‘Speaking truth to power’ is a phrase that been adopted by the most partisan of us. They use it to convince the public that they are non-partisan observers who can remain silent no longer. They claim to be principled individuals who are compelled to speak against the governing administration regardless of the personal consequences.
It appears like a noble quest, but history has shown that it is a common method of deceiving desperate-for-change voters to turn against the party in power. If their party is successful, then they are always found gorging on the fatted calf prepared exclusively for the most extreme partisan supporters, who would do anything that their party asks of them.
Those who have essentially sold their souls to their party tend to exhibit two traits to prove their devotion. If they do not do these things, then they tend to lose their places at the table. First, they must be critical of the other established political party for as long as they occupy their seat.
Second, they are never to criticise their party, regardless of how badly their party performs, unless they are authorised to do so. Criticism is sometimes allowed if it fits part of the overall public relations strategy on a specific issue.
The last administration attracted severe criticism like a magnet. While they are not expected to publicly share their post-mortem of the last general election, they seemed to be trying their best to lose it by being as toxic as possible to voters – there does not seem to be any other rational explanation of their baffling behaviour.
Solutions Barbados was specifically formed to restore Barbados’ ruined economy, without austerity, by doing what neither the BLP nor DLP have done. That is, meaningfully addressing corruption and the mismanagement of public services. Simply talking about problems does not solve them.
The BLP’s response to Solutions Barbados was to first personally attack my family on their public platform and on their official web-site – dishonouring an excellent tradition that families should never be targeted. When that failed to work, they declared that Solutions Barbados was funded by the DLP – a lie from satan himself, or someone similar.
By falsely linking Solutions Barbados to the toxic DLP, the BLP deceitfully positioned themselves to benefit from the dissatisfied voters who voted overwhelmingly against the DLP.
The problem for Barbados, is that the BLP has admitted to receiving a ruined economy from the DLP that they were not prepared to manage. So they quickly gave-up and asked the IMF to manage it for them, through their puppet government, the disorderly BERT – whom no one voted for. Barbados does not deserve this.
What happened to Barbados? What happened to all of those: financial analysts, accountants, economists, unions, teachers, public workers, merchants, professional associations, journalists, talk show moderators, columnists, merchants, and editorialists who claimed to have no choice but to speak truth to power? Where are any of those 20,000 who marched, and where is David Comissiong, who fearlessly and consistently stared down the DLP? Where is everyone?
They are all telling us that BERT is our saviour and we must bow before it. They tell us that there were no other solutions – another lie of course. They tell us that if we do not submit to BERT, then the dollar will devalue. Were these not the same people who predicted that the dollar will devalue every year under the last administration – and were they not proven wrong?
It seems that we are all alone. Nevertheless, we shall offer ourselves once more, and Barbados will then get the government that we truly deserve. Seeing that Barbadian voters seem to be gluttons for punishment, there is a real possibility that after the next general election, our economy will either be back in the hands of the hapless DLP or the confused BERT – same difference.
If that happens, then there will be little chance of escaping the End Game. Since the writing appears to be already on the proverbial wall, I suggest that you share, print and save each of the next few End Game articles as soon as they are published. You deserve to know the type of Barbados that the BLP and DLP have prepared for our children over the past two decades.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com