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| THEORIES OF PLANTATION ECONOMY, GOVERNANCE |
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| Thursday, 16 July 2009 23:31 |
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THE LATE LLOYD Best was in contention for a Nobel Prize for the Theory of Plantation Economy he initiated with Kari Levitt, but I want to believe he would have got the Nobel if he had only related his theory to Governance and not Economy; because, if we don’t have Plantation Governance in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean, we don’t got nothing. According to Denis Benn’s liner notes on, Essays on the Theory of Plantation Economy, Lloyd and Levitt identified “the plantation economy as a hinterland characterized by subordination and dependency on the dominant metropole”. Wouldn’t that theory work just as well applied to Government across the board? Or at least across Caribbean Cabinets? Are not our prime ministers glaring illustrations, indeed, walking (and cocktail party-gallerying) personifications of “hinterland characterized by subordination and dependency on the dominant metropole”? Where would Trinidad & Tobago prime minister Patrick Manning be without the dominant metropole in the form of bp, Atlantic LNG, BG, BHP Billiton & Them? (The answer: firetrucking nowhere; or at least nowhere near the Great House.) With due respect to Lloyd, I would take Plantation Economy further; indeed, I would take it literally. Here, then, is my shot at the Nobel Prize for Taking the Piss, my own Essay on the Theory of Plantation Governance; it runs parallel to Plantation Economy, but fits our ruling sector far more comfortably; you might even say, “Like yam”. Lloyd & Levitt took, as their jumping off point, the very definition of “economy”, which, they noted, derived from the Greek word oikonomia (via – if you permit the Latin – economie, the French equivalent), meaning “household management”. Lloyd’s first stepping stone was that our Caribbean economies were not set up to provide for our own needs for us as our own household, but to provide a single specific good – for most of our history, sugar cane, now generally replaced in the islands by a little bit of oil & gas and a lot of white sand & powder – for foreign people. In 500 years of occupation of these territories, we have never made anything. We have cultivated and sold one thing – first it was ourselves; and, I guess, last it will also be ourselves – to foreigners and spent whatever money they have thought to give us for our one thing to buy, from them, every other firetrucking thing that we should have made for ourselves, from the bread we make with their white flour (turning our noses up at our own cassava version) to the Milo we wash it down with (made, naturally, in their factories from our cocoa). Similarly, you don’t need a Nobel prize to realise that, in our part of the world, “government” has as little to do with setting up rules for the benefit of the people who occupy them as our economies have with providing us with the basic necessities of everyday life. Our “governments” are not here to serve us, to provide us with the wherewithal for the kind of daily life we have declared we want to live; they exist to tax foreign transients for just enough for us to get by, so that we may exist, so that they might pass through. I suspect each step of Plantation Economy could be related to Plantation Governance; but I want to jump headfirst into the literal; and, as always in the Caribbean, the real challenge lies in discerning what is simply jokey and what is deadly serious. My thesis is that Caribbean governments today are run exactly like the plantations of old, the only difference being that there are fewer white people cracking whips; the overseers have taken over the Great House. Consider the two most recent matters discussed at the last Caricom Heads of Government meeting last weekend in Guyana: the Eastern Caribbean Integration Initiative; and the expulsion of illegal immigrants from Barbados. If we really had governments in the West Indies like they have governments in the rest of the world, neither topic would be taking up any attention, far less headlines. In the first case, no “leader” in his right mind would take it upon himself to form a political union with another country, no matter how small or similar, without going to his people. Imagine what would happen if whichever former soldier or war criminal was leading Kosovo this week took it upon his bad self to inform his people, from on high, and as a matter of fact, that he was uniting them with Serbia. Even on the high end of the scale, it remains unthinkable: President Barack Obama could never wake up in the morning and declare he and Canuck PM Stephen Whatshisname had decided to merge their two nations, to stop illegal cross-border movement. Similarly, as a member of the European Economic Community, the English PM might bitch about it to his Chancellor of the Exchequer over pints or however-many millilitres of beer in the front room of No 10 Downing Street, but he would never actually try to kick Polish carpenters off Docklands building sites because they were cheaper and better than British chippies. But if you apply my Theory of Plantation Governance – literally – all is explained. If, say, the Manning Plantation (also called, inaccurately, Trinidad & Tobago) is doing well because it’s muscovado is fetching a high price, and the Gonsalves, Thomas and King estates (otherwise known as St Vincent, Grenada and St Lucia) are not, the Theory of Plantation Governance allows Owner Manning to simply say to Owner Gonsalves, “How much Negroes you got? I got a million plus; why not bring yours over to my estate? I’ll give you a good price for them. Mine might get a bit uppity for a while but I’ll whip them into shape”. Similarly, if Barbados is not a nation but one large amalgamation of plantations, the overseer is entirely within his rights to say whose free paper bu’n. Plantation Governance explains completely the difference between our rulers and those everywhere else in the world. In fact, the only problem I expect with my theory is the same one Lloyd & Levitt had with theirs: no matter how demonstrably well it works, the clerks and overseers in their cork hats – okay, their jackets-and-ties – will never let a field slave like me get away with being right. BC Pires is a field scholar. Happy Birthday, Justin Comments (19)
  written by Danielle, July 17, 2009
But what do we do about it?
This is a realization I have come to long before this clown from Eric Williams down. We have mini despots who pretend they believe in democracy ...once it is beneficial to them. Who have allowed Economic Hitpersons from around the world safe haven and the populace is just a source of cheap labour and "pretend" democracy every five years. I am stunned, STUNNED at the turn out in Woodford Square. It is like they don't live here. How do we wake them up because unfortunately there are more of them than there are of us. Believe me I am not advocating for that next fool either (UNC) I am so FED UP of the same politics and everybody does say they fed up but does tow the line for their bread and butter or if they get a contract.
 written by Dr L Neville Roachlord, July 18, 2009
Solve it or accept it. Nothing worst than when one looks to see what they can see, instead of dealing with the substance of what is said. Rhetoric's!
 written by Justin Castagne, July 19, 2009
I think as usual you miss the point Dr Roachlord, it's more a matter of West Indians as a people cannot know where to go unless they understand where they are, and how they came to be there. Articles like this are meant to make us reflect understand and hopefully begin to cast off the slave mentality that is ingrained in us.
written by Dr L Neville Roachlord, July 19, 2009
West Indians, slave mentality? Strong words. Suspect you are speaking on what are reflective on your personality. If I failed to understand, surely, if am willing as you are efficient, I will learn, so do elucidate more. Most Caribbean people write from their perspection rather than from facts. No offense intended or meant.
written by Dr L Neville Roachlord, July 19, 2009
It is amazing Dr Eric Williams should be referred as a clown. Caribbean history will eventually reveal otherwise.
 written by Ray, July 19, 2009
I believe the clown referred to was the incumbent, but I could be wrong. For "perspection" that's about as close to the facts as you can get, read anything by Naipaul or Best or Pires or Baldeosingh or Solomon. 500 years and nothing has changed. There are new people running the Great House, but the mentality is the same, and worse yet, they're one of us. See Patos' statement about running this country with a firm hand, else they'll eat you like pot salmon (by the way, the average Caribbean person may not relate to this culinary reference, salmon being so expensive, even though the essence of what he said will not be lost).
written by Dr L Neville Roachlord, July 23, 2009
I believe in extending responsibility for respectful communication. Reading Baldeosingh's articles were reminiscent of being in a tutorial class. Best was a brilliant academic, was defeated in the maelstrom of life's challenges, Naipaul wrote a few good books, but he became lost along the way, Pires is amusing,combative analyst,laughing all the way. Manning is what the electorate has made him. Incidentally,smoked salmon is my favourite breakfast.
written by Ray, July 23, 2009
Tutorial class or not, it doesn't put Baldeosingh further from the facts. Best was probably defeated at the polls, and his health failed him eventually (as it will all of us one day), but most people who knew him will tell you that he met and welcomed "the maelstrom of life's challenges" (I did not know him personally - much, much my senior). Naipaul wrote a few good books and we became lost along the way (or were we ever found?), don't let Pires' laughter fool you; and he's much more than a combative analyst; he holds the mirror up without reserve (so I believe that makes him an artist too!). Manning is a self-made benevolently-veiled Machiavellian. My comment on salmon stands.
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It seems as if we're moving from splintered plantations to a wider based one with the Caricom "free-for-all" kinda scene "initiative". The only things is that sweet T&T takes too many things for granted...and our time is fast spent. We seem to be the envy of the region because we "real sticking" with resources that should've long catapulted us leagues ahead in terms of our infrastructural development. Bestonian view has been a thorn in the sides of aristocrats (and will continue to be) as he bluntly said
what a host of others pussyfooted about to simply state. I guess, also, having your own bread buttered gives one the autonomy to have a self-licensed tongue, that disempowers any other that's waiting in line for their butter allotment. Speaking from beyond the grave is probably an even greater indictment on the knuckleheads who have to do a jig, recite poetry, and play an instrument for their supper...much to the delight of those that wield "the power".