Belize Politics? An Oligarch Sport
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For those people who personally know me, you know that I am not politically driven(If that’s a term) but I am more of a concerned citizen who isn’t loyal to any one of the only two parties that rule Belize. I am similar to most of my friends whom believe education will free Belize from the shackles of the present oligarch and corrupt politicians, after all, information is what elects the politicians –either wrong information, or the lack of. I once posted a status update on facebook and twitter saying: "If everyone in Belize had a 6th form degree, we would have a better country." The reaction from people was surprising, many were against the thought, suggesting Belize wouldn’t properly survive without the uneducated poor since they are needed to do the 'dirty' work.
Yes, that's true, there is the need of the lower class to pay minimum wages. BUT, as little as I know of American history(and yes, we can compare the US with Belize) Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, decided to help the economy by dramatically increasing his workers wages and contributing to the emergence of the American middle-class. He paid his employees twice as much, contributing to a rise in their standard of living and resulting in the increase of sales and profits because now, they themselves could afford Ford vehicles. This is a good example of a win-win situation, by the Rich Man not being selfish, sharing the wealth helped increase his wealth.
I believe we should learn from these examples, teachers should incorporate cases like these to mold the young generation and to mold the future Ministers. When will we get rid of the many unqualified, uneducated individuals in high government positions who aren’t contributing to the development of Belize. How can those unqualified individuals help if they haven’t been exposed to better things, they aren’t even open-minded! The primary issue that should be addressed with the politicians is that our elected ministers must have a proper education, we need smart people making good decisions. How can someone make good decisions when they don’t know better? I couldn’t take up a job as chief editor at the New York Times, right?
Returning to what I wanted to say before I wondered off elaborating on the background of the general topic, I think that the decline of our nation was set on the foundation of our independence. George Price decided to give money to the wealthy in hopes that the "elite" would make the best decisions and have that prosperity "trickle" down to the rest of us. When I say give give money to the wealthy, I am talking about when he educated all his family and friends. Now that same oligarchy rules Belize and of course, won’t share the wealth with others. I wish they would share, I wish they would do what Henry Ford did!
Let's share the wealth, I'm sure building a strong Belizean middle-class would directly benefit everyone.
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12 comments:
Lorenzo, be the change you want to see in the world.
I am doing just that, sharing my thoughts will hopefully stimulate change of opinions in future generations.
Nice! Cant believe people disagreed about tertiary education. Did you get a copy of the Gayle Report?
Actually I haven't. Care to forward it to me? Thanks for your comment, I'm glad we see eye to eye on this particular issue.
i have no idea why i reading your blogs but at some points it makes sense, however some of your thoughts aren't so pragmatic they will for a long time remain as an idea! would be great if everyone was educated but to start off d educating process it would cost a lot and dis governments primary priority isn't education!!!
g-bo
Yes, im not being entirely practical & theory is easier to explain... But which GoB's priority has ever been education? As i wrote at the beginning of my blog post, I personally don't support any political party and your heaviness of tone, G-bo, It's hard to convince me that you aren't "die-heart" PUP.. LOL You previously made a comment on how the housing loan pardoning was BS, and it wasnt done in good faith so its not worth anything.. im glad poor families dont have to have to worry about their home foreclosure, arent you? The issue behind that is that BOTH governments don't manage their book keeping properly and didn't charge individuals when they could at the time pay! Please be more open-minded, the whole purpose of getting my thoughts out there is to try and make people see things in a different light.
ha ha dude!!! come on my political status on facebook is pup so u didn't had to sherlock that!!!
i come from a family of pup pioneers but that doesn't mean i think pup is the shit! I openly recognize that it was doing a pile of crap! But i don't see any change with this bunch of clowns. Politics in the way its portrayed will never help Belize!!! the system is just messed up!!
the housing loan thing just proves one more way how dis gov't is incompetent in really trying to 'fix' the country like they claim they would. they just pressed the easy button!
And i guess you should ask my friends if i'm opened minded. you'd be surprise!
g-bo
Interesting comments and I personally believe that education is one of the key ingredient to building a better community. I don't care for most of the comments you received, as it is easy to disagree with someone but until you present a concrete plan (a solution) of how to effect changes what we do is go back and forth and we never get to the solution point. A fact (although cynical) is that UDP or PUP does not matter, as it is about the Haves and Haves Not and like Henry Ford we need to create jobs, opportunities so that more people can sit at the table. Investments with true gains for the society, willingness to increase the current salary scales (both public & private sector), and other ways to grow the economy is what is needed and this will not come from the current ruling class (ah, human greed is something no one seems to know how to control). Too many people are comfortable with complaining about issues and to-date (beyond the rhetoric) I have not seen a group with any proposal for business changes to create economic opportunities. The focus on political parties takes away from the discussion on economic opportunities (jobs).
I read a lot of lazy generalizations in your assumptions, but I would want to encourage you to continue thinking and posting your thoughts.
You say, for example, that education has not been a priority of Belizean governments, but you do not say how you came to this conclusion.
How does that jibe with the simple salient fact that the education is the government's single largest expenditure over the last two decades or so? It costs us almost one fifth of the government's annual budget.
Quote: "present a concrete plan (a solution) of how to affect changes [...] get to the solution point."
I admit it is something very hard but here are some ideas from the top of my head.
• I would like to see if we could find ways to not allow uneducated, inexperienced ministers to be given the task of RULING our country, it would be great to have specific requirements that all politicians need to have before running for office.
• I think we need to separate the Police department from total GOB domination, it would be great to not allow ministers to run it - instil a board of directors and have another organization watch the board of directors every move.
• Belize is in dire need of an independent newspaper, one that cannot be influenced by politicians.
• We also are in dreadful need of non-bias investigative reporters!!! I don’t know any!
*Ideas for solutions are easy to bring forth but the hardest task is always figuring out how to implement them. I need help. We need help.
Fully agree with you LG on the education. Its one of the things I have been saying for years and there is no reason why all our people can't go at least to 6th form for free. After all both the UDP and the PUP say the oil is for all of us why not use that money and pay for the education. we sold close to a billion dollars worth of oil already and how many did that money educate??? Both the UDP and PUP say they put a large amount of the budget to education they should better say to hussle instead. Both use the same trick! That money do not really go to education it goes to their cronies in the form of "transportation" Everytime government change all the bus owners change as well they get these contracts to run school children and that is one way they get pay back for helping them win. Its absolutely bloddy insane.. but its the facts.. they use the same trick on the people but until people start speaking up things will not change and the Teachers Union is not helping much either they can make a change but they only seem to speak up close to election. Here in PG we have kids under asbestos roof every day along with teachers and no one say jack shit but wait until twenty or thirty years from now whey they start coming down with cancer and see what will happen and who will be blamed. Where is the Union in all this?? Ok my two cents or three cents.. we need Belizeans to step up and join the third party and make some serious change, We hear lots of people saying the third parties should get their act together but none of those people have come to join us so they can help make the change....
@Glenn Tillet. I appreciate your constructive criticism, I have read some of your discussions and I know you are always well prepared when making statements.
Yes 20 – 25% goes on Education, but this doesn’t account to the leakage, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds that happens.
It is important to note that a Ministry of Education Action plan 2005-2010 was established in 2004 and to this date, the results of efforts of 1. Early childhood education, 2. Teacher training, 3. Adult and continuing education, 4. Curriculum review and assessment, 5. Special Education, 6. Technical and Vocational Education, 7. Higher Education, and 8. Policy Development has not been made public! If this was a critical action plan, where is a detailed account of how it went?
Until recently teachers have been FORCED to get higher education, an essential step to the improvement of the education system which should have been started since 2005!!!
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