By Mr. Lloyd Noel Development cannot be limited to mere economic growth. In order to be authentic, that is genuine and realistic, it must be complete and integral, and it has to promote the good of every man or woman and of the whole person. The patterns of behaviour, in the region of the Caribbean Basin of the English speaking peoples, have shown or demonstrated over the years-from colonialism all the way down to our political independence so called-that our leaders have been jumping from one passing band-wagon to another; depending on the political outlook of the respective Leader of the State, and what or how much the drivers of the bandwagons are offering at the point in time. We have been fortunate over the decades, despite our mini-sizes in these parts, to produce highly intellectually sound personalities-but when it came down to leadership qualities for the good and prosperity of the people of their respective states and the region as a whole-except for very few and isolated situations, and even then for limited periods, the developments have been short-lived. And the rise and sudden falls across the region have all been well publicised, and in most cases have caused tremendous hardships and trauma to the people of those states-so that others around cannot be heard to say they were not aware. And this tendency to try and get something going over the years, towards bringing our small states and people closer together-so that as a united larger group, putting forward or maintaining an integrated position on matters affecting the region as a whole, they would be more effective in getting the larger countries to listen to our pleas have been on-going for decades since the nineteen fifties. But for some baffling and very strange tendencies, and in many cases very selfish reasoning-all the efforts over the years have gone a-begging. And right up to this day, forty-seven years after the very first effort went down the Bocas in Trinidad & Tobago, with the dissolution of the West Indies Federation (1958-1962) – all the other efforts have more or less taken or followed the same pathway. Currently in the integration pipeline, are a whole host of Movements and Treaties, and Associations and Organisations - from CARICOM of some vintage, right up to the budding Economic Union involving Trinidad and the Three OECS States of Grenada, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. And as this latest Association is still at the stage of striving to get off the ground, the Leaders of the OECS partners are on their way to Anguilla for yet another summit in their on-going struggle to consolidate that grouping, and by so doing assist the efforts to strengthen CARICOM and the Amended Treaty now known as the CSME. And while the Single Economy is still many years down the road, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) which has been in existence for some years now, and is intended to replace the Privy Council in London as the Final Appellate Court for the English speaking sector of CARICOM-still only Two States are full members thereof. But while all these and those groupings are floating around the region, with no solid foundation nor participation by the member states-the serious efforts by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez-to form some group involving Caribbean and South American States, seem to be gaining momentum as two or three of our OECS States have joined that bandwagon or expressed their firm intention so to do. Of course, as independent States, they are all at liberty to do so, and more than likely their leaders may very well have obtained promises of economic aid from Venezuela. But they must also know–that the so-called aid is only the bait to catch them and lure them away from supporting the U.S.A., which is the only aim of the Venezuelan leader in his publicly expressed ambition to isolate that giant. But more importantly, in my view, should those Leaders and any others in the regional grouping, carry out their mis-guided intention to join Chavez in his crazy plan and war of words against Uncle Sam-what they will be really doing is causing further damage to the already very fragile CARICOM and OECS Grouping, and reducing the regional apparently united voice on the world stage to nothing more than nuisance value. And those leaders do not need me to tell them that President Hugo Chavez plan cannot and will not succeed-but even if it does get off the ground, what benefit is there in it to the region? None whatsoever. Since I am not needed to advise those leaders, I sincerely hope that their colleagues, with whom they are meeting with in Anguilla, under the OECS banner as Heads of our mini states-will take the opportunity to seriously sound the warning bells, that further dis-integration of our regional systems will be to every one’s dis-advantage; and that particular Bandwagon should be allowed to go on it’s way, screaming out its message of hatred without any regional participation. Am sure those wise guys do not need me to remind them, that the regional diaspora in North America may well be as many as those citizens here at home, and the very concrete assistance they provide is legendary –and all from the very stable and dependable long-standing big brother to the North, where our people have for decades found permanent refuge. We have been through so many ups and downs and sideways in this region over the years-that one would have thought by now, that the new brand of Leaders now in control would have seen the pitfalls their predecessors ventured into, and failed in the process of bravado adventurism; and having seen through it all, those new guys on the Block would have been far more prepared, to learn from those mistakes and so avoid making the same blunders over and over again. In our own backyard here in the Spice Isles, we have had more than our fair share of let downs and disappointments-from the associations and rotten deals some of our former Leaders have entered into and foisted on our people without so much as the mere token of information, never mind discussion and the semblance of consensus. Against that background, therefore, I sincerely hope that our current Leader of the pack that now controls our public affairs will not be side-tracked into falling for the Venezuelan President’s scheme of hatred against the U.S.A. and its administration. I realise that concerted pressure and strong influence can cause anyone to change even long-standing and firmly held positions and principles-but I am banking on the exception rather than the rule in this case. And I am doing so even though I am hearing from the political grapevine, that there are moves afoot to grant certain concessions to the Mainland Chinese for some Agricultural Project in St. David’s-whereas I know that a long-standing contributor to our development over the years, is being asked to pay high rental charges for the use of lands that will redound to our people’s benefit. If the grapevine news turn out to be correct, it would mean that the powers-that-be have failed to learn anything from the let-down we received by the same Chinese, over the crooked deal involving Taiwan and the National Stadium and the broken promise to re-build the athletic section. There has to be a point, where and when those we have elected to serve the interest of our people-they will stand up and up-hold principled positions that can face the public scrutiny. The Venezuelan President’s scheme is one such point that can indicate we have arrived as a people. We do have serious economic problems, and we have to take drastic actions to help control the problems for the time being. But we do not have to sell our very souls, and cast away whatever is left of the few principles we still have remaining-by resorting to such desperate solutions that can and will only make bad matters much worse.