The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am dismayed to see the way in which our country is being professionally manipulated right before our very eyes!

For quite some time now there has been ongoing contention over Bahamian land and various cruise ship conglomerates! The present situation with regard to Paradise Island properties and Crown Land has a Bahamian battling both “gubment” administrations for a piece of pie, whilst a “grabalicious” cruise line has sailed in to add more fuel to the fire by adopting a classic “battle” tactic of “divide and conquer”!

It seems as if we, the inhabitants of these fair isles, can’t win for losing. We continue to be treated like unappreciated “potcakes” - constantly being taken advantage of by outside forces who are intent on stripping us of our valuable patrimony with gubment’s blessings as they take to podiums whilst visions of dollar signs dance in their heads, to proudly spout off about the “jobs” - as few and fleeting as they are – that these so called developments will provide, and without fail, we fall – hook, line, and sinker - for all the dribble!

The most recent cruise line strategy has been to draw a line in the sand to pit the citizens of this country one against the other, based on petty partisan politics (another one of the dangerous scourges of these “politricksters”). They mobilised their top leadership to travel throughout the country on a massive PR exercise, utilising every conceivable media agency for interviews on radio, television, newspaper, and social media to market the benefits of their presence to our economy, never mind that the majority of the money raised directly from our Bahamian sun, sand, and sea sails right out of the country into their foreign coffers!

Meanwhile our citizens are lined up behind that line in the sand actively taking sides and arguing amongst ourselves! Step back Bahamas, and look at yourselves stupidly cutting off your noses to spite your face!

Even the large resorts have been welcomed into the fray. The country’s largest private employer took a bold stance in defence of the Bahamian environment as befits their corporate philosophy, but that has landed them smack dab in the crosshairs of the Department of Labour as Labour Day approaches.

Do we not see what is happening here? Whilst the “natives” squabble amongst themselves, the “conqueror” goes blithely about their wheeler dealer business. They can just sit back and watch the vitriol spew forth and run its course in time to attend their upcoming Town Meeting where heated heads will relay all the areas of contention - which information they will calmly gather and address in their new “updated” Environmental Impact Assessment to supposedly show that they have covered every environmental concern and contingency in order to lay claim to our land, thereby denying our children, and our children’s children their inalienable rights to their patrimony!

Do we need the cruise industry more than they need us and all of our unique and precious natural resources? Open your eyes, Bahamas, see what you lookin’ at, and protect what is ours!

PAM BURNSIDE

Nassau,

May 22, 2023