"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Inquiry seen as a ‘last chance’”
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Leaders blasted for stirring division”
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 …
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 …
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Bad governance blamed for ‘hell on earth’”
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — COI called ‘enforcer of good governance’”
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — COI called a ‘very public watchdog’”
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 …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — COI seen to reveal ‘social divisions’”
The Commission of Inquiry is presenting a mirror for all residents to look at. What it reveals is not good. The investigation into Virgin Islands governance is showing up this …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — ‘Culture of fear’ seen in VI”
This is the most unpredictable time in Virgin Islands politics in living memory. Anyone claiming to know the political and constitutional outcomes for the VI from the very public Commission …
Continue reading “LETTER — COI seen to shake up VI politics”
Mandatory vaccination makes a significant cross-section of the general public uncomfortable. However, for the Virgin Islands to participate in the worldwide travel and tourism economy, the territory must achieve herd …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Mandatory vaccines expected for some”
Make no mistake: Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. And the one language power respects and understands is greater power. It is rare indeed to discover a politician or …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — COI seen to bring checks, balances”
Make no mistake. The vast majority of Virgin Islands residents breathe easy these days because of the investigations driven by the Commission of Inquiry. There is a feeling that “This …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Inquiry seen to expose ‘culture of silence’”
Make no mistake: The Commission of Inquiry is a good thing for the majority of residents in these majestic Virgin Islands — especially taxpayers. The only people nervous and bothered …
Continue reading “LETTER — Inquiry called a ‘blessing’ for VI”
The Virgin Islands — like the British overseas territory of Gibraltar — should have been approaching herd immunity and getting back to normal. Instead, conspiracy theories and anti-vaccinators have held …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Residents urged to vaccinate”
The Virgin Islands has arrived at a proverbial crossroad in the Covid-19 pandemic. The territory will have to decide on two choices in the midst of a Commission of Inquiry …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — VI seen to have a ‘stark choice’”
After hurricanes Irma and Maria, the talk was all about what the Virgin Islands would look like as it recovered. Today, it appears the territory has learned very little from …
The Virgin Islands economy sits on a platform supported by international companies and investors. Financial services have kept this territory alive through the many months of pandemic and the collapse …
The challenge with inflation is that it increases the cost of living. When uncontrolled, inflation can be very damaging. And if economics is primarily about human behaviour, then uncontrolled inflation …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Likely inflation causes concern”
Social democracy means a bottom-up economy, with public spending directed at alleviating the burdens of the poor; public policy that drives greater social equality; and public investment in infrastructure that …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Call made for greater social equality”
For positive change in the era of Covid-19, a Commission of Inquiry that is throwing a fog over the future, and a terrifying new culture of crime, social democracy is …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Case made for social democracy”
Politicians who ignore specific sections of the population to focus on channelling public resources to a select group are usually in for a rude awakening. Politics and economics are joined …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Politicians warned of rising anger”
Supply-side trickle-down economics has not taken the world to Eldorado. And if the Virgin Islands is to fulfil its potential as a hive of social and economic prosperity, then it …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Social democracy seen as ideal for VI”
On a Facebook thread recently, there were very interesting assertions on Virgin Islands politics. First, there was a call to move away from two-party system which has been a feature …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Two-party politics under microscope”
Rising drug, gun and gang crime threatens to destroy the Virgin Islands community. At the root of crime, whether here or elsewhere, is neither poor policing nor poor social leadership. …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Inequality seen to foster crime”