Nothing Is Free: Especially Money From Communist China
In the wake of a disastrously failed Cricket World Cup, one of the key election strategies settled upon by the BLP “backroom boys” is to push the concept that skilled diplomacy by Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur and his government has resulted in, and will continue to provide, many long term benefits flowing from China to Barbados. Indeed, according to one of our sources, the government has to this day withheld details of many of the side-agreements reached with China during the recent visit by the PM so these deals can be announced closer to the election.
The “Look what I’ve got for you – biscuits and corned beef” elections strategy has been a long-standing hallmark of politics in Barbados by both parties when in power. Normally, the government in power wields an enormously disproportionate ability to make promises and hand out “corned beef” (gifts) to voters, but this time the treasury is empty. The BLP have raped and mismanaged the country so badly that they forgot to leave some of our tax monies in the kitty to bribe us with.
Bajans know that the treasury is bare, so the government is having to resort to a fallback position – an election strategy of offering hope and promises based not upon how the government will spend our money (we know we have none) to more believable external sources of funding.
The recent oil hype is part of the strategy to make us all feel good during the approach to the election and to provide a “believable” external source of funds for the election promises. With all the hype, one would think that the oil money is a sure thing starting to flow next week – instead of a highly speculative venture that at best would not see a significant revenue stream for a decade or more. (See BFP’s Barbados Escalates Oil Lottery Hype In Election Run-up)
Chinese “Assistance” Is Part Of The BLP Election Strategy
The strategy of highlighting all the goodies to come from China was part of that same strategy of showing external funding for election promises – but it has blown up in the government’s face as Barbados citizens already see portions of our economy being overrun by the Communist Chinese juggernaut.
Even if Barbados citizens are willing to totally ignore the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communists, they have already discovered that there is a price to be paid for China’s “gifts”. Bajans are having serious doubts about whether they are willing to pay that bill.
Barbados Contractors Association: “China Killing Regional Construction Industry”
The latest anti-China effort has just been launched by the Barbados Contractors Association over their well-grounded fear that the influx of Chinese construction workers and companies is killing the regional construction industry. No legitimate company can compete with Chinese slave labour. No legitimate employer can compete with workers who live 24/7 at the construction site with no transportation or living expenses, no health or accident benefits and who are willing to live in shipping crates for six months to send some money back home.
No legitimate contractor can compete with Chinese government-subsidized steel of questionable quality, or shipping crates of new tools and equipment that are allowed into the country without inspection and proper duties being paid.
If the Chinese want to fairly bid on projects on a level playing field – the Barbados Contractors Association has no problem. But when the government looks the other way as hundreds of illegal Chinese take jobs from Bajans, we all have a problem.
Owen Arthur’s government has traded away the Barbados construction industry and all those jobs for the short-term election benefit of being able to say “We Gots Corned Beef An Biscuits aComin From China!”
Here is a pointer to a Nation News article about the concerns of the Barbados Contractors Association…
FIGHTBACK
by Carol Martindale
A CARIBBEAN COUNTER-ATTACK on the Chinese construction invasion across the region is about to be launched.
President of the Barbados Contractors Association, Achal Moorjani, one of the pioneers of the plan, said this united front was necessary as it was perceived that the Chinese were out to “kill the regional construction industry”.
“Our aim is not to say that the Chinese can’t work, but they have to bat on the same level playing field. It has to be level,” he added.
Moorjani said it was becoming increasingly difficult to compete with the Chinese, their pittance payments and cheap imports, especially as they continued to chalk up projects to work on.
Chinese in Barbados are working on the Four Seasons Hotel, the multi-level car park in the City, British American Insurance offices, Harrison’s Cave, Foundation School, and the Speightstown Fish Market, among others.
“There is no way we can compete with the cheap labour or imports they bring. They bring cheap labour and materials from China,” Moorjani said, noting that members of the local association had already met with Government to raise issues relating to the heavy Chinese presence on construction sites across Barbados.
… continue reading this article at The Nation News (link here)
Barbados Professional Association Of Engineers Gearing Up Against Owen Arthur’s Chinese Invasion
We received three independent reports that the Barbados Professional Association Of Engineers is also about to enter the fray to demand that the government cease showing favouritism to Chinese corporations. The Association has been circulating a list of Chinese projects, but is having some trouble ensuring that the list is accurate and complete.
No problem, folks! We’ll publish the list and see if our readers can assist. The knowledge of crowds and all that…
Draft List Of Chinese Construction Projects In Barbados *
Car Park Bridgetown – BTII
Four Seasons Resort – Cinnamon Dev 88
Barbados National Bank – Barbados National Bank
British American Insurance – British American Insurance
Harrisons Caves – Govt. of Barbados
Foundation School
Speightstown Fish Market
Scotia Bank Hwy7 & Dayrells Rd
* This draft list is posted to enable BFP readers and those on the list to verify and comment.
25 Comments
July 22, 2007 at 3:17 pm
A Chinese construction company is developing a housing project in Maxwell. I will note the name and the website when I drive by there next.
July 22, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Just as Transparency International has a Corruption Perception Index (CPI) it also has a Bribery Perception Index, (BPI).
Corruption is a two way street. A willing bribe taker is at sea without a willing bribe maker.
The bad boys in the world of bribe makers include China, Russia and Turkey. This article that came up when I googled China and Transparency International is one of many saying the same thing about the danger to developing countries of China’s willingness to pay bribes.
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-10/2006-10-10-voa27.cfm?CFID=164973427&CFTOKEN=39726280
I had to chuckle when the article spoke of attempts to encourage developing countries to prosecute persons offering bribes on their soil.
Obviously the developing country can agree to do this, … then send its officials overseas to transact business.
July 22, 2007 at 3:22 pm
… oops, sorry, India is another bad boy. Turkey I found in another article.
Who just completed a major contract worth hundreds of millions in Fontabelle, opposite Mannings?
July 22, 2007 at 3:45 pm
And it takes a Trini to speak out first in public and lead the way.
July 22, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Owen allows the illegal workers in from china because the chinese gave him a campaign donation.
where was his personal bank account this time?
Hong Kong?
July 22, 2007 at 10:06 pm
The structures built by the Chinese are built well and quickly…what’s the problem??? I would not get most Bajan contractors to dig a hole in my yard, sad to say… bring the Chinese and anyone else who is interested in doing good quality work.
July 22, 2007 at 10:39 pm
The Chinese will dig your hole very nicely, admitted by using cheap imported labour.
Your hole is but the thin end of the wedge.
Every “hole” in Barbados could be dug more cheaply by Chinese labour much more “economically” than local labour.
This is exactly how globalisation will affect us.
Are we ready to be a society where we have to import cheap ( some say slave ) labour to build our own infrastructure on budget?
Where we cannot afford to use Bajan workers on our own projects?
What, besides our birthright and independence, are we selling to attract our new friends?
This neo-colonialisation wants nipping in the bud …NOW… Sir Roy should be in the vanguard and his members on the streets, before all is lost and we are slaves once more.
July 22, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Is the solution to “globalisation” the protection of inefficient Barbadian labour, or the development by Barbadians of a competitive work ethic?
July 22, 2007 at 10:50 pm
It certainly is not the re-introduction of “slave” economics.
Or is that your solution?
July 22, 2007 at 10:51 pm
GBD:
It certainly is not the re-introduction of “slave” economics.
Or is that your solution?
July 22, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I believe the solution to globalisation’s pernicious effect on our underdeveloped society is to free our newly educated workers from the bonds of over regulation.
A case in point is the new levy imposed on second hand vehicles.
15% of the energy ever to be used by any vehicle is used in its manufacture and shipping to the showroom, yet we see our government after professing its conversion to a green economy stifling the attempts of small entrepreneurs from exploiting a niche in the market, to the sole advantage of existing players in the new car market.
Forget the market economy, manipulate it against the entrepreneur.
Government spokesmen are constantly giving the long talk about Bajans not being adventurous enough, yet by their actions are protecting the inefficient status quo.
Free the market, free local business to do what it does best. Free the people from over regulation.
July 22, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Straight Talk: Ideally, in my view, there should be a balance. I don’t agree with the exploitation of foreign labour and the loss of employment opportunities for Bajans. On the other hand, I take a dim view of efforts to protect jobs purely for nationalistic reasons, a by-product of which is almost inevitably a drop in efficiency and standards in the protected labour force, and an increase in costs to the consumer. The compromise I would seek is a levelling of the playing field: regulate the foreign labour force to the extent that it is not exploited, and that Bajans have no excuse to work because the market rate is too low.
I know that this is not likely to be a popular stance, as people will naturally seek to protect their own. But we need to consider the likely result of closing or severely restricting our labour market to foreign workers – no incentive for Bajan workers to improve their productivity. And, that, to me, is the real “thin edge of the wedge” that you refrerred to earlier…
Just my $0.02 ….
July 22, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Balance, I agree, GBD is what is needed.
We cannot build an economy or social partnership on firm agreements which can be over-ridden by the stroke of a minister’s pen.
That is the road to anarchy if binding agreements are flouted for expedience or short term gains.
Either we have rules, or laws, which every single person adheres to, or we don’t, and have a free for all, with all the chaos that ensues.
The government makes the rules, and must abide by them if it expects the citizens to comply.
If it feels the laws are not relevant, rescind them, and restore the level playing field.
They cannot have it both ways.
July 23, 2007 at 12:10 am
Straight Talk – you’re absolutely correct. The principle of transparency should be respected scrupulously. The sad fact of the matter is that our political and social leaders (being less than perfect humans) tend not to be too concerned with principle, or transparency!
July 23, 2007 at 12:17 am
Let us hope our electorate is still committed to their principles when the bell rings, or the strange goings on of the last parliament will become the norm, as we drift uncomplaining into dictatorship.
July 23, 2007 at 12:24 am
I guess that’s the really scary part, Straight Talk… our leaders are thrown up from amongst us. How is it that societies so frequently hand positions of power to those least suited…at least from the perspective of their interest in serving the greater good? Is there such a thing a political Darwinism? Survival of the most self-interested?
Don’t get me started on that!!
July 23, 2007 at 12:43 am
Nice quote to end with:- Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
July 23, 2007 at 12:45 am
A nice quote to end with:- Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
July 23, 2007 at 12:56 am
A nice quote to end with:- Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
July 23, 2007 at 3:04 am
Talking about the Chinese, BFP…do you think Owen is the only one who wants their money? Read this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6911138.stm
Barclays Bank is also hoping for some Fu Manchu largesse…
July 23, 2007 at 6:28 am
For sure the Chinese communist regime has only one thing in mind – total domination of world power. So are we next??
The Chinese communist regime have killed 80 million Chinese people in the last 60 years or so and killing has not stopped today.
Communists commits genocide upon others, and mostly to date its own countrymen.
Chinese Communism seems to be torturing and killing some group of people every decade.
1949 – Chinese Communism came to power in China. During World War II, they hung around villages, recruited members & ate for free. The communist only fought 2 battles; the rest of the fights were left to the Kuomintang. As a result, the number of Kuomintang soldiers decreased. When World War II ended, the communist came out in droves & chased the Kuomintang away.
1950s – The persecution of Tibetans began.
1966 – Cultural Revolution. All the good traditions and believes of ancient China were destroyed and trampled upon.
1989 – Tiananmen Massacre. Students were shot and rolled over by tanks for protesting.
1999 – Persecution of Falun Gong. Soon after, the communist started to make money from harvesting organs of Falun Gong people.
2007 – Shot an anti-satellite weapon into space…Every year, tens of thousands of protests happens in China and the number is getting larger.
I remembered the old “seem to be strong” communist Russia crumbled overnight, and it all began with the people losing faith in communism. That is exactly what is happening in China today.
Communist China is imploding.
1 more fact – 57 years of communism in China killed a minimum of 80 million Chinese people…and that’s in China alone. The rest of the figures of unnatural deaths under communist rule (ex & current communist-controlled countries) can all be found in the “Black Book of Communism”.
80 million, that’s more than the total death rates of World War 1 & 2.
Read the 9 commentaries at
http://ninecommentaries.com/
Nearly 20 million have quit the ccp and all its affiliated organizations . Better quit the CCP while you can before the heavens destroy it.
Some say that China has changed but I don’t think so please read recent words from from Ccp.
Chi Haotian, Chinese Military Analyst’s Deadly Words
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-5/30931.html
Here is link to what Wen Jiabao just said in the news recently
Another 100 years before Democracy in China says Wen
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21298234-663,00.html
July 25, 2007 at 2:15 am
The main reason for bringing in foreign workers is basically for cheaper labour and skills. The skills are not necessarily better.
One solution to the Chinese problem is to reduce the pace of our infrastructural development. This can be done by the Minister responsible for Town and Country planning working closely with major development projects to ensure that only sufficient projects come on stream to maximize locally or regionally available labour within that sector.
In this way we could sustain certain employment for many years, while also giving us time to reconsider some of the hastily decided and poorly planned projects that have recently occurred.
Under such a clearly explained strategy and plan more young people can settle down to a career in building or related services and not feel threatened by the widespread use of extra regional labour.
The concern about Chinese builders is the same that was/is expressed regarding regional labour and has little to do with the political or human rights challenges that we are all faced with.
The only major difference between the politics of communism (as practised rather than as ideology) and democracy, is that the communists don’t waste time, money and social cohesion pretending that political parties make a difference.
Consider!
Peace
July 25, 2007 at 2:38 am
[...] For the citizens’ view, see our recent post Bajan Backlash Against China – BLP Election Strategy Backfires [...]
July 25, 2007 at 6:05 am
don’t get too emotional the world is a supermarket you must shop where your dollar brings you the most . this is something we have yet to learn.value for money spent….
July 29, 2007 at 11:50 am
Getting rich has become the opiate for the masses.
Corruption is really bad in China .
When people are exposed for corruption they say”How much for a pound of Morality “?
IN other words people only care of money not human rights or life. When you have nation primed for that, its very dangerous for them and the rest of the world..