Dear Editor,
And so the world woke up last week to the Russian Army marching over the border into the Ukraine. As usual, there is shock and dismay. How can this possibly happen? Our diplomats with their fine speeches were making so much progress. Our political leaders had threatened “sanctions” and all manner of devastating response in case something really did happen. In fact, my hopelessly incompetent, illiterate and feeble President of the United States, Joe Biden, went so far as to threaten to “unfriend” the Russians on his official Facebook account if they invaded. That sure slowed them down.
In the meantime in Europe, who by some strange happenstance gets 40 per cent of its energy from Russia, their overwhelming response was to ban Russian athletes, limit access to all the banks except those which happened to be handling the energy business and write several mean letters to Putin’s mother telling her what a bad boy he was being.
And how did we get here? Years, if not generations, of hopelessly weak governments on both side of the oceans unwilling to meaningfully pursue energy independence and bowing to the political nonsense of the mythical carbon footprint.
As pointed out recently in another publication, “The world has surrendered its energy independence to the whims of a Swedish teenager.” Nuclear plants are closed. Coal fields are abandoned. Oil reserves are untapped in the hope of capturing the elusive “carbon footprint unicorn”. And so, what happens? You give one nation like Russia the power to make you freeze in the winter and grind your industry to a halt. When you give a bully leverage the only result is that you get bullied over and over again. No number of canceled concerts, banned athletes or the meaningless endless platitudes of those who stand by with their hands in their pockets will change anything.
The Chinese build a military airbase base in the middle of the ocean on an island they don’t own in territorial waters that are not theirs. Sharp words are exchanged. Political appointees so dumb you wouldn’t let them mow your lawn file formal protests and in the end, what is the result? The Chinese have their airbase and no one does anything about it. Maybe the fact a large part of the Democratic party in the U.S. have billions of dollars’ worth of business interests in China might have something to do with it? No, probably not. That’s just coincidence.
You would think that the world would learn. The last time appeasement was tried we ended up with the second world war. And what are you looking at now? Will NATO do anything against the Russians? No. Biden knows that if he commits American troops to protect someone else’s border while his own Southern border is a sieve that Americans will never elect another Democrat in modern times. That will probably be the case next November anyway, but putting boots on the ground in the Ukraine after the Afghanistan debacle would be political suicide.
Will the EU step in? Nope. they do too much business with Russia and besides, they don’t want to be cold next winter. And besides, they have no stomach for the fight any longer anyway.
And so the Russian strategy becomes self-evident. They will succeed because they face a world that has sacrificed its self-sufficiency to a fantasy and that is being led by hopelessly weak individuals far more interested in their own self-enrichment rather than their own nations’ best interests.
What’s next? China moves on Taiwan in the next 12 months. Why? Because they know they can. If the U.S. tries to stop them, China won’t ship any of the electronics it makes that keep 85 per cent of U.S. industry alive. We sacrificed that independence long, long ago.
Where is Ronald Reagan when you need him? … But I would more than settle for Donald Trump.
Steven Johnson
Dear Editor,
I told you so since 2006, it is a new start; many nations will seek democracy rather than being a communist nation.
If Russian people keep a massive protest right now it will put Putin in more serious problems to govern Russians. I quote: NATO and Europeans be wise.
Cuthbert Bannis
Dear Editor,
Biden's bumbling failure of a presidency has brought on widespread suffering in the face of complete ineptitude. So, one has to ask: Are we finally ready to have Trump back?
More than half of CPAC attendees voted Trump for the GOP nomination in a straw poll, a sure sign that America is sinking fast without the strong and steady hand of our former fearless leader. Sure, he is a different kind of mix. He prioritizes beauty, demands perfection, and thrives on confrontation. However, there is no denying that the man is a loose cannon – albeit an entertaining one – when given a microphone or cell phone.
Trump led with a type of fearless honesty that had never come from the White House before, and he was not afraid to sidestep diplomacy if it meant protecting the country he loves. I only wish I could say the same about Biden. Biden's bungled presidency, commingled with Harris' gaping absence, all have had severe consequences for our economy and even the humanity of our nation.
In response to an anti-police climate, fomented in large part by the Democrat Party, organizations like First Responder Academy provide virtual education to high school students interested in one day joining law enforcement, EMS, or a fire department to help shape tomorrow's law enforcement community by starting with today's next generation. Unfortunately, there could soon be an unprecedented drought in applicants to become police officers without feeder systems like this.
After all, you cannot count on the media with largely biased reporting and too many liberal-run organizations. Biden's actions indeed defy logic, and yet Trump took a far heavier beating in the press. Worse, when it comes time for a presidential address, Biden's bumbling speech makes it supremely difficult to take our elected leader seriously when he does not appear to understand the message himself. Both Trump and Biden were PR nightmares, but at least with Trump, we received the truth – even if it was raw and unfiltered.
Forbes reports that Biden's popularity plummeted after the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, but that is far from all the damage he has inflicted on a post-Trump America. Coronavirus still rages on, there are mounting tensions with Russia and China, and gas is skyrocketing as we sit on the brink of Ukraine escalating into a potential world war.
It begs the questions – How did we get here? How could Biden screw things up so severely in such short order?
Of course, it all depends on who you ask. While U.S. News calls Trump "a falling star," The Hill says that "more voters would pick Trump" today. In fact, a Politico poll found that more Americans want Trump as a 2024 presidential candidate than Biden. Biden's age also remains a concern, with even Biden aware of his own mortality as he says, "If I'm in the health I'm in now, if I'm in good health, then, in fact, I would run again."
Should Biden bypass re-election, it likely means we are stuck with Harris as his back-up, and that thought is perhaps even more terrifying. Harris, tasked with securing the border, has primarily been a ghost, appearing masked during press conferences, but rarely doing the people's work that she so vehemently promised during campaigning.
One thing is for sure – very few expected Biden to fail this spectacularly. He is only laying down the yellow brick road for a former nemesis who is chomping at the bit to get back into the oval office to get America on the right path again.
Lena Muhtadi Borrelli
Dear Editor,
Where is the will to do the right thing? During several discussions that I have had, I have frequently heard that “politicians do what politicians do.” I can agree with that, but donkeys also do what donkeys do. Donkeys kick, without warning, but also, donkeys do not make promises.
All I’m reading and hearing these days is criticism and reasoning but no effort for solutions. There are those of us who say that the different television networks let us hear and see what they want us to hear and see. Whether we know both sides of the story or not, I do not believe that all the networks could doctor all of Trump’s campaign speeches to sound the same. And I also believe that any reasonable person could know that Trump is speaking from all corners of his mouth.
Polio for decades now with limited research ability is successfully combated, while the whole world is upside down with COVID-19 and its variants in this day and age with unlimited research ability. In the words of my father: “Why is there enough time to do it twice over and not enough time to do it once right?” “The same energy that is used to do wrong, could be used to do right.”
Once you do the right thing there are no more worries. I believe the same thing should apply to what is happening in the world today in Ukraine. Do these leaders have a family, do they have children? Do they pause to think what goes around comes around?
I read several things in the paper of March 1 which pricked my curiosity.
In your editorial “Staying there” you mentioned that 18 additional recruits will not solve the entire problem and you also explained about the continued cooperation with the Netherlands JVO. I would have appreciated it if you had reminded us about the way in which the Netherlands called back all their police people last year.
As long as I can remember, the Dutch always negotiate with both hands out. I was taught by the Dutch in school and the following is very true. At a certain moment I was confused, because we were taught one thing in school and the contrary in Sunday school. At school it was impressed upon us “voor wat hoort wat” and in Sunday school we were taught “It is better to give than to receive.” I became a police officer, working with Dutch colleagues and there again “voor wat hoort wat” prevailed. Another thing my father would say the Englishman used to tell them. “Nothing for nothing, and very little for your money.” As I grew older I recognised the lesson in that.
The MP Wescot-Williams has been involved in every one of our governments since 10-10-’10. Her dedication to the wellbeing of the people of St. Maarten should move her to fill in those cracks in order to fortify the wall and not stand by watching it crumble, but you know why.
What astonishes me is that throughout the whole Bible mention is made of “doing good and not looking for anything in return” because “doing good” always has its reward, but we still delight in the negative. I am yet to know a politician, especially in government who does not relish that “Gotcha” moment.
When do the people really count?
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Democracy is a birthright! It’s a human right! There should be no condition attached to this and the people of St. Eustatius should not be negotiating the return of democracy.
It was wrong for the Dutch government and parliament to impose this type of draconian measures based on erroneous and baseless accusations that were leveled against our government. The Wiseman Report, which was an articulation by political detractors of the Progressive Labor Party that governed the island Between 2015 and 2018, was used as an excuse by the Dutch to remove the lawfully elected government from office by means of a coup d’état.
Four years later, after the serious and baseless accusations that were leveled against my administration, the Dutch government has failed up to now even after various investigations to bring forth any credible evidence to substantiate their decision that led to the takeover of the government on February 7, 2018. I was disappointed that with the coming of State Secretary Alexandra van Hufflen, we would have been able to turn a new page and improve upon the relations between The Hague and St. Eustatius. By refusing to restore democracy it was an outright rejection and disrespect of the will of the people as expressed in the elections of October 2020.
It is clear that the people of St. Eustatius are being punished because of the dislike by The Hague of an individual or a political party. I refer to statements made by the state secretary and other senior officials which suggest that they wanted to be cautious in avoiding a repeat of the past. What was the problem in the past? The only thing I can think of is that during the governing period we worked towards making Statia more sustainable and less dependent on handouts from the Netherlands.
I am convinced that the sole reason for the takeover of my administration by the Dutch was based on their decision to opt for a full measure of self-governance in keeping with the agreement signed by the Dutch in 1952 with the United Nations.
The Hague should not determine which political party or individuals can be elected on the island and who become commissioners, this is totally up to the people in a free and fair election.
When we look at the ongoing invasion by the Russian government in Ukraine the NATO alliance which the Dutch forms apart of is publicly condemning this assault and dubs it a violation of the democratic rights of the Ukrainian people. I wish to ask, what is the difference between that situation and the coup d’état that was carried out by the Dutch government where a lawfully elected government of St. Eustatius was removed?
I find the Dutch very hypocritical and inconsistent in their actions.
After 4 years of Dutch occupation and with 3 appointed commissioners and their expert teams running the affairs of island, they have failed miserably at every level to live up to their promises made since they took over the government. Even in conversation with the common man on the street they would tell you that the situation of the island and government is the worst that it has ever been.
Our people are dying for proper medical care, poverty is continuously rising, inflation and the cost of living is at an all-time high and we are being taxed heavily despite the worsening economic situation on the island.
I call on the Dutch government, the upper and lower houses of parliament, to honor and respect the democratic principles and the human rights of our people and restore democracy forthwith to free and fair people here on St. Eustatius.
Councilman Clyde van Putten
