By Dr. Richard A. Byron-Cox
Economics students are generally familiar with the cliché, “When America coughs, the Caribbean catches a cold.” Actually, US imperialism has devastating effects on the region, beginning long before being enshrined in 1823. This empire conditioned the present-day political and economic malaise in Haiti; is trying to strangle the Cuban revolution, blowing up a Cubana plane off the course of Barbados in the process; created deadly political instability in Jamaica during the 70s; laid explosive mines in Nicaragua’s territorial waters, invaded Grenada, destroyed our banana industry, interferes in the internal affairs of Venezuela…. the list is long ad infinitum! We are their backyard and pawns, to be used, abused, and sacrifice at will.
There have been noble efforts by some leaders past and present, to shield us if partially, from the worst of American imperialistic pathologies. Barbados’ Barrow, Jamaica’s Manley, and Grenada’s Bishop, all made gallant efforts, with Cuba’s Fidel being the giant. Today, SVG’s Gonsalves carries the torch, with Barbados’ Motley chipping in here and there. I must here underline that there were the stooges aiding the US, including Edward Seaga, Eugenia Charles, and Arnhim Eustace; as well as those, blinded by leftwing communist political infantile disorder, including Jamaica’s Trevor Munroe and the post-Gonsalves UPM. The latter refused to condemn the coldblooded murder of Maurice Bishop, unashamedly defended Bernard Coard, the power-hungry instigator of this heinous crime!The US empire, facing a continually-rising China, a rapidly resurging Russia, an ever-expanding BRICS, and with more and more of the Global South ignoring its orders, is in a tailspin, seeking desperately to hold on to a bygone global authority. Never known as a respecter of international morality, it seems to imagine that sinking to depths of sanctioning genocide in Gaza, may win it some affection. Illusion! It now resorts as it had during its criminal war against Vietnam, to using state thuggery against university students demanding a ceasefire, and an end to the genocide of defenceless Palestinians. Aged university professors, and even 73-year-old Presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stien, a Jew, were attacked by the police, for peacefully calling for an end to the inhumanity being meted out to Palestinian children. I have always insisted that power not cultured by education, not governed by reason, and determined to deny truth and justice to the poor, the powerless, i.e., the defenceless, is the most dangerous force in recorded history. The US today epitomises that kind of power!
And guess what? In the short-term it may get worse! Unthinkable, but terribly true! What is the basis of this conclusion you ask. My response:
The upcoming Presidential election sets an octogenarian with one foot in the grave, against an evident, if undeclared crude fascist. Joe Biden, feeble of mind and body, pursues policies which have rendered Ukraine a sacrificial lamb; finances/arms the terrorist regime in Israel; and fans flames inviting war with China. Amidst all this, the US physical infrastructure is crumbling, 40 million are in poverty, an estimated 800,000 are homeless, while there was always an ocean-wide wealth gap between the rich 1% and the other 99, this is now off the charts. Yet, a 15-dollar-an-hour compensation for labour, is a battle to the death.
Donald Trump, a racist, serial liar, fascist, gangster, rogue, and a servant of the extreme right of the evangelical moment, is waiting in the wings. This creature, who asserts that he is second only to Jesus, describes Haiti and African nations as s..t-hole countries, grabs women by their private parts, bombed countries for the fun of it, and sought to overturn the last elections, trumpets America first. Translation: white, extremely rich America only! Of course, he will have to do Israel’s bidding! The world now has an uneasy wait for what comes after November.
America’s dangerous dalliance with the fascist in Ukraine led to a rise in oil prices, greater global inflation, affected shipping and trade, and made the world a much more dangerous place. So too its material and financial backing of genocide in Gaza. Decline, heading for decay, has set in on this empire not merely from without, but more importantly, from within. It’s slowly but surely crumbling on itself. Its hope for the next four years is a choice between a de facto senile relic and a brainless goon criminally indicted, both living an illusion that America is yet the unquestionable global supremo. Yes, our Caribbean is tiny and have no say in this internal battle for control of the determined-to-limp-on fading empire. Still, the fact that we are its minute susceptible neighbours, means the pathogens from their loudly wheezing chest, will certainly cause us pneumonia! Brace yourself!