Solidarity is defined as; unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group. In a recent article by Kathryn Jean Lopez for the National Review, she said ‘to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable is to become vulnerable’.
The people of St. Maarten, like people all over the world right now are vulnerable. Vulnerable to disease and death and vulnerable to the certain economic recession this pandemic will bring in the months and years to come. The number of deaths have shown the absolute poor state of our health care system. With 37 positive cases of COVID-19 confirmed we are at 6 deaths, a 16.22 death rate for confirmed cases. By contrast Germany with more than 100,000 laboratory-confirmed cases has 1584 deaths with a death rate of 1.6 percent. In South Korea, another model in the handling of this virus the fatality rate stands at 1.8 percent. Italy has a death rate of about 12 percent and Spain, France and Britain stand at 10 percent. Now we can argue that we cannot compare tiny St. Maarten to large, developed, wealthy nations so let us compare closer to home. At present Dominica, tiny, under-developed nation ravaged by Erica and Maria in recent years, at present has 14 cases with 0 deaths. Antigua has 15 cases with 0 deaths. Barbados has 56 cases with 1 death for a 1.79 death rate, Martinique has 149 cases with 4 deaths – a 2.68 death rate. While there are certainly many factors contributing to these numbers and yes these numbers will surely change, it is a glaring comparison. A comparison that questions the state of our health care system, and the timeliness and adequacy of our response to this pandemic.
Germany is being looked at as an anomaly, experts all over the world are enquiring about their methods. What they have found is a strong public health care system that was well prepared - so much so that they are now accepting patients from Spain and Italy. Germany has also performed more testing than any other country in the world. The most important factor though is the effective leadership displayed leading up to and during the crisis; clear, calm communication along with strict rules on social distancing. Additionally an early stimulus package certainly helped to alleviate fear and anxiety. Because of this the population has trust in their government and the Germany chancellor’s approval ratings have soared
This bring us to another comparison; in one of her recent press briefings the Prime Minister of St. Maarten stated that the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) had their first meeting in the first week of March. On Monday March 16th, there was an update on the official government website of a meeting held with the Dutch and French counterparts. After this meeting an emergency meeting took place with the full EOC – a quote from the release states ‘In this meeting, the EOC deliberated and drew the conclusion that stakeholder consultations needed to take place before more far-reaching decisions could be made. ESF coordinators will provide advice on school closures and other relevant restrictions to Prime Minister Jacobs tomorrow.’
This was on March 16th, a time when countries all over the world were already engaged in critical preparedness and response to the COVID-19 virus. We saw the roll-out of restrictions put in place by the Prime Minister where it took almost three weeks to determine which businesses were essential or non-essential; almost three weeks to determine should we close the barbershops or should we re-open them or should we close them again. And while our French counterparts shut down schools and imposed restrictions on movement, we continued to allowed free cross border movement and waited for the first case in order to act.
On April 2nd via a release in The Daily Herald the Prime Minister stated ‘that the country is continuously
assessing new ways to source capacities and resources that it has locally and has been trying to
partner with various stakeholders and businesses to see how to identify a location for quarantining
and, where necessary, for isolation units. “An isolation space has been identified to house COVID-19-
positive patients which we expect to start populating as of tomorrow in order to ensure isolation of
these cases,”’ On April 2nd the government has just identified a location place for quarantining. Let that
sink in.
Also on April 2nd the Prime Minister announced some ‘good news’ – ‘testing for COVID-19 will be
ramped up as the country now has the ability to test locally’. Yet on Sunday April 5th per SMN-News,
epidemiologist Eva de Weever said that ‘test kits are limited and that persons who develop symptoms
while in confinement will be tested. She said at the moment there are not sufficient kits to test
everyone.’ Again let that sink in.
In her press conference on Sunday April 5th, the Prime Minister appeared to be rushed, even annoyed at
times. This was confirmed when she later stated that the press conference should have been over more
than an hour ago because she had to be at the airport to receive the plane delivering medical
equipment and additional beds to the island. With a deputy prime minister, a health minister and other
members of the EOC the Prime Minster felt it necessary to rush an address to the nation in order to
receive medical equipment and stage a photo-op at the airport. And as the days go by the rest of
government becomes more quiet – the 15 new parliamentarians and the 7 new cabinet members who
were literally just all over the place pre-election are all but absent now. From the outside looking in
there seems to be no cohesion in the coalition or in government as a whole. No solidarity, no all hands
on deck approach and certainly no recommendations on how to handle this pandemic.
But I guess fear not because today April 6th our leaders have made a bold move, one that is sure to make
all our lives better. I’m not sure if it’s a lot better, a little better or just somewhat better; but better it
will be, because our leaders past and present have generously decided that in solidarity with the people,
they are giving up 10% of their salaries.
Remember as stated above, ‘to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable is to become vulnerable’. For our
dear leaders becoming vulnerable means living not on approximately Nafls 20,000 per month plus
additional allowances and car and telephone expenses; but on a paltry, measly, worthless Nafls 18,000
(20,000 – 10%) per month.
All over the world this pandemic is showing the inequalities present in communities; social and
economic inequalities. It is also exposing governments and leaders and quickly separating the wheat
from the chaff. However, with many people focused on their health, their next meal or whether they will
be able to keep a roof over their heads we may be missing the big picture exposed by this pandemic.
While this is a most difficult moment for almost everyone, we can be sure that this is tame compared to
difficulties we will continue to face in the future, whether through pandemics or natural disasters.
Of course at a time like this many people will call for unity as they should; history has shown that
countries that come together in times of hardship are able to overcome much quicker. And some people
will even call for us to refrain from criticizing and making demands. But we cannot miss this opportunity
to look closely at our shortcomings and to make concrete changes that will enable us to be better
prepared for a future pandemic.
A too large governing body that has shown itself to be ineffective, incompetent and unempathetic is our
biggest shortcoming. In the past 5 years there have been three elections and we have had at least 8
governments in 10 years. These governments have been made up of mostly the same people, who
continually promise to put country above self and work for the people. In 10 years they have not kept
these promises. Even now when the country should have been preparing for this pandemic we were
busy forming a new government. Some of these same individuals who are in government were
responsible for bringing us into our new status in 2010. The agreed upon and enacted legislation to
ensure that they were well paid with first class benefits. Persons holding positions of authority on this
island earn approximately Nafls 20,000 per month. This does not included the additional 6%
renumeration for representation, and also the use of a car and telephone. They and their families enjoy
first class health insurance and in case of dismissal or removal from office they may continue to receive
payment for up to two years. Keep in mind that there is no national unemployment scheme for citizens
of this island, but the highest paid people on the island made sure to secure unemployment funds for
themselves. The Netherlands has repeatedly asked our officials to lower government spending and
improve financial management in order to balance the budget; even recently asking officials to reduce
their salaries, which they refused. Instead they threw down the government twice, held elections twice
and in so doing increased the government payroll again. Can we confirm that the 10% that will be
discounted will not be recouped somewhere else in the budget?
At the same time other citizens must make do with a minimum wage of approximately Nafls 1530 which
does not cover the monthly rent on a safe, clean 1 bedroom apartment on this island. Add to that the
rising costs of food and utilities and we have a large percentage of the population who cannot afford to
go without a paycheck. This large section of the population therefore cannot afford to save for a rainy
day – or a global pandemic, let alone a global economic depression. They are now anxious, even fearful.
While children are now being taught online, and many parents have not received a paycheck or have
received a discounted paycheck, the internet providers are sending out invoices as per usual. What
happens when a parent cannot pay that internet bill, does her/his child stop learning? Who steps in to
ensure that this does not happen? Rent is due or past due for many persons, some people are choosing
not to pay their rent to try and safeguard whatever funds they have. Some persons are asking their
landlords to discount their rent or to delay receiving payment. What happens when the landlord says no
and demands payment as per usual? Who will step in to ensure that person is not evicted or harassed at
a time like this? Where is the government; and our elected members of parliament? Why have they
gone radio-silent while the Prime Minister continues to struggle and make mistakes? Where is the
solidarity through accountability?
There is so much work to be done; fighting this pandemic and flattening the curve are only the first
steps. COVID-19 has left us exposed – our health system is poor and inadequate, our economy as it is no
longer works and our treasury is empty. Our economy and our livelihood are now completely in the
hands of The Netherlands. We need a government who gets it, who understands the role of leadership
in times of trouble and who knows that the time for old politics is past. Our world has changed and we
are about to enter into another above average hurricane season. We need persons who are willing to
put aside their greed and arrogance and come together, lean on the experts to get the work done. And
above all we need a government who knows that 10% just won’t cut it.
Name withheld at author’s request
There I was, in my house sitting at the table in this incredible Caribbean island of Curaçao, my rock and my soul.
These days are a bit strange. We are facing so many challenges worldwide as we navigate through this pandemic. Three of my daughters have returned home from abroad, while one is studying here. So joyful, all of them here. Apart from work from home, the normal house chores and the less joyful but necessary “social distancing”, we are just trying to keep our sanity.
Recently I began what I like to call a “LCT” or “Learning Conversation Theme.” This time the theme was: What's worst, not to see or not to know? The question warrants different answers. However, of the different answers I selected one. From one of my daughters I got the following response: “Well Dad, I think more than not being able to see or to know, is to not understand. “
“Correcto el bingo!” I told her, offering of course my personal opinion. You know, the Romans used to say “Non solvere quod non intellegis”, meaning “You cannot solve what you don’t understand”. Throughout history, many people have been appointed in positions to manage. But once there, they seem not to understand what to do, simply because….they may see it, or they may not know it. Then again, they don’t seem to really understand the problem. Consequently, they make things worse. “Point taken, Dad”, she said.
“OK, still, we must move forward”, I continued.
“Well,” she said, “I think what comes after you understand is the necessity to think further.”
“Okay,” I intervened. “But how do you do that?”
And she said, “Dad, I think it’s all about imagination!
“Wow!” I responded, “Correcto el bingo!”
In retrospect, you can still have meaningful conversations (even stuck at home) and at the same time, learn that you first….try to really understand the problem, before you start fixing it.
Norberto V. Ribeiro
(April 2, 2020)
I started writing this article on Thursday, March 27, but did not send it for publication because I was waiting on the response from the Dutch government on St. Maarten’s request for legal aid. Article 36 of the Charter.
President Trump together with the mayors of New York and Los Angeles are now advising all to wear face masks in public.
On March 29 The Daily Herald was kind enough to publish my appeal to government to mandate the wearing of face masks in public. I asked that the authorities investigate the merits of this issue but still no word or action, as everyone seems to be busy worrying.
The evidence is becoming more apparent that this is the right thing to do, as leaders and institutions now seem to be reversing their previous position on the issue. Every day, every week that goes by the situation on the island will worsen exponentially.
The big problem remains that we don’t know who is carrying the disease, the symptoms show up after it’s already spread. But if everyone is made to wear a mask in public, no matter who gets the disease, they can’t infect the general population.
Once this epidemic takes hold people will automatically social-distance and wear masks. It’s just a pity that so many will suffer or even die in the interim.
You can make a pretty effective mask by using an old T-shirt, or even using a scarf.
Since it is in the restriction of transmission that this strategy really works, we could look at it as, “I wear my mask to protect you and you wear yours to protect me,”
We pay a lot of money for our MPs and Ministers. Should it become clear in retrospect that this action should have been taken but was never even considered it will speak volumes as to who was worth their salt.
Mike Vieira
Dear Editor,
What Marcus Aurelius, a staunch adherent of Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, would have done for humanity in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Regarded as one of the five good emperors of the Ancient Roman Empire, Marcus would have probably recommended as an essential quarantine read his personal journal which was posthumously published as Meditations. Meditations was one of the books smuggled onto Robben Island for Nelson Mandela which helped enormously to replenish his spiritual resources providing him with daily doses of inspiration and spiritual energy to continue his long struggle for freedom.
To gain perspective, Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations while being surrounded by the horrors of the Antonine plague (165-180 AD) and in the middle of the Marcomannic wars (166-180 AD). Now almost two millenniums later here we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic the symptoms of which are eerily similar to the ancient Antonine plague and which threatens to upend countless lives. In passage ix.2 of the meditations Marcus states, “Even the pestilence around him is less deadly than falsehood, evil behaviour and lack of true understanding.”
Daily we witness the manifestation of the foregoing, people are continuing to adopt a cavalier approach to what still remains a serious global threat. In her report on the banality of evil Hannah Arendt posed the question, “Can someone do evil without being evil?”, a thought-defying act or thoughtlessness which occurs when someone becomes morally disengaged and is unable to think from the standpoint of someone else.
As we know or I assume most of us know, asymptomatic persons are fuelling the COVID-19 pandemic. And with an incubation period of around five days prior to the onset of symptoms no one can say with any degree of certainty during this period whether he or she is infected without first being tested.
It can be inferred then that this places a lot of us in a very peculiar and dangerous position as potential carriers. It’s rather unfortunate that this invisible terror evades sensory perception as none among us to date have been able to pinpoint its presence solely with the use of our sense organs. So, to mitigate the chances of further contagion it becomes absolutely necessary that we employ the most effective method that is entirely within our control, and that is the complete observance of all preventive and health protocols, foremost among which are social distancing and proper self-hygiene and sanitisation.
I imagine Marcus Aurelius with feelings and emotions repressed saying to his subjects during the Antonine plague, “Be calm, plagues have been with us from time immemorial and will continue to be with us indefinitely.” Marcus would have gone on to remind citizens of his empire that plagues are a part of the cycle of nature and are largely outside of their control; however, he would have been quick to point out that how they respond is totally within their control. He would have advised his subjects that the best chance they have of remaining healthy within nature is to adopt a rational approach by practicing virtue, doing what’s good and right for humanity.
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs continues to plea, instruct and remind all and sundry of their roles and responsibilities and I sense this is coming from a genuine place of love and sincerity. Information from the World Health Organisation and other credible sources is abundantly disseminated to governments and citizens alike around the globe.
Given this level of awareness how can one reasonably absolve oneself from personal responsibility for failing to observe the contents of preventive measures, which can result in others becoming infected or even killed? Ignorance of the law is no excuse and cannot be used as a procedural defense in criminal law. Let’s conduct ourselves in a manner that doesn’t give consideration to the legislation of criminal laws to fight this pandemic.
Falsehoods continue to abound during these times, in the process inviting and harbouring denials, irrational explanations and alternative remedies. Presently there is an overkill of “treatments” and prophylactic medicinal potions circulating on the World Wide Web. These “miracle brews and concoctions” were revealed to a “chosen few” whose spiritual apprehension of divine cure and knowledge somehow seems to be eluding the inhabitants of all the laboratories currently engaged in tirelessly pursuing cures.
So, while the world is forced to patiently endure awaiting the eureka moment from our heroes and heroines of medical science these “healers” and “soothsayers” will be immersed in aggressive marketing and distribution of their elixir. And I anticipate this will incur greater costs than benefits, some as severe as permanent physical damage or even death. Nevertheless they will continue to champion their healing prowess, but I am confident they will be unable to prove if it was as a result of the potency of their concoctions or just a case of placebo effect.
Marcus Aurelius while on his dying bed said, “Weep not for me, think rather of the pestilence and the deaths of so many others.” Marcus would have entreated us to keep calm and carry on, nothing is unending you just need to be strong and gracious to get through it. He would have invited us to invoke the spirit of the Stoics; remain virtuous and continue to do what is good and right for all of mankind.
Orlando Patterson
