Where will Barbados find its sharp independent thinkers?

Barbados TODAY columnist Dr Basil Springer, in his article of Friday, September 5, 2025, made a call for what he termed a Brain Trust, apparently a kind of think tank that comprises “a collective of sharp independent thinkers who can offer fresh perspectives to chart the nation’s path forward”. In his opening section of the piece, Springer posits that there seems to be two contrasting perspectives on contemporary Barbados. On the one hand, there is what he calls “the upbeat tone of official messaging”. On the other hand, there is “the growing current of discontent expressed across traditional and non-traditional platforms”.

There have been appeals for think tanks before, and not much came of that call. One cannot help but wonder how many “sharp independent thinkers” still exist in Barbados today. The old school of engaged intellectuals have passed on. One refers to the likes of Gladstone Holder, Dr Richard Allsop, Lenny St Hill and Dr Leonard Shorey who, whether you agreed with them or not, could invariably be relied upon to offer wise counsel.

Generally speaking, the educated middle-class elites have withdrawn from public discourse. They have been replaced by regular callers and partisan hacks who daily dominate the airwaves on talk shows like Down to Brass Tacks. I don’t mean to denigrate their contributions, as clearly most, at least, have genuine concerns about the society in which they live. The educated class of top civil servants who reached the top have more or less withdrawn into the obscurity from which they came. They are intent on not appearing to ruffle any feathers.

One is therefore not sure from what source this Brain Trust would come to chart the nation’s path going forward. Barbadians are a highly conformist people, not prone to rocking the boat, or sweeping under the proverbial carpet for fear of what might be underneath. Then there is a growing sense of fear of going against the official messaging. A public relations mantra that says “stay the course” and stresses resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change. We are told about the kind of people that we are, but no one has satisfactorily explained precisely what that means or what that implies. Someone once said that courage is contagious, but so is cowardice. Given the imbalance in political power and social influence that exists in Barbados today, one wonders how many sharp, independent thinkers would be prepared to kick against the pricks rather than hitch their wagons to an ostensibly rising global star.

The other, more negative perspective mentioned by Springer is the growing discontent expressed across traditional and non-traditional media platforms. Across the world, there is much to be discontented about. People are genuinely concerned about the rising cost of living. A friend who recently spent some time in both the United States and Canada noted that things are not cheap there either. Rising costs are strangling household budgets, even among the middle class. What is perhaps more worrying to Barbadians across the class structure is the seemingly uncontrollable increase in crime and violence in a society that used to be relatively peaceful and where one could walk about and recreate oneself with some sense of ease and security. Apparently not anymore. On one day, in two separate instances, two women waiting at a bus stop were held up and robbed of their valuables. On the same day, workmen working for the Barbados Water Authority were held up and robbed in broad daylight while on the job.

Given these two conditions, as Springer hints, the official rhetoric and daily struggles of the people may appear out of sync.

Sometimes the rhetoric of transformation reached the height of the ridiculous. An advert for the National Transformation Initiative states that its goal is to fashion what the TV ad calls ‘a STARR (two Rs) Bajan.’ Who and what exactly is that?