In microcosm, and mercifully without the violence, the situation we are in today reminds me of the first months of World War II, and the need for decisive action which the then leadership of Britain was unable to muster. There you had a decent and upright leader who thought that by weathering the storm, things would eventually work out. By September Neville Chamberlain had to admit that his policy of appeasement had failed and declared war on Germany. As things grew worse, the man who had warned of Germany’s true intentions all along, and who many in the country did not want to see in any office again, was recalled from retirement. Within a year he was appointed prime minister despite grave misgivings even from those at the very top of his own party. That man was, of course, Winston Churchill. In Barbados we have a man who is credited with giving Barbados the prosperity it enjoyed for almost 14 years, except for the crisis ensuing from the events of September 11, 2001, from which his own economic guidance ensured a reboot of the local economy. That man is Owen Arthur. If the politicians could put their egos aside and let Mr Arthur lead the economy for a couple of years, assuming he would be interested, I believe we would have a chance of sharpening our policies and taking the tough decisions to put Barbados back on track. Will it happen? You tell me. Instead, the empty space behind the curtain awaits the input of the Social Partnership, apparently. We will get out of this mess by committee. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart seems incapable of taking tough decisions and even less capable of communicating them to the public. The curtain has been flung open but the Wizard is not even there. • Pat Hoyos is a publisher and business writer.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 16:50:47 +0000
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