of some West Indian islands as an argument against Independence. It is clear to almost anyone that many of the islands have had a very hard time since Independence but it is not very relevant to Bermuda's debate. Arguments about who did what and when in the Turks and Caicos Islands, whose Premier was jailed for drug smuggling in the United States, or in Montserrat are not important to Bermuda's debate.

What is relevant to Bermuda's debate is what Bermuda's customers want. Bermuda is a business which must behave in a sensible fashion. Bermuda should be operated to provide the maximum benefit to the greatest number of Bermudians.

Half of Bermuda's income, an income which gives most Bermudians a way of life very few people in the world enjoy, comes from international companies. These companies like to feel secure.

Right now the companies which concern Bermuda are located basically on three islands which are not independent, Bermuda, Cayman and the British Virgin Islands. That should tell every Bermudian something relevant. These companies feel secure in these islands for a number of reasons which have to do with stability, good government and good communications but they also like the lack of Independence because association with Britain, no matter how nebulous, comforts them and they especially like the right to appeal court decisions to the respected judgment of the Privy Council in London. They do not like political uncertainty or courts which can be influenced by politicians. Thus they are not located in troubled independent islands nor are they likely to be.

But more than that, there is a history of these companies leaving a place, notably the Bahamas, the moment they felt threatened. Those politicians who imply to the people of Bermuda that these companies will stay here no matter what Bermuda does are seeking to mislead the people. They have an agenda and are not too concerned about how they further that agenda.

Bermuda has little income other than what it generates from its services. One service is to visitors and one is to international business. Bermuda also has growing bills in terms of improving its ageing tourism product and in terms of running its own Airport, all with a decreased income because of the bases closures.

Bermuda also has problems which are right now being neglected in order to fight over Independence. We need to work on racial divisions yet they seem to be increasing because of the Independence debate. There is every possibility that drugs and related crime can, in the end, swamp the Country yet we are not doing many of the things we ought to be doing. There is a desperate neeed to resolve the schools mess but we go on with bricks and mortar rather than with education.

Someone suggested last week that raising the Independence debate was a ruse to distract Bermudians from the Country's problems. Maybe that person was correct. It certainly looks like a sick joke now that the Progressive Labour Party is telling its supporters not to play the game it has advocated for 30 years. Is anyone serious or have we lost our way?