Progressive Minds

I understand there are many reasons, both emotional and practical for being a supporter or opposer to Bermuda's independence.

I wonder however, with the possibility that the Prime Minister of UK Gordon Brown might put us on his hit list, isn't it ironic that the country that is supposed to protect is might very well throw us under the bus? Shouldnt they be working to protect our reputation as we have?

So why stay dependent to a country that may have no interest in defending out reputation and economy?

Just a thought.

I couldn't believe what I read in today's paper. An elder statesman of the UBP, former UBP Premier John Swan, doesn't think an apology is necessary for the wrongs committed by so many of our ancestors. Men enslaved other men for decades and institutional racism followed. Today, that legacy lives on in more subtle ways. Racism has crept into the shadows, but, that doesn't mean it's disappeared.

Do you agree with the United Bermuda Party's elder statesman that white Bermudians should refuse to apologise for the deep injustices committed over centuries in this country?

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) called for an official apology to blacks from the white community.

Lynne Winfield, president of CURB, made the following statement at City Hall: "The time has come for a clear and unequivocal apology from the white community to the black community of this Island."

The statement by Ms Winfield said: "The recognition of this day in Bermuda has become a tradition.

In 2007 prior to the general election the then Opp Leader Michael Dunkley blasted the PLP Govt for creating CITV, an outlet to show bermudian culture etc. Before even giving the channel a chance, he decried that if elected, he would shut down CITV.
Obviously being out of the spotlight has been good for the former Leader, turned Senator. He has actually tuned into CITV and seen what the Government and the rest of Bermuda has seen from inception. In 2007 what we had was a typical knee-jerk reaction to a Government initiative. At long last, a UBP politician has admitted his fault.

I commend Minister Cox and the PLP government for the elimination of the stamp duty tax for all properties under $750k for first time homeowners.

Statement from the house yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, this Government recognizes the almost unfettered powers of the Auditor General. These immense powers are founded in the Constitution and in the Audit Act. When exercised responsibly these powers serve the Government and the people of Bermuda well. The Auditor General can be termed the watchdog's watchdog, and it is right that his independence is preserved and jealously guarded.

The combined Opposition should apologise to James Stout. James is the World Rackets Champion and is considered "one of the finest ever squash players in both Bermuda and the Caribbean." Bermuda Squash writes:

In Appendix Five at the end of the PLP Government's Energy Green Paper, the Ministry asks for input from you on 25 key questions. Since so many people who visit this blog profess such a deep interest in policy, I'm sure there will be a vibrant conversation. Let's get it started.

The Government invites comments on some of the issues raised in the Green Paper and to
stimulate debate and effective input, the Department of Energy puts forward a range of questions
for your study and response.

1. Regarding energy, “What’s wrong”?

I've added a new poll to this site, concerning whether this site should be renamed. At first there are those out there who may think I am being facetious, perhaps even malicious, in doing so. Because of this I think it is important that people read my arguments here.

I personally have not had the time to review the 2009 budget as of yet, but I do think it would be a good idea for this site to evaluate it in terms of how the budget effects Bermuda's youth, in particular what the statements concerning education, social services and crime may have for this demographic.

UBP Blogger Vexed Bermoothes posted a patently offensive blog today. S/he writes, "Oh, the good ole days, when Bermuda’s only problems were gigantic maneating turtles." S/he then links to a YouTube video for Bermuda Depths, a movie produced in Vexed's "good old days" - the late 1970s, soon after the riots of 1977.

Would love to hear what all you "Lean UBP" folks think of this:

"You probably have a sizeable proportion of people in Bermuda who think I'm a crook, and also that I have cedar beams in my house. Neither of which are true."

- Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, Rotary Club

Race - and specifically, the notion that the PLP and the large black majority who support it are racist and that whites are the new victims of racism in Bermuda - is one of the tools used by government's opponents to discredit the PLP and its leaders.

Those opposed to the PLP are so committed to their hate that they would rather spin the most far fetched, outlandish and crazy conspiracy theories not backed up by a shred of evidence than accept the truth. They won't accept the truth because the truth doesn't jive with their worldview.

Minister Dale Butler is one of the hardest working MPs in Parliament. He is constantly canvassing his constituency, organising meetings and interacting with his constituents so as to best represent them. The most recent edition of the Mid-Ocean News mentioned Minister Butler's efforts and the paltry level of public support. According to today's Royal Gazette, the UBP is having the same problem. The "road safety" forum they organised attracted barely more participants than UBP politicians!

As has been pointed out even on pro-UBP blogs, road accident rates in Bermuda are unusually high. This is largely due to the deadly combination of 1) narrow roads with lots of turns, 2) an unusually high number of deadly two wheeled vehicles (as compared to other countries) sharing roads with larger four wheel vehicles and 3) reckless driving habits. In order to combat #3, a jarring new campaign has been announced to show Bermudians the dangers of driving recklessly. The UBP's right wing Senator Michael Fahy is criticising the ad campaign because anonymous "experts" told him they don't work.

Some whites will use Obama to mask their racism
But first my bona fides: I have white European heritage, on my father’s side

In a column last week I argued that those Bermudians like Dr. Grant Gibbons who attempt to appropriate Barack Obama's victory and translate that wholesale to the Bermudian context are off base at best and indulging in the worst form of racial politics at worst.

... and UBP supporters freak out! Go, Rolfe, Go!

Would Obama win for the PLP in Paget West?

... of course not. And his apparent popularity among white Bermudians masks the real intent: to deflect substantive discussion about racism here in Bermuda

The progressive labour movement in Bermuda, while focused primarily on local Bermudian issues, has historically not shirked its responsibilities to international solidarity against injustice. Perhaps the best example of this was the activism against apartheid South Africa which was strongest in the 1980s and up until the 1994 ANC election victory.

Read Alvin Williams' smack down:

In a recent Royal Gazette opinion piece commentator Christian Dunleavy, a long time supporter of the United Bermuda Party, criticised Premier Brown's recent statement that if Barack Obama had run in a Bermudian election, then the chances of him attracting much of the white vote were slim (given the group's long history of voting almost exclusively for the UBP).