RUBENOMICS: A POST-MORTEM
It was not Aye, it is the Bible that says ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’.
The rod of discipline has always been used to correct a wrong and to guide towards goodness. There would come a time in your life when all you can do is to love; and that day will come for sure, just as you are reading this article. But in the meantime just as your life is an open book to read, so is your backside subjected to the rod of discipline. Please be mindful however, the rod of discipline is never used to praise good actions; in fact, goodness is mentioned only while the rod is applied, so as to point towards the correct path.
Oh Gad, no kill benomics, it good to me.
In 1991 Montserrat experimented with a new politico- economic system. It was not Aye, it was the editor of the Montserrat Times who called the economic system Rubenomics. In 2009, Montserrat resurrected Rubenomics. But according to scripture, only dead things, dead places and dead people are resurrected. It is not Aye who shall declare Rubenomics dead. It done dead aredy!
Hence Rubenomics, a postmortem!
And what is a post mortem? It is an analysis that follows a difficult period … to find ways of improving things for next period.
Here beginneth! .
Rumors still say that in 1991 the new government met a surplus of $5 million in the Treasury and maybe twisted records can prove it too. Whatever the truth was, the truth is that in a very short time the treasury became bankrupt. In 2009, the same Rubenomic players were resurrected. And true to their style of vengeance, by November 2010 there was not enough money in the treasury to pay salaries. A time fu berry benomics!
During the period 1991 to 1996, the politicians became the number one civil servant in each ministry. They did not respect the separation of authority and responsibility between legislators and administers. They threatened and frightened bright career civil servants. The editorial of October 08, 1992 mentioned Noel Gray and Brenda Thomas, two bright nationals that were chased away to seek peace elsewhere, simply because they dared to question the socio- economic consequences of Rubenomics. So what prevails today? Every career civil servant is sheeting in her pants. They are afraid! Implementation has taken up and over the duties of PWD, Housing and Development Unit. And now, has the CM taken over from the HE the administrative authority to discipline the workers of ZJB? A goud fu dem, a civil survunt res orect de party.
Between 1991 and 1996 it is still believed the Government destroyed the Seamen and Waterfront Union and created a Trucking magnate under the guise of the Rice Mills. Yes the rice mill was good for some, but what a disaster for the truckers and the Waterfront Workers Union. Now in 2010 we have an Equipment and Trucking magnate under the guise of Little Bay Town development. Oh what a disaster for Galloway Construction, truckers and equipment operators. An two boot, ‘che dee’ de union man a de par tea mesbouy!
Between 1993 and 1995, things had gotten so bad that the civil servants were threatened with early retirement and cutbacks. Public Works were put on three-day week. Our school leavers were told not to apply to the Government for work. The children used to gang up at the evergreen tree almost everyday, frustrated and weary. Psychologists were brought in from the UK to soften the impact of redundancy and early retirement on civil servants.
Now in 2010 our people are frustrated and weary. Talk abound again about cutbacks and redundancy, there is not enough work they cry. It was never like this before, they say. The shop- keepers are frightened. They heard that many millions have been approved by DFID. Where have all the money gone, they ponder.
‘Do not spare the rod, man beat the livin shite outa dem’
Why did Montserrat resurrect proponents of a harsh and merciless economic policy? How could we forget that in 1992 Donald Douglas was arrested for removing sand from Fort Ghaut? How could we forget that truckers had to steal sand from the beaches ‘foredaymorning’ to avoid being arrested? And what about the chicken thing, forcing us to spend weekends without chicken because there were restrictions on imported chicken.
May I remind you, this is not a Eulogy. It is a Post-mortem.
There is so much to tell, to write it all would take until new-year’s eve.
Yet as if moving to the tune of ‘Oh come all ye faithful’, like the children of Hamelin Town, joyful and triumphant, the privileged few of Rubenomics dance. Yes, they dance, unaware that evening shadows are creeping upon their bountiful Rubenomic times. Night is drawing nigh for sure!
It was Aye, who in The Montserrat Reporter of November 03, 1995 forewarned that Montserratians would be scattered all over the world if we did not immediately establish a land policy to accommodate the people of Long Ground. It was Aye who offered the Government land in Manjack to house the residents of the east, just in case… I said.
But it was the social policies of Rubenomics that kept the east people couched up in shelters in Salem. It was the econo-politico system of 1996 that refused British to provide housing which caused Montserrations to flee and be scattered all over the world.
In 1996 Salem became the social and economic solution to the volcano. Houses of Salem, Old town and Olveston were rented as offices. Schools were built there too, as it there was an active volcano in the silver Hills. The solution included a commercial and residential development in Duck Pond and Nantes River environs. Imagine that!
It was Aye, who in 1996 penned the article Land in the North, What Now? Back then I begged the government to educate Montserrat about the Land Acquisition Act, to set about zoning the north and to create a new land policy sustainable and suitable for a 10 square mile volcano land. Now in 2010, still no Land Policy, we buy a plot of land here and we send our faithful there to make some money under the guise of ‘build a house’ program. The same Preacher, different church, different landscape, the same principles, it is Rubenomics. Who can forget the ‘Salemite gang of Rubenomicians’ who in 1997 dismantled the check- point barrier at Nantes River and threw barrier and police into the ravine.
So it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end. And in de middle too, it is Rubenomics. There is not a damn plan in sight to acquire and preserve land for the next generations to come. As long as Montserrat is under this alien economic system, it will always be for “the come ye my few faithfulls” Their cry is always “night is drawing nigh and before the day is over let us fill our pockets and keep Montserratians desperate and frightened’.
This is not a funeral; there is no place for niceness. This is a postmortem!
In 2010, we know that there is no volcano in the Silver Hills. But what they do? They chop up the hillsides under the guise of road building while making the land inaccessible. They waste DFID money piling rocks on Little Bay. God bless the mouth of that DFID woman that said to immediately remove the rubble.
This is not an occasion to applaud. You have heard, ‘Spare de Rod and Spile de child’.
Lash dem, and beat dem arl between dem leg. Yes right dey so so; ley dem feel, an maybe dem wud lurn fu do wha rite. Tell benomics dem how sensible palitichun wuk!
At the beginning of this article it was said that discipline is incomplete if it is not accompanied with a statement of expected behavior. Rubenomics the socio-politico-economic system introduced into Montserrat in the 1990’s should therefore be measured with the systems of prior governments.
It is Aye, the social and political critic, who shall choose the governments of the 1960’s and 1970’s as a fair comparison. Those Governments had very little to work with in their quest to shape a viable and sustainable Montserrat. Yet the political architects of that era, like Tubal Cain in the days when earth was young, they hewed out of Soufriere Hill Montserrat social and economic systems that have stood the test of time. They created for Montserratians the real estate industry, the building industry and tourism. Yes they understood good old-fashioned tourism. They are all sustainable industries up to this day. They brought programs like the Provided Fund. They developed the industrial estate to manufacture electronic parts and cotton products. They left in their wake the low-income housing estates. The political architects of that era smoothly introduced new systems of taxes on Montserrat. They hewed social and economic systems out of and with LOVE and left a contented and proud nation.
My God, I did not spare the rod; but you have the power, so discipline them! Please Dear Father; abide with Montserrat, in 2011 present the Proponents of Rubenomics with the light for a new direction. May the angels of the four directions spread their great wings over Montserrat to keep us safe in love and peace. May the Great Creator whose spirit is in everything guide the Rubenomicians so that they would pay attention to the ‘Pen’ and change. Yes really change, so that one-day Montserratians will joyfully and triumphantly sing ‘now the Day is over’ to the beat of ‘come all ye faithful’. And Aye, yes Aye shall rite de tribute with Love.
