July 17, 2012Dear Sir,It is disappointing that despite our crippled economy, some of our elected officials on Parliament Hill still pay lip service to the outdated protectionist policy known as the 60-40 Rule. One would have thought that the government’s complete inability to spur private investment would have been the death knell of this policy, not the other way around. The current state of the local economy should make it abundantly clear that Bermuda is not “another world”. It is a very small, albeit beautiful, corner of a very harsh world that does not care about our children, let alone our grandchildren. The idea that planeloads of large onshore entities are waiting to set up shop on the Island once the economy opens is quite simply a fallacy.Even if it were true, proper proactive government policy regarding engagement and the laws of the free market system would regulate how a more open Bermuda economy evolved. Throughout our 400-year history, we as Bermudians, have always looked beyond our shores. It is this course that realised an economic prosperity that was once the envy of the world. It is no different today. We either define our role and relevance in the global economy or someone else will do it for us. A good start would be considering a repeal of the 60/40 Rule altogether.KEES VAN BEELENNew York City