EDITOR, The Tribune.
The political framework of The Bahamas is stubbornly rudimentary, to the extent that Bahamians with a low IQ can comprehend the basics of politics. This has been the case since the iteration of the Bay Street Boys in the United Bahamian Party in the 1950s when few Black Bahamians had a high school and tertiary education. With the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party, candidates during the election season are rarely called upon by the overwhelming majority of the voting population to roll up their sleeves and articulate their party's campaign platform and proposed policies. For the average candidates of the two main political organisations, campaigning, especially in the Blackbelt communities, can hardly be described as a rough sledding process.
That's because the average Bahamian, caught up in the euphoria of the rallies and the election season, typically leave their brains at the door of the convention centre where a political event is being held. Politicians know that the way to a typical Bahamian voter's heart is through his stomach. That's why free food, free drinks and free entertainment are provided at most political events for those in attendance. To the politician, this is a tacit reciprocal process, which is aimed at persuading the electorate to vote a certain way, which is manipulative and condescending to the people he wants to vote for him. This reciprocity reminds the writer of the shrewd strategy used by members of the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon and the Family International cult organisation of David Berg.
Both cults are notorious for showering prospective recruits with love and attention, while they shrewdly avoid divulging what their groups actually teach. While the average Bahamian is hardly on the radar of certain politicians, he is made to feel important during the campaign season. I have witnessed with my own eyes drug addicts and riff-raffs wearing political paraphernalia while in the company of prominent political henchmen in the lead-up to election - individuals they otherwise would've never had the opportunity to mingle with. It is time that Bahamians wise-up and demand that this archaic form of politics be abandoned, as it is an insult to our intelligence.
KEVIN EVANS
Freeport,
Grand Bahama.
April 7, 2021.
Comments
sheeprunner12 3 years ago
So, Kevin Evans ........ What is the way of the Bahamian voter to get through to the heart of the Bahamian politician????? ............... Answer that Million Dollar question, please........
hrysippus 3 years ago
This prolific letter writer has never let facts get in the way of his opinions but although the PLP was formed in the 1950's was not the UBP not formed until the 1960's? Does anyone know more definitevely than me or the letter writer?
BONEFISH 3 years ago
The United Bahamian Party was formed in 1958. Contrary to the belief of many bahamians, the PLP was formed by three mixed race men. The late Sir Henry Taylor, the late William Cartwright and the late Cyril Stevenson. Bahamian history and civics was not really taught much when I was in school.
sheeprunner12 3 years ago
HM Taylor was a poor white man who campaigned on his horse from one end of Long Island to the other with no resources - but spreading his philosophy of rural empowerment and importance of education for the commonfolk ........ He defeated a well entrenched Bay Street Boy in 1949 when universal male suffrage was first used ....... he was a co-founder of the PLP in 1953 .......... he lost his seat in 1956 ......... the rest of his political life was sealed .......... Read his memoir & the PLP 1953 platform ......... Any wannabe Bahamian politician should first do that
tribanon 3 years ago
Taylor like many Long Islanders was a mixed Bahamian and there's absolutely no need to hide that fact.
JokeyJack 3 years ago
Everyone on the street knows a ballot is worth $200. That's it. All this talk about democracy is simply rubbish. The boxes are locked in the bowels of the Parliamentary Registrar building away from the view of the irrelevant and worthless public.
tribanon 3 years ago
It doesn't even take B$40 million to 'buy' a national general election in today's Bahamas. The outcome of our next general election will therefore easily be 'bought' by representatives of the sinister and ruthlessly evil Xi Jinping-led Communist Chinese Party. They will be financially backing the crossing of the finish line first by the most corrupt horse in the race.....the same one they secretly bank-rolled to win back in May 2017. lol
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