Negotiating power

October 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

In your article today concerning the Uighurs, we read the following: "The Foreign Office was upset that the Americans negotiated directly with the Bermuda Government, bypassing the British", quote Lord Goldsmith.

I understand that, in fact, "negotiations" were not made with the Bermuda Government, but with one person, Dr. Ewart Brown. It was subsequently revealed that only one other person was aware of the transfer of the men from "Gitmo" prior to the event!

Does this imply that the Foreign Office considers that Dr. Brown is the Bermuda Government?

I hope not.

UNCOMMON SENSE

St. David's

Goldsmith's record

October 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

How can anyone accept the comments of the former UK Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith regarding the prisoners in Guantomano when he was the person that advised Tony Blair that in his opinion it was legal to invade Iraq, and secondly under his authority he stopped the investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into alleged corruption in the sale of fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia. This case is now being reopened under the current AG, Baroness Scotland.

KB

City of Hamilton

Dangerous precedent

October 12, 2009

Dear Sir,

Rather alarming when a QC thinks that people attempting to take bullets out of Bermuda should not be prosecuted.

What about guns?

Let's just install a "Fast Track" security line for hijackers.

Yours scanning the Yellow Pages for Semtex,

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish

Brown and Obama

October 14, 2009

Dear Sir,

Thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts on some interesting similarities between two male figures, one local and one international. These two men seem to evoke some deep, emotional passions among the peoples of Bermuda and the international community. I'm talking about President Barack Obama and Premier Ewart Brown. I have seen the reactions to President Barack Obama's heath care initiatives, the push back to his address for kids to stay in school, his speech on race in Philadelphia, and his reaching out to the Muslim world, which included calling him "the anti-Christ", communist, Nazi, dictator, Hollywood celebrity, and every other vile name that right wing bigots can think of. And now with him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the haters are really showing their true colours, even some in his own party don't believe he's done enough to be recognised with such an international accolade. It's quite fascinating and disturbing at the same time.

Simply put, the same scenario is playing out right here in Bermuda. In fact, some of the same disgusting accusations are hurled at Premier Brown on a daily basis via the talk shows, letters to the editors, and particularly editorials and opinion columns (so much for the media gag). We read and hear it all the time – Dr. Brown is a dictator, he's travelling all over the world on taxpayers' money and he's acting like he's a movie star. They are even bringing up the BHC scandal again although there were no indictments and no arrests. No crime, no case! But hey, what does Scotland Yard know?

Don't forget Dr. Brown is also an anti-expat. He even had the nerve to suggest that guest workers who don't have families here should consider car-pooling if they work in the same offices to cut down on the number of cars on Bermuda's roads. Now that was downright offensive. And we can't forget the race card. Brown plays it all the time, like when he talked about starting the Big Conversation. Everyone knows that was just a ploy to make white people feel guilty, although Lynne Winfield, Dr. Eva Hodgson and the internationally known author Tim Wise have written about white privilege, it's Dr. Brown who won't let go (just get over it.)

And now for the really big one – the Uighurs! When President Obama, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Attorney General, Eric Holder, and countless Human Rights organisation praised the Premier of Bermuda for this humanitarian act, that was just a cover-up for the Doc. Sir, if this man is no humanitarian, how could he and other progressives in his Party be the visionaries for programmes like FutureCare for seniors, free Bermuda College, no licence fees for seniors, reduced day care for some parents, the Grand Slam, free bus fare for seniors and school children and no land tax for seniors.

Some say this is just another ploy by Dr. Brown. Well sir, I believe that we are witnessing two men who are Game Changers for the 21st Century – President Barack Obama and Premier Ewart Brown.

SHIRLEY RICHARDSON

Devonshire

A challenge to freedom

October 13, 2009

Dear Sir,

Today I read somewhere that it was National Statistics Day – obviously a day for wearing black clothes. Why should I think that?

Statistics are the eyes and ears of bureaucracy, the politicians, and the busybody. It is only by the collection of data that Government can find out what is going on in the economy and this allows them to intervene in day-to-day business decisions on the basis that Government can improve economic decision making. Thanks to the huge amount of statistical information swilling around, the public is likely to fall victim to the myth of the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-bountiful Government, allowing it to interfere ever more deeply ever more intimately in our personal and business lives.

There is a widespread belief, almost childish in its naivete, that if only Government had the right information they would be able to control or manage the economy much more effectively. The argument is that without good statistics it is impossible for governments to plan and monitor the progress of the economy. This view is, of course, wrong. The greatest innovative economic development in Bermuda took place, in the 1950s and 1960s (when the activities of modern tourism and international business first arose) all without the benefit of statistics.

In Hong Kong, in the early l960s, Sir John Cowperthwaite, stated in one of my favourite quotations:

"We are in the happy position where the leverage exercised by the government on the economy is so small that it is not necessary, nor even of any particular value, to have these figures (statistics) available for the formulation of policy."

By adhering to that policy of non-intervention in the economy, Hong Kong enjoyed a long period of uninterrupted economic success whilst the People's Republic of China with a huge interventionist government, stagnated. The collection of statistics simply fuels the engine of intervention in the economy, and in the long term undermine efficiency.

One of the great characteristics of a civilised society is that of individual privacy, free from the prying eyes of authority. To paraphrase: "A Bermudian's home is his castle." The compulsory production of statistics will invariably lead to the erosion of privacy and confidentiality. In extreme circumstances, it can lead to personal danger as Mary and Joseph found out in Bethlehem, or as Jews found out during the Second World War. When government constantly seeks additional information from people, it is usually the time to hold on to your wallet and be concerned for your freedom.

ROBERT STEWART

Smith's