Thursday, January 12, 2006

Stand Your Ground

By Marcus Mottley, Ph.D.

As we move deeper into the New Year, the critics of the Baldwin Spencer administration are gearing up for a concerted onslaught. Not only are the critics lining up to attack, other individuals have come together to form “spheres of influence” to pressure and manipulate the Government to adopt their agenda of financial gluttony.

My message to the Prime Minister is this:

Stand Your Ground
The wolves in sheep clothing have gathered around
Don’t Back Down
Stand Firm on Your Ground…

It is understandable that an opposition party will critique and criticize. It is understandable that opposition party members will “oppose” the policies of the government of the day. Now everyone knows… that the core members of this opposition could any day now be charged with serious crimes of gross gluttonousness and excessively greedy, criminal corruption while they were in public office. We know this. And they know this. We know that they are guilty. And they know that they are guilty. What is beyond my understanding is the crass boldness of these gluttonous thieves. Men who gave themselves the Peoples’ prime land for pennies and resold the same land not for pounds but for thousands of pounds… Men who received bribes from Piratical Privateers who operate in Antigua… now use those ill-gotten dollars to enrich themselves and masquerade as successful property owners and businessmen.

If these are the caliber of political opponents who critique and criticize the current government… then I say to the Cabinet….

Stand Your Ground…. Don’t Back Down!

Even more distressing than these tainted political opponents, are those who claim to want to support the new administration and have formed blocks and spheres of influence so that they can “capitalize” on the treasure trove of opportunities that they perceive to exist. These opportunists include Privateers of American and Middle Eastern origins and operatives with local business interests.

These are the ones who pose the most danger to the Baldwin Spencer administration. There are several reasons for this. First, there seems to be a vacuum of knowledge and experience within the administration in many critical areas of governance. Indeed, for the first several months, the new government fumbled around because of this apparent lack, because of the lack of files and clear paper trail (thanks to the corrupt politicians of the former administration), and because of poor preparation in the years leading up to the UPP’s success at the polls. Whatever the reasons for the vacuum of knowledge and experience, “supporters” appeared out of every ‘nook and cranny’ to “help” the new government.

Some of these ‘experienced and knowledgeable’ “supporters” had, of course, obtained their ‘experience and knowledge’ at the feet of, and in bed with, the ‘corrupt politicians’ of the last administration. Many of them had ‘wheeled’, ‘dealed’ and dined with the corrupt in high places. Many of them, leading up to the elections, had played both sides of the fence… hedging their bets… just in case. When the UPP won, they were in the right place, at the right time, with the right balance of capital, information and, of course, influence.

Now they seem to have the Baldwin Spencer administration in the palm of their gluttonous paws. Most of them sit in high places… officially and unofficially.

My message to the government is this…

For twenty plus years you formed a band
A tight ‘brotherhood’ to protect this, our land
Remember the lonely times when the ‘brotherhood’ fought together
Remember when you all but cried in despair on each other’s shoulder

Don’t let those privateering usurpers break that bond…
Don’t let money and influence destroy your historical union
Remember that your “nabel ‘tring” buried ya-so-so in this land…
Stand firm together with the ‘brotherhood’ that brought you to this position


The Baldwin Spencer administration swept into power with high promises of transparency, integrity and responsible fiscal policies. It is clear to me that they are valiantly attempting to hold fast to their promises. But, because of the wily dealings of the influential opportunists, the unity of the party behind the government, is beginning to crack. Many of these opportunists publicly give lip service to the principle of integrity, but privately, they say that now is their time. They claim they have suffered in exclusion for 28 years… and now they intend to reap the benefits of inclusion. And they pose a very serious threat to this government… because they can easily become the equivalent of those crassly bold, gluttonously greedy members and associates of the former administration…


Mr. Spencer….

Stand Your Ground
The wolves in sheep clothing
And the sheep in wolves clothing… have gathered around
Don’t Back Down
Stand Firm in Your Ground!