From escalated crime guarded by security novices to health care, government and political miscommunication – political leaders, parliamentarians, communication novices and certain society leaders exemplified the structure made for more nuance that has not produced results for the many meetings, travel and frequent consultations.
The end result coming from the erroneous extents and resources are incompatible for purpose, continuously exposing Saint Lucia’s fault lines.
The level of freak out to 20 homicides at the time of writing, compounds the lawlessness that now includes school children in uniform (running the streets of Castries with machetes aimed at each other) and adds to many sleepless nights and the quality of life for Saint Lucians.
Last week, civic and political leaders offered more of the same to the deaths and despair – total catastrophe – in the face of elevated homicides, arms trafficking, the drug trade, the gang culture, the underground economy, the healthcare crisis and miscommunication to maintain the status quo of power, and nothing else.
The communication aide in the press and via phone calls to talk shows – were not a good sign in terms of the future of government communication, levelling with the people and the truth.
The struggle was even more pronounced to keep from slipping into irrelevancy. The very legitimacy of the rules-based governance is at risk.
Business officials are less freaked out than most to have a reasonably open, integrated and global economic conversation as opposed to an increasingly fragmented, narrow and divided one.
Transparency, accountability, and access to public information is a litmus test of ineptitude and political protectionism.
From the high expectations in governance and parliament to the low outcomes, default to actions and positions that are driven by rhythms and personalities to being severely challenged and tested on how to proceed correctly.
The expected direction of Saint Lucia is about the economy, jobs, healthcare, security and a crumbled infrastructure (roads, housing, telecommunication, water, transportation, etc).
Reports and data are said to suggest that the economy is doing better than in previous years, aiming for an annual 3.1 percent GDP, however, this is not applicable and close to relevant vs the cost of living and daily hardships throughout the country, which signals stagnation.
(Reports and data that are not verifiable and not prone to scrutiny for correctness, are often questionable, at best, to achieve a desired result.)
Relevant to policy and trends is the increase in aggregate social welfare and the distributional effects of (social) assistance (favourable handouts) keeping the government-run social service programs aligned with the political base.
Keeping this political influence in check, the voter trend is constantly monitored, coupled with entertainment, selective events and the playbook of Middle-Eastern and left-oriented political strategy.
The inflection point is that elevated homicides, InSight-Crimes-2023-Homicide-Round-Up-Feb-2024-2, the economy and political confidence have not turned the corner. The predictor of early elections is not favourable. The two 60-year-old political parties are insubstantial and the country is deeply divided.
The politics of healthcare and ignoring the science have also become the most effective tools for smoke and mirrors.
While the minister for health, Moses ‘Musa’ Jn Baptiste, found his belated voice to the escalated lawlessness and crime, he offered nothing new, to dancing, drumming and the incessant freakout.
The centrepiece of his utterance is the undertone of the politics of healthcare. No mention was made, and no forbearance was given to the “wisdom of 2.5 percent health and security levy,” to the over $2 million owed to the authorities in Martinique should be settled.
The debt which arises from medical expenses incurred by Saint Lucian nationals who sought urgent healthcare services in Martinique during emergencies over the years – is not a matter of political arguments. It is primarily a shortcoming of Saint Lucia’s comatose healthcare.
The debt should be settled promptly and to identify priority areas for healthcare specialization and better access to healthcare in Saint Lucia. But that’s hard work to yield substantial accomplishments and not conducive to the power dynamic in the political climate.
The long and short of the state of play in Saint Lucia is a struggle for policymakers to persuade the public that the economy, governance and affairs of the country are in safe hands and better than in previous years.
The acceptance of social and economic policies that improve well-being and attempts to make it palatable that crime is a regional issue in a shared distressed region is a distraction. The broader social and political environment is not gaining acceptance from a lack of eroded trust and isolation guidance.
The development and economic success stories and the broader trend to embrace focus measures have become harder than ever. The poor impressions of the economy, security, healthcare, misinformation and national guidance are costly to the laws of humanity.
In another context, the struggle to engage and build character is not a destination. The moral challenge is to resist self-centeredness, cultivate virtues and prioritise what truly matters to build resilience.
By definition, the governance of Saint Lucia needs an overhaul to avert deeper and further tragedy. It will have to abandon laissez-faire, dead weight, lightweight, left-wing social and economic policy and Frankenstein’s – choosing winners and losers, even by classifications of who is and not a Saint Lucian. Yet, offers Citizenship by Investment (CBI), with significant uncertainty and fiscal imprudence.
There is a big influence on what’s coming and the comparative advantage. An observer with deep knowledge and trust summarised a close-up observation.
“ There is a plague of cognitive dissonance, dishonesty and elevated hypocrisy, competing for a power base in Saint Lucia. There are indeed two sides of the same neoliberal coin with no genuine interest in the people but themselves – holding on to power.
“How then can any intellectually sound-minded person ever think that this political duopoly, that has shamelessly ruled over us for 45 years, is redeemable?
“They are repackaged “enemies of the people,” who will say and do anything to hold on to power! We must now come together in a new movement to save this nation! We have a moral responsibility to do so!”
