Bahama Pundit

The Generic & Genetic Make-Up of Bran’s DNA

by Simon

After the roll-out of the country’s latest third party, two things are clearer:  the generic nature of the Democratic National Alliance and the genetic make-up of the political character of its founder Branville McCartney.

Despite Mr. McCartney’s inability to resist the self-referential and narcissistic claim that it’s a Bran(d) new day, there is little original about the generic brand he is desperately peddling as new and exciting.  He will never have to worry himself with being considered an original thinker, nor for that matter, much of a thinker. 

Whether or not he purloined the lighthouse logo from an erstwhile ally, his green flavour, in only one sense of that word, was the party colour of the defunct Bahamian Democratic Party.  Green was the gloss Mr. McCartney used for much of his public relations even as an FNM, curiously painting his Bamboo Town headquarters green at one point.

Was it not always about Bran, with his mutable party colours, depending on whatever served his vaunting ambitions?  We have seen this before with those inveterate party hoppers cum political chameleons whose loyalty is to themselves, not to a party or cause larger than their personal ambitions.

The Third Party Merry-Go-Round

by Simon

Recently, after an 11-year odyssey, the leadership of the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) finally accepted political reality and disbanded, opting to join the Free National Movement. 

Meanwhile, the little known National Democratic Party (NDP) nearly imploded with recriminations flying back and forth between its leaders.  Most Bahamians have little idea of the NDP’s existence, what it stands for, and who are its leaders. 

So, it was bad news that the first time many people began to focus on that party, they found the NDP warring with itself and on the verge of political suicide.  The party had already lost its Leader, Dr. Andre Rollins, who eventually joined the opposition Progressive Liberal Party.  Curiously, one of the NDP’s current leaders noted that he never really left the PLP.  Go figure. 

Despite these events, newly independent Bamboo Town MP Branville McCartney seems destined to be the latest political figure to offer voters a ride on the third party merry-go-round.  These rotating carousels mostly found on playgrounds and at carnivals give the illusion of forward-movement typically simulating galloping horses that are decorative and brightly coloured.

The Third Rail of Bahamian Politics

by Larry Smith

The phrase "third rail" is an American political metaphor for an idea so charged that any politician who dares touch it will inevitably suffer the consequences.

Stepping on the third rail of an electric railway usually results in electrocution. Many consider the third rail in Bahamian politics to be a commitment to a new political party, and some feel that Bamboo Town MP Branville McCartney has just touched that deadly conduit.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First we have to consider why political parties exist at all.

They are, of course, linked to the extension of democracy. In The Bahamas, political parties evolved as voting restrictions based on property, race and gender were eliminated over the first half of the 20th century.

The question at hand is, why do some political parties wither and die while others take root and flourish? To find the answer we have to look at the historical context.

Religious Leaders & Political Involvement

by Simon

The temptation of religious leaders to become obsessed with political power and influence is older than the Christian Scriptures.   Among many others, Rev. Billy Graham warned pastors and prelates to be judicious in the manner in which they interact with political leaders. 

Speaking from painful experience, Rev. Graham reproves himself for often having become too cozy with political leaders.  He appreciates the array of compromises which often come from such coziness.  

Rev. Graham’s insight is part of a broader debate concerning the relationship between church and state.  The cliché that the church should stay out of politics begs many questions, some of which may be answered in distinctions often ignored in thought and action. 

The separation of church and state does not mean the separation of the church from the broader society, of which both church and state are integral parts.  How they relate to each other within that context is the real issue. 

Such separation does not mean isolation.  Instead, it provides a framework for cooperation, protecting against both theocratic impulses and the state discriminating against religious communities.

While many recall and recite the reference in the Constitution’s preamble of the country’s Christian heritage, that reference is more of an acknowledgement and celebration of this heritage. 

That poetry does not have the force of law found in the constitutional prose protecting religious freedom, which buttresses and safeguards the principle of the separation of church and state.

A Lesson on Propaganda

by Larry Smith

And now class, today we are going to talk about propaganda. Does anyone know what the word means?

It derives from the Latin for propagate, which means to multiply, reproduce or transmit. In this case, we are talking about spreading information.

What kind of information? Well, that is often hard to say. The key point to remember is that the information being presented will have an agenda. And in order to judge the value and quality of the information, you need to determine what that agenda is.

In a nutshell, propaganda uses loaded messages to produce an emotional response in support of an often hidden objective. And ever since the 1930s (when German and Soviet propaganda promoted state-sponsored genocide) the term has acquired a strong negative meaning - for good reason.

Branville McCartney’s Folly

by Simon

Former junior minister Branville McCartney’s decision to leave Prime Minister Ingraham’s cabinet under three years is still unfathomable to many Bahamians.  Just as his statements since his return to the backbench have proven baffling and contradictory, his stated reasons for leaving remain inexplicable.  He claims not to have left over a matter of policy. 

In parliamentary systems such as ours, cabinet experience is not a prerequisite for serving as prime minister. Still, it provides one of the best training cum proving grounds for the office.  Cabinet service is where a potential chief executive is observed and graded by multiple audiences, including the public at large.

In significant ways, ministers are more closely vetted by those who see them up- close, including civil servants and various national stakeholders.  They are sized-up by their party faithful and opposition parties.  There is relentless media scrutiny.  Yet, there is a smaller though no less critical audience a future prime minister has to impress. 

Bahamas, U.S. and China – Part 2

by Simon

The Bahamas enjoys what most Bahamians consider to be a special relationship with the U.S.  But, how mutual is that affection?  To be certain, the two countries share common borders, deep historic ties as well as economic, political and security interests.

Still, many Bahamians are dumbfounded at how poorly many American policymakers and federal legislators and their congressional and committee staffs grasp the history and development needs of one of the three democracies bordering the continental United States.

Bahamians do feel that there is shared goodwill between the American superpower and the small island Bahamian state.  However, only the very naive believe that America’s interests in The Bahamas arise mostly out of the goodness of its heart, a dangerous illusion policymakers cannot afford to entertain.

Despite a longstanding friendship, more Bahamians are beginning to feel increasingly taken for granted by the U.S., especially in light of our deepening ties with the People’s Republic of China. 

The Privilege of Voting

by Simon

One of the considerable privileges of democratic citizenship is the right to vote.  Its civic companions include equality and a charter of freedoms such as those of expression and association.   

Having attained the age of majority, every Bahamian citizen is entitled to one vote, a triumph of politics that resulted in the exercise of universal adult suffrage for the first time in 1962.  The old system of class privilege, property qualification and disenfranchisement of women had provided for some individuals to vote multiple times, relative to the property they owned in various constituencies, and others not to vote at all. 

Equality of voting was expanded to women in 1962.  It is a right that all Bahamian citizens enjoy no matter the circumstances of one’s birth, creed, race or ethnic origin, among others. 

A Bahamian in Search of Fidel

by Larry Smith

HAVANA, Cuba -- "So you wanted to visit before the country opens up and everything changes?" a 30-something tour guide asked me as we surveyed Havana's bustling historic quarter from the rooftop of a restored colonial mansion.

It was true, I suppose. I had come in search of Fidel - 50 years after his revolutionary triumph and an uncertain time before his death - to get a glimpse of life in what is probably the last true communist state. According to Fidel's brother Raul, who took over as president two years ago, "Cuba is the only country in the world where people can live without working." But there are plans to change all that.

Cuba is about to take the Chinese road to transform its economy and, not coincidently, to pay back billions in overdue Chinese loans. Last November, Raul Castro issued a 32-page document calling for a raft of reforms to save the revolution. ¨We are running out of time," he conceded. "If we don´t change things now, we will bring about the collapse of efforts by many generations.”

Another Watershed for Ingraham & Christie

by Simon

Hubert Ingraham arrived in China in a strong and enviable position.  Much of this comes from the office he holds as Prime Minister of a strategically-located Bahamas with diverse and impressive assets relative to our size. 

Moreover, a considerable amount of the Prime Minister’s strengthened position is rooted in his character and experience, including a combination of international experience and domestic credibility. 

The posture with which Mr. Ingraham has travelled to the emerging Chinese superpower is in obvious and stark contrast to the posture with which former Prime Minister Perry Christie would have made this journey.