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VI lives in constant fear of British takeover– Hon Malone
“We are not seen as people who can take care of ourselves. We are treated like children, one may say, who need a Big Brother. We live in constant fear that the British will take over our country after centuries of fighting for freedom,” Hon Malone said.
The former legislator was speaking during an October 24, 2023, interview with James Boston on the YouTube page Association of Former British Colonies.
Further, he added that the relationship restricts the VI from openly speaking for itself at international forums.
“We are not allowed to speak on our own behalf overseas by people who do not know us or have our best interests at heart, meaning in the international organisations, we have to be represented by the UK as opposed to ourselves.”
He said mostly in the Caribbean, the VI has been constitutionally given the right to speak to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), CARICOM, and other regional bodies, “But always without contradiction to the British interests. So it's still not on our own particular terms.”
VI budgets still need UK approval - Hon Malone
Further, Mr Malone said the VI economy has grown through its own taxes by its own people, yet it has to get approval on budgets.
“We have built a tourism and financial services sector…[but] that tells us we are not good enough based on some of the issues that we are hearing, they try to get us to take loans and to go into debt for generations while we control now what monies we spend,” he added.
Mr Malone also accused the UK of trying to put the VI in depth through loans, which he said would be hard to repay should disaster strike as a result of global warming.
He added the UK/VI relationship is also hindering generational wealth in the VI, which he said comes via British opposition to investments in areas like tertiary education and certain infrastructural developments.
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55 Responses to “VI lives in constant fear of British takeover– Hon Malone”
This country is exceptional, they will fix alright. But they will never give it back to you. All those bloggers who calling for the UK to take over,will soon get what they ask for. And pray that the policemen/ detective who was found in the sea in his car did not meet with foul play, it will be curfew for months.
So, yeah, by allowing the Haitians to rule their island it was destroyed.
A British take over ala the Turks & Caicos a couple years ago... Regardless of how justified it might be, it's very impolitic right now.
No fear here.
To the murmurs suggesting corruption, I challenge: Where, in this vast echo chamber, is the substantive evidence against Malone? There is none not even acusations.
I've opined on this before, and it bears reiteration: The BVI, like any evolving society, presents ample avenues for enhancement. Guidance, not overbearing oversight, is the prescription. Yet, the insinuation that our terrain lacks competent stewards capable of said oversight suggests that we are collectively suffering from one of most profound cases of Stockholm Syndrome in modern history.
Property value and education is currently at its lowest..a sign of ongoing and longterm decay for the VI.
Also a third prison for future turds would be unlikely.
Quality of life would improve.
“Colonialism is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically”— (University of Saskatchewan). National Geographic: “Colonialism is control by one power over a dependent area or people.” It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people.” Due to its scientific and maritime supremacy, England(UK) emerged as the dominant colonial power controlling over 25% of the globe. Colonialism made the UK rich and powerful. Colonialism was falsely advanced as a civilizing mission. The reality is it was/is an extractive, exploiting, expropriating, violent, abusive, exclusive, raping, exclusionary, dominant, racial superiority, etc institution. The Virgin Islands (British ) has been under the UK’s thumb and control since 1672. It still wields unilateral power over the Virgin Islands (VI). The control persists because it persists. Its divide and rule conditioning still persists and potent among the local population among whom disunity seems like a way of life but to its detriment. People with power never relinquish it, it has to be demanded. Change is needed.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “ If you don’t change direction, you will end up where you are headed.” No country can progress, improve, unless it changes. The only constant in life is change and the rate of change is accelerating. Moreover, the British had taken a respite from dominating the VI, viewing it as a poverty stricken, little sleepy hollow, and the poor house of the West Indies, bolting from and leaving it as only useful as “Bird Sanctuary.” The VI was forgotten and neglected with level of service at a vanishing point. The sacrifices, ingenuity, hard work, rugged individualism, etc., of Virgin Islanders pulled the Bird Sanctuary out of the social and economic doldrums, into having one of highest standards of living, quality of life, per capita income, human development index, etc in the region.The misery index collapsed. And VI transitioned from subsistence agricultural economy to service-based economy, starting in the 1960’s with tourism; financial services in the 1980’s. Additionally, it weaned itself off UK grant-in-aid in the late 1970s under Dr Willard Wheatley Administration, becoming financially self-sufficient ever since.
Now, the UK is back, flexing its unilateral power muscles, for it is accountable only unto itself as to how it flex its unilateral power muscle, influence, etc. It first falsely came on civilizing mission, and this time it is back under another false premise, ie, to protect the people of VI from its supposedly corrupt leaders. Is there corruption in the VI? Is there corruption in the UK? The real reason it is back is not about the interest of Virgin Islanders, but for the interests of Britons. The rejected bird sanctuary stone is now the head stone. The once mighty, wealthy, and powerful British Empire is now just a footnote in history. Now the UK is pushing Global Britain to try to regain some of its lost glory. The Overseas Territories (OT), the last remnants of its once vast and mighty Empire, is a being used as pawns in its drive for relevancy. With the acquiescence of some quiet as lambs Virgin Islanders, it is laying the ground work to take over the VI under a false premise. For example, the VI constitution under an order of council and based on the recommendation of a lone, handpicked commissioner( Sir Gary Hickinbottom) in a commission of inquiry, was suspended and being held in reserve and hanging over the head of the VI and its people like the Sword of Damocles, hanging delicately to be drop at an instance to suspend the constitution and take over, the first step in full control. All this happened with little or no push back from Virgin Islanders,behaving like sheep going clean off the cliff. Disappointingly many Virgin Islanders are of the opinion that the UK must suspend the constitution and take over. The divide and rule conditioning is on steroids and taking hold. German philosopher Georg Hegel notes that slaves are slaves because they refuse to pushback, to fight, to resist. Georg Hegel also wrote , “ he that values life over liberty is the—-SLAVE—; he that values liberty over life is the—-MASTER.
The bottom line is if Virgin Islanders want change, they must become change agents. They must unite, and work collectively, cooperatively and collaboratively for change, following in the BIG footsteps of national heroes Theodolph Faulkner, Noel Lloyd, H. Lavity Stout among others. It will require personal sacrifices, peaceful protests, agitation, group effort ( economics, votes, etc). Virgin Islanders must unite and fight or become a minority and Powel res in their homeland. Frederick Douglass: “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
He is not a senator any more
He lost his seat
Please stop it .
Surely he jest.