his prospects for promotion? It would be interesting to hear Mr. Ball's comments especially after reading his comments today (Mid-Ocean News, front page) concerning the appointment of Mr. Eddie Lamb as Commissioner of Prisons.

He stated: "However, as a unionist, I believe in professional training and in people having the opportunity to come up through the ranks, so this is a Catch 22."

Unlike the process which saw Mr. Tracey Kelly promoted to Assistant Collector of Customs (with no Customs experience), whereby I voiced by disapproval because this position should be filled by an individual with extensive Customs experience owing to the responsibilities it involves, I did extend my personal congratulations to Mr. Lamb concerning his appointment. The duties involved in Mr. Lamb's former position and his future position both involve discipline and I, too, support the appointment based on this information.

How can the BPSU in good conscience continue to take Mr. Caines' dues yet fail to represent him? How does Mr. Ball feel comfortable speaking on other unions' matters when he is not taking care of his own union matters?

JENNIFER CAINES

Devonshire

Disrespectful and unchristian

August 1, 2006

I AND many other readers were appalled to see the half-page photograph showing the body of former Police Commissioner George Duckett at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in September, 1972 (Mid-Ocean News, July 28).

I served under Commissioner Duckett during the short period he was in Bermuda and I was also a member of the squad which investigated his murder and the subsequent murders of His Excellency the Governor Sir Richard Sharples and Captain Sayers and Mr. Victor Rego and Mr. Mark Doe at the Shopping Centre.

I cannot understand what you attempted to gain by publishing such a photograph. Printing this picture is totally disrespectful and unchristian. Albeit his wife and daughter left the island after his untimely death, he left behind friends and colleagues both in and out of the Police Service.

I would like the Mid-Ocean News to justify why it published the photograph and please don't say it's historical!

DAVID BARBER

Retd. Chief Inspector

Bermuda Police Service, 1965-1997

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