![\"\"](\"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/dno\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/commentary1.jpg\" "\\"commentary\\"")
I apparently created a firestorm with my comments a couple of days ago about political developments in the country and what they portend, going forward.<\/p>\nI apparently created a firestorm with my comments a couple of days ago about political developments in the country and what they portend, going forward.<\/p>\n
I was not surprised by the intensity of the response, both pro and con. After all, I have been a regular visitor to the island, and despite the old refrain that I do not live here, the frequency of my visits and my significant real estate holdings on the island should put to rest the notion that I am somehow an alien in my land of birth. But more broadly, the argument lacks merit no matter to whom it is applied.<\/p>\n
The latter point needs some amplification. Every time there is a debate in which the Diaspora community weighs in, there is a faction among the Dominica public that will not hesitate to go down the low road of dividing Dominicans between those who live here and those who don\u2019t, as if Dominicans who earn their living overseas, by some unknown decree, have suddenly lost their Dominican citizenship.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sick and pernicious attitude that serves no useful purpose. It\u2019s also short sighted, if not entirely blind to the reality that Dominicans living overseas provide a valuable, and some argue, an indispensable safety net for the entire country. As one commentator in favor of my statement noted, if you wish to silence Diaspora opinion, you may also wish to return the life saving barrels which arrive on a regular basis. In a very real sense, transfer payments (from overseas) which represent some 20 per cent of GDP in most developing countries, represent some form of tax on those living overseas and these payments find their way into circulation in the recipient economies and account for a significant portion of economic activity. This fact is undeniable. So to state that we do not live here and do not pay taxes is to be blind to economic reality.<\/p>\n
I hope this puts this bogus argument to rest.<\/p>\n
My general reaction to comments in response to my statement varied from detached amusement to acceptance of the reality that there may indeed be two Dominicas. There are those who will support the status quo simply because of their honest conviction that the country is on the right course. Fair enough, if that\u2019s their position. All that can be said is that they are entitled to their views, provided they are being honest with themselves. But this sub set of people supporting current policy may also include others who are doing so because of a deliberate calculation that doing otherwise may bring economic ruin and are thus prisoners of conscience. (Think of those who hold ambassadorial positions).<\/p>\n
On the other side of the spectrum you have people whose views are informed by a genuine desire to preserve the values on which the country was founded: Honesty, hard work, love of country etc, and are pre-occupied with preserving those values and the need to hand them down to future generations. The culture of this country cannot be defined by greed and corruption at the highest levels, and that seems to be at the heart of the debate to define the soul of the country.<\/p>\n
Which brings me to a point that I learnt from one commentator: There seems to be a form of moral relativism taking root in Dominica. Right and wrong are not always absolute but are relative to who is committing the act. If what is generally regarded as wrong is done by a favored person, then the act becomes\u00a0\u00a0 acceptable. Enriching one\u2019s self at the expense of the public is wrong yet many will admit that it is okay if the prime minister stashes away a bit because at the end of the day he is helping the country. That\u2019s what I mean by moral relativism and there are numerous examples around. They are not difficult to find.<\/p>\n
My final comment has to do with the tone of the discourse. Some feel that they need to hurl insults in order to make a point. If this had been a live forum in a physical location, these people would be shouting at the top of their lungs. This reminds me of my former parish priest in Mahaut who began a sermon with the observation that as an altar boy he noticed after mass a small piece of folded paper by the pulpit. When he opened it he saw the inscription:\u201dpoint weak, shout like hell\u201d.<\/p>\n
They cannot shout online, so they take comfort to in hurling insults.<\/p>\n
We can all agree that it is healthy to disagree but it is not healthy to do so disagreeably.<\/p>\n
Happy New Year to all.<\/p>\n
JBS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I apparently created a firestorm with my comments a couple of days ago about political developments in the country and what they portend, going forward. I was not surprised by the intensity of the response, both pro and con. After…","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n