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by Delisle Brathwaite
It seems that the more things change in Barbados, the more they remain the same. I often smile with incredulity when I see Barbadians – including 18-year-olds – lavishing undeserved praise on Barbadian politicians. I smiled even broader when I saw the other day what they are paying themselves. But what are we Bajans getting in return? When Governments give write offs, do they give them to small businesses or to struggling Bajans trying to pay back revolving student loans?
No, our governments give VAT and other write offs to big businesses that can afford to pay their debts. In a country with serious unemployment problems, what do our governments do?
Resurrect retired relics whose greatest abilities began and ended with their political adhesiveness, and make them consultants. While these persons are collecting salaries for doing nothing and pensions for previous years of employment, our university and other educational institutions are churning out qualified graduates who remain unemployed because 70 and 75 years olds are being rewarded for their political parasitism.
Meanwhile, we praise these politicians and make a case for them because every so often they pass and drop off a bottle of rum, a food basket or a Grantley.
