Michael Benjamin went shopping and discovered that: The cost of a politician’s brain is pretty prohibitive

Aug 29, 2010 News

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I have travelled to numerous Caribbean countries and have always marveled at their breathtaking topography. Ironically, my travels overseas commenced in 1985 with a trip to Barbados to participate in the inaugural Carifta Boxing Championships staged in that country. Maybe, the fact that I was traveling with ambassadorial credentials saved me from the ‘esteemed privilege’ accorded to many Guyanese of straddling that renowned bench placed at the Grantley Adams International Airport. I was accorded all the courtesies of a distinguished traveler.
A few years later, while destined for England, I made a stopover at the Barbados port of entry to facilitate a change of aircrafts for the second leg of my journey. In order to access the London immigration desk, I was required to pass through the Barbados immigration desk. I noted that most of the other passengers (non-Guyanese of course) were allowed entry without undue hassle. My case was different; I was grilled as though I was a suspected terrorist and even though I possessed a ticket to facilitate the continuing leg of my journey, scheduled for some eight hours later, I was subjected to a thorough grilling before I was allowed to enter ‘the Land of the Flying Fish.’
The thing that most annoyed me was the nonsensical questions asked by the Immigration Officer. “How long do you plan to stay?” and “Have you ever been to Barbados before?” Now, both of those questions could have been answered by simply perusing my passport, which had a Barbados entry stamp supported by the fact that I was in possession of a ticket that clearly indicated that my final stop was at the Heathrow International Airport. Apparently, the Bajan official just felt that since I am Guyanese, it was his duty to present some difficulties for me irrespective of the legitimacy of my claims.
This sort of disrespect for Guyanese by other Caricom countries is not only displayed in Barbados as my experience in ‘The Land of the Flying Fish’ during one of my visits there affirmed. One night while in transit at Piarco in Trinidad, on my way back to Guyana from London, I was extremely tired after an eight hour journey from the Heathrow International Airport and was eagerly anticipating a shower and a nice long rest upon my arrival in Guyana.
Maybe out of tiredness, or pure ignorance, I really cannot recall, I failed to collect a transit ticket, which would have distinguished me from those passengers that were joining the craft from Trinidad and Tobago onto Guyana.
At boarding time a voice over the intercom instructed the passengers traveling from England to board the craft first. Relieved, I approached the departure gate only to be stopped because I did not possess the transit ticket. Tired, disappointed and angry, I attempted to inform the official at the departure gate that I was traveling from England. I even presented my ticket to verify my point. He arrogantly stuck to his position and I was refused an opportunity of leaving Piarco among the first bunch.
I sat near to the departure door and flung sordid remarks in his direction and in retaliation he ensured that I was the last person to board the craft. Of course, I would have had a parting shot for him and while I would have wished to share that remark with my readers, as you would have guessed, it would not have passed my editor’s incisive pen.
Ever since, talks pertaining to efforts to establish the Caribbean Single Market and Economy have begun, the skeptics have hinted at the inapplicability of the statutes to regularize this initiative. Indeed it would appear as though some Caribbean nations are only prepared to observe such an initiative in the breach.
Barbados is notorious for treating Guyanese nationals shabbily and sometimes I marvel at our patience and tolerance with these people. At any given day, one could troop to a certain section of the Bourda Market or the Stabroek Market and witness the groups of Barbadians that congregate at those points for a lime without molestation from our security forces. They just enjoy pure Guyanese hospitality.
The whole notion of Caribbean integration rests on the viability and applicability of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and while optimism is high, there seems to be a certain force that is precluding the transition process.
It was former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Basdeo Panday who voiced a concern that another area of overdue implementation is the national arrangements for the free movement of skilled workers.
Recently, the Barbadian government had voiced a concern about the large numbers of undocumented Caribbean migrants who have made no attempt to regularise their status on the Island and would be asked to leave.
This is the definitive position of Prime Minister David Thompson, responding to suggestions that his stance on the immigration issue may have “softened”, based on recent statements in the Daily Nation attributed to Minister of State with responsibility for Immigration, Senator Arni Walter.
I have recently read some of the views coming out of Barbados on their take on Guyanese illegal habitation of their domain. One critic said, “When things were good in Guyana and not so good on some of the Caricom islands, island natives moved to Guyana. When things started to go downhill in Guyana and were better on the islands, Guyanese migrated and continue to migrate to the islands. It has been a two way situation, not a one way situation like Guyanese would like people to believe.”
Another critic wrote, “People who know Barbadian history know that Barbados is home to many legal Guyanese immigrants and their offspring, many of whom are prominent in Bajan society. Bajans issue over 5,000 work permits to Guyanese every year. Bajans don’t owe Guyanese anything and neither do the natives of other islands. Trinidad, Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, St. Vincent and every other Caricom island and non-Caricom island have accepted thousands of Guyanese immigrants. What do you expect everyone to do, take in the entire population of Guyana because you all don’t want to work to rebuild it?”
Herein lays the contentious issue. I have seen the Constabulary at work in Regent Street, ejecting the pavement vendors whose only source of income lies in their vending activities.
Likewise I have seen Guyanese plying their trade as itinerant vendors around the Independence Square, Trinidad and Tobago. They are in Barbados’ main shopping areas. I have seen them on Bay Street in the Bahamas, in French Guiana and every conceivable part of the earth. Yet they are running pell mell from Guyana as though this country is plague infested.
Maybe it is time the politicians take more than a cursory glance at the situation and implement the kind of policies that will make Guyanese want to return and build this dear land. As someone once said to me, politicians are the core hindrance to development. What an irony! Maybe a little tale told to me by a friend sums it all up.
One day a cannibal entered the meat market to buy something nice for dinner. The owner greeted him and told him to look around. The cannibal began to inspect the meat case and noticed the market specialized in brain.
Upon further inspection, he noticed a marked disparity between the costs of brain meats. A carpenter’s brain sells for $1.50 per pound. A plumber’s brain sells for $2.25 per pound. He noticed with alarm that a politician’s brain sells for $375.00 a pound. With not a little curiosity he asked the owner why the huge difference in price between the similar meats.
The owner responded with a deadpan look on his face, “Do you realize how many politicians it takes to get a pound of brains?”

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