Way back in June 2010, I published an article entitled Culture At Risk. Poor me, I was only suggesting that population increases happened, albeit that the ladies were cutting down on pregnancies. This was indeed a contradiction and figures I quoted incurred the wrath of a certain segment of the Barbados population.
I was pilloried from head to toe in the newspapers. My ancestry was questioned and my peace of mind shattered by the venom of the exponents of dissent. I swallowed my pride, adjusted my pen and reassessed what Uncle Bobby sadly called my highly paid verbiage, and persevered. Now I anxiously await the results of our latest census. The census has been long in coming although it is said that it is finished.
Lo and behold, recent findings have revealed that Caribbean families, wedded and unwedded are not fulfilling their God-instructed obligation to “be fruitful and multiply”.
The procreation rate that ensures the continuation of an indigenous people is said to be 2.1 children per couple. Throughout the Caribbean the going rate is 1.6. Perhaps this is not a reflection on procreation efforts, as my male friends assure me.
This means that if the situation mirrors what is going on in Europe and Canada, certain Barbadians stand to be a minority in their own country. Will the census enlighten us?
There may be a valid reason for the deteriorating situation. Hard times are the order of the day. We see it in the fervent appeals for help in the newspapers; we see it in the increasing numbers below the poverty line (under $8 000 per year, $660 per month, $150 per week, $20 per day, $2.50 per hour). People who prefer to lime on the block rather than accept any offer considered below subsistence level exacerbates the situation.
Those of us who have children and grandchildren worry about what the future holds for us who have but a few more years to live, and for our grandchildren whose future with the National Insurance Fund may be compromised by the present policies of the wise ones among us.
Those who, on account of age, stop paying national insurance – and the number is increasing as people live longer – and draw from the system, now have to depend on fewer contributors if fewer people are contributing by working and maybe a flawed investment policy.
This brings me to the hot topic of a $600 million stimulus. A stimulus (also called a spur or a prick or even a juck) is a stiff kick in the rear end. What has been said so far gives me a sneaking suspicion that the backside is safe. If what is proposed hovers heavily around capital projects that will be funded from outside, then that remedy for Barbados will be like receiving a cocktail of medicine administered by a drip – something like curing gastroenteritis or diarrhoea (which in fact Barbados has also).
If foreign-funded over a period of time, foreign exchange will leech into Barbados, traded for labour and materials, and a filtering of funds to businesses will ensue.
This still leaves us to resolve the effects of increasing inflation (flying fish 15 dollars a pack of ten, a 50 per cent increase).
We are still facing a $1.2 billion budget gap and decreasing tourism. The decision to tackle the cost of energy will be very important for all the population, and a reduction will show that all areas of society are being catered to. So can we service further foreign borrowings?
Perhaps when we are experiencing better days, ladies will feel more comfortable and procreation among the natives will improve. I doubt it, seeing how many men are on remand at Dodds for child support.
However, our problem is bigger than support for a child. The continuation of the race is at stake. This is a fervent and strident call to the ladies to free up, as men are no longer hermaphrodites.
• Harry Russell is a banker.
