In keeping with the occasion of the milestone of this 100th column, I will seek today to be reflective in tone, and provide the “personal philosophy” which has guided my public interventions.
In agreeing to serve as a Nation columnist, whilst being fully cognizant of the precedent of public commentary by non-Barbadian University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturers established by people such as Dr Patrick Emmanuel, Professor Neville Duncan and Dr Ralph Gonsalves, I was also acutely aware that the period of my engagement coincided with a particularly anti-regional moment.
The historical precedents of political hostility towards non-Barbadian public intellectuals (remember the Gonzalves and Ricky Singh incidents), have always provided the accompanying background music to my writing.
On the other hand, I have always been silently bemused by the insistent Barbadian claim of “a culture of fear” in their country. To date, no one has been able to identify any instances of arrests without due process, unexplained disappearances, secret gulags or even pre-dawn harassment by security personnel and Mongoose Gangs against free speaking individuals.
I have long concluded that this claim largely revolves around “materialist” considerations and perceptions involving the fear of dismissal, promotion denial and other occupation related concerns. It is an amazingly fatalistic world-view and is indicative of a mindset of opportunistic self-preservation over community advancement.
My stock response has been to remind my Barbadian students, in particular, that Barbados’ claim to mature democracy status is at odds with this perception of fear, since democracy implies free speech, free association and unimpeded public give and take.
It is against such a background that my role as a public commentator in Barbados was initiated. It has been buttressed by my personal belief that academics must speak fearlessly and that the oppressed “have nothing to lose but their chains”. I have never been concerned about my personal safety or my material comfort. I have always agreed with Edward Said that “nothing disfigures an intellectual, more than careful trimming and silence”.
Indeed, a fearful and silent intellectual is an oxymoron.
Fully cognizant, however, of the weight of the responsibility that comes from this privileged platform for public expression, I have striven to remain respectful of all public officials, and have avoided the language of partisan politics. In my private life, I have avoided close association with all political figures, out of an abundance of caution.
At all times, I have sought to be balanced in my comments, aiming for analytical rigour out of respect for my readership. I have, however, been completely open about the ideological lens through which I see the world, and my method of analysis.
In all this, I am thankful to the Nation for the platform, and to you, dear readers, for your feedback, critical and supportive.
I hope to continue this effort, as long as I breathe. Forward ever!
Tennyson Joseph is a political scientist at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, specializing in regional affairs. Email tjoe2008@live.com