By Delroy Meadows
January 15, 2011
In the summer of 2006 a man by the name of Frederic Rouzaud who’s the managing director of the company that produces Cristal champagne made some comments during an interview with the Economist magazine where he was asked if the then association of their product with rappers in the hip-hop industry would be detrimental to their business.
Rouzaud replied by saying: “We can’t forbid people from buying it. I’m sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business”.
These comments by Rouzaud were viewed as being racist and immediately triggered a boycott on Cristal champagne. The boycott which was led by Rap Industry leaders like Jay-Z who in return pulled the product from the shelves in all of his bars and clubs in New York.
“They want to buy every damn thing” The above comments were made by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham during an event which core purpose is the advancement and establishment of Bahamian businesses in this country. His comments were directed at a group of Bahamian business owners who were showing heavy interest in the purchase of BTC.
However innocent the intention may have been the Prime Minister’s underlying belief as to what Bahamians are deserving of shone through like the sun on that day. Like Rouzaud, the idea or fear that the quality of one’s product would be hindered if it is associated with those deemed of a lower class is nothing new in the Bahamas. Our entire history has been based on the struggle of our people to have equal access and opportunity to everything within our nation. As you can see from the comments of the chief of those who should be carrying on the struggle—we have a long way to go.
It should be a celebration that after 37 years of independence a Bahamian owned company can “beat the drum” and “want to buy every damn thing”. I say we deserve it!
Class Segregation It seems as if the lines are drawn only when an interest is made within an area that has been set aside for theExtra Elite. I say this because today even the elite among us seems to have been placed on hold and create uproar by the Prime Minister himself at the audacity of their ambition. Even their money and all their achievements are not sufficient to merit as much as an interest in what has been reserved for others.
What then can a man do if he lives in an environment where even his greatest accomplishments are not enough to qualify him for more? Even if he tries to gain more and stretch further he is then labeled as greedy—wanting “every damn thing”. What then may I ask is the view of the small man if not even the elite of his own class can go beyond the limitations that oppression has fixed on his society?
Who Has Everything? It is our God given right to have dominion and rule over the earth which He has given to us. We are commanded to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. There is nothing wrong with the desire to want it all as long as it is good. Every man should have this desire to go beyond their expectations and remove the illusion of limitations that were placed upon us by other men.
The evil in wanting everything and true greed forms when a man oppresses another from exercising his right to launch for a common goal.
There are many in this country that has “everything”. There are those who were born with “everything” and still gaining more even today without interference or comment. I say this sarcastically as the truth of the matter is that it is impossible to have everything. Man has the ability to create more and over where once existed nothing so the idea of everything goes as far as one deems satisfied.
The Byproduct of Oppression I believe that if a man is grown in an environment of lack, where resources are limited and there are many in need, even when he is taken from that place, if he does not renew his mind his view of the world would be the same—A limited place where we have what we have and that’s all that we have.
The truth is that we have the ability to do more than we could ever dream possible. I refuse to have any leader tell me that I cannot go beyond this invisible line drawn to separate us from all that is within our reach.
Our children are look to leaders as a guide or an example of what is possible for them. The more people who look like us are seen to own more within our country will in turn remove the stigma of lack among our people.
We should view this comment by the Prime Minister as an indicator that the wealth in this nation is shifting and that those of us who have it should not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us take the initiative to create markets that are open to all of our people. If our money can’t buy it then let us create it.
Oppression can only be cured by its opposite which is Freedom. The freedom to go into every area we choose for the advancement of ourselves, the betterment of our children and the full prosperity of our nation.
Guy….. you have figured the guy out… for him everything is politically colored.. and you know what color he advocated., I again challenge him to speak truth to the power he believes in., Stop trying to see every issue through the eyes of POLITICS. Time to develop transcendent thoughts.
Mr. Medow’s disingenious comments continue. It is hard to read without distain how the PLP has shifted from being the voice of the downtrodden and weary, to a pompus group of bickering chickens, now pretending to fight for the rights of the “Bay Street Boys” to own more wealth in the name of Bahamianization.
I find it hard to believe that the fathers of our nation would have actioned any union march or general strike to ensure that a small group of Bahamians would own the majority of wealth in our country.
Like the prime minister say if he say its night the plp will say no its day,if he say things bad the plp will say no things good.The prime minister said the bay street boys want buy up everything the plp say no that aint true let them buy it (Lol)
Some time ago the gov’t of the Bahamas came to the rescue of colina/imperial who were in legal troubles with illegal mortgage rates, since then the gov’t allowed a merger of these two insurance giants. Since then the people of the Bahamas continue to pay the price with health insurance rates that were increased in feb 2008 & will again be increased in feb 2011!THSE BAHAMIANS HAVE A RECORD! GOOD LUCK IF THESE BAHAMIANS GET ANOTHER MONOPOLY!
Pretty darn state of affairs when so few are staking out even more millions, while thousands are adjusting to life without regular paycheques.
Media, your post tells the whole story. Dont worry about those Colina folks, come Monday morning, their editorial will be right back sucking up to the Prime Minister.
i dont want to get into this tit for tat in the above. 2 things: while we say bad things about hubert, a.d. and ping let us, for posterity’s sake, understand that that administration gave a lot of bahamians a opportunities at business. 2. i am still not convinced that mr. symonette is not involved in that btc goings on. i once heard that he made an offer for bahamasair.
What is equally ironic in the comments of the PM is this, he has a problem with the owners of the Nassau Guardian, but he saw nothing wrong is keeping SOL Kerzner with the lock on the Nassau Tourism market. So much so, he was deliberate in his stall to proceed with Baha Mar.
Secondly, it is also shocking to see the PM saw nothing wrong in granting the same people who he set up at Arawak Cay, were the same people he made certain got contracts at the Airport; who are the same people who are now controlling the contacts at Baha Mar.
Bahamas Press would say this though, we have NO PROBLEM seeing BAHAMIANS OWNING THIS ECONOMY!
Bahamas Press/Editor
Well Grouper Mouth Wisdom you just acknowledged that you are BLIND.
Accept my apologies. I knew something was wrong. As you see it was the problem. Get some help with your sight and then gain some wisdom.
I just tell it like I see it. I have made little secret that I have little faith in the FNM, or the PLP leadership, as it stands today. We shall see if I am right come general elections day? All I know is that a growing number of Bahamians are unable to earn a decent paycheque.
…………and what about the many who are getting a paycheck. Stop focusing on the negs..and encourage a spirit of sharing in those who have…Do you realize that it’s people that can make the difference…reach out and touch, share, give until it hurts, and stop storing up and being greedy. Change the thinking, Meadows. You can do it.
Ever seen a photo in any newspaper with the PM and Bahamian business owners? You are judged by the company you keep. Right? The PM’s official photographer couldn’t recognize a Bahamian business man or women, unless you pointed them out.
Aren’t these the goals of the BTC sale?
1. Lower overall costs to ALL Bahamians (handsets, cellular services, long distance)
2. Introduce new services comparable to 1st world nations
3. Get Government out of running a corporation
4. Continue capital investment w/out Government money
4. Ultimately introduce competition to the level that a small country like ours can sustain
Selling to our own people is great! Those of us who can afford to will buy some of the shares from the Government’s sales down the road. Selling to a small group of Bahamian elitists who manipulate the small man’s pride won’t make things affordable for all Bahamians. How would selling to a few wealthy Bahamians allow us to accomplish points 1, 2 and 4? If BTC is not part of a larger organization, how does it secure the economies of scale?
Option 4 is a non-issue – BTC finances such investments. Selling to “elites” is also a non-issue, as price manipulations would certainly be discouraged thru a liberalized market. However though, options 1 thru 5 can all be achieved without the 51% sale to the AILING C&W Caribbean. We would really benefit with innovative business leaders in parliament.
SummerWinds, I agree that a more innovative leadership could have accomplished many of the points, had they tried to over the last 10 years. I’m not sure how a tiny company like BTC could reduce expenses on their own though, as you only have to look at the telecom mega mergers around the globe to what it takes to achieve the necessary economies of scale. Also, maybe you are more informed, but wasn’t all of BTC’s capitalized debt facilitated by the Government or government guarantees? Unless it remains a monopoly, it would be difficult to secure additional financing due to its size and lack of growth opportunities as a standalone company.
Regardless of its size, as compared to the mega telecoms corporations globally, BTC is quite capable of managing its assets thru strategic decision making and goal oriented actions. The mere fact that this entity is rated third in the region behind companies in the US and Canada; and the millions it generates in NET profits yearly, is proof enough. As the constitutional owner (this is currently being challenged), the government mandates and authorizes how BTC’s millions in profits are utilized/invested. With the necessary strategic adjustments and goal-oriented management, BTC would still be able to grow and profit in a liberalized market, even today.
Oh the irony, PLPs actually DISAGREEING with Mr. Ingraham as he stands up to the BAY STREET BOYs. You see PLPs have absolutely no moral compass, NONE. They just want power. That is all, PLPs on this site including DELROY YOU MAKE ME PROUD to support Mr. ingraham. He (Mr. Ingraham) is more honest then any of YOU all.
I really don’t know why we think Hubert’s words really mean a damn thing. MANNY OWN HIS YOU KNOW WHAT! HUBERT IS OWNED BY THE COLINA BOYS. In fact his political son worked there [VARGO], and from what we have heard, he has already put in his request for a job with the company when he is booted out of office.
Bahamas Press /Editor
The real difference with Henry Ford he “walked” four miles to his church every single Sunday morning. A whole lot of our politicians won’t even sit their lazy backsides in the back of their chauffeur driven government cars to take them to church, or drive themselves to church in their expensive cars. Could never understand why they have cabinet meetings on a Sunday, not like they are not available during the weekdays. I might add that unlike some employers we all know Henry Ford was the first employer in America to pay his workers a fair wage for a days work so they could look after their families.
There has been a lot of criticism over the years about the ‘Bay Street Boys’ buying up everything and wanting to own everything, this has come from segments in both political parties.
The modern day Bay Street boys are both black and white, Manny and Frankie Wilson, (their both bay street boys now, they hang in the same circles, probably send their children to the same boarding schools etc.)
I personally, don’t want a society where only a handful of people have the majority of the wealth and own up everything, even if they are Bahamians, even if they are black.
But hey politics seems to change people viewpoints on every subject, people who would have been oppossed to a few owning up everything, now in favor of it, because Ingraham say it, and viceversa.
Nobody has any backbone, people on both sides only look out for their friends. I don’t care much anymore, which I why hardly post or read any of these political things anymore, because their all nonsense from PLP and FNM.
SIGH
Finley, I only thought you were an *** yesterday but today? I know you are an ***. I didn’t think that there would be any body found, in this country, who could engage their brain and fix their mouth to attempt to qualify and excuse for Ingraham’s “they want to buy every damn thing” outburst; but Thomas “FNM ***” Finley could. I piety you Thomas Finley>
Wouldn’t you say the “they” in the PM’s mindset simply means anything not 100% connected to his FNM? But I got news for him. But unlike the UBP Bay Street Boys he has not been powerful enough to prevent the many hands of the “they octopus” from sitting around his cabinet table?
Michael, you are absolutely right.The joke is that our politicians still feel that they can sprew any garbage at us, and WE UNEDUCATED BAHAMIANS will agree. Do they realise that WE can read. Politicians please understand that we know that there are people in business call the I-N-V-E-S-T-O-R-S and there are those called the E-X-P-E-R-T-S. The latter are those the investors usually hire. It is what we call sensible business practice, maybe our lawyers should have studied this in LAW SCHOOL.
Brown, Finley misses the mark because although C&W has been in the business for many years, they are clearly not doing well in it. I would prefer a group of Bahamians with a vested interest in this country who would have allied themselves with the professionals they need. Coupled with ‘Bahamians need not apply’ and a promise to give land to illegals squatting on land they do not own, these statements should every Bahamian. Why is the Bahamian always being denigrated by the PM? That is cause for concern.
Finley, Henry Ford did not know anything about the auto industry either. He relied on what he called OPB [other peoples brains] to make FORD what it is today.Investors will not risk their capital if they do not have a plan to protect it. As far as the Bluewater’s group of investors i don’t know about this but, my comments above reamin.
Whats so ironic about the PM’s “they want to buy every dam thing” comment, is that the major principles of his own party owns just about “every dam thing” in the Bahamas already.
Altec, you hit the nail right on its head. This is definitely a case of the BLACK/WHITE POT calling the others BLACK/WHITE. HA HA
The consistent message from the government is anti-Bahamian – that’s clear. Don’t the Symonette’s and other ‘white knights’ own a great deal here? Doesn’t Frankie Wilson and others? So what? If they can’t seek to establish themselves in their own country – where should they seek to do it? How is it that the country’s leader is allowed to make such an inappropriate statement? So, I guess the foreigner who made hundreds of millions off the back of Bahamians with Cable Bahamas didn’t want to own too much. It was ok for him. I guess the foreigners who are about to exploit Bahamians in this C&W deal are entitled to as much as they can wring out of us because they’re not Bahamian. What the hell kind of mentality is that? It’s no wonder he sees no problem in sending huge profits from here to benefit others. I guess that’s just too much for the Bahamian to expect. Oh, My Goodness. Truly, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. This should be an affront to all Bahamians and truly shows that the PM who I actually voted for doesn’t think Bahamians deserve much. He is certainly ensuring that we are shackled again and colonialism has indeed returned to this nation. I guess he only thinks his grandchildren are good enough to have play dates with future kings while the rest of us are relegated to lives of servitude to the ‘master’. THAT devil, sir, is a liar.
The Prime Minister has NO PROBLEM with Paradise Island being owned by KING SOL,Breezes by ISSA,Sandals BUYING UP ALL OF EXUMA (Butch Stewart)but as soon as a BAHAMIAN GROUP OF INVESTORS LED BY MR.ALEXIOU & MR.FERGUSON WHOSE COMPANIES EMPLOY OVER 700 BAHAMIANS AND HAVE MORE THAN 2800 BAHAMIAN SHARE HOLDERS HAVE THE MONEY AND THE BALLS TO WANT TO BUY BTC MR.INGRAHAM CALLS THESE BAHAMIANS HOGS.By the way this put the LIE to mr.JULIAN FRANCIS AND LAING statements that NO BAHAMIANS APPLIED TO BUY BTC.BOY THE TRUTH ALWAYS COME OUT!!!
I have never agreed with mr. Ingraham but thank God he did not sell to those “hogs” . Any one in the universe would have been better to sell to than Alexiou and ferguson….. you obviously do not know those folks. You must go and find out what they have done to so many in our country. Find out what they own. Find out how they got what they have. Go to the courts and do some research. It may surprise you.
I find this story very interesting.
a/. It should not matter about who want to buy up every D. thing if they are Bahamians.
b/. From what I have read about what is going on with the sale of BTC, is it the Governments position that BTC is better sold to a Foreign Group than to Bahamians.
c/. I state that I would rather know that profits from such and investment stay in the Bahamas they be shared with the lesser portion staying and the greater going out of the Country.
d/. If within a few months after C&W purchase BTC a broader band service will be extended to the Southern Bahamas, what infrastructure will be used, will it be what’s in place or overnight C&W will install fiber cable etc.
e/. The use of the available infrastructure is without doubt,this tells me that most of what is being proposed is at our disposal but just need the investment, where is this great need to sell 51%, I just don’t understand
f/. About Bahamians wanting to purchase, this is a great opportunity for us to move among the worlds biggest in technology, when are we going to stop looking to the Uncle Toms for progress, this must stop.
g/. Finally, Papa seemed to be a MAD person now a days, acting, talking and administratively, maybe he already is smelling the Bat, no! I really meant to say the rat, but the Bat do have it’s place when referring.
For what it’s worth..
Neither Colina or their partners are communications providers. They have no experience, and no network. They are simply investors. They did not meet the criteria set by the government. That is clear, and not in dispute.
We are hearing now in the ether, that the same people called out by the PM were involved with Bluewater ventures, under the PLP regime.
Have you assessed the fact Thomas that C&W had to packup and fold their tent in the United States after realizing they could not compete in the American market? C&W has the experience of racking up losses and is known through the region as CARELESS AND WUTLESS! But according to the FNM and its mouthpiece the Tribune, they gat PLENTY PLENTY experience. Failure and years does not add up to being acceptable!
BP
With respect Finley, the PM’s utterings must be seen in an historical context.When Hubert Ingraham was the Chairman of the PLP he was a constsnt and loyal disciple of A.D.Hanna who touted Bahamianisation. Under their watch the goal was to conentrate all wealth in the hands of a few.It was okay then because friends and PLP sycophants were getting the benefit. Whats changed is that now, Bahamians of independent wealth and not being bound to any political party have the means to purchase anything they wish. I agree that all Bahamians should be able to live their dreams of financial independence and wealth creation but, in a capitalist economy,only the strong will survive. As far as the BTC bid is concerned, the jury is still out as to whether there was bias in the selection process.
This is a stretch Delroy, and says more about the writer than the PM. We would like the wealth of this country to distributed as widely as possible is all. That makes a society more affluent, and therefore more stable. How does it benefit our country for the few to become even wealthier than they are today? They can already buy whatever they want. Put wealth into the hand of those who currently do not have it, and the economy will expand.
The point that everyone seem to miss too though, in place of this trumped up controversy, is that the advisory committee rejected the offer by Colina and their partners, and that is what we should focus on.
We need not focus on colin a. Those guys have more than their share. Those two guys sit on numerous boards, already bought the controversial colin a. Pushed out the brain behind colin a because of greed. Hubert waived the 3 outstanding conditions that was left to finalize the sale of colin a. Hubert bought the ansbacher building from them at a ridiculous price, then he gave them the contract to renovate it at a ridiculous price. Hubert just tired of them wanting more and more. Every day they want more. The Greek man and the follower just cannot be satisfied. Let me advise that I do not support Hubert but he got it half right by not selling to the two worse persons in the Bahamas.
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