The politics of self-destruction

Editor’s note: The writer has asked us to point out that this column was written prior to the publication last week of an opinion poll on the two main political parties and their leaders.  

If I was naive and suffered from amnesia, I might be foolish enough to believe the idea that the Opposition actually is, as Marc Bean described them, “the government’s conscience and the voice of those who have no voice”. 

Sweet statements like this have great appeal to those who believe that they are under attack, but the political strategy only works if you can convince enough people that the sky is falling. 

This is precisely why the PLP has increasingly codified the race rhetoric, and is doing everything possible to position itself not as a party for blacks, but the sole defender of “Bermudians.”  

But let us first not forget that there is not a single politician alive who is content to be in opposition. As such, the PLP clearly understands that the only way for them to obtain power is for the OBA to fail, or to convince the voting base that the OBA is failing. 

A cautious look at the Opposition’s reply to the Throne Speech illuminates the deception.  

For example, rather than call for an objective discussion of giving status to those who were born here, lived here all their lives and have been paying taxes that we all survive on, the PLP has sought to convince blacks (oops, I mean Bermudians) that the OBA is simply trying to increase the number of white voters on the register. 

But note the deliberate lack of reference to race in the PLP’s Throne Speech reply when discussing this highly-sensitive issue:  “...the OBA busily schemes to give away status to thousands of non-Bermudians, and further push our people to the economic and political sidelines. Our elders have seen this before, so they can be forgiven when thinking that the OBA is actually the UBP, and that “a leopard cannot change its spots.”

The granting of status is not so simplistic, not now or then.  Thus, it shouldn’t be seen purely through the historical lens of racial politics. 

Consider how many past and current PLP leaders, MPs and supporters, are married to non-Bermudians. The law as it stands allows their spouses to obtain rights fully-equivalent to born Bermudians within 10 years of marriage. These rights are irrevocable even should they divorce.  Consider persons who were born abroad, raised abroad but have a Bermudian parent. Though they may have never lived a single day in Bermuda, or contributed a single dime to our society, they get certain rights based upon the mere accident of birth. 

Even consider Bermudians who have left our shores, and no longer make a financial contribution to our survival. They too have irrevocable rights. 

Why then does the PLP so staunchly take the position that giving rights to persons who have been born here, raised here and are paying tax here is, “modern day wickedness against one’s own people of the highest order?”    Is it really that simple? 

Is supporting objective discussion on the granting of status just, “vile, deceptive propaganda”?  Is this just, “coordinated public relations via surrogates who claim to be non partial and pro Bermudian?” No, it’s divisive, manipulative politicking.

One minute the PLP wants to condemn the OBA as being anti-Bermudian for focusing on international business, ridicule them for setting up the Tourism Authority, and demonise them for modernising the Corporation of Hamilton. 

The next minute they incoherently rage (pun intended) that the OBA isn’t focused on revenue generation. What pray tell, if anything, are these initiatives about if not revenue generation?  What are the PLP’s revenue and job growth projections for blue economy initiatives, sea bed mining and all of their other brilliant ideas that should theoretically have kept us out of the hole they dropped us in? How will their initiatives genuinely address our massive debt?

The PLP has’t told us exactly how their “solutions” will work, because getting reelected is their real objective. 

When they state that the granting of status, “is a red line that will not be crossed, lest the forgetful and arrogant be brought into remembrance of the modern political history of this country, and the lessons that should have been learned at that time,” they aren’t saying so to protect our future. We can take no comfort in the statement that this reference to civil unrest is, “not a threat, but it must be accepted as a serious warning,”  because previous PLP administrations have painfully taught us (especially the unemployed) that Bermuda can’t afford militant, inflammatory statements which only hasten our collective demise. 

After 12 painful months of being warned about the evils of the “demonic, Harry Potter One Bermuda Alliance”, I’m convinced that this isn’t about protecting “Bermudians”. If it was, the PLP would dial down the fire and brimstone and seek an objective evaluation of status, SAGE, the Lamb Foggo Clinic, municipalities, term limits, etc. 

Instead, their political strategy has everything to do with as Bean put it, “the political sorcery of solidifying one’s power,” but by agitating the voting base. He may even be right that some voters are losing faith in the OBA, but that’s precisely what he wants. 

So how much of his claim is politicised suggestion versus honest observation? Well, this voter recognises the politics of self-destruction, and he has not yet lost faith in this imperfect Government... in spite of its missteps...  and especially not when the alternative is fully-considered. 

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