Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

UK oversight steadies an unruly vessel

UK oversight steadies an unruly vessel

Wise residents fully understand that UK oversight of the Virgin Islands is required at this time. Complete culture change towards an honest society is the singular route to self-determination for the territory. Until then, UK oversight is necessary for the Virgin Islands.
Observation of the House of Assembly of February 21 2023 and the proceeding back and forth of the Virgin Islands Media made this resident ponder. It was as if the Commission of Inquiry into Virgin Islands Governance never happened, and nothing was learned from the trauma.

There was even a hint at justification for some of the financial iniquities over contracts and such in past years. There appeared to be an attempt to taper over the seriousness of allegations made by the Public Commission. Treating as mere distraction, matters of gross financial misconduct is a culture of politicians.

There was evisceration and avoidance of key matters of the recommendations for governance reform in debates.

OK. The preceding is unacceptable and risky. Why? Because it could trigger the suspension of the Virgin Islands Constitution by the Privy Council. The Privy Council is the final court of appeal in the UK and Overseas Territories, further serving the Commonwealth.

Reform is most critical at this time. There can be no "foot-dragging" Obfuscation is dangerous for the territory in its quest to avoid UK intervention. The avoidance of direct UK intervention in the form of constitutional suspension required swift and nimble footwork by the Virgin Islands Premier and his Advisers.

Now the erstwhile Prime Minister of Barbados is an avid student and observer of the past: a brilliant intellectual. Her pontifications on slavery, colonialism, and imperialism, coupled with a deep sense of injustice offer her deep respect in the southern hemisphere. The irony is that her assertions are very commonplace, especially in black postcolonial society.

The tendency to blame every evil in black majority societies such as these Virgin Islands on colonialism and racism is a very common ‘’malarkey.’’ It is meaningless talk leading nowhere. These continuous ‘’sermons’’ on an ugly past are in essence an excuse: a useful crutch. Colonialism and racism are the convenient bogeyman and scapegoats for a lack of integrity and dishonest governance in these countries.

The irony is that while black societies rage over supposed injustices committed over one hundred years ago, northern white majority states pursue honest governance and science, that alone lead to social prosperity.

Northern free societies are relatively honest and transparent in spite of incidences of corruption that also handicaps at intervals. The issue of honesty and corruption is one of degree. Most societies contain corruption in one form or another. The problem with black societies is the far greater degree of dishonesty inherent in the culture.

Colonialism has become a mask: a Band-Aid to cover corruption and poor governance. However, modern postcolonial countries sink or swim on the quality of governance they possess, and on their social and economic cultures.

Honest cultures prosper because taxpayer cash is spent on the needs of those societies and not on ‘’schemes’’ that benefit the governing elite. Worse still, stolen outright from national treasuries. Systemic dishonesty is expensive and ultimately disastrous: a country like Nigeria offers the best example.

When we all understand- resident and native alike- the reality that honesty is the best policy, then we see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of social and economic development: El Dorado. Developed societies learned this fact the hard way. Developing states in Africa and the Caribbean are still learning.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×