CATEGORY:COMMENTARY
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By Mr. Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law)


In my column last week, I asked the question of our Politicians in the Region as a whole - “what can we really expect” - when those same politicians perform and behave, as though they truly believe that their tiny-tot States are in
fact and in reality Independent.

And while I expected there would have been adverse repercussions, in the matter of the choice of the State to occupy that United Nations Security
Council seat for two years - between Venezuela and Guatemala - I did not expect it to come so quickly and so devastatingly. But then again - who can really blame them?

Politics is about the business affairs of the people of every State - whether the State operates within the principles of the fundamental rights
and freedoms of a democratic society; or under the confines of a one-party dictatorship, where-in the state and its supreme leaders are paramount.
In the more common democratic forum, the people choose the Leaders by a process of Elections over a period of time. Having done so, reasonable
people would expect those chosen Leaders to behave as the servants of the people - not the other way around.

In the one-party paramountcy systems of Government, because the guns rather than the votes -dictate the methods, and forms, and manner of operations of the Leaders - the people in fact, in reality, and in essence, have no say or
expectations as such, and are bound to accept whatever is handed down to them.

Strangely enough, and for so many years now, the expected servants have always behaved as the supreme and un-accountable Leaders - and in far too many instances, their actions and statements and policy decisions, have too frequently left the people at serious disadvantages. And as per usual in every case, they never bother to consult the people, or even inform them as a mark of courtesy, before proceeding with their wild, wild west actions and decisions.

And it seems that they have done it again, with this support for Venezuela to fill the United Nation seat on the Security Council - as against
Guatemala, which is the U.S. President’s choice for the seat.

What is even worse is that those Leaders of their so-called Independent and Sovereign States cannot be heard to say that they did not understand
what was happening, or what was at stake. In short, they took their decisions with their eyes wide open and their minds made up - even though
they must have needed urgent psychiatric treatment in the circumstances.

And as should have been expected, the U.S.A. have reacted without undue delay, and with such obvious vehemence - that Mr. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, the Caribbean’s leading hotelier, has described the reaction as .... “the single most destructive economic catastrophe that could happen, short of a nuclear attack on Caribbean Countries;” and he added for emphasis that “the job losses would be horrendous.”

The Barbados based Caribbean Tourist Organization (CTO) and the Puerto Rico - based Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), were equally alarmed and very
concerned.

The CTO described the American position as akin to “a category 6 hurricane” for the Region; and the CHA warned affected Countries to brace for “a
genuine economic and social upheaval, caused by the inevitable shift in travel by U.S. Citizens.”

The action by the U.S. came about by a vote in its congress last week Monday (2nd October) - to amend the Western Hemisphere Travel initiative in
favour of Mexico, Canada and Cruise Ship companies, as against Airline passengers travelling to the Caribbean.

The amendment delays the implementation of the new Passport requirements, until June first, 2009, for land crossings at the Mexican and Canadian
borders, and for Cruise Ship passengers coming from the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada or Bermuda. But all U.S. Citizens travelling by air to those
Countries must have a Passport by January, 8th 2007, to be able to re-enter the United States.

The fear of Regional Tourist Service providers is that American visitors, who can’t be bothered to get Passports for Air Travel, would simply resort
to taking a Cruise Ship vacation.

And needless to say, regardless of the number of Cruise Ship passengers we may get in the Region, for a season or year round, it will make no
difference to the Tourist Industry as such; and the toll on job losses would be a catastrophe of no mean proportion.

The comments quoted above, were reported in the “Jamaica Observer” of Wednesday 4th October, 2006.Mr. Stewart felt that it appeared that the Region’s flirtation with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez had triggered the U.S. decision; and he further made the point, that it was not just the George Bush regime that felt peeved about Chavez’ description of the U.S. President as “the devil,” when he (Chavez) spoke at the United Nation a couple weeks or so ago.

The Hotelier pointed out that Americans in general, including Democrats and Minorities, had been “revolted and offended” by Chavez description of their President - according to polls taken on Talk Shows the morning after Chavez’ outbursts at the United Nation.

And unless I missed it, in news bulletins around the Region as a whole, or in any publication from Guyana to Jamaica - I did not hear or see any
comments by our Regional Leaders - in which anyone of them chided Chavez for his deplorable outbursts and lack of diplomatic manners - while on the very
U.S. soil.

So what our Independent and Sovereign States Leaders are going to say or do now - shift their Tourism advertisements to Venezuela and Cuba and the Peoples Republic of China, to off-set the Tourism losses Mr. “Butch” Stewart is talking about?

Or will they be going on bended knees, and quoting the scriptures while begging for forgiveness - because they knew not what they were doing, while
trying to play “Big pappies” in Big people games, just to create an impression? Who will believe them?

But as per usual, when our chosen leaders - who abandon their roles as servants, the day or the first week after they were elected, and adopt the
mantle of dictators to do as they damn well please for the next five years - recklessly, and very often intentionally, commit their political and
diplomatic goofs, for all kinds of kick-backs and show-manship, it is always the poor and suffering masses that have to pay the price for their blunders and almost criminal shortcomings.

Clearly, some urgent action must be taken to try and bring some semblance of normalcy back to the Tourism Industry - which is due to begin its Winter Season in December, just two months away. The over-rated expectations, that CWC 2007 is going to solve the Region’s Social and Economic problems come March/April next year, are no more than hopeful dreams.

The huge expenditures in all the Nine Matches venues are all long term investments - and their successes for the future would depend on what
happens in the Region during those two months next year.

But just as importantly as the match venues and areas for warm-up games, are the Tourism infrastructure, and long term investments in Tourism plant of one kind or another. They all complement each other.

And as if to add punitive and aggravated damages, to the already heavy losses the Region’s Tourism will surely suffer - because of the ill-advised
and thoughtless decision taken by our Leaders to support Hugo Chavez Venezuelan nomination, rather than support Guatemala - which they all knew
the U.S.A. was promoting, in opposition to Chavez and his hate campaign against President Bush - the U.S. Congress have also passed another bill
making it illegal for Banks and Credit Card Companies to make payment to foreign on-line Gambling Sites.

Revenues to Countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and Costa Rica - will be depleted almost overnight and unemployment will be badly affected.
The Bill was promoted on the basis of Morality, and was welcomed by a section of the religious right wing in the U.S. - but everyone knows that
within the U.S.A. Gambling is second to no other Country Worldwide.

Antigua and Barbuda had taken the U.S.A. to the W.T.O. on two occasions before, complaining that the U.S. had breached the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS) - on the basis that “other recreational services” included gambling and betting services, and it had won. So no doubt the Twin-Island State will do so again - because those services form a major part of its revenue earnings and provide highly paid jobs to its people.

But the immediate impact has already taken hold, and Millions will be lost in the meantime while waiting to go through the procedures. And again, it can hardly be defended successfully - that the latest action on that economic front, to do with gambling earnings from the U.S.A., must have come
about because of the Regions support for Hugo Chavez against the Americans choice.

So where does it all leave us, in those high-stakes games in which we little “small change Economies” are almost totally dependent on proceeds from gambling services, and more so Tourism?

The Agriculture Sector, in our case in Grenada, will be taking years to get back on stream as far as Nutmegs and Cocoa are concerned; Bananas went over board years ago. The Construction Industry has slowed down almost to a full stop - because those most in need do not have the funds to do the repairs and rebuilding, and since they are un-employed they cannot get loans.

Even the Hotels and Guest Houses have now to think twice about borrowing to re-build their “Ivan-damaged” buildings - because of this U.S.A. Passport requirement.

The Cruise Ship season is with us, and the few who benefit from that line of the business is all geared up to face it. But even that area has been declining in recent times, with only the Big Bus Tour Operators and some mini-buses doing well - but the little Vendors who depend on the passengers walking about Town to buy their goodies, have been left with heavy unsold stocks.

The picture, before the “Passport Hurricane 6 Category,” was gloomy, now it looks decidedly black and nasty. The Tourism Bombshell - whether based on Morality, or Protectionism, or Retaliation - is poised to explode; and while time is of the essence, we do not have much of that commodity on our side of this neck of the woods.