Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Friday 17 November 2017

Opinion Column: No Banana Republics in the Caribbean

By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert the island, and the other solutely urgent, and then it
hand a swarm of follow- will be done on the spur of
ORANJESTAD - Maracuja ers, supporting and taking a moment related to a fes-
Republics, yes. But Banana sides among families and tive event. St. Tosians love
Republics,definitely not! clans of native St.Tosians parties and the incentive of
in its House of Assembly. having a party can be very
A few clarifying lines of po- The worlds of business and motivating to take quick
litical science may be ap- politics often blend harmo- and positive decisions.
propriate here. Every gov- niously well depending on With more political seats
ernment system is a ‘Cracy’ the potential opportunities available, one needs fewer
which originates from the of benefits and favors for votes to be elected for of-
Greek word for power: ‘Kra- the individuals. And so, the fice. It supports a demo-
tos’. Democracy is the most St.Tosian Adhocracy is flex- cratic system that distrib-
favored since it is supposed ible and non-permanent utes political power in the
to be the power of the and can respond fast to hands of the public which
people (demos=people). a changing environment forms the electorate. In
Experts with an academic and circumstances. It can St.Tosia, it was never quite
background claim that due be a thriving factor in the clear whether it would re-
to human nature being es- wellbeing of the island for sult in less power for more
sentially faulty, every gov- some. people, or in more power
ernment system in the be- St.Tosia with its population for less people. It’s quite
ginning of its development of 25,000 people, has eigh- confusing. About one hun-
has been a ‘Kakistocracy’, teen government ministries dred votes are enough for
meaning rule by the stu- and nineteen members a seat in office which pays
pid; a form of governance of the House of Assembly. well, provides healthcare
where the worst or least- may increase the amount with Bananas which grow So, all is fine and orderly and pension benefits plus
qualified citizens are in of gamma-aminobutyric in clusters hanging from with so many departments, a bodyguard and a private
control. But of course, since acid in the brain which de- the plant. Because of these authorities and legislative secretary of choice and
we are all non-experts and creases the activity of cer- differing characteristics a supervision. The constitu- without job qualification re-
often lack the appropriate tain brain cells which is not Maracuja Republic is not tion of the island was writ- quirements.
academic backgrounds, uncommon for the local comparable to a Banana ten by Zadekiah Jones, a The political stability of
we have to see the Kak- politicians and noticeable Republic. man with tremendous so- St.Tosiais mainly caused by
istocracy claim as a case in their speech and action. St.Tosia is more in line with cial foresight for his time in its people not agreeing on
of mind over matter; if you anything. That practically
don’t mind, it doesn’t mat- means that no change will
ter. Plus, in today’s positive- happen. And so, everything
ly well-developed society, stays as it is, which may be
it may not be defensible to the most obvious charac-
claim that ‘human nature is teristic of what political sta-
essentially faulty’. bility is all about. Political
Just one more classification stability is one of the symp-
that we cannot go around. toms that foreign investors
By definition, a Banana Re- value and are looking for.
public is considered a Klep- It is one reason why St.Tosia
tocratic system that eco- is very popular in financial
nomically depends upon circles abroad. The other
the export of bananas. It reason is the investment
features a society com- incentives that are offered
posed of an impoverished to them. With the torrent of
Ergatocracy and a ruling assets being brought to the
Plutocracy, composed of island, the economy is flour-
the Aristocracy of business, ishing and blooming like a
politics, or the military. Such Passion Flower.
system is something that is As a closing remark on
unheard of in the region Bureaucracy that comes
and the expression Banana from a different part of the
Republic is sharply criticized The fruit of the Passion Flow- what the laid-back region 1898 when the government world. US Admiral Hyman
and even considered an in- er is of course the Passion is really all about. The island form on St Tosia was estab- G. Rickover was quoted to
sult here. So, let’s move on Fruit or Maracuja. St.Tosia is a political adhocracy. lished. It was Zadekiah’s once have said: “A system
to the subject of Maracuja is an island full of passion. This philosophy is typified by viewpoint that it is better under which it takes three
Republic. I never like name The islanders are extremely aversion to planning anda to have more administra- men to check what one is
and blame games and passionate which compris- tendency to respond only tive offices rather than just doing is not control; it is sys-
therefore on the topic, I will es anything from love, af- to the urgent as opposed a few because the govern- tematic strangulation.”q
refer to the government fection, mania, fascination, to the important; focusing ment could employ more
system of the island St.Tosia obsession and neurosis. The on ‘firefighting,’ rather than politicians and followers *The views, opinions and
as a positive example. Passion Fruit is a vigorous, on establishing systems and as civil servants. One may positions expressed by the
St.Tosia is called a Mar- climbing vine that clings procedures through goal expect that this would cre- author do not necessarily
acuja Republic because it by tendrils to almost any setting and long-term plan- ate more bureaucracy. On reflect the views, opinions
blooms like a Passiflora In- support, something that is ning. On the one hand, the contrary! On St.Tosia, or positions of The Aruba
carnata. The Passion Flow- also typical for the politi- there is a world of business it enhances adhocracy today Newspaper, Carib-
er, knowingly has herbal cians on the island. There interests driven by society since nothing gets done in bean Speed Printers, or any
calming effects but also is no similarity whatsoever members who migrated to the first place unless it ab- employee thereof.