Thursday, September 2, 2010

Caribbean unity urged to stop IMF

Posted by Editor on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 in

David Commissiong

David Commissiong

By RON FANFAIR

Like voracious vultures circling helpless prey, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the forces it represents are preparing to impose a severe austerity program on the Caribbean, many of whose citizens are already submerged in poverty, warns Pan Africanist, lawyer and Barbadian politician, David Commissiong.

To make matters worse, he said, Caribbean leaders have displayed an unwillingness to want to work together to form a political and economic union to attempt to alleviate the crisis.

The global financial meltdown has contributed to negative economic growth in many Caribbean countries whose economies are based on tourism and off-shore financial and business services.

The IMF recently agreed to lend Jamaica US$1.25 billion over 27 months while the governments of Antigua & Barbuda and St. Vincent & the Grenadines have approached the international lending agency for financial support.

Commissiong noted there was a TT$18.9 billion decline in government revenues in Trinidad & Tobago which has one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean, and tourism - Barbados' principal revenue earner - decreased by nine per cent last year.

He also said the Barbados government has been advised by the IMF, with whom they are in consultation, to raise the island's value added tax from 15 to 17 per cent, reduce the government wages bill which translates into public sector lay-offs and sell government assets.

"Austerity programs are designed to destroy all the mechanism structures for our people's development and upliftment and keep them enmeshed in poverty and underdevelopment," Commissiong said at a public lecture last Friday night at the University of Toronto. "If we in the Caribbean continue to be satisfied with economies based on tourism and off-shore financial and business services, we will remain forever vulnerable to those kinds of policies and we will not be in a position to resist them. If we wish to avoid that future, we have to come together in a collective."

The U of T Caribbean Studies Program and the Global Afrikan Congress (Canada) sponsored the lecture whose theme was "The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Caribbean and the IMF and Reparations".

Acting on behalf of the People's Empowerment Movement (PEM) party established four years ago, Commissiong said he wrote to Caribbean heads of government and opposition party leaders last year proposing a meeting to design and agree on an appropriate political and economic response to the global financial crisis that he sensed was going to have a devastating effect on the region.

He said Barbados' Prime Minister David Thompson and St. Vincent & the Grenadines opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Arnhim Eustace were the only Caribbean political leaders who responded to the invitation.

"I did not get a serious response," said Commissiong, a former head of the Barbados government's Pan-African Affairs Commission. "The Caribbean, in my opinion, has been badly served by its political leadership, certainly over the last 30 years or so. We seem to have a political class with very limited vision...We are still extremely vulnerable and dependent economies and as long as we remain separate and individual small island states, that's going to be our fate.

"If we insist on this 'going alone' approach, we are going to be picked off one by one and all of us are going to fall into the IMF hands. It's only a matter of time...Political and economic union is the only alternative.

"If we came together in a political union with one central government, a national bank and a new common currency for the entire region that will be issued in the first instance in the form of virtually interest-free loans to territorial governments to be used not for white elephant projects and not to go into the pockets of politicians, but to be used exclusively for building new industries and new structures of production, things that will be impossible as a single territory become possible once we are now talking about a collection of territories and a political union."

Commissiong invited scholars and activists from Canada to attend the fifth Assembly of Caribbean People in Barbados August 3-8. He said delegates are compelled to come up with solutions to address the problems facing the region.

 

Anonymous wrote 30 weeks 3 hours ago

I have no idea why the other

I have no idea why the other Caribbean countries aren't attending this assembly, because this is what is needed right now to keep the Caribbean from sinking into the endless abyss of debt.

Anonymous wrote 28 weeks 1 day ago

I write in response to the

I write in response to the article written by Ron Fanfair 03/02/10 titled Caribbean Urged to stop IMF, in which the Global Afrikan Congress Plenipotentiary Ambassador was giving his views objecting to the CARICOM jumping on the band wagon of IMF loan seekers.
To be blunt it must be noted in this current time particular in the mist of the:
• Financial Earthquake crisis (smoke screen to blow you of course for Reparations)
• Haiti earthquake crisis
• My parents country is still suffering from the aftermath shock and impact of the very first IMF loan it took under the Shagari/Reagan/Thatcher era and regimes

So called strings attached to the Infiltrating Murdering Fraudsters (IMF) led to the:
1. Destruction of Education
2. Destruction of a previously viable health system
3. Removal of Price control on consumable goods (created unprecedented wave after wave of inflation.)
4. Devaluation of the Naira
5. Drastic loss of jobs, up till now never recovered

Why do I know this from personal experience, there are no advantages to getting this loan, none what so ever, and it gets worst not better, as some of the loop holes in the strings attached to the loan, gives the IMF a right in how you run your country (this is not Reparations), during this period do not expect them to tell you to fix any infrastructures, as part of the options available is to award contracts to their affiliated companies. Also expect your exports to increase due to the devalued home based currency with imports crippling your foreign reserves (bearing in mind you have no real Gold reserve to back up your currency, neither will they encourage you to buy some, now is this making sense from a lay mans perspective, from what we duly analyse about the current financial woes of many Caribbean countries, African Countries, as well as Latin American).

My personal experience relates to probably just about less than a year in the SAP, a coup took place to get rid of the then 2ND Civilian Government since the time of President Nnamdi Azikwe, was a Pan African like the then President of Ghana Kwame Nkruma this was an era and Tafawa Balewa whom Presided over the country as Prime Minister. Fast forward to the mid 80’s, several coups later, with a bloodied history of dead leaders strewn along the way. A brash 3 star general entered into our compound, we welcomed him, as we were all thinking how important are we, to warrant a visit from the newly appointed Military Governor Oladipo Diya from Odogbolu;

It is true that the global financial meltdown has contributed to the negative economic growth in not just the Caribbean but also in many Sub-Sahara African Countries, the worst part is many have still yet to benefit from any IMF loan.

All African Leaders, truly African leaders from the Western hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere need to consider changing their position from beggars to Underwriters, if the truth be told one side feeds the world and all major industries with raw mineral resources whilst the other or provider doubles as prisons for Nubians and holiday paradise resort for the others. Which brings us to the point elaborated in the Whirlwind Issue pg 6-7 in which a wealth strategist pronounced “majority of our leaders are what I call puppets” and if I may expand on that they work according to the agenda that works not for their people, with the fear of not wanting to overturn the master apple cart this being the following auspices IMF, WB, the wealth strategist goes on to pinpoint with accuracy that “they are really administrators for the banksters and they go along with the banksters” my italic for emphasis to describe a combination of gangsters and bankers i.e. the G7 inexplicably

For a country whose majority live in perpetual poverty of which only a handful have the privilege of fully comprehending and understanding the complexities and fundamentals of strings attached to IMF loans, plus its Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) as it was this I read that lead our household to embark on hoarding products.

Therefore I would personally state clearly to all African Leaders in both the Caribbean and Motherland particularly in the Sub-Sahara regions, do not be deluded by these fabricated loans, as you are only forwarding the agenda of a false economy, which is part of the Bamboozle effect, neither be lulled into a false sense of security that you are liked that is why this body the IMF is granting you a loan, Reparations should be the target as par repairing not destroying the flimsy creaking at the seams economy that is on the brink of collapse. Lets bare the face of the beast and simply say it as it is IMF loan is like a snake with a trident like tongue which is worst than a forked tongue.

Only reason why consultation is taking place and going on is because IMF are financial spies, in the corridors of black power (or to reduce the emergence of black power globally) to wield negative influence over the leadership as always over all developing nations be it Latino or Nubian, as you can see nobody on one hand has made good from these loans, on the other hand you can see nobody bothers with them in certain areas. Remember everything is everything; their duty first and foremost is to make sure you come back for another like a crack addict addicted to crack.

Part of their strategy is also to frustrate you into believing the pursuance of Reparations is impossible as long as they hold the purse strings of the world, holding the rest of us to ransom based on their supremacist agenda to forward their imperialistic agenda which has been in place for the past 5 centuries there is no denying that slavery, colonization was part of that racist triangular trade, which led to you being where you are now as a people and as a race scattered and at the bottom of the financial ladder.

Anybody who has a system that starves you and does not serve all peoples interest is not only racist undercover but also abusing your human rights and that is not ethical business under any circumstances, you therefore allowing it to manifest and fester under so called loans and terms means you as leaders are guilty of treason of the highest order. Imagine increment of VAT, privatization (guess who advices what to sell, guess who brings the buyer,) i.e. buying of your Airspace, Rivers, and a lot of your most prime and fertile land.

Considering my crude way as an ambulance chaser and advocate, surely you should be enlightened enough to know, look around let one just one country that is a success story from any IMF loan, none whatsoever can be found, this brings us to the ‘limited vision’ means you do not see beyond the white mans system, also you have the fear of the future which you have been programmed to be scared of by advance strategy and tactics used by the others not to see beyond the £$€¥. It is full time you stop being misguided, let me cite a good example the mere loan that you want is being shared by bankers as bonus, imagine if you were to build your own real bank, would you need a loan? “Analyst expect BarCap’s total bonus pool to hit £2.3b” this the article in yesterdays Evening Standard (ES), states it will be shared between “The 23,000 staff at Barclays Capital will receive an average bonus of £100,000”. (Nick Goodway: pg; 35, 16/02/10). Compare this to a loan to Jamaica US$1.25b over a period of 27 months, over £2b for 23,000 in one go bonuses and the former for a nation of millions; the history of this financial institution is also steeped deep in the core of the problems that Nubians face not to forget Lloyds of London.

This does not deduce from the facts that merit another quick snippet from another article from last year by Angela Knight: “Bonuses did not cause the crunch time to move on” what she fails to realise is that bankers have been the destructive force from the 19th century after the scramble for Africa took place in Berlin, as Africa started to emerge from the shackles of slavery into the new deeper fierce psychological virus called colonization, so surely we should move on from loan applicant to underwriters, which brings me to mention Angela Knight is the Head Honcho of the British Bankers Association. (The independent 15/10/09)

Our Ambassador Plenipotentiary David Commissiong of Global Afrikan Congress (GAC) advice is splendid and wonderful, I therefore commend the mettle of his warrior stance, to encourage other leaders whom have been given a mandate by ballot to create a better economic environment and infrastructure to and for the betterment of the people, as IMF loan will have a drastic impact on a fragile economy, also it would not be wise for all countries to go down in a domino effect as it has been since the 70’s till now. They must show restraint and willingness to work together for Reparations instead, this is within their right under the UN Human Rights. To take again from the Whirlwind Issue 7 “if you look at the countries that are in so called debt, you have to ask yourself how they got in debt and whether the debt actually exists. I would say those Afrikan countries that are in so called debt really don’t have a debt” the refusal by leaders to be world leaders and reverse roles or trade places has caused a lot of stagnation across the continent of Afrika, imagine only one African leader has a vision of creating jobs Jacob Zuma, even if it is rhetoric, I praise him not, but that is what should be expected nothing less, at least have a vision bright not dim, let us stop living other peoples dreams which for centuries has been an unprecedented nightmare with floods of our ancestors blood, yes we still starve due to lack of food in the most fertile land in the Universe Galaxay or world.

Vehicles for a Central Government have already been put in place, it is now time for that accord, one voice the word, no clashing of swords, assume it’s a 2012 Nubian Ark, every Nubian Boards, right now is the time to tie those ties, pull down those flags of convenience that over your office flies. Therefore a merger between AU and CARICOM should be a major target for August as the GAC Germany Chapter Facilitator Yonas Endrias has organised a meeting to coincide with the Historical Meeting titled the Scramble for Africa/Berlin Conference 1884-1885, this reverse which will be attended by Glenroy Watson UK Secretary, Chairperson Mother Gee Bernard and Mother Martha Osahon all also attended the Geneva conference that was hijacked last April dubbed the Durban II. This meeting is taking place 25-28 of February 2010 in Berlin, this could be used as a platform to chide the leaders and evaluate what would be an opportunity to invoke a reverse energy of that era, i.e. spell breaking good example one of the invited panellist Bro Omowale’s theme is “Afrikan Freedom means defeating Neo-Colonialism” this is a Kwame Nkruma stance with logic, and since this is Black History Month (whereby we remember our heroes and heroines,)North America and Caribbean it makes for another historical, this they should attend in advance before the one detailed for August.

Also a new designed City for Haiti, (template Abuja). Also Reparations needs to be discussed in terms of repairs, where we put investments for infrastructure this is not an Utopian dream, any one who says it is not possible count them amongst you very new enemies, if they are partakers in any Multi-national begin to look at that very entity as one of those things you will buy first, so they will understand what goes up must come down, like a fruit they are over ripe so gravity therefore takes place, Reparations is for Advancing Nubian Countries out of it the poverty.

Reparations is not for stealing it is for rebuilding mentally, financially, spiritually example Hospitals health (jobs), Education School all level (jobs) Roads Good transport (jobs) Housing Shelter (Jobs) Diplomacy Network (Jobs) Industrial/Intelligence Technological Economic Global (Jobs and Fortification defense). Remember the western financial institutions will tell you this is where you need to lapse if you need a loan, forget the loan go for Reparations straight on give them a miss, let them vilify you, hello you were once colonized that is the highest form of vilification as they abused you, they also stole from you work out the maths so it cannot get any worst than being a slave. Do the opposite to IMF and this all makes for a healthy mentally balanced Army Troops Battalion, Regiments, Squadron and Fleets of people or race ready for global government, so those ties across the globe we need to smoothly legally bond bind and cement, freedom of speech it is their right to comment, it is ours to put a stop to our Human Rights being abused oh and this is 5 centuries late.

Here is something from one of my favourite columns in the FT dated 16/02/10 “Sovereign debt sustainability was an exercise investors used to impose (my italics for emphasis) regularly on emerging markets. It was also a staple of the International Monetary Fund.” To effectively understand their use of impose and staple informs the advanced reader of pegging advancement it further goes on to state clearly as follows “The equations can be complex” as in how to bamboozle the finance minister from either an emerging economy or third world economy, the familiarity and gusto in which these are phrased is for a systematic euro/western cronyism or better still those whose words are the benchmark of whom has to face the staple as in the last paragraph it goes thus “Valid criticism can be made about the numbers used in any model. (Mostly their models; which have been perfected.) A bigger complaint, though is that after including off-balance sheet liabilities, such as tomorrows pensions and healthcare bills, (read well, this would be what the IMF would state clearly you have to cut bear in mind education meaning denying the next generation a leeway of advancing themselves and the countries that it applies to;) as Societe General has done, most governments are insolvent. (If this is the case why is it therefore imposed upon our Nubian countries and Latin American countries, that they are forced into bankruptcy current example Greece) US debt, on this basis (current calculations) is five times the size of its economy. But then tomorrow, as beleaguered finance ministers might conclude, is another day – and also someone else’s problem.” (THE LEX COLUMN pg 16 16/02/10)

In closing kindly permit me to humour you slightly with a biblical phrase which relates to someone else’s problem it goes thus:

Actually I will not type it out, worked all day and now slave tire not dog tired, as Paris Hiltons Dog probably has a better life (if she has not abandoned it yet), yeah you go and read too, here the part in the Bible I want to share with you (passages like this was used to make sure Afrikans did not argue back against master, it was even used to convert Kings to give up Kingdoms in Africa the stories surrounding this passage is legendery) Mathew 6: 19-end.

Nubian Emperor
London
GAC Trustee

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