Dear Editor,
After the Oracle of Delphi had revealed that Socrates was the wisest man in Athens, Socrates responded by saying, “Although I do not know that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is, for he knows nothing and thinks that he knows. I neither know nor think that I know.” That was the epistemic humility on display which was characteristic of the great ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Celebrated during his lifetime as the wisest man in Athens, Socrates professed certainty only of his ignorance, claiming, “I know that I know nothing.”
This Aphorism of Socrates has been recycled throughout history seeping into some of the greatest works of literature and philosophy and quoted by the likes of William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway and Voltaire, among other literary and philosophical titans. These “greats” were acutely aware that the intelligent being is cognizant of the fact that he or she cannot understand everything.
Let’s ponder these questions: How do we know? How do we know that we know? Are we capable of knowing absolutely? What does it mean for someone to know? What kinds of research do we do? What methodology do we use? How do we do our research? These are all epistemological questions which guide and orient us to uncover veils of “truth” which we hope can withstand scrutiny. But as soon as we discover an explanation for an unknown phenomenon, no sooner are we relegated right back to our humiliating position of ignorance. Our line of inquiry is limited to the observation we have at hand. There can be a future observation that denies previous conclusions, so much so to the chagrin of Galileo Galilei, Albert Einstein and others.
As a species we seem to have evolved to ask the big questions, but miserably lack the mental capacity and tools to provide us with absolute and definitive answers. In this state we are constantly in a flux adding one story or interpretation to another in the process elevating and dignifying some while undermining and reducing others. Being the limited creatures we are, we can only understand, conduct and plan our lives based on the information at our disposal which so often is at variance with the true reality or picture. We plan for outcomes that do not necessarily manifest in a manner anticipated. Our expectations of order and certitude are frequently betrayed by chaos.
In the absence of adequate information sometimes we are unable to wrap our brains fully around the modus operandi, origin and effects of a threat .This can stymie our chances for generating appropriate and timely solutions. We are at a loss as to how to catapult ourselves from the realm of the unknown to that of the known. Intelligent anticipation of future tasks then becomes blurry and is replaced by skepticism. Strategic planning is rendered ineffective, erroneous and unreliable.
Planning while not being fully in the know, which seems to be our neverending fate, reinforces our status as perpetual unknowables. However, in this limited sense we can compensate for the gaps of knowledge in our intellectual reservoir by engaging in exhaustive contingency planning and robust probabilistic reasoning based on the information in our possession. Every detail is meticulously planned and given consideration, just the same as an intelligence operative who is forming a dossier for the elimination of a target; no stone is left unturned.
Modelling of the existing threat or challenge with available information provides us first with a partial mental picture of what is at hand. Acting with foresight and intellectual curiosity upon the picture that has emerged will invariably lead to more information becoming available. Further Interrogation of the emergent scenario with analytical tools such as the 5W questions will help to reveal its capabilities, threats, target audience, intentions, tactics, movements, objectives etc.
Now with an enhanced picture and understanding of what you are trying to combat or neutralise, planning your response will inevitably have to be done against your existing capabilities, tasks, inventories, support services, command and control structures, communication strategies, logistics, availability and composition of key personnel, objectives, counter-tactics, etc.
Matching your strengths and weaknesses against that of the threat or challenge will help to develop a probability distribution of possible outcomes and likely responses. The best plan gives you the most options up to the last possible minute. This will aid in the elimination of possibilities with small odds or chances of occurring, enabling you to redirect scarce resources, energy and time elsewhere.
A timely implementation of the coordinating instructions – the timeline for the harmonious execution of the plan – hinges upon whether one adopts an offensive/proactive posture or a defensive/passive one. The choice of approach oftentimes can be the difference between achieving one’s objectives or becoming overwhelmed and overrun by the “enemy”. Notwithstanding, in the final analysis it is timing that seems to be everything.
Orlando Patterson
Dear Editor,
I remember my first day of work at the Government of St. Maarten like it was yesterday. After working for municipal and provincial governments in the Netherlands for several years, I decided it was time to leave that cold, foggy country and work on the development of our Antillean islands. I chose St. Maarten, and I have never regretted my choice of a vibrant island that had potential, but then-insufficient capacity to run complex national development programs and projects.
I started by designing an industry package with environmental regulations for car- repair companies and contributing to the federal Antillean Nature Policy Plan. A year later, then-Commissioner Roy Marlin placed me in the Strategy Policy and Development Department (SBO) to develop the new field of heritage conservation. The idea of identifying, designating and eventually restoring or preserving potential monuments in St. Maarten for future generations was mainly encouraged by then-Lieutenant Governor Franklyn Richards, who gave me a lot of support in that process.
In partnership with the Foundation for Monuments and the Curaçao Monuments Fund, I started to lift the monuments policy, legislation and financial framework, including a Monuments Revolving Fund. We also set up the Foundation for Conservation of Monuments and established the Monuments Advisory Council, a government advisory board of cultural-heritage experts.
Working with a team of Dutch students specializing in heritage restoration, we identified and described the interior and exterior of more than 100 potential monuments. This enormous job was completed with the generous cooperation of monument owners in St. Maarten and the unconditional support of Herman George, former director of the Monument Fund in Curaçao.
The capital of Curaçao, Willemstad, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and provided an outstanding example of preservation of monuments. George’s employees often flew to St. Maarten to advise me on monument policy, legislation, financing and designation. We began by designating 28 monuments, which are on the official monuments list of St. Maarten.
In 2004, the reorganization of the civil service was underway, and SBO became a Program and Projects Bureau, set up to implement large development programs, with millions of Antillean guilders from the Netherlands managed by USONA. All ministries had to be focused and aligned in St. Maarten’s development endeavor. Stakeholders were players to reckon with. Government deployed specialists in the field of leading programs and projects, such as the SEI, a Social Economic Initiative program, and the Institutional Strengthening Program, with good governance of government and NGOs [non-governmental organisations – Ed.] as a pillar.
In the Netherlands, I had worked for many years on large spatial-planning and environmental projects, such as water-purification installations and drawing up provincial plans to manage and renovate estates and castles in the Stichtse Lustwarande area. As a result, my skills were a good fit for St. Maarten’s new “development strategy” model.
From October 10, 2010, St. Maarten was to be developed in such a way that it would be stable on the way to becoming an autonomous island.
I was briefly in charge with the new portfolio regarding development via the European Development Funds. The National Development of St. Maarten was soon taken up. Basis was the Millennium Development Goals, since 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals, a portfolio that I managed and became my passion.
Before that, I led a working group that wrote the first Millennium Development Goals report for St. Maarten. This was followed by the development of the Millennium Acceleration Framework, in which development goals such as poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability were cross-linked. St. Maarten was lagging with these goals. With relevant stakeholders, we developed a program to strengthen these targets.
Today, I end an interesting journey, in which I learned a lot and represented St. Maarten in various national, regional and international forums and contributed to its development.
The road to the sustainable development of St. Maarten has many challenges, yet it is worth following to achieve a cohesive, decisive country, with more equality in wellbeing and progress. St. Maarten can best focus on recruiting and supporting specialists in creating and leading development programs and projects, developing new forms of income outside the tourism pillar and providing our young people with tools and skills to promote self-reliance, including knowledge of government finances and the ability to recruit funds from international organizations.
During my years in government service, I am happy to have contributed to St. Maarten’s development process. I would like to thank all those who helped me in the shaping of programs and projects, and I wish them continuing insight and inspiration on their way to a sustainable St. Maarten.
Loekie Morales
President, Beyond Kultura Events (BKE) Foundation
Dear Editor,
We are reading and hearing about the increase in COVID-19 cases, the continual rise in fuel prices, the reluctance to change to solar energy and now we are again faced with the cutting of the salaries of government employees
In the middle of all this GEBE, the only government-owned company which for years has been bailing out government financially in whatever which way, is now being threatened to end up in the hands of people who are willing to make deals with people who have all been criminally prosecuted. I think this is serious enough to write to you about because I overheard some people deliberating that what they called the Silicone Valley, by way of scheming, plotting and jogging of positions, is about to manipulate itself onto the GEBE board. All of this is involving a hotel owner, politicians, people involved in education, even people awaiting sentence, among others.
What struck me is that mention was made that one of the persons, who has a popular nickname and who also will be interviewed for a position on the GEBE board, has gotten questions which will be used during the interview, to make sure that that person gets on the board.
This is debatable, but because time and time again it has been proven that there is no smoke without fire and that the schoolchildren are miles ahead of investigators, I believe that if government does not stop this radical attempt to get rid of the present board of GEBE which, as mentioned before, has financially bailed out government on several occasions, government will again prove that government is not of good faith.
Government has to insure that GEBE does not fall in the wrong hands. If it was not known before COVID-19, via via has exposed mass corruption in the government of St. Maarten. With all of this known, I think it would be criminal not to investigate/screen the potential directors of GEBE along with their associates and financial supporters, or even better “leave the present board of GEBE in place”.
We need solar energy! St. Maarten has enough hills to provide any kind of solar energy as well as wind energy, not to forget water tanks above each village. We need a solution for that fuel clause.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
In spite of the strict conditions placed on the churches, thanks to social media the majority of the churchgoers can still participate in a church service on Saturdays and Sundays. I would go further and dare say that I do not think that any of those persons tested positive for the coronavirus through contact tracing mentioned a church as one of the places they visited during that period.
This letter is not in defence of churches, because I am sure that the priests and pastors are very astute in doing so. I would never go against the measures taken by the government to help contain and eliminate COVID-19, though I do not think that in proportion equal measures were taken and the execution thereof was/is controlled in the other entities, where social distancing plays a vital part in avoiding catching COVID-19.
Beside going to receive communion the people in church in general do not be moving around in church, as opposed to shoppers. In bars, restaurants, supermarkets, hardware stores, etc. there is uncontrolled movement among the visitors and social distancing becomes a word of the past.
There are still people out there high-fiving and hugging each other, while there is also no control on what is happening in the buses. The domino and bellot games are continuing as well as behind closed doors as in the open and the number of positive cases is increasing. I would say that this is all the fault of the people because all of this is the consequence of human behavior.
Because I treasure human lives more than riches I will not hesitate to suggest that showcases and shelves be taken out of the places of business or rearranged in order to create more free manoeuvering space. I have noticed that there is no discipline among the shoppers even though the amount of people at a time is limited.
I have had my say concerning the handling of COVID-19 but since the spike on Aruba I noticed that somebody on Aruba, I cannot verify the source because it was forwarded to me, made a list of the names of places of business on Aruba which were named during contact tracing, something I suggested before which would serve as a deterrent because those mentioned would have to pull up their socks.
There is also an official list of the amount of COVID-19 cases on Aruba as of August 5, 2020. There was also official news stating that it is not the opening of the border which caused the spike in positive cases, it is the behavior of locals mostly due to contact in bars and nightclubs.
I am not suggesting that life must stop on St. Maarten, but when I saw the behavior of people along the road looking at the bicycle race last Sunday, the majority inside social distance and the majority without masks, again it is human behavior.
By the way, someone who shared my opinion on GEBE called me and told me that I should make sure the people know that I am talking about the abuse towards the present Managing Board of GEBE and that I should try to get the inside scoop on the injustices which are happening in the auditing department.
It is also public knowledge that there is a conflict of interest with the selection of a new managing board. The same person who applied for a job on the managing board of GEBE is part of the selection board.
I told them they would have to write about that themselves because, I repeat, I have to be responsible for what I write and I was not sure. So, I was asked what about that thing about no smoke without fire that you wrote about. I just smiled and told them that if whatever they intend to write is factual then they should request the Editor to withhold their name if they think it that important for the public to know. But they are going to know that it came from inside. I also get from the inside, but I usually verify the facts first before venturing to write about it.
Back to COVID-19. As long as there is no vaccine we have to become our own vaccine. Wear a mask in public and maintain a respectable as well as responsible distance from others. A few days ago a lady told a man who extended her a very friendly greeting, but was getting too close to her, “Please don’t touch me.” After he left she turned to me and said, “I hope he doesn’t get mad for what I said to him.”
So, I suggested she, in a gentle way, use “maintain your distance” which should become part of the greeting in the very near future. People will grow accustomed to that and it will not sound offensive. That will also be protecting both parties.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
It saddens me when I hear some people boast about being French and Dutch. These are nationalities imposed on us by the colonial powers who to date maintain political and economic control on this divided paradise. I am of the firm belief and still hold the view that contrary to popular belief that we (displaced Africans of the diaspora) had nothing to do with the signing of the Treaty of Concordia because our ancestors were slaves in 1648. If this had been the case then we, the local government on both sides, would have been able to change it. We would have been able to keep the border open.
This treaty was agreed upon and ratified by the Republic of France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. What is so unfortunate is that some don’t understand the agenda of both colonial powers and the reality is, we are playing right into their hands. We are talking about a country such as France who took part in the Berlin conference held in Germany on November 15, 1884, until February 26, 1885, where they divided up Africa. We are talking about France who forced some 14 African countries who wanted their independence to sign the French colonial tax which ensured their revenues totaling some $500 billion annually was deposited in the French treasury. We are talking about the Kingdom of the Netherlands who participated in this same Berlin conference and to date has a system in South Africa where the minority of whites control the financial sector in that country. So, to those who are asking for them (Dutch Government) to take over St. Maarten, you really do not know their history. Do not think for one moment that they are not involved in this plan of the border closure and control.
Sometimes I wonder if we understand the strategy that is being used to keep us as a people divided. And they also determine whether our African Caribbean family are allowed access to the island with the imposition of visa restrictions. They are using the same divisive system in Africa and we consider this normal? We have to stop applying their legislation which has been put in place to maintain their control on us.
A painful reality is that there is not much the United Nations, the European Union or any so-called humanitarian organization can or will do about it. Case in point, the United Nations was formed in April of 1945 but apartheid was only dismantled 49 years after. They have hundreds of articles on human rights but where were they when these crimes were and are still being committed against our African brothers?
Our only salvation or solution is for us to first see ourselves as one people, one island. Then our next step is to determine what unites us. We have to put policies in place which coincide with our culture. We are not European but we are from the continent of Africa. We have to communicate on a consistent basis. We are the offspring of the most powerful people God ever put on this planet. But it appears we don’t know our strength. Years of Eurocentric, colonialist divisive indoctrination are deeply rooted in our psyche; however, as a people of spiritual strength and awareness we survived, endured and thrive under the atrocities committed against us.
We have to seriously address their educational system, I did not make a mistake, I said their educational system. Because they don’t talk about us. Where in their educational system does it mention the greatness of our ancestry? Where do they mention the genius of us as a people? We have to make a serious effort to invest in our youth, there is too much talk. I am pleading with our youth to educate and inform themselves. Do your own research, investigate and you will find out who we are as a black people.
The books they give us in the classroom say nothing about who we are. One would think our history began with slavery. I have a deep respect for Haiti and Jamaica. Haiti for being the first independent country in the world and Jamaica for showing a resilience equal to none when the British left them with an illiteracy of 85 per cent and today they can boast of a literacy of 88.10 per cent, a prime example of a fighting spirit. The University of the West Indies situated in Jamaica ranks second in the region only behind Puerto Rico.
We don’t need the Republic of France or the Kingdom of the Netherlands, we need to reconnect with the continent from whence we came. It is time we demand of the colonialists that we be allowed to plan our own future. Herein lies our very survival. The island is ours physically but not constitutionally. Let us claim our paradise because after they used and abused us and left us to fend for ourselves, with the help of God we built it to where it is today.
George Pantophlet
Member of Parliament
