by Edward Hutcheson
Who are we comparing the Leader of the Opposition to when we make attempts to judge what a credible leader should look like? Perhaps that is the problem with the grid we are using. He is supposed to look or talk a particular way. The historical period that we are all a part of informs us that fellas who look like leaders, talk like leaders and fit a particular superficial profile do not necessarily qualify as leaders when they have to make choices for “all” of the people they lead. They may offer a particular advantage to those who are near and dear to them through numerous political or social connections but they do not articulate effective leadership.
The late Lynden Oscar Pindling set the standard in the early years for what leadership should look like, but in his latter terms he failed miserably. It is ironic that in the last great leadership struggle when the current Prime Minister sought to put down the then Leader of the Opposition, the moment that Mr.Ingraham compared Mr.Christie to Mr.Pindling, every mouth went quiet, and no matter how any of us felt about the first Prime Minister of this Nation we had to admit that for the time when he lead this nation effectively he set the standard for what leadership should look like.
If we look at the track record of Hubert Minnis as Minister of Health in the Ingraham administration there is enough evidence to support the conclusion he has set the standard as our most effective health administrator to date; I do not know if the current Prime Minister would want to query this since he also held that office in a former Pindling administration.
However, I will admit that the Bahamian public does have a problem with the way that the FNM administrations go about the business of governance; they do not seem to care how the public feels if there is something that has to be done. They need to use some of the “nice tactics” so adeptly used by the current Prime Minister. We do not seem to mind when the job is finished and we are reaping the benefits, like being able to drive from east to west. We are a nice people, but we allow our niceness to get in the way of what we need to be done. Perhaps this is the fear that we have of the good doctor; the fear that he will operate on the problems that we have accepted as normal for too long. While his opponents want to give us a soothing word or comfort us in our numerous lethargies with all the help that they can muster by way of the Public Treasury, he is proclaiming another message that some of us do not want to believe; that this Bahamas can fend for itself and Bahamians have enough sense to create ventures that produce a profit.
In a couple of months we are going to experience for ourselves what “new business” does as investors show up – these persons will not be here at the invitation of the government. There are many groups who see the data stream between the East coast of the United States and the Caribbean as an opportunity. The selling of BTC set the stage for the liberalization of the local communications industry, and also provided a wake up call for the BTC employees because it also set the stage for direct competition between BTC and Cable Bahamas. I can interject right here that I believe the BTC staff is aware of their situation, because I had a problem with my internet and it was handled quicker than I expected; a BTC technician checked with me twice, just to make sure everything was working.
Perhaps Mr.Ingraham knew what he was doing, or may be it was just something he did, but when the ball begins to roll as we reach the Summer months we may have to credit our economic good fortune to a man we voted out of Office last year.
We all agree that Perry Gladstone Christie is not Hubert Alexander Ingraham or Lynden Oscar Pindling, but we are having a problem with the other Hubert and we are not having the problem because we think he is nice. The problem we have with him is that he stares us in the face and tells us what he sees. Perhaps, just maybe, we are coming of age in this 40 year period where we will be looking at things as they are; and not allow those who lead to tell us what we want to hear, the things that make comfortable. Growth is not without its obstacles and for us to get from where we are to where we know we should be as a nation we are going to have to make choices, hard choices; putting niceness aside.
We may not like the way that some in the media are attempting to present Hubert Alexander Minnis and we will have to make this be our problem; we have to look at what he has accomplished and how he has represented the interests of this Nation and then make that choice. Ultimately, we the people will pay the bills, we may not get what we pay for but we will pay for whatever it is that we get and right now we are beyond giving anyone a chance who has not “proven” that he can lead. I see this is the point of separation between Mr.Minnis and all of the other contenders.
April 22, 2013
I think what we need is a leader who is in business & knows that they have to stop hacking business to death with taxes.I am just sick & tired of the lawyer/doctor parliament.I really don’t think if someone has not been in or is in their own business they should be anywhere close to parliament & their track record shows it.The FNM & the PLP are not very business friendly at all & they think all in business are multi-millionaires who have enough money so lets just take some more.We need a business leader,not a slick talking oh promise me politician.All we seem to have are professional liars,that can not be denied.
Too right, Dennis
Niceness not required but we would welcome commercial acumen and a real appreciation for actually running a business. Indeed, it ought to be a preprequisite (c.f. the status quo).
P.S. I’m no Romney supporter but it would have been interesting to see how he would run the US …
Why do we always seem fail to have competent leadership at the national level?? Perhaps it may be more apparent than we believe when we think about the highly structured nature of the Bahamian political system more commonly known as the Westminster System..
Under the Westminster System, national leadership in the Bahamas is based on leadership at the political party level and is entirely focused on the goals and objectives of the political party.. This focus has been the guiding light of every Prime Minister since Independence.. The nation’s National Interest is entirely subordinated to the interests of the ruling political party and then to the individual interests of party politicians and their supporters.. Political decisions are made in the interests of the party politicians which more often than not may run counter to our National Interest and benefit of the country in its entirety..
Unfortunately our system of government does not nurture and foster leadership that acts in our country’s National Interest.. Party politics becomes the government force with the all important National Interest playing only a secondary roll in the governance and direction of our country.. We see this today reflected in the piecemeal way that our country has been governed where political promises dominate the government’s agenda with little thought being given to what is the best interest of our country..
S3S there is one thing I’m sure of, Romney would have done a superior job in running the country, at least he has experience & a great track record in running things which the great Obama does not. Now Obama & his left wing liberal nuts want to implement a new tax called “The marketplace fairness act”.What? Are you kidding me, where the hell has America gone to? How long before Christie pulls this one out to ?
Please,someone find another Ronald Regan somewhere.A man for less taxes & smaller government,that is what the world needs right now.Then & only then will you see a turn-a-round.
Good point Dennis.. Romney’s vision was shaped by the National Interest and what would be in the best interest of the United States as a whole.. Obama and his whole Cabinet have no interest other than the ideology of social utopianism, equal outcomes and social justice.. Individual justice just doesn’t count any more.. That is the was it is and what they want for the future..
Guided by ideology instead of best interest,so true Tradewinds.On top of that they could care less about their own country under the guise of “Oh we care so much about you”.Horse-nanny they do not give a hoot & those who can see it know it,the rest are just drinking the Kool-aid as they say.The blind leading the blind,what a mess.
One final comment S3S about Mitt Romney seems to be appropriate.. When Obama was first elected President, he immediately appointed himself as chief investment officer and head portfolio manager for the United States.. Within just three years he had lost well over a billion dollars in so-called green investments, many that showed little if any promise of success when the investments were being made.. Oh well what the hell, it was only the taxpayer’s money and as Obama loves to say he “had no skin in the game..”
In contrast, Mitt Romany’s Bain Capital invested risk capital and made hundreds of millions of dollars for its investors as well as himself.. In addition, these investments created tens of thousands of productive jobs, sold off non-producing, unproductive assets and structured productive assets to yield higher returns on invested capital.. What this terrific track record demonstrated was the inherent economic strengths of capitalism in a free market environment.. The combination of intelligence, knowledge and experience paid off handsomely for not only Bain Capital investors but for America as a whole.. As for Obama his track record of across-the-board failures speaks volumes of his economic mismanagement and overall incompetence.. But then I guess that was George Bush’s fault.. For after all in Obama’s mind its always someone else who is to blame or at fault..
In years to come Mitt Romney can manage my money anytime I might be so fortunate as to qualify.. As for Obama, he can go organize some less fortunate community, but please keep your foolish hand out of the public’s purse..
When you cannibalize the Governmental system and supplant it with Rule by personality,
what right minded fool would step up and participate?
Our two political parties cannibalize themselves within their own ranks,
destroy private citizens who dare to speak to issues at hand,
serve special interests to the detriment of the general population,
And are blatantly incompetent.
We flick between the not so noble dictator and the Blithering idiot who lets his flock run a muck.
Behind all of this is a Civil service morphed into self protectionism exercising power when they have none!
We are our own worst enemy, and we are suffering and will suffer the consequences of our own negligence as citizens.
This state of affairs exists because we either a) benefit from it or buy into the 5 year cycle of it, or b) refuse to speak to it and blindly accept it.
Tradewinds you could not have said that better,right on the money so to speak !