BY LLOYD NOEL

In today’s Global Market place or Village, that we once spoke about or referred to as the vast and wonderful World or planet Earth - nearly
everything that takes place from hour to hour, or is planned even in the wildest jungle by men of evil deeds, all come out in the wash on our T/V
screens or in the print media sooner or later.

And the communication network is so in-depth and so revealing, that those involved in planning good or evil deeds - and supposedly for the benefit and
welfare of mankind generally, or the security and safety of the people of their respective Countries individually - cannot be heard to say that they
did not know, or never suspected the actual or possible outcome.For those planning evil deeds and the destruction of people and buildings
and utilities in ‘Village Capitals’ around the Globe - they too have to think again.

In a case at the ‘Old Bailey in London’ - that is England’s most famous Criminal Court - I noticed that the Prosecution is allowed to adduce
Evidence, against a group of Muslims suspected Terrorists now on trial in that Court, that was obtained by listening devices somehow planted on those suspects or in the places they met, and the same is accepted by the Court.And when one recalls the terrible attacks on those Trains and Buses in
London last year, that killed all those innocent people on their way to work, it is not too difficult to agree that the means of discovery will justify the end result.

But whether you may think at first glance, that the comparison I am here making, or attempting to so do, between the clearly intentional Criminal
activities mentioned above, and the actions and omissions of those ‘Village’ Leaders andPoliticians who quite deliberately and purposefully plan, organise and implement- programmes, economic and fiscal measures, military
attacks against other nations under whatever fancy names or pretended good intentions, without ever consulting the people they are paid to represent by the same people’s hard-earned Taxes, or taking any serious notice of thesame people’s cries and concerns and warnings - is not truly relevant and
material, I urge you to think twice.

And strangely as it may seem on the surface, while those same Leaders and Politicians, and or their mouth organs or Agents, will at first deny and
defend their actions and decisions - and even castigate and intimidate those who dare to question their motives and intentions; sooner or later, as their consciences begin to trouble them for one reason or another (and I do believe many of them have consciences from their days in opposition), they, or their Agents, will eventually come out and admit their hasty or
ill-advised actions and omissions, and try to lay the blame for so doing on natural disasters or other persons and situations, but still not themselves.In the Region as a whole, over the past three or four years at least, the topics receiving the most public attention have been the (CCJ and CSME) Caribbean Court of Justice and Caribbean Single Market and Economy - both deriving from the Amended Treaty of Chaguaramas; and the Cricket World Cup of 2007 with its attendant regional problems, surrounding new Stadiums or rebuilding old and damaged ones and the high costs involved.

Volumes have been written and numerous discussions held and published - by those expressing contrary opinions to that of the proponents and supporters
of the CCJ and CSME. Not because those Institutions are without merit for the development of our people; but plainly because their promoters did not prepare the foundations, nor prepared and informed the people for the new Regimes that are destined to make very significant differences to their future lives.

To put it in layman’s language, we were not ready yet. Despite everything, the CCJ was inaugurated in April last year - with only Two Countries able and ready to utilise its services (Barbados and Guyana); and the CSM (not the ‘E’) was formally brought into operation at the end of January this year - but again with only Six Countries out of a possible Fifteen on board.

The Six OECS Countries, from Grenada to Six Kitts/Nevis, pledged in January to join up by June 30th this year. But lo! and behold! the St. Vincent Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonzalves, in London two or three weeks ago, was expressing very serious concerns about the probability of the Region ever realising free movement of the people -which is a corner stone of the Regime. And our own Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell, was soon thereafter, publicly in New York, expressing similar concerns about Grenada being able
to join the Scheme in June this year, or next, or whenever.The reasons they were advancing were reasonable in the circumstances, save and except the ‘Ivan’ bogey, which seems to be the new plaster for every sore.

But surely, gentlemen, nothing you are saying now was unknown two, three or four years ago - so why this ninety-ninth hour when you all have signed on
the dotted line and committed your people? Although you have done so without their consent.
And how can you now expect those same people, to rally behind whatever new or amended position you now wish to propose, after all that has been said
and done?

Lucky for us in those two Countries, that at least our Prime Ministers are having second and third thoughts, before the binding legal documents are
delivered at the CSME headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. But then again, what kind of micky-mouse messages are we sending to our CARICOM partners, on the one hand; and the International Traders and Investors - on the other hand?

As for the Stadium in our case, and the Cricket World Cup in general, the same St. Vincent Prime Minister had expressed concerns about the huge
investments our OECS Governments were undertaking - mainly on borrowed financing, to put our grounds and other ancillary structures and services in
good shape to meet the required ICC Standards.

His concerns were not new, as many here at home and abroad were and have been saying the same things - but all apparently falling on deaf ears and blind eyes. Now we are hearing the same song, from a group that our Government have always been boasting about for giving the Government such high credit ratings, and commending the Administration for persistent growth of the Economy.

The Standard and Poor’s official in New York, has singled out Grenada for special mention as one State that is taking much too high financial risks, in this Cricket World Cup gamble that more than likely will not be able to pay back those borrowed funds; because after the Cricket matches are over and the crowds gone home, there will be nothing in place of sufficient attraction to bring back the stay over visitors to pay the Bills.
In other words, the needed investment in the other relevant areas to attract the Tourists, is not taking place at the same time as the World Cup
gamble - to create a package that would bring back the Cricket visitors.But despite all those concerns and mis-givings, things are proceeding at
the Stadium at least - at a very steady pace towards the intended goals.

As a side issue, and quite out of the blue, the public got news last week Wednesday, that the National Primary School Sports at the Athletics part of the Stadium was postponed to this week Tuesday, because the clean up was not
quite complete. So by the time you are reading this, both the Primary School Sports and
Intercol would have been held or on-going at that venue.I sincerely hope that all goes well for those who take the quite un-necessary risk to attend at the damaged venue - but I really do think that the gamble was a very bad decision, and should never have been contemplated in the first place.

And while we wait for the Court action, by the Police (Prime Minister’s Security) Officer against the D.P.P. - we got the Breaking News that the
just-confirmed C.O.P. in the post, Mr. Winston James, will be quitting the Force come August this year. He said, when disclosing the news, that he had reached the age to move on and move out. I am not disputing his statement, but I feel deep down that the high-handed actions by those with political clout around him - have hastened his
decision to move out at this point, and that is a very sad day for the RGPF.It seems that some people with authority in our midst, are doing everything to put the Country as a whole at serious dis-advantages - both in terms of
the Economy and Fiscal policies that are being pursued, as well as the Systems and Institutions that have been serving us for decades and have stoodthe test of time.

And that level of calculated dis-advantages, seems geared to make sure that whoever comes thereafter will be hopelessly unable to pickup the pieces, and put (humpty-dumpty) the Systems and Institutions and Economy back together again in any reasonable period of time; so that those same destroyers and their blind-folded supporters will be able to claim (they are hoping), that
the new boys on the Block do not have the know-how to run the Country. And the very serious inherent dangers in that Scheme, are all centered
around the well-proven theories that Grenadians, by and large, have very, very, short memories. And very often they conveniently forget what happened
yesterday, in their mis-guided zeal to crucify those who are doing their utmost to remedy the wrongs of those who went before, all because too many of our people do not check out yesterday, when planning today, what and how they will deal with tomorrow. And the destroyers of today are well aware of those serious shortcomings - in the make-up of our people - hence their continued drive towards bringing everything down to the bottom of the pit in these last days.

And talking about conflicting and confusing comments and actions or decisions - our West Indies Cricket Selectors and controllers are not unlike our local politicians. The Selector in charge said publicly, that they brought back Rawl Lewis to give him an extended run in the team, after he had done more than enough to
earn it. In the one-dayers in New Zealand he played because he was the ‘Super-sub.’ What a way to boosting his confidence. He was picked for the Second Test; he got no wickets but the Big Chief Coach, and whatever else he is, commended his bowling of nearly Thirty overs for not too many runs. Then he saved the Team from a ‘Two to One’ licking with his controlled batting. His reward was another sacking to make room for the persistent Failure from Barbados. As for Devon Smith, he was brought down-under for the plane ride while the batting failed every time.
We must be the only team Worldwide, whose players are kept in place after every failure - but once they succeed they are dropped next match.
It would not surprise me if the ‘Super Coach’ is given a more lucrative contract in advance of the World Cup 2007 - since that is how they reward
Failures.