The Brothers and Sisters in The Bahamas - Love and Support Marvin Dames 100%

To Know Marvin Dames - is to Love Marvin Dames

By Laurie Dames

For most of his adult life, my brother Marvin has served this country - The Bahamasnwith integrity and courage.  From his years in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to his time as Minister of National Security, his record speaks for itself.

Recently, a young man who was in business with him made a reckless and illegal decision.  He was caught, and he has taken full responsibility for his actions.

Let’s be clear about something.  When you operate multiple businesses and employ over 100 people, you cannot be everywhere at once.  You cannot monitor every move of every partner or employee 24 hours a day.  That is simply not how business, or life, works.

Marvin did not commit this act.  He was not involved in this act.  And it is unfair and dishonest to suggest otherwise, especially for political gain.

Those who truly know him know his character.  They know his commitment to law, order, and the safety of this nation.  That has not changed.

I know Marvin will continue to live and serve with the same integrity and strength he always has.

#ISTAND with MARVIN DAMES - Mount Moriah Constituency

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The Impact of Foreign Direct Investments on The Bahamian Economy in The Bahamas

The Importance of Mandatory Economic Partnerships in The Bahamas

By Jamal Moss

Foreign direct investment has long contributed to Bahamian economy.  However, the structure of this investment has often marginalised Bahamian policymakers and citizens, limiting their influence over national economic outcomes.  Bahamians increasingly recognise that genuine progress is achieved when citizens control their resources and determine their own economic future.  Revisiting and strengthening investment laws would ensure that Bahamians are not passive participants in development but active decision-makers and long-term beneficiaries of economic growth.

Economic Empowerment and Ownership

Compulsory alliances would place Bahamian ownership and leadership at the centre of wealth creation.  Local equity participation ensures fairer profit distribution and greater reinvestment within the domestic economy.  This approach promotes generational wealth, strengthens local entrepreneurship, and reduces economic dependency.  Ownership also develops managerial skills, innovation, and professional capacity among Bahamian citizens, allowing economic growth to translate into meaningful social mobility and long-term financial stability.

Keeping Wealth Within Bahamas

The primary advantage of compulsory alliances is the retention of capital within the country.  Profits generated by companies operating in The Bahamas are frequently repatriated abroad, limiting their long-term national impact (Syed et al., 2012).  We must be conservative and intentional with this because when Bahamians hold equity and decision-making authority in foreign-led ventures, dividends, wages, and reinvestment remain within the domestic economy.  This strengthens local financial institutions, increases government revenue, supports small and medium-sized enterprises, and stimulates sustained economic activity across multiple sectors of society. It is just good common sense.

National Security and Economic Sovereignty

Economic control is closely linked to national security.  When foreign interests dominate key industries, national priorities can be undermined.  Bahamian participation in ownership and governance ensures that strategic decisions align with national interests, cultural values, and sustainable development goals.  Local involvement also improves accountability, transparency, and resilience during global economic shocks, protecting the country from external vulnerabilities.

Ending Second-Class Economic Status

Reforming investment legislation sends a clear message that Bahamian citizens are equal stakeholders in their own economy.  With a common sense approach, we will get common sense results.  Mandatory partnerships promote dignity, equity, and self-determination.  Bahamians understand that meaningful development occurs when citizens exercise control over their resources and economic direction.  Strengthening Bahamian ownership through law will result in a more inclusive, secure, and prosperous national economy. 

FNM St. Barnabas Candidate, The Bahamas
Jamal Moss

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THE IMPACT of THE U.S. TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE on THE BAHAMAS and BAHAMIAN CITIZENS

Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas - 

CLARIFICATION ON THE US TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE

The visa pause announced via social media by the U.S. State Department today applies to Bahamians seeking immigrant visas.  The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist, student or business visas.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought clarification on what this means for pending immigrant visa applications.

Further, the arrangement between The Bahamas and the United States for travel via police record remains in place.  The official source of U.S. visa information is:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news.html

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Free The Bahamas Trump!

An Open Letter to U.S. President, Donald J. Trump - from a Concerned Bahamian Citizen

A Cry for International Intervention and Investigation Into Alleged Corruption Within the Government of The Bahamas

Dear President Trump,

Firstly, I wish to acknowledge and commend your firm stance against corruption, authoritarianism, and criminal influence in the Western Hemisphere.  Many small nations look to strong leadership from the United States when democratic institutions are under threat.

My name is Brittany Harris.  I am a Bahamian national, a legal resident of Canada, a mother of four minor children, and an activist and whistleblower advocating for abused women, children, and vulnerable communities.  I write to you today out of desperation and deep concern for the future of my country, The Bahamas.

Mr. President, I respectfully ask that you consider authorizing or encouraging a thorough international and U.S. supported investigation into serious and ongoing allegations of corruption within the government of The Bahamas, under the leadership of Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis.

Under this administration, our country is rapidly deteriorating.  There is widespread belief among Bahamians that: Millions of dollars in public funds are missing, with little to no development or national improvement to show for it;

Members of the current administration are engaging in unchecked theft, abuse of power, and protection of individuals connected to them;

Innocent citizens, activists, and whistleblowers who speak out are being targeted, arrested, and victimized, while individuals connected to political power are shielded from accountability.

Of grave concern is the belief held by many Bahamians that immigration policy is being deliberately manipulated for political survival.  We are receiving alarming information that Haitian nationals are entering The Bahamas directly from Haiti allegedly already in possession of Bahamian passports, despite being unable to speak English or demonstrate ties to our nation.  Many Bahamians fear this is part of an effort to engineer a new voting bloc to maintain political power, as the current administration has lost the trust of the Bahamian people and faces growing public opposition.

Mr. President, we are a small nation with limited power to confront systemic corruption alone.  We are pleading for international oversight before our democracy collapses entirely.

I also respectfully ask that your administration conduct a close review of the recent U.S. indictment involving members of the Bahamian police force.  Many Bahamians strongly believe that the true mastermind behind this criminal activity may be a political figure, and that officers are being forced or allowed to take the fall to protect powerful individuals.

I do not make these claims lightly.  I make them at great personal cost.  I have already suffered detention, imprisonment, and separation from my children for speaking out.  I fear what may come next, not only for myself, but for my country.

Mr. President, we are asking for help.  We are asking for transparency, accountability, and protection for those brave enough to speak the truth.  The Bahamas needs international attention before it is too late.

Respectfully,

Brittany Harris

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Bahamian National | Canadian Resident

Activist & Advocate for Abused Women and Children

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Rick Fox - Betrayal or Survival?

Survival is serious, says Rick Fox

BETRAYAL OR SURVIVAL?

Rick Fox Legacy

Was it Betrayal or Survival?  What would you do?

Survival is serious.  The lengths we go to in life to secure our future and our family’s future can be serious.  Some people bet on a life of crime.  I bet on basketball.

Some of you have asked: Why did you play for another team?

It was a simple decision: I played to secure a future for my family.

At the time, The Bahamas didn’t have a national team that competed globally.  There was no path to the NBA from home.  Playing for another team wasn’t betrayal, it was the only opportunity to be seen, to prove myself, and to secure my future.

In the summer of 1990, with the guidance of my coach Dean Smith and my parents, I joined Canada’s NBA summer league team.  I made the all-star team, caught the attention of NBA scouts, and earned my place among the pros.

That decision was never about leaving The Bahamas behind it was about making sure The Bahamas would one day be seen on every stage I stepped on.

Every decision since then has been in service to my family and to The Bahamas.  Every opportunity I’ve had has come from God.  He is driving this ship.

From championship podiums to Hollywood sets, from boardrooms to global summits The Bahamas has been with me every step of the way.

You don’t have to be seen to serve.  You just have to be in action.

And I’ve been a Bahamian in action my entire life building, competing, and winning for my family and our people.

WHAT HAVE I DONE FOR THE BAHAMAS? WHAT WILL YOU DO?

People ask: What have you done for The Bahamas?

My question back is simple: What will you do?

Let’s turn the conversation of service into a competition.  Who among us has done more for the nation we love?

Just because one is unseen doesn’t mean one was absent.  Let me shine a light.

For over 30 years, I’ve made The Bahamas number one: not just in sports, but in business, culture, and innovation.  From courts to boardrooms, studios to sustainability summits, I’ve delivered results that carry the Bahamian flag higher every time.

I’ve rebuilt our basketball programs, mentored athletes, brought world-class coaches, and funded clinics and camps.  I’ve fought for Bahamian players to gain international exposure and opened doors for scholarships around the world.

Through Partanna, I’ve positioned The Bahamas as a leader in climate innovation — creating jobs, opportunities, and global respect for our people.  I’ve sponsored students to study abroad, bringing knowledge and technology home to fuel our growth.

This is the work of impact — not applause.  I don’t chase validation.  I chase results.  I didn’t return home seeking fame or power.  I was invited to help solve national problems: housing, opportunity, and sustainability.

I am not a politician.  I am a winner who happens to be on Team Bahamas.

THE MOVEMENT TO WIN

Some enter politics to serve.  The day I enter, I enter to compete to defend, to facilitate, and to lead.

Winning requires strategy, focus, discipline, and execution the same principles that have guided my success for decades.

This movement is not for everyone.  Some are satisfied with what they have.

But this movement is for Bahamians who want to see our country rise to a level not seen before, locally and globally.

We will finish what our forefathers started.  We will go all the way.

Any unseen work I’ve done, any blessing I’ve received, has been used to lift this nation, open doors for our youth, and build pride that cannot be taken away.

That is my contribution.  That is my legacy.  That is what I’ve done — and will continue to do — for The Bahamas.

Every chapter of my life has been about winning: on the court, on the screen, in business, and now, in building solutions for our people.

Today begins the most important chapter yet: competing and winning for the Bahamian people from home.

I have a vision for the next 50 years: a Bahamas where our children inherit a nation that works for them, not against them.

Where we don’t just talk about progress we deliver it.  No movement builds a future alone.

This vision needs teammates, builders, and believers.  It will grow as quickly as the Bahamian people decide they’ve had enough — that they deserve more — and are ready to rise.

I’m ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with every Bahamian who wants more: more honesty, more opportunity, more action, more results.

Today is the beginning of a movement that competes, wins, and delivers for The Bahamas.

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The Bahamas and Cuba are Family

Bahamians, Cubans are not just Our Neighbours - They are Our Family

CUBA IS OUR FAMILY

“Deo adjuvante, non timendum.”  “With God as My Helper, I have nothing to fear”

By Dr. Kevin J Turnquest-Alcena

Nassau, NP, The Bahamas

The dictionaries have many definitions of the term “to bastardize.”  I will quote one such definition which is particularly relevant to the present narrative.  To bastardize an entity is “to change something in such a way as to lower its quality or value, typically by adding new elements.”  The synonyms to bastardize include words like corrupt, contaminate, weaken, pollute, degrade, and depreciate.

Cuba, Karma will never allow a descendent of Cuba to obliterate Cuba and its steadfast principles.  In spite of the neo conservative propaganda against Cuba.

“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.”

— Voltaire

Cuba has experienced the harsh realities of the imperialist agenda and has made it clear: it wants no part of it again.

Imperialism is a policy or ideology in which a country extends its power and influence over other countries or territories, often through military force, political control, or economic dominance.  This type of expansionism has historically left a trail of exploitation, underdevelopment, and cultural erosion in its wake.

Cuba, geologically, originated from the Yucatán Mountains in Mexico.  Incredibly, so did The Bahamas.  In the early 1970s, fossils of the Cuban crocodile were discovered in the caves of Grand Bahama.  This provided evidence of a deep, ancient connection.  Both Cuba and The Bahamas are made primarily of limestone, a rare geological trait that binds us together in more than just proximity.

We are not just neighbors. We are family.

Cuba is surrounded by three major bodies of water: the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.  Geographically, The Bahamas is Cuba’s closest neighbor.  On clear nights, the lights of Santiago de Cuba can be seen from Inagua and Cay Sal Bank.

Even the fruits we eat, such as guavas and tamarinds, have strong roots in Cuba.  The cultural and botanical heritage is intertwined.  This article exists to highlight this closeness, the geographical, historical, and cultural bonds that make us more than neighbors.  We are kin.

In the realm of geopolitics, this kinship must not be forgotten.  The Bahamas may have emerged from Cuba thousands or even millions of years ago.  That ancestral bond matters.  It cannot be erased by modern politics, foreign agendas, or ideological manipulation.

To turn our backs on Cuba would be to turn our backs on ourselves.

The blockade against Cuba is not a matter of political ideology.  It is a criminal act.  The same nations that sanction Cuba trade openly with countries like Vietnam and China, which maintain similar political systems.

This exposes the truth.  The embargo is not about communism.  It is about control.  It is not about democracy.  It is about power.  And it is certainly not about principle.  It is rooted in bombastic jealousy of Cuba’s resilience, independence, and refusal to be dominated.

Despite immense hardship, Cuba stands strong.  It remains a beacon of solidarity, cultural pride, and endurance in the face of decades-long adversity.

“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

Indeed, the political absurdity of isolating one of our closest and oldest neighbors must be called out. We must stand on the right side of history, not with those who fear Cuba’s strength, but with those who recognize Cuba as family.

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U.S. TARIFFS - CANADA and THE BOLD CANADIAN OPTIONS of TRUMP or NO TRUMP?

TRUMP or NO TRUMP CANADA?

U.S. TARIFFS: CANADA - THE PRICE OF COMPLACENCY!

By Professor Gilbert Morris
Nassau, The Bahamas

First, no need for all this panicking.  Countries don’t die.  Second, Canada must assess whether and to what degree export/sales will slow as result of the tariffs; at 25% premium they could still see significant sales.

Third, a slight devaluation in the Canadian dollar is a short-term option; which would offset the tariff.

Fourth, Canada needs a bold response that rocks the U.S. back in its heels.  That would be to end the Cuban Embargo by completing a trade Agreement with Cuba to raise up Cuban agriculture, using Canadian know-how, technology and equipment.  Stand up Cuban hotels and open to Chinese tourists.  There would be latency, but the political statement would be bold.  One must attack always, but in these circumstances, moreso and the lesson is they oughtn’t have been resting in the comfort of their U.S. relationships, Trump or no Trump!

Fifth, Canada could join BRICs together with Mexico; purely political…but bold!

The truth is, Canada-(trade:77%)/Mexico-(trade: 84%) were lazy and locked their economies too intimately with the US’s and the sting of lower export volumes will hurt.

Mr. Trump dosen’t have an ask here…not better trade terms or anything, so it seems he just wants to punish Canada and Mexico to the delight of his supporters.

The strategy would be that by mid-term, Trump would be less potent as his chaos would catch up to him.  During his previous administration, tariffs cost him $35 billion in subsidies.  In one of his cascades of executive orders, he rescinded reporting requirements for the department of trade.  So he’ll just claim they are ‘making billions’; which even toddlers know is rubbish.  Also, trade was reduced to Russia and China last administration but accrued not to domestic U.S. suppliers but to Mexico and Canada!

Outlier:

Canada could set up shop in The Bahamas and trade to its U.S. buyers from Bahamas…

This Bahamas option is an outlier.

It would be a matter of “derring do”!

I believe our economic model puts us in a worse “sitting duck” position than is Canada or Mexico.

We must attempt to imagine near impossible options on economy as we must on environment.

Structurally, The Bahamas is perfect as a “stealth” substitute trade hub for Canadian goods to entire U.S.

There, the question is timing, structure, linkages to U.S. strategic business, banking, conceptual framing.

We’d have to have an attitude that it’s a fluid proposition and since Canada nor Mexico structure their trade for leverage…we’d have to use leverage - relationships with persons and companies that are hard to punish - to knit together a trade proposition.

As I’ve said, all successful nations have done a “hard thing”; something that carries high risk, goes against the cultural grain and is asymmetrical.

This could be our hard thing!

But as I said, it’s an outlier proposition…if successful it may succeed only for a while!

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Trump Bahamas!

What's Donald Trump Plans for The Bahamas?

By Dennis Dames
Nassau, The Bahamas

Donald Trump will soon be officially the 47th President of the USA.  He is also #45.

He has clearly been nicely and attractively refined and repackaged, and he appears eager to be the mighty dictator of the greatest nation on earth – and perhaps the world.  He has promised that he would be a dictator for just a day.  We know better than that!

Soon to be President Donald Trump has wasted no time ruffling feathers in his homeland, the region and the world.  He has boldly pronounced his interest in Canada and Greenland becoming States of the Union.  He has also expressed his interest in taking back control of the Panama Canal – among other feather-ruffling statements!

I wonder what are #47 plans for The Bahamas; as the USA government presently considers The Bahamas as its third border!

We will learn more about what our friendly neighborhood dictator has in store for The Bahamas – sooner rather than later no doubt.

The Bahamas Immigration Minister Keith Bell resists United Nations - UN call to suspend deportations to Haiti as Haiti's crisis deepens

The Bahamas Immigration Minister Keith Bell resists UN call to suspend deportations to Haiti as situation spirals out of control

“Haiti has political instability, economic deprivation, and complete social collapse.  So you are talking about a myriad of challenges and problems.  That problem can only be addressed at the international level and so it isn’t a matter of frustration

DESPITE calls from United Nations officials to suspend deportations to Haiti, Immigration Minister Keith Bell said The Bahamas has “a job to do” to ensure that officials protect the country for Bahamians.

The Bahamas is facing an influx of Haitian migrants.  However, United Nations Secretary General António Gutierrez on Monday called on governments to consider halting deportations as the situation there spirals out of control

Speaking on the sideline of a Labour on the Campus event, Mr Bell recognised the duty of the secretary general, but made it clear what the government has to do.

“The United Nations obviously they seek to ensure that there is harmony, there’s unity among all nations, so obviously that is his job.  We in The Bahamas have a job to do to ensure that we protect The Bahamas for Bahamians.  It’s as simple as that.  The Bahamas as all governments have consistently said we cannot absorb these persons who come in The Bahamas illegally,” he said.

“If you want to come to The Bahamas as a tourist or want to work, then there is a process.  If you follow that process, you may be granted access to The Bahamas.

“If you come here illegally and unlawfully, then, of course, there has to be swift justice.  We will not tolerate, nor will we support reasonably anyone coming into The Bahamas from undocumented or illegal means you will stay in the jurisdiction you will be deported.”

He also shared doubts that The Bahamas would sign on to provisions allowing for free movement when asked about CARICOM’s freedom of movement or labour within the region.

“I know you’re talking about a treaty – I think the Treaty of Chaguaramas and the (free) movement of people through the Caribbean.  The government of The Bahamas, both PLP and FNM, has consistently not signed on to those specific provisions.  I do not foresee in the very far future that we’re going to support a free movement throughout this country of anyone.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the crisis in Haiti poses a substantial threat to The Bahamas due to an increase in irregular migration.

He spoke earlier this week at the opening session of the heads of summit meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

During his remarks, Mr Davis stated: “With the support and leadership of Haiti, collectively, we can, through CELAC and other regional organisations, help Haitians build a path out of crisis.”

Asked if there was frustration with the international community over addressing Haiti’s issues, the labour minister listed some of the factors that needed to be considered when helping countries.

“I will not say it there is frustration and you would have seen all around the world where first world developed countries, superpowers go into these countries where they need help — where there is a genocide or there is this civil war and the like.  When you go into these countries you have to ensure first of all, what is your objective?  What are the objectives of you going in?  And what would be your exit strategy?

“Haiti has political instability, economic deprivation, and complete social collapse.  So you are talking about a myriad of challenges and problems.  That problem can only be addressed at the international level and so it isn’t a matter of frustration.

“It’s just a matter of how we’re going to address these issues and challenges and then determine how we can help, but Haiti has 12 million people, The Bahamas cannot under no circumstance, support any illegal and unlawful entry of persons from Haiti and that has extended to Cuba where we’ve had an exponential growth in illegal migrants coming from that country. We will not tolerate it.”

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The Bahamas Prime Minister Philip 'Brave' Davis brings focus on Illegal migration and gun trafficking to meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris

The United States reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnerships with The Bahamas, and the nations and peoples of The Caribbean

As Chairman of CARICOM, the Bahamian Prime Minister believes it is important for the United States and other partners in the hemisphere to support Haitian-led efforts to stabilize that country and find a path forward out of crisis

Washington, DC - January 17, 2023 – Prime Minister Philip 'Brave' Davis met earlier today with US Vice President Kamala Harris at The White House to discuss a number of issues facing The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean region.

The United States reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnerships with The Bahamas, and the nations and the people of The Caribbean.

In discussing items relating to our bilateral relationship, the Prime Minister and the Vice President emphasized the importance of both strengthening efforts to combat illegal maritime migration and reducing the flow of guns illegally entering The Bahamas from the United States.

The Prime Minister also raised the importance of reinstating pre-clearance facilities in Grand Bahama, a critical step to support the island’s economic recovery.

The discussion widened to cover a number of regional issues, including food and energy security, and efforts to combat climate change.

As Chairman of CARICOM, the Prime Minister believes it is important for the United States and other partners in the hemisphere to support Haitian-led efforts to stabilize that country and find a path forward out of crisis.

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After 48 years of negro political leadership in The Bahamas

 By Dennis Dames

Happy 48th Independence Bahamas. What are we commemorating, though? After 48 years of Black majority rule in The Bahamas, we Bahamians don’t have much to be proud about as a nation and as a people.

We cannot be happy to be unemployed, broke and in mounting debt. We should not be satisfied about being taxed to the max. Nor should we be contented with the out of control government deficit spending and borrowing with nothing much to show for it through the decades.

After 48 years of negro political leadership in The Bahamas, we have produced a continuous and healthy flow of young murderers – from generation to generation.

Our young men, in particular, are being slaughtered in mass numbers – year after year. Many of our youths are engaged in the dangerous and deadly gang life at an early age, and graduate to prison very young – with long sentences. It’s nothing to cheer about.

After 48 years of Black governance in The Bahamas, we have produced a Black ruling class that cares only about their selective lovers, family and friends. I’m sure that the quiet revolution was not about that.

After 48 years of Black political misrule in The Bahamas, we are stuck in the mud with more of the same static, mediocre and inept leaders – whom we all know well; but we are ready to vote for them over and over again. What a bunch of mad jokers we are.

After 48 years of Black self-governance in The Bahamas, we are going ‘round in circles. Where is the national vision? Where is the national unity and resolve? Where are the new breed of Bahamian leaders who are indeed serious about local government and power-sharing for the betterment of the nation?

Or is the new breed of national leaders simply chips off the old corrupt political blocks who have become comfortable with alternating one-term governments? Five years for you, and five years for me – and together, we’ll continue the corrupt legacy of our Black predecessors.

Where are the Bahamian leaders who truly believe in a Bahamas for all Bahamians – and not just for the chosen friends, family and sweethearts? Where are the Bahamian leaders who subscribe to true Black majority rule in The Bahamas?

Which of the no-good evils will we vote for in the next general election? No matter who wins, we must demand better, and a more productive, all inclusive, and prosperous way ahead as a sovereign Black nation.

Yes, let’s move forward, upward and onward together as proud Bahamians.

Our offspring will love and appreciate us for it; and I’m sure that they will do the same for their children. Let’s build a Bahamas where national independence has a genuinely rich meaning, and is worthy of celebration and observance by all Bahamians.

IN A DEFAULT TO ZERO SUM OUTCOMES, THE CARIBBEAN WILL LOSE!

Meanwhile, unfashionable seaside resorts within driving distance of urban centres may make a surprise comeback in popularity.

Atlantic City, near New York and Philadelphia, and Margate, east of London, may once again outshine the foreign, sunnier beaches that long ago eclipsed them.

The staycation trend may fuel the growth of economies already doing relatively well after covid-19, while setting back those doing badly.

By Gilbert Morris

The decline in international travel is hardening (See graphs below). Understanding this is critical to the right conceptualisation of what’s actually happening. I warned that our plantation economic model premised on a “double wait”

a. For foreign investors

b. For American tourists

Then feverishly dividing the meagre scarps by political tribalism, is not an economic model.

All the 258 pandemics recorded in history have not only shifted entire economic and social paradigms, they also reveal and punish system and structural fragilities, above and beyond the excuse-making voices of politicians, used to gaslighting their populations.

It was only a few weeks ago, public officials were exclaiming that “booking were up”. But we knew that if we had no protocols on the ground equal to the best practices of the best performing countries in Covid 19, point to booking was a mere demented distraction from reality.

Now underlying structural shifts are taking place, the success and strengths of which will be directly proportional to our economic prospects, and opposite to our lazy presumption that US tourists will soon return; an astonishing precept for an island state economy.

Read about the shifts - forecasted 13 months ago here - in a recent article from the Economist:

From The Economist!

The trend towards domestic holidays will create economic winners and losers:

A.J.P. TAYLOR, a British 20th-century historian, once wistfully noted that the only agents of state a Victorian Briton was likely to meet were the postman and the local policeman. How times have changed.

The pandemic has brought with it sweeping restrictions on what the state allows individuals to do. One of the latest is that, from March 29th, modern-day Britons will be fined £5,000 ($6,900) if they go abroad without reasonable excuse—a rule that in effect makes a foreign holiday a criminal offence.

No wonder that this year’s big vacation trend is the “staycation”—to go on holiday in one’s own country. That will have an uneven economic impact around the world.

Britain is not the only country to impose draconian restrictions on cross-border travel. America still bans virtually all Europeans from entering the country. Quarantine rules also have a chilling effect on leisure travellers.

Hong Kong’s system—among the harshest in the world—locks inbound passengers in hotels for 21 days to try and stop holidaymakers importing new variants of the disease.

Such measures, understandably, put a squeeze on leisure travel. Those with just two or three weeks’ paid leave a year have better things to do with their time than wait around in a quarantine hotel.

At the start of the pandemic, both foreign and domestic travel were destroyed by border closures and travel restrictions. So low was demand during the first lockdown that Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by some reckonings, almost shut down completely.

Even so, since last spring domestic travel has been steadily recovering, particularly in America, where lockdown rules have been loosened faster than elsewhere. According to OAG, a data firm, capacity on American domestic flights at the end of March—measured by the number of seats on all aircraft—was 23% below where it was in January of last year; in Australia it was down by 19%.

Meanwhile, cross-border travel remains in the doldrums. In China, where domestic-passenger traffic has fully recovered, international travel is 93% below where it was before the pandemic (see chart).

With a third wave of covid-19 cases sweeping through continental Europe, Latin America and India, the trend this summer could well be towards more border restrictions, not fewer.

The trend for more holidays nearer home will affect tourist spots in different ways. Islands are likely to suffer in favour of places that can be reached by car.

Insular paradises such as Cozumel in Mexico, which used to earn 70% of its GDP from passing cruise ships, and the Bahamas, which formerly generated a similar share of its income from tourism, will take a long time to recover.

Meanwhile, unfashionable seaside resorts within driving distance of urban centres may make a surprise comeback in popularity. Atlantic City, near New York and Philadelphia, and Margate, east of London, may once again outshine the foreign, sunnier beaches that long ago eclipsed them.

The staycation trend may fuel the growth of economies already doing relatively well after covid-19, while setting back those doing badly.

This was the conclusion of a recent report by Bernstein, a research firm, which estimated the economic impact of 60% of outbound tourism spending being used at home instead. Their result: China, whose economy is already larger than before the pandemic began, would be the biggest winner. And the biggest losers? Greece, Iceland and Portugal, whose economies have already suffered dreadfully over the past year.

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The Colonial Mentality Throughout the Caribbean Diaspora - has Created a System of Political Clientelism

Emancipated Day!  "But today we are Mentally and Economically - Slaves"

The colonial mentality throughout the Caribbean diaspora, has created a system of political clientelism.  In other words,  an “all for me baby”syndrome

By Dr Kevin Alcena

Nassau, The Bahamas
  

Happy Emancipation Day to all Africans in the Caribbean — It is indeed a culturally mixed dichotomy  in regards to freedom.  The colonial mentality throughout the Caribbean diaspora, has created a system of political clientelism.  In other words,  an “all for me baby”syndrome.

When we look around, all we see is failure, from Haiti, Jamaican, Trinidad, Guyana, The Bahamas and the list goes on.  We inherited a system after the emancipation, called democracy by default, that is orchestrated and manipulated by an elite black class who has a colonial mentality that is worse than the slave masters.

We have somehow lost the social contract to the common man and woman.  A good example- a number of young Bahamian men trying to make an honest living selling guinep and coconuts being arrested by police.  Since when did you need a license to sell guinep and coconut water?

Are you going to deprive these children of their opportunities?  Most of the children are wearing masks but the state sees fit to harass them, and this is what we call, “the people’s time”?

Not so long ago the Prime Minister of the Bahamas Hubert Alexander Ingram, used to walk to school barefoot.  And, if I’m correct, he used to shine shoes—did he have a license to be a shoe shine boy?

Civil society in this country is laughable, they have no clear understanding in terms of our history and where we’re going.  Our national debt—I don’t even know if it’s even manageable at this point.

And whilst we are experiencing an increase in the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of Bahamians are going to bed very hungry, unable to find jobs, can’t pay their light bills, or even their landlords.

There is no thinking system, whilst the elite benefit.  What we have inherited on this incredible Emancipation Day is a form of economic and mental slavery.

There’s a form of application for the common man and woman that is unprecedented at this time.  There is no care of the church to the politicians.

I must compliment one man who is doing a remarkable job in feeding thousands of Bahamian people, Philip Smith and other individuals who are taking matters into their own hands.

What is remarkable about this country is that we are small; it is easy to fix our problems.  Every Bahamian should be tested for Covid-19 so we can nip this in the bud.

We don’t have millions of people.  Why is not every Bahamian being tested?

We have the data to deal with this crisis.  Emancipation means responsibility and our government has abdicated their responsibility.

They are governed by ego and emasculation “I’m in charge, I am the boss”.  This is a very symbolic emancipation, we need the Marcus Garvey’s, the Sir Lynden’s we need the Michael Manly’s to count the chains that hold us, and to remind us that it was only yesterday that our great grandparents were slaves.

Happy Emancipation Day Bahamas.

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MOODY’s DOWNGRADE OF BAHAMAS SETS A MOOD!

By Professor Gilbert Morris

I have condemned the ratings agencies as corrupt and unfair:

I won’t change tune now!

The rating agencies aided in the near destruction of the global financial system in 2008; and shew themselves interested in money rather than clear crisp accurate analysis of the credit statuses for which they claimed expertise.

I have argued that we should rate ourselves according to the same mathematical and statistical benchmarks, determining for ourselves our financial and economic health and our prospects.

Alas, in the Caribbean and Africa we have no credibility on this front:

When Moody’s or the S&P gives us a favourable rating, we treat it like its  front-room flowers.

When they call us frowsy, we say we know ourselves better with no evidence.

The fact is our situation is frowsy at the moment and has been so for sometime...that is because:

1. Our governments mistake government’s finances for the economy, and speak of the health of the fiscal state without due regard to the economic realities; particularly the ‘misery index’.

2. We have failed to innovate away from our one-legged plantation economic model, which requires hardly even a pulse to fashion or manage and is susceptible to even mild exogenous shocks, toward 21st century decentralised systems.

3. We seem clueless about the economics of the PEG, and are prioritising  constantly away from the PEG and so away from the more efficient means of feeding the PEG - so the National Reserves - which is the ONLY means to broaden the capacity for economic growth. I emphasise: IT IS THE ONLY MEANS TO BROADEN THE CAPACITY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH!

4. Our government’s focus has been constantly lusting after an even larger share of GDP through further regressive taxation; despite failing to collect taxes currently on the books!

5. We have failed to innovate toward a system in which investing in and through Bahamians becomes a driver of economic expansion.

6. Our government systems are sclerotic and nations that arose from nothing 20-years AFTER our independence, surpassed us 20 years ago from nothing to world leaders; as we make the same excuses we made 40 years ago.

I am on reactors on January 20th 2020, here in in other spaces Zoom Conference and the like, in urging government to borrow large...because the crisis would extend beyond 2020.

We did not follow that proscription!

At the moment, the Bahamas are at a precipice...and whilst Dorian and Covid 19 have driven economic prospects to some degree, our current situation arises from our own failures to have been proper stewards of the largess of these islands.

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Wake-up My Bahamian People!

The Bahamas: A Perfect Financial Storm Brewing in Tourism Paradise

By Norman Trabulsy Jr.

The Bahamas is entering a period for which I see a Perfect Storm gathering, and this is unfortunate. A Perfect Storm comes about when a number of factors synergize to exacerbate what would otherwise be a mildly disruptive event. Although a number of other supporting realities strongly buttress my view, for the sake of brevity I will base my analysis and prediction of a Perfect Storm on the following.

Implementation of a value-added tax (VAT)

It does not take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out who owes hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bahamian government in uncollected property taxes. Value-added tax is being implemented because the government has failed in its job and been unable, or unwilling, to collect even half of the taxes it is owed. The VAT is a consumer-based and regressive tax, meaning that it hits the poorest the hardest.

The estimated revenue from the VAT assumes that the economy will remain roughly at its current level. I strongly suggest that the Bahamian economy will take a very hard hit for several years due to the high cost of VAT compliance, higher prices, fraud, and the overestimate of the tax revenues to be collected, causing the government to further tighten its belt, all contributing to a dangerous shrinking of the economy. This: before the risk of any hiccup in the tourism sector, which accounts for 80 percent of The Bahamas’ gross domestic product (GDP). It is rather naive to suggest that the tourism sector is immune to rising prices, when survey after survey show that the No. 1 complaint of tourists is high prices. Sun, sea and sand have a value, but there is a limit, and we are pushing it.

Legalization and proliferation of gambling web shops

In The Bahamas, a social epidemic of gambling appears to be a symptom of the larger desperation of being unable to make a decent living and provide for one’s family by holding an average job. But more on that later. I predict that the net effect of a proliferation gambling web shops will be a continued drain on the real economy and an increasing transfer of monies into the hands of web shop owners. The health of an economy is based on the amount of money that freely circulates within it. As more money leaves the real economy via the web shops, the net result is unarguable: a rapid and decisive transfer of wealth into the pockets of those who produce nothing.

A software designer for some of the web shops told me that, for every winner, there are 8,000 losers. Ponder these odds for a moment. I live on a small family island, and I have paid attention to this matter for nearly a decade. I cannot count the times Bahamians who do not gamble have said to me, “These web shops are going to take this country down.” Perhaps they say this because, like me, they have seen the dashed hopes, the unfinished houses, the children whose lunch moneys were squandered by their parents’ spinning, and the money leaving this small island on a weekly basis that could have gone to so many worthy causes and needs. The language should be more honest: gambling is not an industry, it is a Ponzi scheme, and it should be called what it is.

Downgrading of the credit worthiness of The Bahamas by Moody’s

Moody’s recently downgraded the credit worthiness of the Bahamas due to the unlikely probability that it will reduce its 50 percent debt-to-GDP ratio. We are unlikely to do this because for the past 10 years our country has only grown by six percent, and we continue to borrow more money. Moody’s rightfully wonders where the government will find the money to pay off its increasing debt. The prospects are bleak. I liken this situation to the following conversation. A friend comes to me and says, “You owe me $500 today.” I ask, “Why is that?” He answers, “Because 50 years ago your grandfather borrowed $500 from my grandfather and he said you would pay me the $500 your grandfather owed him.” Who doesn’t think this is absurd? Yet, what do the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Free National Movement (FNM) do each year to the citizens of The Bahamas? How is this any less absurd than what our well-educated economists, politicians and lawyers are proposing to us today? When politicians take out these big loans, with interest, who winds up paying for them?

State of the global economy

Not enough honest people have spoken out about the implications of what the major players in the financial sector and government officials have been doing. Since the global financial crisis in 2008, the United States in particular, has pumped trillions of taxpayers dollars into the banks and financial institutions there and around the world, in an attempt to “save” the economy that was put in danger by, you guessed it, the banks and financial institutions. Soon the consequences of this policy will become yet more apparent in rising inflation, increasing inequality, and a greater impoverishment for most of humanity. Any prudent government would have, after assessing the crisis and its causes, broken up the largest of banks and nationalized those that had done the most harm to society.

The largest banks, financial institutions, and here in The Bahamas even the web shops, have completely captured our politicians and the political process. Consider the phrases: Too Big To Fail and Too Big to Jail. Justice has become lopsided and no longer applies to the rich and powerful. This is the reality today throughout the world, and it is contrary to any concept of democracy. The people of The Bahamas said “No” on the referendum regarding web shops. Yet, what did our Prime Minister do? Who do the politicians really work for? Does democracy exist in The Bahamas, or anywhere? Answer honestly. Now, what are you going to do about it?

Increasing poverty rate in The Bahamas

The realities about poverty in The Bahamas are probably worse than the government statistics suggest. For an indicator of the real state of our economy and the hurdles that must be overcome to change our course, speak to any social service worker. They will tell you that they are seeing an increasingly depressed, despondent and hopeless people who come for assistance. Yet the government is cutting back on social services to balance the budget, so that there will be even less resources to help the rising numbers of people who need them. The economic considerations are in themselves sufficient cause for concern, but it is also reasonable to expect that, as the poverty rate increases, the crime rate will increase, and public safety, the quality of life and tourism will decline.

Increasing emphasis on the “financial services industry”

The so-called financial services industry is the second largest contributor to the GDP of The Bahamas, after tourism. It is not an industry but a scheme to attract people who don’t want to pay taxes in their own countries and need a place to hide their money. The Bahamas levies no income tax, no corporate tax, no inheritance tax, no capital gains tax, and it seems that property taxes are very low and not collectable. The money to run the government comes, for the most part, from the working people of The Bahamas. The rich pay a minuscule percentage of their incomes to live in paradise: sort of like going to Disney World for free.

If the tax policies here in The Bahamas actually created an incentive for investment, an improvement in the job market, and a healthy economy, wouldn’t there be better results after all these decades of such policies? Instead, our politicians, lawyers, bankers, the financial services representatives, all of them, have become beholden to big money. Who, in their right mind, can possibly say that things here and around the world are going well and that the future looks bright for most of the world’s people? The “financial services industry” produces little to improve the lives of ordinary people. There is no reason to give the rich a free ride in this country; the benefits of living here are too great to be given away for free. I say: make them pay their fair share. The Bahamian people need to stand up and call for these changes, because not one person in the government has the guts to tell it like it is.

Aspiration to join free-trade organizations

Generally speaking, free trade in today’s world is a way for transnational companies to subvert a county’s legal system and destroy its sovereignty. The result of almost every modern free-trade agreement has been the destruction of a country’s agricultural and manufacturing base and its replacement by highly subsidized foreign corporate ownership, gutting of environmental laws and crushing of organized labor. Any complaints and lawsuits must now be handled by an extra-judicial group of corporate lawyers with loyalties to big business. This idea of The Bahamas joining these free-trade agreements will only further the interests of those businessmen, lawyers and politicians who are pushing them. They will not help the tourist economy or manufacturing economy of The Bahamas or create more and better jobs for Bahamians. These issues must be known to the Bahamian people before our politicians sell this country out from under our feet.

Lack of leadership

Anyone old enough to remember, or who has gone to YouTube to hear, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. understands that we have no statesmen in this world today. Do not be duped by the words of the first African-American US President. He is not even worthy to stand in the shadows of MLK Jr. Listen to the words of our own politicians in The Bahamas: mere words, poisonous words, for they are meant to trick us into believing that they have our interests in mind. Nowhere in the world is there a leader with the integrity, honesty, courage and fortitude required to govern. Each and every one is beholden to the moneyed interests in the world today. I have heard the expression, “We get the government we deserve.” If this is true, I am saddened by where we are as a people. If we can rise up, and create a better society, it is time to do so. Let us get rid of the charlatans, the spineless, the greedy, the dishonest and egotistical excuses for public servants that we now have. This isn’t about one political party or another. Wake up people! I believe we are staring a Perfect Storm in the face. It is up to us to do something for ourselves to avoid the impending crisis.

Editor’s Notes: Norman Trabulsy Jr. is an expecting father, restauranteur, sailor, captain, carpenter and naturalist living in The Bahamas. His writing generally focuses on environmental issues concerning tropical marine ecosystems and economics.

Photographs one, four and nine by Thomas Hawk; two, five and fourteen by Albyan Toniazzi; three and ten by Susan; seven and thirteen by Bruce Tuten; eleven and twelve by Shutter Runner; six by Jordon Cooper, and eight from the IMF archives.

Oct 13, 2014

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