CARI (GO BRING) COM

Gordon Robinson, Contributor

Talking is a vital part of every domino game. A silent domino game is one that'll soon end. In addition to the obligatory "sledging" and derogatory humour regarding the level of opponents' play, slamming of dominoes on the table as loudly as possible when winning is a cornerstone of this thrilling mindsport. But the talking cannot be at large. One must be sufficiently diplomatic to ensure that your words don't amount to 'coding', which is the illegal transmission of the details of your hand to a partner or the unfair assistance to your partner as to what he/she should play next.

Which brings me to the vexed subject of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) - an organisation plagued by allegations that it amounts to nothing but a 'talk-shop'. The latest from the CARICOM suss factory was Trinidad and Tobago's (T&T's) new prime minister's demand that CARICOM members stop seeing her country as an ATM. This shocking outburst only served to expose her inexperience at international diplomacy and highlights the need for CARICOM's transformation.

"This carry-go-bring-come, my dear, brings misery./This carry-go-bring-come, my dear, brings misery./You going from town to town/making disturb-ances./ It's time you stop doing those things,/you old jezebel!"

Talk, talk, talk

With apologies to Shaggy, it wasn't me (say so). It's Steer Town's own Justin Hinds (and the appropriately named 'dominoes'). Although his lyrics weren't about CARICOM, they're just as useful to demonstrate that the problem with organisation is that all it can do is talk. Without teeth, mouths will always make loud noises and disturbances to no effective avail. It's time to stop. It's time we grow up as Caribbean nations and insert some teeth in the CARICOM mouth. It's time we leave the past behind us; admit our errors of the 1960s; and reform CARICOM into a proper, effective, enforceable federal union of the region. Either we fight this new cartelised global economy together or we'll die separately.

This must be a structured, cohesive union. First, we must further revise the Treaty of Chaguaramus to create a proper federal parliament (lower and upper houses) capable of passing laws binding on all member states; a system of federal elections for members of both houses of the CARICOM parliament; and for a CARICOM president empowered to nominate members of a regional secretariat to act as the federation's political executive.

One of the first laws to be passed is the Federal Constitution which must entrench limits on borrowing powers; mandate that there be a co-ordinated economic policy (details to be formulated by the CARICOM Cabinet); a single currency; and consumption taxes to be used together with member state subventions to fund the CARICOM budget. All import duties within CARICOM should be immediately abolished and CARICOM nationals should travel freely within the region without requiring passport or visa. Employment should also be available in any CARICOM state to any CARICOM citizen. Travel outside of CARICOM should be on special CARICOM passports and not on the passports of individual nations.

Education restricted

Left to Jamaica, Jamaicans will never be properly educated. A federal Parliament, infused with the educational values of the eastern Caribbean, will devise innovative ways to ensure full education to tertiary level for all and to keep graduates working within the region, especially in the public sector.

"It's better to seek a home in Mount Zion high/Instead of keeping oppression upon an innocent man."

Mediocrity due to mental slavery must be eliminated from the public service. For example, a CARICOM student-loan fund could be set up and every citizen entitled to 100 per cent loans for tertiary studies at the University of the West Indies. Those graduates employed in the region's public sector should be guaranteed that, for 10 years, so long as they remain so employed, their monthly repayments would be restricted to 10 per cent of their wages and the remaining debt be erased after 10 years of public service. Graduates employed in the region's private sector should be allowed to repay the loans at concessionary interest rates over a longer period than those migrating to foreign lands of 'milk and honey'. We need to ask for our international treaties to include assistance in the collection of student-loan repayments from those migrating less than 10 years after graduating.

This is no time to concern ourselves with reasons for inertia. The case for action now is irresistible. Alone, we'll be swallowed up. Together, we have a chance. We've wasted 37 years talking.

"Time will tell on you, you old Jezebel/How long shall the wicked reign over my people?"

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney at law. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com