Dear Editor,
When ego competes with common sense, even the professed educated officials are blinded by their willpower to be politically correct; consequently, it only impedes their ability to visualize the bigger picture. And as logic would indicate, these opposing visions are bound to create stagnation and confusion. So, what does it benefit the country when government prolong, or fail to rectify the issues surrounding the flag that was once hoisted at the Cole Bay Hill?
If the lack of protocol and safety of tourists are indeed the reasons for removing the flag, then what is preventing government from solving these clear-cut problems? As it stands, there is much more to the matter than what was divulged to the public. Weighing the situation from a logical point of view, the need to remedy the concerns is simply not a priority for this administration. What a shame!
If government could only envision the potential of the location, this can become another huge attraction for the destination. So it is time to face the reality, since this government believes in transparency. The most obvious reason behind this lack of interest is to discredit the initiator of the project. But does it really matter whose initiative it is? If the mission is geared towards enhancing the cultural and tourism aspects of the country, why stifle the effort?
I too, like several others are very disappointed in the unbecoming behaviour of the former VROMI Minister; particularly on the floor of Parliament and in the media. But, it does not take away the fact that erecting the flag on “Jack Hill” is an admirable enterprise. I am not sure what plans government has for the area, but here are my two cents. Instead of putting the project on hold, why not embrace it, and ask the permission of the property owners to beautify the entire landscape?
What if the section close to the sculpture is turned into a cozy, high-end, creole-styled dining area? Indeed, the location is ideal to construct a restaurant made of concrete and then glaze the inside and out with wood. Top it off with an attractive gingerbread verandah – one that encircles the entire building to conjure that old-fashioned charm and to complement the roofing. Afterwards, splash some Caribbean colours to highlight its authentic beauty.
Design menus to reflect the rich culture of countless local drinks and dishes, served by persons dressed in the St. Maarten cultural attire. Perhaps a small area can be allocated for a mini tourist office to housed one or two personnel, who are guaranteed to disclose accurate and vital information to the many visitors, expected to patronize this breathtaking site.
Erect railings on both sides of the path going towards the flag with columns of stone walls. Keep the area as natural as possible but pave the road with rocks for easier accessibility and maneuvering, particularly for the visitors who are confined to wheelchairs. Build some stairs on the incline and adorn both sides of the path with the Yellow Sage.
When the cruise ships are in Port, probably passengers can be entertained by a three-piece steel pan or string band players from both sides of the island. There is a choice to alternate the entertainment, either by days or hours, depending on the demand.
Government officials should never let their ego get in the way of making the country a better place, because “The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” As the future is uncertain, they should also realise that “There is one difference between dream and aim. Dream requires soundless sleep to see, whereas aim requires effort to achieve.”
Joslyn Morton
On behalf of InselAir International, I would like to extend my personal apology for the inconveniences and frustrations, many of InselAir’s customers experienced as a result of delay and flight cancelations in these past days including today.
In light of today’s competitive airline industry, and in the current state of the economy, our customers may expect the best value for their travel spenditure. InselAir strives to provide this value through a mix of customer safety, on-time performance, professional service with honest and timely communication also when things don’t work out due to weather, technical, crew flight or aircraft limitations, or other reasons causing delays and or cancellations. Customer’s Safety is our priority. The safety and well-being of customers and other persons such as crew is of paramount importance. We want to make travel on us a convenient and trouble-free experience for our passengers.
The management team at InselAir has been actively managing this situation and steering information through the appropriate channels to staff at all levels. I personally have been constantly involved and kept updated on the progress.
It became clear to me that communication within InselAir leaves much room for improvement. We are evaluating and assuring that the process of communication is improved, such, that staff on all levels is fully informed and involved, getting the right information to do their job at best possible, and enabling them to inform our passengers, timely, adequately and transparent.
It is our goal to provide exceptional service on every occasion, and on behalf of InselAir, I am truly sorry we failed to do so on these occasions.
On behalf of the InselAir management team,
Lars de Brabander, President
Dear Editor,
Reading Joseph E. Stiglitz’s Globalization and Its Discontents Revisited – Anti-Globalization in the Era of Trump [2018] was a challenging endeavor. Trying to gauge the influence this Nobel Prize-winning economist may have had on US and world economic policies and practices over the last quarter of a century, particularly as it relates to the push towards globalization, was a most frustrating undertaking. It was an unpleasant Google venture amid the fawning of sycophants until I chanced upon Libertarian Gene Epstein’s article: “Continually Mistaken, Chronically Admired – The Work of Nobel Prize-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz Is a Study in Elite Myopia (City Journal, September 20, 2018).” I was elated: the assessment of this professional economist has confirmed my very novice takeaways, my non-specialized reading of Stiglitz and his book.
Gene Epstein (B.A. in History and M.A. in Economics is the author of Econospinning: How to Read between the Lines when the Media Manipulate the Numbers (2006). He is a former Senior Economist for the New York Stock Exchange, and later Economics Editor at Baron’s (26 years) from where he recently retired. Epstein is now the director of “The Soho Forum” (A debate series). He refers to himself as an “Austrian,” that is, a follower of the Austrian School of Economics, and is particularly fond of the writings of Murray Rothbard (1926-1995).
In this twelve-page article, and in a recent interview on “The Woods Show (September 27, 2018),” Epstein politely eviscerates Joseph Stiglitz: “a figure to be reckoned with, not just for his past impact on policy but for the influence that he might wield in future Democratic administrations;” this, given Stiglitz’s closeness to Progressive politicians Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; “both of whom might bring him along if they win higher office (p. 1/12).” In this critical review Stiglitz’s words and actions are closely analyzed; those he acknowledges, and some others he appears to downplay, conceal or suppress. Epstein’s verdict is brutal: “Stiglitz’s worst may be yet to come.”
Of particular import are the views of some of Professor Stiglitz’s colleagues and critics who “see [his] stubbornness as a key flaw (...) He doesn’t learn from his mistakes (...) His ‘Initiative for Policy Dialogue’ [A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Stiglitz founded at Columbia University] should more accurately be called ‘Initiative for Policy Monologue’ (...)” And there is this “harsh judgment” from one of Stiglitz’s colleagues at Columbia who spoke to Epstein “on condition of anonymity”: “Joe’s career tragically demonstrates that if one combines legitimate credentials as a clever and creative theorist with extreme left-wing bias and a colossal ignorance of history, one can accomplish a great deal of harm in the world (p. 11).”
This is a devastating appraisal of Stiglitz and his “work.” Epstein highlights several “inconsistencies (Blind spots, contradictions) in the career (The writings and actions) of this Columbia University professor, former chairman of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors [1993], former chief economist at the World Bank [1997], and author of more than 30 books...” Epstein explains that in 2002 Stiglitz failed to diagnose the problems [In the making] related to the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fanny Mac, and Fanny Mae; that Stiglitz and the Orszag brothers (Jonathan and Peter*) submitted a report to Fanny Mac and Fanny Mae, for which they were most likely paid handsomely, stating that the “probability of default by the GSEs” was “extremely small,” and that “the risk to government from a potential default on GSE debt “was effective zero.” Epstein adds: “Washington’s GSE bailout has been estimated at about $200 billion [!] (p. 5).”
*Peter Orszag was later named Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Obama.
Epstein correctly points out that in “Globalization and Its Discontents Revisited” published in 2017, Stiglitz “analyses economic successes and failures in Asia and Latin America, but except for brief references, he makes no mention of the calamity in Venezuela (p. 8).” Epstein adds that in 2006 and 2007, after an “amicable meeting” with President Hugo Chávez, Stiglitz described Venezuela’s economic growth as “very impressive,” and that he praised the “success President Chávez appears to have had in health and education (pp. 7—9).” Epstein’s criticism of Stiglitz is particularly detailed with reference to Venezuela.
According to Epstein, “Chávez wasn’t the only economic strongman and human rights abuser who won Stiglitz’s endorsement (p. 9).” Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s dictator (From 1991 to his death in 2012) hosted the Nobel Prize winner in September 2007. Writing in the New York Times that same month, Stiglitz praised Zenawi for the way he was using the aid he was receiving from Western countries (pp. 9—10). As a corrective to Stiglitz’s above appreciation, Epstein cites Professor William Easterly’s “The Tyranny of Experts,” a book in which human rights abuses in Ethiopia are documented for the period in question.
Gene Epstein did not address Stiglitz’s embrace of “Climate change/Global warming” that the Nobel laureate describes as “increased concentration of global warming gases [that] results in global climate change” (“Globalization and the New Discontents (2018: p. 80).” Therefore, Epstein does not consider the policies that Stiglitz prescribes to combat “Climate change” in order to help “save Globalization (Stiglitz, 2018: pp. 75—97).” In his review of Stiglitz, Epstein may have elected to limit his appraisal to economics, to market failures and policy makers, and to eschew atmospheric sciences.
There is much more instructive and edifying information in Epstein’s insightful article, but we must stop here. According to this Libertarian, Stiglitz has been “grotesquely wrong both economically and morally (The Woods Show, Sept.27, 2018).” Gene Epstein’s essay on Joseph E. Stiglitz and his “work” is a devastating exercise in constructive demolition. Anyone interested in this crucially important topic would do well to read Mr. Epstein’s article, and to listen to his interview, both of them available online.
Gérard M. Hunt
My whole life was lived in the shadows,
Shadows I call the unknown,
I always used to blame people for my misery,
But the only enemy was my inner me,
I often walked in the dark hoping to find my light,
My whole life was lived in the shadows
Shadows I call the unknown.
Happiness the envy of others like a cold winter’s day begging for summer,
Always trying to please people,
Tho damaging myself no one ever stopped to wonder,
My whole life was lived in the shadows,
Shadows I call the unknown.
Depression is war, a battle against itself,
Depression is a killer who murdered the girl I used to be,
At night as I lay my head and often dream of what could be,
Dreaming of happiness hoping to set my sad soul free,
My whole life was lived in the shadows,
Shadows I call the unknown.
The fear of not being liked by others was brought about when I was young,
Fear of looking in the mirror and hearing that sound, “you have to look your best or no one will be proud of me”
My whole life was lived in the shadows, shadows I call the unknown.
I am still learning to love my self,
Constantly fighting a fight to let go of the girl I used to be,
Tear down the mean words ever said to me,
and become the beautiful butterfly I am meant to be,
Time to step out of the shadows,
Shadows I once called the unknown.
Sjakira Webster
