“Make no mistake about it. Our region is in the throes of the greatest crisis since independence. The spectre of evolving into failed societies is no longer a subject of imagination. How our societies crawl out of this vicious vortex of persistent low growth, crippling debt, huge fiscal deficits and high unemployment is the single most important question facing us at this time”.
That is not an assessment of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to be taken lightly.
It is an assessment by a Caribbean Prime Minister who has also had the advantage of serving as Legal Advisor to the CARICOM Secretariat.
Garçon that bound to happen since all dem Man dem been listening to for d past time is dem Albinos from Europe,,,
Allyou stopped honoring allyou Fathers and Mothers and got away from Self Sustenance and moved into Service industries,,,
According to Hi-Story Not too long ago is these islands that was providing for the inhabitants and even for them Monarchs in Europe, allyou made them people fool allyou into changing allyou spirituality and started following dem Albino’s Judaism,,,
Get back to allyou Roots whatever allyou can grasp right now before it get too late and allyou will see differences in allyou survival,,,
What spirituality and Judaism? What nonsense are you talking about? Move ahead and be positive. You have your opinion, I have mine. I do not share yours.
If there is one thing I detest is negativism which does not help anyone. As the proverb, “It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good.” It could make them unhappy and dissatisfied. It also contributes to lack of love and peace.
Our Dominican ancestors from bygone years were mostly Christian Catholics. Do a research when the Catholic missionaries arrived in Dominica.
Our ancestors were happy with their way of life, minding their own business and taking care of their family. As the years progressed, some people became radicals and aggressive. All of a sudden, it is black this and that even though they are of a mixed race. Then they turned on and against the (so-called) white man. People as you have a severe racial and indifferent problem.
Those who initiated that Dominica should be independent, commenced this progress which created much unrest in Dominica. They eventually succeeded. What has independence done for Dominica? Is Dominica progressive because of its independence? I think it receded or just stabilized.
May I further state that if Dominica was a sovereign country, there would not be such an affiliation with China. Granted, China has assisted Dominica and nationals should be appreciative. Nevertheless, I fear for Dominica including the other islands that in time they may become Chinese nations, governed by China and you know what this will entail loss of freedom. When such countries assist other countries there is something they are expecting from them. Time will tell. In the long run it could prove to be a disaster. I will loudly proclaim that Dominica and the other islands would have been better off being a sovereign country.
I suggest that every Citizen of Dominica read the book (Animal Farm ) by George Orwell.
Yes the (Pigs / Politicans) take over by blaming others. The Pigs eventually will only give out only scraps to their Subjects who have lost their (REAL FREEDOM)
Why do we have to be so ignorante. Because those in power (always) control the masses by keeping them hungry and uneducated….. !
Politicans should always remember this, I may be hungry and my education may be none but my Pride will always survive and I will survive long after you are gone !
amen brother! aaaaaaaaaaaayyyymen!!! sooo sad that not even that can save us… The Orwellian theory will be bashed to the ground before those people relinquish their GOD!
Why are we now questioning whether or not we are or were ready for independence ? We have made significant progress on our own from 1978the to pre this labor party government. Our solution is to get rid of this government. No ifs or buts
Now we should eat what we have i min fig and seewick noun
the rapid rate of increase of the net worth of those elected to govern,and that of their back benchers, the level of nepotism and the qualification to sit on various statutory boards is to back the right party is what has the regoin entrenched in poverty.
St.Lucia Prime Minister is the biggest joker the Caribbean ever created such croc,he’s no Stephenson King that’s for sure he’s big bla bla mouth.
He is by no means a bigger joker than our own PM. He is millions of miles ahead of him, in every aspect of leadership, and what it takes to be a leader. Take that to the bank.
Dude Steven King cannot even shine the boots of Kenny Athony.in fact King is just the messenger in the law firm. Check Steven King background
paradise lost won’t be regain,O’Lord how SAD!!!!
Dey dem corrupt and vision-less leaders politicians that put the countries in the region in so much debt and all the attendant ills.
Rick Wayne of Saint Lucia conducted an Obesity survey of Caribbean Leaders-his findings were appalling. Fat Cats give you monies and your meals back to the people who elected you. President Barack Obama is the example:lean keen fighting machine!!!
Most of our Leaders who lack management of an economy, vision and growth should be removed from office. Caribbean Leaders like African Heads are bereft of inspiration, strategies of autonomy and self determination. Simple, eat what you produce which drastically reduces your importation bill.
Give incentives to our Caribbean Diaspora to come home and invest back. Foreign investors repatriate their profits. Hence, there are no linkages into our economies. The prostitution of tourism and cruise ships which use and abuse our Islands and pay us a paltry income or revenue.
We’ve known this since Independence, but the politicians and bureaucrats runaway the Diaspora away who have tried to invest back. Whilst playing Uncle Tom and House Nigger to foreign investors who seldom have any regard for the country they plunder, for example BP Gulf of Mexico; Dutch Shell-Nigeria; and Bhopal-India.
When a Politician complains about crisis and do not offer solutions to avert the crisis then he should resign.I’m not saying the crisis we are facing in the region does not exist it would be foolish to think so.We need to realize crises are necessary,it tells us to wake up and change the old ways of doing things, a new paradigm shift.One of the things we need to change is to stop believing that Governments,Politicians Bureaucrats, Churches and Pastors have the answers to solve our problems or be dependent on them.All change must come within.We also need to change the whole Education system and Educators, stop fooling our children that they need an education to get a job.
One of the things that amuses me is that Politicians and Bureaucrats all call for integration as though that is the solution to all our problems, why should we believe in such thing.If each individual Country in the region cannot solve their problems why do we think that integration will do so. The problems facing the region is complex and involves hidden forces which we do not see. There is also a global link especially when it comes to Money and so we in the region are just at the mercy of the Money lenders as do most Countries in the World.This does not mean that we cannot get our house in order and avert the crisis facing us,all crises can be solved but it takes a hug amount of willingness, courage, soul searching and letting go the old ways to bring about that change.
The St. Lucia PM is correct. There is a crisis (of every sort) in the Caribbean. This includes crimes/murders. Ever since achieving Statehood and then Independence, the situation grew worst.
It has always been my feeling that Dominica as the other islands should never have seceded from Great Britain. There could have been a different way to approach Great Britain to assist Dominica.
Consider what transpired prior to Statehood and then Independence. There was a lot of unrest in Dominica, fighting and burning. The registry was burned down. This should never have occurred. If a country wants to be independent, is this the manner which they acted? As someone stated, Great Britain was too happy to get rid of them.
Independence did nothing for those islands. They were just left on their own with no money to even pay their civil servants. What a shame.
I am certain that all of them as Dominica received a certain amount of money from Great Britain. What happened to that money which was supposed to benefit the country and nationals?
Is it any wonder that the Caribbean is in the greatest crisis? They better listen to the St. Lucian Prime Minister and do something about this crucial situation.
You truth and Jstice is simply an idiot. If brain wasn’t upp your behind you will recall just two weeks ago ou were chanting SKERRIT independence speech claiming that we have so much progress since independence. Now you are singing a different catholic hym.sakwas pokwit. I hope the priest communion open up your mind ad shut that propensity to protect dishonest and unscrupulous politicians
@ Frenz
DNO should not allow people as you to insult those who comment on its Website. In fact, your comment should have been prohibited.
You have much to learn. Your brains are warped. You are the pot calling the kettle black. Go and learn how to comment to people and those whom you do not know. Go and learn the meaning of love and allowing others the right to comment as they wish.
I urge you to have respect for me including others who respond. I do not know you. You do not know me. When you respond, do so courteously. It appears you have none and are in dire need of learning etiquette, good manners and graciously.
I am no more of an idiot than you are. You, in the worst way for calling someone whom you do not know idiot.
I have more brains and intelligence than you have. If you are a Christian you should know how to conduct yourself On-Line towards those who comment and what you state to them.
I am not a radical. I think and weigh out the matters, thanks be to God. Then I comment. I also do not follow the crowd and those who are radicals for their stupidity of what they state which cause unrest in the land and among people. Are you a patriotic national? People as you do not even love God. If you did and love him and worshipped him, you would firstly be respectful to others and refrain from derogatory words and insulting them.
Shame on you!
I will always stand up for the truth. I know that I am not wrong. You have much to learn. In future, when you comment, do so courteously. Grow up and be matured! Not even a child would make such a comment.
@ Frenz
Look back and around you before, after and in the present. Prior to China helping Dominica how did Dominica progress? Dominica receives loans from different banks/organization.
Last week I read in a Toronto ethnic, Caribbean newspaper that a few islands will be receiving some EC money over a million dollars (I do not have this paper at hand otherwise I would state the exact amount). It was stipulated how much Dominica will be receiving. This money is loaned through the income of taxpayers in other progressive countries. Otherwise, Dominica would not have money to pay its civil servants, on occasion for months as in the past. This nation could have gone bankrupt. Therefore, tell me, how much has independence assisted Dominica? Dominica has never been able to stand up on its own two feet.
I have never heard that when Dominica was a sovereign country civil servants did not get paid. Were it not for the assistance which Dominica receives through the government, it would fall flat on its face.
Having stated this, it has absolutely no bearing on the Dominica Prime Minister. I am not blaming him at all. This reminds me that when he assumed office, it was like (similar) to when President Obama assumed office four years ago and the mess which he acquired and had to clean up and not yet completed. He received a lot of flack from the opposition and others who do not support him.
After Dominica became independent there are more criminals and murderers, the likes of which it never experienced previously. I wonder, would this occur if it were a sovereign country. For a small country where everyone practically knows everyone and love and peace abound among nationals, why is this? You contemplate on this.
Independence? more like Our fathers said, but they did not do!!!
Indeed…
i only have this to say…
‘The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, “What good is it?” If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.’
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom
Seven Deadly Sins of Caribbean People:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice
time to ponder….
-karl hypolite-
I thank God that this does not apply to Dominica. We have brainbox government of geniuses. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is doing so well, Dominica economy booming, all labor power in employment and we LOVE our leader. What did our prime minister study again? Psychology, so we will be safe! He knows how to psyche the economy. Labor power forever love Skerro xxx
We found the solution already by investing into a state palace to keep people at work. Skerrit says since the queen has Buckingham Palace and Obama the White House we must have our own too to show that we are a “somebody” but nobody knowing where we are! Soon we can take pride in our Palace, take pictures (if the new high wall & security don’t stop you) and still our hunger with that. At least we’ll be happy and slim. Malgraysa!
Kenny Anthony speak for yourself. Things are great in Dominica for the last 13 years is progress after progress. Something happening. Mr Anthony are you aware that Dominicans are sending money to their people overseas? Do you know that the unemployment rate is so low that our government has taken a loan to build a palace and we had to import Chinese labor to do the job. Mr Anthony are you aware that our government is much bigger than any other government in the region based on population. Well let me tell you we ave 17 ministers, 11 special advisors with minimum salaries of $10 K per month.
Mr Kenny do you know that our government took it upon itself to destroy our agriculture deliberately . Sir you spoke about food security well this must be breaking news. Ast week we shipped 17 pallets of bananas.
Mr Anthony I doh even want to start talking about corruption which you well know is a direct source of stagnation and poverty.
What did you expect when you gained Independence? That the whole world would come rushing here to do business?
Did not happen and won’t unless you have something they want or need !
Even if you have what foreign Countries want, Dominica and the rest of CARCOM have to be responsible Leaders/Businessmen !
So far the (Businessman) side of the equation has failed. I could mention because of greed, ignorance and being so arrgorante that they know everything because they are rubbing elbows with each other !
There are answers ! The sky has not fallen yet but if wise decisions are made soon, we as Dominicans will have a better life.
Wise decisions made by whom?? To spend $27 000 000 on a state my foot? To abandon the agricultural Sector? To cripple and kill all institutions on island? To employ people because of party colour and not competence? Dr Anthony needs to note that Dominica is already a failed state mainly because of inept, lazy,myopic and incompetent leadership, by arrogant lawless leaders.
I read your comment and was just about to agree with you when I read,
“Even if you have what foreign Countries want, Dominica and the rest of CARCOM have to be responsible Leaders/Businessmen! So far the (Businessman) side of the equation has failed.”
I note your emphasis on the Businessman-which is highly subjective and can be disputed as our governments and political leaders have repeatedly let us down.
However, Dominican Mon, isn’t the ineptitude, lack of ethics, integrity and professionalism of our current political leadership failing us even more and contributing to the demise of the business sector in Dominica?
Wouldn’t you say that our current crop of political leaders is more greedy and corrupt than our business men and women? Be honest.
Respectfully
Roseau Valley
St Lucia PM Kenny Anthony
You and all the rest of CARICOM Leaders have Failed terrible as Leaders, period. Find a Solution, rather than telling the obvious 
Kenny we caribbean people have an appetite for Liberty & denounce communism, stop communism and your nations will prosper. Stop you age of redistribution of wealth by your Governments. Principles of liberty & free markets is the only way to flourish.
This is hardly breaking news. Those of us who are self-employed have seen this coming for years as we are the first to feel every bad decision made by our public policy makers. We can detail for you every stupid decision. Every single stupid policy.
Anyway the answer is simple – education. Start now with our kindergarden schoolers. Force them to read. Introduce debate class from that level. Introduce community volunteer work as a necessity to graduate. Stop with math and English being the be all and end all of what we perceive to be a top level education. Start teaching our children how to think analytically. To understand cause and effect. Start teaching them real skills for which they are naturally capable so they can find/create work and earn money.
Real education not the bullshit education of cramming and regurgitating that has been the MO of the past 50 years.
dance to the music dance’ dance’ dance’
shante’ shante’ shante’
boy look strokes……
Make no mistake about it. Our region is in the throes of the greatest crisis since independence….This is a wake call/Alarm for each and all…not just Caricom government
I will say it again, were we ready for independence? Guess some love it because they got full autonomy to do as they please but is it beneficial to the masses?
@Aye Dominique no wonder u love the Red Clinic, u don’t want to Work HARD!
You are so rude and inappropriate. I have no reason to love red clinic, red clinic has not done and can’t do anything for me, I have toiled and sweat for all that I have, and got just too much pride and ambition to go down that road.
You talk about handouts, the independence that they claim is just for the good sound of it, these countries have not proven one ounce that they’re capable of sustaining themselves. The economy is in turmoil, lthe justic system is a mess, what is this independence about?
We are not mature enough for that type of self management, and this is my point. We are just too small, too immature and the slavery mentality is just too ingrained in us. We need a weep on our backs to be honest, we need weeps on our back to work hard, we are accustomed to the weep and we just can’t seem to conduct ourselves properly in the absence of that weep.
I find it rude for you to question Dominicans being ready for independence our ancestors fought very hard for our independence, there is nothing better than freedom of choice.
Our destiny is in our hands we must make the best of it.
lass parlez sort. what did independence benefit us is autocratic leaders that do not know their @$$ from their elbow and became arrogant and full of themselves, corrupt and bring division in our country.
15, 20 , 25 years ago Dominica was it was doing good, what has happened is the crooked people in office now, just begging and getting money but not developing the island, things are so bad in DA but we building $27 millon mansion, as someone said this mansion is not for Dominicans its for our new owners the Chinese, you watch and see who will be moving in when this is completed
Morihei Ueshiba I think you have trivialized the point that “Aye Dominique” intended to make. Indeed, your response did not do justice to his comment.
Nevertheless, I do not share the view of “Aye Dominique” either. In fact I renounce the view of those who think that we were not ready for political independence or we are not mature enough for the CCJ or even to conduct civil political debate among those who intend to represent us in parliament. I regretfully but respectfully submit that is backward thinking and is taking us nowhere.
We have been, we were ready, we are ready but the powers that be internationally never intended that we could or should be truly independent or capable of being independent.
The fact that Haiti is the first black nation in the Western Hemisphere to fight for its independence and freedom and has been the poorest and more troubled nations in the same hemisphere after hundreds of years is not an accident. Haiti has always been treated by the colonial powers as a rude and out-of-place child that disobeyed its parents and has forever been paying the price.
This was the essence of the message of Forbes Burham in Guyana in the 1960s, Dr Walter Rodney, even Castro (before he was forced to adopt the hard line Communist agenda, when only the Soviet Union would provide support to his regime).
This is the same thinking that is fuelling Chavez today and has been the source of unrest in Latin America in the earlier part of the century. This is the same thinking causing problems between Iran and the US –where Iran says why can’t we have nuclear energy for our use and development when all the developed countries generate nuclear energy. Why can you have it but you wish to prevent me from having it? According to Iran, if it has been good for you why not for us?
You see, the colonial powers never really wanted us to make it on our own. They gave us independence but they have constantly guarded over us, controlled our destiny monitored our every action and keep us in check.
They have offered us scholarships to study in their universities to study their ideas for implementation at home, so now we have Dominican born and raised but English trained Phds telling us that if we can’t compete with the international market we must simply roll over and die.
Up to today, this is exactly what the Bretton woods and associated international organization like the IMF, World Bank and WTO are designed to do- to a certain extent.
Do you really think that if the African-Caribbean-Pacific countries (ACP) were to be allowed to export bananas to Europe without all those false restriction of the EU and WTO that the US backed plantations in Latin America would be seriously affected? The answer is no as we produce less than 5% of the global banana trade. This so-called banana war is just another means of controlling us and holding back our independence.
Therefore, we are never meant to be truly independent and we will never be for as long as we continue to buy into the lie of this defeatist backward thinking, which unfortunately even the CARICOM Competition Commission has adopted.
Respectfully
Roseau valley
I invite you to read the following books authored by Dr. Walter Rodney, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa., “Globalization and its Discontents by the Nobel Prize Economist Dr. Joseph Stiglitz and especially “Kicking Away the Ladder” by the contemporary Chinese Development Economist, Dr. Ha-Joon Chang in which he has demonstrated how the economic and intellectual histories of global capitalism have been re-written to justify Neo-Liberal Capitalism.
Essential, Dr. Ha-Joon Chang has argued that whereas all the so-called developed countries in Europe, North America and Australia and Asia have used policies such as slavery and abuse of labour, import substitution, protectionism of local industries, heavy subsidization of their weak industries to develop themselves throughout the last two centuries, once they have climbed the ladder of socio-economic success to first world status, they have kicked away the ladder that they used to climb to the top so that we who they have given independence cannot use those same tools to climb up.
They now tell us that there is no role for government and everything should be left to the market and the fitess will survive. They tell us that if we cannot produce a product or service in which we do not have an international comparative advantage, we must not produce and import from them instead or engage in tourism (which in any event we still do not have a comparative advantage even if we may have a small natural advantage in terms of climate.
According to Ha-Joon Chang, there is great pressure on developing countries to adopt a set of “good policies” and “good institutions” – such as liberalization of trade and investment and strong patent law – to foster their economic development. When some developing countries show reluctance in adopting them, the proponents of this recipe often find it difficult to understand these countries’ stupidity in not accepting such a tried and tested recipe for development.
After all, they argue, these are the policies and the institutions that the developed countries had used in the past in order to become rich. Their belief in their own recommendation is so absolute that in their view it has to be imposed on the developing countries through strong bilateral and multilateral external pressures, even when these countries don’t want them.
Respectfully
Roseau Valley
St Lucia crying and there Outo Trade and KfC, wants to go. So tell me cant you see something is wrong In Dominica and business men trying to escape before they get blamed after the corruption they apart of.
Trouble or Narrow? The OECS is one now so why can’t Auto Trade expand into St. Lucia,and the rest of the OECS? I think it is a good business move, stop thinking small, people still need spare parts for their vehicle and Mr. Nassief aggressive attitude towards business am confident he will do well in the other islands with his vehicle sale…
Keep playing the violins joe the top deck is about to be submerged keep playing hail to SKERRIT and something happening.
Expand? Are u people crazy?
I am telling u soon Roseau will be filled with foreign business places. Hopefully Charlo, Jackson, Davo and de minimart in Pottersville will be out last frontier when it comes to local business.
De residents of the Savanne Paille villas and Secret Bay don’t shop in these places. Nassief will soon realize that we Dominicans too poor and we dragging their business to de grave. Move to St Lucia then. Perhaps u will be more profitable their. I doh know how that will benefit us Dominicans but by all means GO!!!!!!
Is a good thing I can read and comprehend. I doh need skerrit, tony, krazy nor any talk show host to tell me how to interpret what happening.
you can expand if you want but not me.. just now chinese have carbaway, rum shop sellING fake rum for 50 cents, hahha SKERRIT SOLD OUR ECONOMIC POWER TO THE CHINESE, JUST ASK THE BANKS..
St Lucia have KFC