Dear Editor,

  It’s a simple question. Which Minister will answer this?

  We opened our border to the USA August 1, 2020. On that day, we had XX amount of cases, the French side closed its border, Curaçao and the BES islands closed their border as well, and yet after an increase to 96 positive cases (known) in 11 days (as of 11 August), the government will not institute a lockdown!

  What the %^$&!

  The VSA ministry advises to adhere to the measures. News Flash! It’s not happening! And the virus doesn’t stop from 00:00-06:00. It’s here! Our health care community cannot cope with an increase in diagnoses!

  It’s the first time I write something like this, but, SXM government, get your act together if only for your family and friends! It is absolutely nonsense your current policy: there is no one shopping on Front Street, people are not making money, why act like we are “open”?

  “Keep socially distancing, wear masks, and wash hands” is great advice, but when the numbers increase on a daily basis, I insist that you implement better measures! My life is dependent on what you constitute. So far, it seems like suicide.

  Bring down the cases today, before it’s too late!

Name withheld at author's request.

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,

  Like the ocean finds the shore, the virus continues to find its way to human hosts world-wide. It ignores borders, lockdowns, aspirin as well as bush-tea. Statistics put the following into perspective: the virus thrives in countries such as the USA, where society, politics and scientists are divided. In Asian countries that have a history of outbreaks, the virus is much better contained.

  For the evolution of the virus, it all doesn’t really matter. It has been with us for millions of years, for as long as life on earth existed. Unlike bacteria, viruses aren’t living organisms; they can’t reproduce on their own. Instead, they hijack cells to multiply, spread and cause disease.

  The key to containing the virus is to prevent it from spreading to new hosts. Japan, for example, has been very successful in controlling the outbreak and has found a formula without lockdowns. The Japanese government “requested” the public not to go out, if not necessary, and for bars and restaurants to suspend their business temporarily. The request to adhere to practices that minimize the risk slowed down the spread and helped to reduce it.

  The other important factor was the national awareness and strict avoidance of the so called 3 C’s, namely: Closed spaces with poor ventilation; Crowded spaces open to the public; and Close contact, which puts people in range of flying droplets from speaking, coughing and sneezing.

  Even when the 6-feet social distancing rule cannot be maintained, the proper use of facemasks will minimize the risk of infection and prevent an outbreak. The government went even so far as not to make testing widely available for those who were not prone to falling seriously ill. Japan learned from previous outbreaks that when patients flocked to doctors and hospital lobbies to get tested, where the 3 C’s could not be maintained, other patients and many healthcare workers got infected, which compromised the entire healthcare system.

  When someone still gets infected, the 3 C’s and facemasks provide another benefit. The so-called viral dose (the amount of virus someone breathes in) is far less, which seems to impact the way in which people become infected as well as the severity of the infection. The more intense the viral dose, the severer the illness becomes. Perhaps this explains why there are asymptomatic patients in contrast with severe cases leading to death.

  With reference to the 3 C’s and the outbreaks in St. Maarten, it is evident where the virus found its way to its hosts. This transpired at events of mass gatherings, and the most recent event at a nightclub, all with large crowds in close proximity and without masks.

  It all sounds so simple, we enforce a one-island policy based upon the 3 C’s, prohibit crowds in closed environments, limit public gatherings to a maximum of 20 people, order mandatory facemasks in public spaces and protect the elderly and the vulnerable. Actually it is that simple if the one-island rules are implemented and acknowledged. If we, one and all, change our behavior by adhering to the rules, it will be possible to live without a lockdown and without having to close our borders. In that light, we will be able to start with the recovery of our economy.

  Rather than focusing on elimination of the risk of infection, the objective should be to stop the spread of the disease and keep the number of patients to a minimum. Lock-down strategies are not sustainable and repeated implementation is affecting our society and economy to the core, causing an outcome that is worse by far.

  On the positive end, the environment on St. Maarten is conducive to minimizing the spread of the virus. Yes, we really might be living in one of the best places on earth because of our geographical location. St. Maarten’s constantly stable temperature and steady humidity are the virus’s worst enemies.

  Experimental studies on guinea pigs demonstrated that the transmission of influenza viruses is strongly modulated by temperature and humidity. A number of epidemiological studies have followed up on these findings and revealed robust associations between the occurrence of influenza in temperate regions and local conditions of humidity and temperature, and they offer a long-awaited explanation for the wintertime seasonality of influenza in these locales.

  Despite recent progress, important questions remain as to the mechanism(s) by which humidity and/or temperature affects transmission.

  St. Maarten’s constantly stable temperature averaging 27 degrees and a humidity averaging 77 per cent are the virus’s worst enemies.

  Similar to Japan, and other Asian countries, if everyone does their part in strict and consistent adherence to the 3 C’s, if everyone is disciplined in proper use of facemasks in public and when in close proximity to others, collectively we will be able to mitigate the spread of the virus and achieve a satisfactory level of containment and control before more drastic measures become necessary.

Robert Brown,

Director of the Commercial Division,

Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company PJIAE

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