The next decade....what's in store?
Musings of a yamfooted traveller still trying to shake off those last 20 pounds as she treks across the Caribbean
Many years ago, I formed the opinion that England did nothing for its former colonies in the Caribbean. This evening, while waiting at a bus stop by the cricket ground in Headingley, Leeds, this thought ran across my mind again.
I thought about countries like Martinique and Guadeloupe, still under French rule, which I understand are quite modern in bits. Will be going to Guadeloupe next month so will see what that is like.
If England was interested in helping its colonies, it would have...
1. Arranged that all its citizens received the benefits of free education, instead of restricting it to the wealthy.
2. Developed the infrastructure in the colonies on par or at the same rate at which it was developing theirs in England.
Just doing those two up to 1962 (or is it 1964....I can never remember when Jamaica got their independence!) would have influenced how Jamaica turned out.
Grenada too. In Grenada, had they educated more of the masses, there would not have been a revolution. I maintain that people were easily led by the Bishop-Coard faction because many of them were uneducated, so it was easy to put guns in their hands.
So perhaps it was understandable that Mike Henry walked out when the British Minister was saying that there should be no talking about no funds for colonies, but for Africa instead. Steups.
Britain, and all the other nations who colonized helpless islands and killed off their natives, should feel ashamed.
Posted by yamfoot at May 25, 2007 05:55 PMHmmn.I don't believe the conclusions drawn about the Grenada Revolution is quite right. It was di army and greedy jealouse power hungry Coard who caused that overthrow and killing...From what I understand it was the very enlightened educated set at the head of the PRA, who wanted to live the big life (di no-more-socialist-everybody-equal-crap-for-us crowd) who caused that unfortunate set of events.
The uneducated masses were in full support of Bishop and lead him to that fort on their shoulders. It was he and they who got trapped and gunned down on that fort that day with the brightest and bestest doing the shooting.
The real revolution in Grenada of the people, di masses in Grenada..the revolution of the uneducated was when di People's Revolution Army over threw Gairy. And that was effected through a bloodless coup.
I am not too sure about drawing of conclusions or corelation between uneducated masses and revolution, political revolt unrest etc.
But you are right about England abandoning the Caribbean once independence was in the air...they let go easily, quickly b/c there remain little to exploit for their gain and too much to pay-out in support.
Posted by: Dekkah at May 25, 2007 08:08 PMOf all the colonizers, it is my view that the British did the least for their colonies. The French and Dutch have done more with their colonies. Once the English came and reaped the benefits, they did little more than leave.
Posted by: Dr. D. at May 28, 2007 09:37 PM