Serious Question: Eng.-speaking Caribbean: Do *you* feel your island gained independence at the right time?

I have a serious question for allyuh. Now I was having an interesting debate/discussion with a good friend of mine. They just returned from Jamaica (To New York.) and I asked them how everything went on their trip?
They said things went good and said it was good to return home etc. But they stated something else... They were upset that Jamaica hasn't been progressing at a quicker pace than it has esp... Considering that the English-speaking Caribbean told Britain 40+ years ago that we've lost confidence in their approach to governing us, and we feel as a region we can progress as nations faster without them...
The problem remains, we're still dependent on aid, and some nations are getting passed by other countries that were way behind us in development at the time of independence. So we started debating on if independence (at the time it came) was the correct path, or should it have been put off? So I'm expanding de debate. Do you feel your country became Indep. at the right time?

2007-12-08T10:36:10Z

Their main point was, given some of the primitive issues which the governments of the region are facing, then perhaps it would have been better to become more mature nation-states before becoming fully independent from Britain. (Perhaps another 20 years or so.)

Of course the countries which are independent could never reverse their constitutions and revert back to Britain because it becomes an issue of pride now...

P.S.
When you weigh-in please include your Island(s) with your point...

Doethineb2007-12-08T11:42:43Z

Favorite Answer

I live in the TCI, where some people moot independence as a possibility, but most people shudder in horror at the thought. We are a British Overseas Territory. I lived for some years in another BOT. Nearby is Haiti, many of the inhabitants of which islands come over here, legally or illegally and it is the tragedy of that island (all right, half an island) that it was the very first Caribbean territory to go independent. It is an economic and social disaster and no amount of trying to spare the feelings of Haitians who happen to see this can disguise the fact. How different things would have been had they remained part of France, as have Martinique and Guadeloupe, which prosper and have funds poured liberally into them. In fact -- and here I'm going to make more enemies -- I think it unfortunate that Britain won a decisive victory over France which made St Lucia British rather than French (after changing hands over and over again), as it might today be as prosperous as its neighbouring islands. Jamaica had everything going for it, but corruption in politics has undermined its prosperity and there is no welfare state to take care of the enormous number of underprivileged people in its society. I have twice been a guest at a boys' orphanage (I was there to help) and was horrified to discover that even with the input from charitable bodies (mainly churches) abroad, the boys were surviving on US $ 0.73 a day to pay for everything they needed. They lived basically on gruel.
All the islands which I have mentioned suffer from the disadvantage of being prone to hurricanes. The most prosperous Caribbean island I have seen (apart from Guadeloupe and Martinique) is Barbados, which appears to be doing well and which does not have to fear hurricanes. I think that this is significant. When one falls prey to the ravages of nature, it is important to have overseas support. Even proud, independent Cuba has accepted help from Spain.
Perhaps the most valid yardstick is Mauritius, far away in the Indian Ocean, also subject to hurricanes (which are there called cyclones). They have a similar climate and grow similar crops to Caribbean islands. They are organised against such eventualities, having a cyclone and drought compensation board. There is a high level of education, but it is a sad fact of life that most of the inhabitants cannot aspire to remain on island. It became independent at the same sort of time as most Caribbean islands, but somehow it managed to pull through. I am left wondering why it has been so comparatively successful. I look forward to what other people have to say.

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