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Volume No. 2 Issue No. 2 - Friday May 25, 2007
Rivets And Windmills: Adding Policy Focus To Political Vision So That Dominica, the Caribbean Cinderella Can Finally Get Her Invitation to the Ball
By Philbert �Atlee�Aaron, Ph.D


Dominica is a long-suffering lover, a naturally pretty one at that. At a loss for words to paint the picture of her rugged beauty, Columbus is rumored to have simply balled up some parchment. But beauty, as in all those Dominican folktales about lajables or the she devil, can be a curse.

By 1791 already, Dominica�s first biographer, Thomas Attwood, would paint this picture of neglect: �It is greatly to be lamented, that although the island of Dominica is so very capable of being rendered the chief, if not the best, the English have in the West Indies; yet, from a want of knowledge of its importance, or inattention, it is at this time almost as much unsettled, as when it was ceded to Britain, near thirty years ago.�

Two centuries later, in 1984, Lennox Honychurch, Attwood�s spiritual heir updated the picture of neglect: �The activity of governments of any persuasion has to be dedicated to maintaining the perilous balance of exports, trade, and foreign exchange, law and order, repairing roads, providing piped water and keeping the health and education services in operation.

The existing economy hardly even provides for this.� Today, Dominica is last kakarat in the Caribbean, just ahead of Haiti. Magwe sa!

Yes, Dominica�s natural beauty is a curse. Dominica is often called the Cinderella of the Caribbean. How appropriate! Fabulous Cinderella is the pure, beautiful child who is dissed by her sisters and her wicked stepmother.

The Cinderella franchise is universal. Yet, one constant of all the variations on the theme of long-suffering Cinderella is that the worthy girl finally makes it to the big dance. Let us call development the big dance. When is Dominica going to bust a move on the floor?

Not in the foreseeable future, it seems. You know why? Because for all of Dominica�s history, one type of men�and an occasional woman�has had a leg up in scoring with this Cinderella�politicians.

Up until now, policy experts have had to stand back and watch politicians have their way with Cinderella. Question is: Do Cinderella�s suitors have what it takes to get Cinderella to the ball?

* I am guilty. Even I tried to make a break behind Cinderella. I am still laughing about it. In the run up to the June 1980 national general elections in Dominica, I addressed a political rally in the village of Cottage, north of Portsmouth, the island�s second town.

The country was less than two years old, a mere toddler, having attained political Independence in November, 1978. I was not yet eighteen. Had I gotten my wish, no doubt Cinderella would have force� me.

I call that address my political baptism. I should call it makakwi. It was unplanned. Dr. William Bill Para Riviere, the Dominica Liberation Movement�Alliance�s (DLM) candidate for the Cottage constituency was locked in a tight contest with the candidate for the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Alleyne Carbon.

We were a stone�s throw from Carbon�s home, in the heart of Carbon�s stronghold. The situation called for a show of strength. The youth vote appeared critical. I was asked to deliver a message of support from the youth of the southern part of the electoral district.

A school friend was asked to deliver a similar message from the youth in the northern part of the district. Call it, we were spiritual twins, my school friend and I, maybe even konnbos rivals for Cinderella�s love. Wearing white t-shirts bearing slogans to the effect that �Alliance is the Answer,� we delivered matching lines. You know the refrain.

�Brothers and sisters of ______, I bring you greetings from ___!� Fill in the blanks. We tried to assure our listeners that the youth were solid behind Alliance. Espwa mal papay!

In June, promising that foreign investors were sitting on ships idling in wait just over the horizon, the DFP, led by barrister Mary Eugenia Charles would sweep the polls. In the Cottage constituency, Alleyne Carbon a public works machinist had defeated Dr. Bill Riviere.

Kase kot. That defeat alone broke the back of socialism in Dominica. Why? Because Riviere had spent several years building labor unions, agricultural cooperatives, and such public works projects as the very popular Para Bridge. Here was a �big�doctor, Ph.D. at that, heir to a plot of land and house casting his pearls before swine. Somehow, the masses did not buy that vision of socialist utopia in the Caribbean.

Election night, a rumor arose. Dr. Riviere was rushed to the Portsmouth Hospital. The Freedomite revelers started a spontaneous chant. It went:

Alleyne kill de docta!
Aleyne kill de docta!


Yes, Dominicans will find any excuse to run carnival. But chante mas always has a grain of truth to it. Para is yet to recover. From that day on, I have respected the realism or love for rivets from the Dominican masses and distrusted the utopianism or love for windmills of our leaders.

Carbon taught me that. A man of such daring he used to put his hand under water and pull out konng or Murray eels from their lairs. As Minister of Communications, Carbon paved over Para Bridge. Kase kot.

Why am I telling you this? I am telling you this to set up the practice of policy in Dominica. Politics sets the table for policy to eat at. Politics makes the bed that policy lies on. Policy/Politics. Two related but different things but don�t tell Dominicans that.


Continued - Read part two

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Volume No. 1 Issue No. 98
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Soufrier-Scottshead sea defenses
Illegals eye USVI
SMA celebrates &% years
The tale of SMA



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