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I thought about all those farmers who had their land taken from them six years ago so that the Argyle airport can be built.
About 60 persons, many of them farmers, have still not been paid for their land. Farmers are dying, unable to afford medical attention, unable to properly afford to clothe and properly educate their children.
Then I thought about people like Bigger Bigs who had his business destroyed, and 60 workers piled on the scrap heap — families with children and babies unable to feed and support themselves.
Mr. Marcus De Freitas, who had his commercial property in Kingstown taken from him and still awaiting payment 10 years later.
De Freitas, a God-fearing and loving man, is on the receiving end of spite, malice, and hatred.
All those government workers fired from their jobs, because they asked for pay and expenses owed to them. More families with children, unable to feed and support themselves
I then thought about all the Vincentian brothers and sisters living and working in the diaspora, how they know exactly what is going on, they have read the evidence, heard the stories from their families, but say or do nothing. Some still support the government and watch the administration of hate, spite, malice, evil, but choose to remain cowardly neutral and say or do nothing to stop it.
Those of you in the diaspora, please, please, help us. We remain in your homeland suffering, whilst you are there comfortably watching. Would you sooner believe the lies and deceit? is it perhaps more convenient for you to do that?
Many of those in Saint Vincent who support Marxism know no different. You in the diaspora would never tolerate that where you live, so why curse us with it here. Please! Please! Help us! We remain in your homeland suffering, whilst you are there comfortably watching.
It brings to my mind a verse that Dante once said.
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.”
Peter Binose
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I don’t dispute your assertions but can’t believe that some of these people didn’t launch individual or collective legal action against the government long ago.
Please elaborate by providing hard evidence including the names of the people whose lands (and houses) were expropriated but never paid for.
Surely, with so many hungry lawyers in SVG willing to take cases either on a pro bono or contingency basis, this injustice should have reached the courts years ago.
And don’t tell me these people are afraid to sue the government because people do this all the time.
A man once said,that in order for evil to prevail, is for good people to sit back and do nothing about it. The people of svg wanted this,some of us in the diaspora also told our families how to vote, but we must remember, they got what they voted for. Now it’s up to them to change the direction in which svg is heading. Vote for country and not party, eventually we will get it right.
That’s interesting.
Tsah, long time no see. Great ‘hearing’ you in action. Weforum? Keep up the observation and commentary. SVG needs it most tremendously.
The only issue I have with you piece is the part about Neutral. The simple fact is when anyone tries to be neutral when wickedness is taking place and not say anything then they take the side of the oppressor by default. So there is no neutral in this case. Don’t worry Peter we getting rid of them, I have a big pot of dumplin,Manicou and Calalou to cook when they gone this election.
I can’t wait to see a lot of them in prison to make an example of anyone to come after that you can’t just abuse your office and power.
OWN THE JAIL.
People in the diaspora not so stupid. Their eyes are wide open and see through your aims clearly. This is why they turn out in very high numbers to hear the government representatives when they visit. When the Opposition party visits they do not care too much to hear the negativity. So hardly anyone turns out to the NDP’s events. They will not buy that marxist propaganda you spreading against the government. The diaspora gone past that long time. They see the revolution in housing, education, black people reparation movement, international airport, foriegn policy, community centers, YES programme, elderly care programme, new hospitals been built, and many many more. They the Opposition NDP in pure confusion with hate, malice, revenge, lies, deceit, mischief, and ah whole heap more. Oh what ah mess, so much stupidness by the Opposition NDP. You think Vincentians in the Diaspora ah idiots. No way. Wheel and come again Peter. DIASPORA EYES WIDE OPEN!
Fitz, What new hospital? You must be in a dream state. I sentence you to get sick or injured and go to the hospital. It is still languishing in the last century. You should experience it first hand and then comment. Someone must have lied to you. There is no new hospital.
I’ve been living in the US for the past 24 years, I came here when I was 16 years old and I could not disagree with the author of this article. Just because one is living in another foreign country does not mean we’re sitting on our hands while misery is in SVG.
For starters, I might disagree with the Prime Minister on about 55% of the issues, but this is not the way you go about trying to make change. I don’t hear Americans complaining about other Americans living in foreign countries, and I don’t EVER hear about the millions of foreigners living here been complained by those in their perspective countries.
I would like to know if the author has lived in another country besides SVG. What are you doing to help your country men from inside SVG? It’s easier to look from the inside and complain about folks on the outside, but change always come from WITHIN and not from the OUTSIDE.
For someone who keeps talking about MARXISM, you sure are practicing what MARXISM is about. Where is the self reliance?
This letter sounds like Peter in desperation now his party catching hell. Please, please, help us we remain in your home land suffering…shut your stupid mouth Peter! The only people suffering in SVG are NDPites; because of Arnhim and his useless bunch. Most Vincentians at home and abroad already know what going on, and refuse to be swayed by these followers of Grouch Marx and their Marxism which is a pact ah comedians. But the real Marx strikes fear in their hearts and leave them in confusion as to what direction to take. I say continue downhill NDP, you almost reach the bottom.
Ben-DAVID, everyone got paid for their houses, a few selected ULP got paid for their lands. Almost all never got paid for their lands, their only source of income. I know the names of all those that haven’t been paid and some of them have asked me not to broadcast their names because they are fearful of the repercussions. I will give one name away because there is little more they can do to him, they have already destroyed him, Junior Bacchus, he has lands and hasnt been paid. Now that a high profile man. Their is a German Canadian Vincentian, but the majority are East Indian Vincentians.
I know that a number of them approached several lawyers and could not get anyone to take it on. The lawyers are even frightened about the possible fallout. The land owners are all frightened that if they rock the boat they will receive the same treatment as Marcus DeFreitus. You know David I cannot give out the peoples names and put them in physical and political danger. If they want to give out their names, let them do so. I have no right or permission to do so. I have been hammering this home for years now, you may have noticed that the PM and the IADC havent said a word in rebuttal.
Comrade Fitz, why not comment on the content instead of giving a list of things that are a basket of deception and lies.
1/ The reparations are a fraud and an insult to our ancestors, and more so an insult to us who are alive today.
2/ I dont ask them to buy anything, the Marxist expose is free no charge and its a fact.
3/ Revolution in housing, what revolution in housing? They have built some houses which they call low income housing, EC$45,000 and up in price, in SVG thats middle income with a job housing, a poor person could not afford $4,500 let alone $45,000. How do you expect a family with no member working to get a mortgage?
They have built some other houses for people whos property was destroyed in the Christmas floods. Other people than the government paid for them, the government pretended they gave them. Besides that the floods were many times worse because the government failed for 14 years to follow reports and advice to install river defences, had they have done so there may have been no loss of life. The government are complicit in the loss of life and property.
4/ New hospitals, what new hospitals. They are building a hospital at Georgetown that will be manned by Cuban doctors and nurses. It is being built in the volcano eruption danger area. If we have an eruption it will have to be evacuated, that is if anyone is still alive after the hot and poisonous gas gets to them. They will need to be evacuated by road because no ship or boat can land at Georgetown because of the rough Atlantic sea there. During all past eruptions boulders some the size of your head have rained down all over Georgetown and the roads. A huge blanket of ash covers the area up to three foot deep. Anyone with a respiratory problem will be dead in a few minutes. Besides all that the hospital is five years behind schedule and at a standstill because of funding. There are number of small clinics and the Milton Cato hospital in Kingstown. The clinics have no dressings, drugs or medications, they are bringing shame on the decent people who are trying to run them without proper funding, and in some cases no funding at all. As for Kingstown, the hospital is dirty and has no drugs, dressings, medicines. Half the time there is no working scanner or Xray machine. Sometimes there are no bed sheets or pillow cases. People having to bring there own medical supplies from pharmacies from all over Kingstown, because it is most probable the no one pharmacy has everything you need for your loved one. Secondary infections that kill are common and prevalent at the hospital. They chop off more feet than any other hospital in the Caribbean. They call Kingstown the foot-off capital of the Caribbean. Where does the PM and his family go for treatment, London, Cuba, Barbados, they no better than to risk it.
6/ The only hate, malice, and pure evil comes from our Marxist government. I wont go into that now because its another ten pages.
And you comrade Fitz have the audacity to come here and repeat and read from your book of policy lies after all the crap that has gone on in the New York mission.
Sorry Kenton, but these propagandist collaborators make me angry.
Peter i know where you are coming from, however there is very little if anything that the ” Vincentian brothers and sisters living and working in the diaspora “can do about those that sells their vote for galvanize ,cement , blocks ,rum , cigarette or just plain hope ,hope that being seen at the front of the stage or making a lot of noise will get them something better in the end , further anyone can preach what they want but i will not hear them because i believe that the last election was not free from dirty tricks by comered and party and i certainly believe the same thing will happen once again , it is also clear that not only in the diaspora but also in svg itself people are sitting on their hands while turncoats show up at every doorstep and corner .There are many out there that is willing to help but what are those on the ground ( not the party officials ) doing ? where are their hands and who can we trust when we try or want to help ? frank ?? .
Since Human Rights Lawyer Margaret Parsons reported Ralph’s sexual assault to the authorities in Canada. Ralph is afraid to set foot in Canada. And that is a good thing because the consulate office knows fully well that the majority of Vincentians residing in Canada are disgusted with the downward spiral in SVG at the hands of The ULP Government and attributes the blame for the nations suffering squarely on the shoulders of Ralph Gonsalves and his team. ULP is not fooling any Vincy Canadian, no matter what they try or who they send in their consulate office. Vincentians in Canada will jump and help out we Vincy families back home whenever we can. We Vincy Canadians feel the pain of our people and wish we can do more. Giving a man a fish every time he is hungry is only temporarily helping the situation. We have to help the people to help themselves, restoring their sense of pride by restoring their independence. One way to do this is by getting the farmers motivated to get back to the land by securing markets abroad. Giving incentives to encourage investment in agro based industries. SVG is blessed with such fertile soil we have to make the effort to try to feed our selves with food from the land and stop believing the lies that processed imported food is better than home grown. We are blessed with seas rich in fish, and our rich volcanic soil is second to none. Lets value our assets and take pride in restoring our country one belly full at a time from we own land. We in the diaspora will send the other necessities like clothes, shoes and books for the children . Please me Vincy people it is time we take pride in feeding ourselves from our own land. Forget bout that big belly fool and plant up we land again. He nah help nobody but himself. Be smart!!!! Its time we help ourselves.
Thanks for the self help, production and lieral “roots” parts of your contribution above, Camille. Shows a lot of depth and foresight. We CAN increasingly return to producing more of our CLOTHING and TEXTILES, too. Our soil is primed for a return to SEA ISLAND COTTON,- – – with due care exerted to mitigate any negative aspects by vigorous alternating CROP ROTATION. Solid attention fo cottage industry upward linkages and small/ light to medium industrial manufacture. Then, pay like attention to SILK PRODUCTION, in addition to synthetic materials. Animal husbandry and leather craft ought also to be greatly expanded.
Any cursory look at the UNO agencies’ reports, UNDP, FAO, UNICEF, etc., tell a frightening story of stubbornly increasing food security problems, famine and starvation [in concert with near universal decline in actual food supply nutrients] – – – NOT JUST IN SUDAN or SOUTH SUDAN.
To a very great extent, FOOD IS THE MATERIAL FUTURE.
But, some wag saying recently that we go EAT the would-be ‘education’, instead. I have been involved in the education business or service from even before I came of age, and as a result I can safely tell you that MODERN ‘EDUCATION’ IN DECIDEDLY NOT ANY TANGIBLE SUBSTITUTE FOR FOOD.
The globe is experiencing a meteoric rise in appalling shortages in POTABLE WATER AND FOOD. SVG simply MUST, first, target national sufficiency, THEN go much further in PRODUCING MASSIVE SURPLUSES in strenuoius efforts to CAPITALIZE ON SUCH IMPENDING AND DEVELOPING SHORTAGES.
Camille, we were at crucial times in our SVG history THE VIRTUAL BREAD-BASKET OF THE BRITISH WEST INDIES. From our largesse and cornucopia we readily, capably, supplied TRINIDAD, BARBADOS, and even the LEEWARDS.
THIS past agricultural or GARDENING excellence was, in part, a marvelous result of our strong agricultural CULTURE as A DIRECT SPIN-OFF OF THE BREADFRUIT AND OTHER ‘EXOTIC’ CROPS BROUGHT TO OUR BEAUTIFIC CARIBBEAN SHORES BY THE BRITISH NAVY, including Captain Bligh of PROVIDENCE and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY fame.