Owing to the highly publicised Commission of Inquiry and the arrest of the former premier on drug trafficking allegations, the Virgin Islands will be under the global microscope for many …
May 25, 2022
May 18, 2022
COMMENTARY — Call made for ‘national morality’
A certain politician in the Virgin Islands enjoys pontificating on national news and social media about how we got here to this sad place. The great man is clearly intelligent …
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May 12, 2022
COMMENTARY — Writer hopes new gov’t gets a chance
The April 28 arrest of former premier Andrew Fahie in Miami on drug-related charges is a dramatic development in the Commission of Inquiry saga that has kept the territory on …
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April 28, 2022
COMMENTARY — ‘Agriculture, fisheries and inflation’
Food-sufficient countries frequently possess a vibrant internal market culture. This is a way of life driven by farming and associated commercial activity. Food and drink are critical for human existence …
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April 13, 2022
COMMENTARY — Inflation seen as economic threat
Rising inflation diminishes the economic and social well-being of consumers, especially people on fixed incomes: employees, retirees, students on scholarship, small business owners of nonessential products and services, and unemployed …
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March 23, 2022
COMMENTARY — Inflation seen as dire threat
Fighting inflation has been the task of central banking from the 1970s, when the oil crisis drove hyperinflation in the west. Hyperinflation is a combination of rising prices and recession. …
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March 16, 2022
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for handling inflation
From the Great Recession of 2008 to today, the world has stumbled from crisis to crisis without cease. For the Virgin Islands, add the devastating storms of 2017 to the …
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March 9, 2022
COMMENTARY — Putin criticised for Ukraine invasion
Before invading Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have done well listening to Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Success …
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March 2, 2022
COMMENTARY — Russia dubbed a ‘bully’
Russia President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was the act of a tyrant and bully. There will be no benefit to Russia in the long run of plunging the world …
February 23, 2022
COMMENTARY — Covid seen to worsen ‘manhood’ crisis
The pandemic is impacting young males especially hard. Crime and deviancy from male youth in the Virgin Islands has been a worrisome trend. From general antisocial behaviours to outright murder, …
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February 16, 2022
COMMENTARY — ‘The true importance of history’
Learn and teach history for right context — not emotion. History should teach fact, not act as a crutch for patriotism and nationalism. Now, in this writer’s opinion, history is …
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February 9, 2022
COMMENTARY — ‘The calm before the storm’
The report of the Commission of Inquiry stands between normal and abnormal. Consequently, there is no certainty with today’s governance. The “tea leaves” are impossible to read presently. And there …
February 2, 2022
COMMENTARY — Call made to ‘fix the internet’
In the age of Covid-19, countries and territories that are able to swiftly and robustly deliver digital services and products to their residents will win and prevail socially and economically. …
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January 26, 2022
COMMENTARY — Covid seen as part of life’s changes
Change is the one constant in life. From the time we are born to the day we die, the one thing that is certain is change and its sibling uncertainty. …
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December 8, 2021
COMMENTARY — Call made for ‘greater equality’
Social democracy is about curbing the all-pervasive culture of capitalism from completely colonising societies. Philanthropy is a great idea, but it is not the panacea for a more equitable society. …
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December 1, 2021
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (Dec. 2, 2021)
Lobster Festival A Beaconite was delighted to see that the Anegada Lobster Festival is back in full force. Although the crowds on Saturday weren’t quite what he remembered from two …
December 1, 2021
LETTER — VI warned about ‘love for money’
Okay, at the root of the need for a Commission of Inquiry and all the present woes that threaten this small territory is the simple reality that the Virgin Islands …
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November 24, 2021
COMMENTARY — Inquiry seen as a ‘last chance’
The man or woman who wants to understand the present Virgin Islands moment and look with clarity into the future must read and objectively assess recent history. At the very …
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November 10, 2021
COMMENTARY — Leaders blasted for stirring division
Anyone with the barest of observation skills must notice the rising level of angst, anger and frustration on the Virgin Islands street. Some weeks ago, this writer met up with …
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November 3, 2021
LETTER — Call made for new watchdog
A permanent governance watchdog is the Virgin Islands’ last hope. Swift intervention is the only thing that will save the VI’s integrity when the Rubicon has been crossed from legitimate …
October 27, 2021
COMMENTARY — Churches seen as corrupted
Governance is driven by a society’s values, morals and culture. Now, once upon a time this believer went to church and heard a sermon. The preacher stated that when it …
October 13, 2021
COMMENTARY — Bad governance blamed for ‘hell on earth’
Poor governance is a road to hell on earth for a country or territory’s residents. Once upon a time, there was a land in Africa sitting on the fertile and …
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October 6, 2021
COMMENTARY — COI called ‘enforcer of good governance’
Without an enforcement mechanism ensuring that rules are followed by government officials, good governance is a mirage. Virgin Islands residents are today witnessing the true meaning of the rule of …
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September 29, 2021
COMMENTARY — COI called a ‘very public watchdog’
The Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry is a watchdog that acts as a guarantee of good behaviour by the powerful. VI residents today understand the true meaning of checks and …
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September 22, 2021
COMMENTARY — COI seen to reveal ‘social divisions’
The Commission of Inquiry is a shock to a number of “highly entitled” Virgin Islanders. One reason for some of the anger by a tiny number of people against the …
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