The more things change in the Turks and Caicos, the more they stay the same

Caribbeannewsnow Opinion-Editorial


The well-known French saying: ‘Plus ça change’, plus c’est la même chose’ -- The more things change, the more they stay the same -- is frequently used, and for good reason. History tends to repeat itself.

The original context of the phrase was a dramatic moment in history – the French Revolution, which was intended to cure many if not all of the social injustices, outrages and problems of the day.

However, after the Revolution, the situation for the common man and woman was essentially the same… ‘plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.’

One might draw some comfort from George Santayana’s oft-misquoted remark, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” in that there might be hope for some at least to remember the past and, who knows, to learn from it.

However, some it seems are incapable of such a feat of memory.

One would have thought that in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) especially there is more than sufficient reason to remember the recent past and learn from it. Indeed, as with the French Revolution, last year’s intervention by Britain in the affairs of the TCI was sought and welcomed by many TCIslanders to counter the social injustices, outrages and problems created by the territory’s elected government, then led by the now disgraced former premier, Michael Misick.

One of the more noteworthy complaints emanating from the TCI at the time was the level of official intimidation and resulting fear in speaking out on the part of residents. In fact, members of Britain’s Foreign Affairs Committee said they were “shocked and appalled” at the situation that then existed in the TCI, equating the level of repression there to that of China.

It is, therefore, quite astonishing that some of the very people that complained bitterly about the situation two or three years ago now seek to perpetuate it themselves… plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

On Friday, Caribbean News Now published an open letter from our regular op-ed columnist Anthony Hall, which took to task in no uncertain terms the current crop of politicians in the TCI.

We were subsequently informed by Mr Hall that, following publication of his letter, he was told by concerned family and friends in the TCI that senior members of the two local political parties – in a rare and possibly unique bipartisan approach – were threatening to "shut him up once and for all."

Of course, Mr Hall’s characteristically pointed response was a dismissive, "Who do they think they are, Michael Misick?"

We find it quite extraordinary that influential people in what should be an inherently prosperous territory that has to all intents and purposes been brought to its knees by similar inappropriate behaviour and attitudes of the previous elected administration could ever fail to learn from the mistakes and missteps of the recent past.

Regrettably, however, this apparent failure to learn merely serves to prove our point: the more things change, the more they stay the same.


Caribbeannewsnow Opinion-Editorial

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