Trade agreements only serve US interests

THE EDITOR: I am reminded of the words of one of V S Naipaul’s characters in The Suffrage of Elvira: ‘ “He not only pee on us ... he shake it.” ‘ I can only describe the USA’s latest international pronouncement as the most blatant attempt yet to shake it liberally over all of us who won’t roll over and play dead. The International Criminal Court, they proclaim righteously, does not fall under any UN charter. The same UN which George W Bush flagrantly disregarded in his illegal, criminal and economically motivated invasion of Iraq. I am heartened that our government has declared its firm support for the ICC and its refusal to be regarded as a mere convenience by the US administration. For rest assured, the rest of the word exists only to serve the US or to be destabilised.

The so-called trade agreements which the Caribbean islands have signed don’t seem to have brought us any substantial benefits so far — not surprising, since they were designed to suit US interests. And the “military aid” is a thinly disguised excuse to maintain surveillance in the region under the guise of monitoring the drug trade. Now is the time for Caricom nations to truly come together. Europe has managed to unify and throw its weight behind a single currency, realising that in unity lies strength. As much smaller players on the international scene, we need to make our collective voice count. It’s not an easy road; the euro had a difficult gestation period of at least fifteen years. But with the USA’s jingoistic, fascist attitude of “If you’re not for us, you’re against us” and the use of force to back it up, it is time that we paid attention as a region and took steps to look after our own interests, short-term and long-term. Instead of waiting for someone to rescue us with fake trade agreements.

KAREN MOORE
Champs Fleurs