Barbadians must unite

Prominent outspoken businessman Ralph Bizzy Williams fears that political polarization will destroy Barbados like a cancer.

In fact, Williams, founder and executive chairman of Williams Industries, said he has seen signs of “extreme” political polarization.

“I see signs of it right here in our little country. So I am appealing to all to put party politics on the backburner until the next election and work hard and intelligently to make our country the shining star of the Caribbean while embracing and assisting where possible our brothers and sisters here and across the other islands of the Caribbean,” Williams told Barbados TODAY.    

The corporate leader, known as a fierce renewable energy  advocate, is also appealing for residents of all races to work together for the good of Barbados.

“For God’s sake let us embrace our ethnic diversity and unite as one people with an undaunted mission to help each other to succeed,” he declared.

The businessman was responding to a “negative” message recently received from someone who he described as a “die-hard” supporter of the party in opposition.

That message predicts that while published vaccine numbers in Barbados may sound good for travellers, quarantine will remain and the possibility of infection will not disappear even with 100 per cent vaccinations.

The letter revealed that inflation, food shortages, economic stagnation and decline in the developed world would get worse as the largest demographic (baby boomers) disappears and Barbados will face one of the fastest declining populations in the next 10-20 years .

Williams noted that the individual suggested that the current state of affairs in the country is a “huge” wake up call for all to be more diversified, especially when one considers that the world has changed forever.

“My view is that our future is entirely in our own hands. We can, by our attitude and behaviour, decide to make it a bright happy future or we can harm ourselves by becoming so politically polarized that we refuse to accept the government that is democratically elected and set out to sabotage progress to bring it down rather than do so at the next election,” the business executive stated.

“I for one am a die-hard supporter of the PIG party.  Whichever party is democratically elected to govern I support…party in government. If in my view the PIO is presenting better policies I will cast my vote at the next election to hopefully make that party the PIG. But if the PIG is reelected I will accept the result and support that party.,” Williams declared.

“I know that I do not face all the hard times that most of the island’s population faces because although I was not born with wealth I have worked hard and intelligently to build the Williams Industries team and I have been rewarded with a comfortable lifestyle.  I do believe that the fundamentals are the same for all who live here so it is possible for anyone to replicate my relative success if they are prepared to work hard and make the sacrifices that I have made. In my view a positive attitude is everything in life,” he suggested.

“There is more than enough energy available from natural sources than we need to power a comfortable life and transport us around. We have enough land to grow our own food and live healthy  lives. All we have to do is to make up our collective mind to work as a united nation to harness the natural resources God gave us and stop craving for imported food that is nowhere nearly as healthy as our own locally grown food,” the business executive said.

“We are already connected to the rest of the world by the internet so we can work at developing software and services for managing homes and businesses, games, banking services as the world becomes cashless…and people from cold climates will always wish to holiday in Barbados and other Caribbean islands,” Williams told Barbados TODAY.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)