In a capitalist economy, there can never be "enough" of anything.
In a human body it is called cancer.
On the earth we call it development.

This sentiment can be raised at every interaction with the Bahamian government, from top to bottom. Yet, we must remember that the vast majority of Bahamian government workers are Bahamian. So, while it sounds good for us to bash the "government", for their terrible attitudes and non-customer service, who, precisely, are we truly criticizing?
Is this not a countrywide problem?

Nobody should blame the police for increasing crime, unless the police are actively committing the crime themselves. The police can only be reactionary to the social problem of crime. No police force anywhere attracts the brightest of society. Neither the pay, nor the working conditions can do so. To truly understand the roots of crime and the social conditions which contribute to it, requires years of scholarship and a broad based education. The real roots of crime are based on economic conditions and more specifically economic inequality. If this sounds foreign, it is because we keep listening to those professional police who, despite the abject failures on their watch, still are given a platform to speak with authority. Even despite a poor and inadequate education. Like many areas, the police rise through the ranks not based on knowledge and performance, but on politics. Just like in all the other areas of our society where politics trumps competence, we continue to promote the lesser qualified individuals.
The rise in crime is a predictable result of economic conditions and a lack of investment in our children. Economically and educationally. And, most importantly, poor parenting, or lack of parenting altogether guarantees a generation that cannot critically think well enough to start closing in on the problems and solutions. And, if they can't get a good job, then what?
It doesn't require a genius to figure these things out. But, it does require a really good education.
The Bahamas operates on a very low educational level from our top politicians and religious leaders to the vast majority of our country.
You may take offense at this statement, but this is the truth.
Until we value education, not just for the individual, but for the benefit of our country, no good choices can be made. We will forever be ready to take those few dollars for a vote because we simply can't imagine any different.
Crime will continue to increase, even if the police start shooting anyone who even looks suspicious. It isn't about the police. Nor, should it be.

Look at everything through a binary political approach, and you will get, exactly what we've been getting.
Ask silly questions, and you get silly answers.

Excellent reasoning.
For a 6 year old.

When was the last time Bowe or Pintard had to worry, really worry about which bills to pay and when they needed to get a second or third, job? A 15% - 20% rise in prices does not affect them, as it does the Majority of people in this country.
My contention is that these people in positions of "power" being interviewed by the media as if they really have something enlightening to say, are poor representatives for the common good.
Of course we have to be fiscally responsible, and pay our national bills. However, we fail to discuss this unChristian way of regressive taxation to do so.
Bankers such as Bowe live in a box of ideas that come directly from the rich. Is it a law of nature, or is it another lame excuse for why the rich are getting richer, and why the poor and middle class are losing ground?
Is not the answer policy decisions, fiscal decisions and taxation?
What, honestly, do banks produce?
From my perspective, banks in The Bahamas cost our country too much money.
Their fees are over the top. They kill worker productivity by making us stand in line for long periods of time with zero regard for decent customer service. They make consumer loans at the drop of a hat, yet seem unwilling to lend to those who would start businesses and thereby stimulate the economy.
There is a reason that the world's wealth is rapidly accruing to the richest in society.
Hint; It is not because the rich are smarter than everyone else. It is because the system is rigged and heavily weighted to favor those with money. Banking, taxation, education, our justice system, you name it. Money makes the world go round, as they say, and we don't give a flip on how you got it.
Gambling, selling drugs, being a lawyer for a drug dealer, being a banker handling others money, once you have some money, the world is your oyster.,
And then, we listen to these people. Take their advice, and wonder why nothing ever changes. The rich keep getting richer. So much for the idea that we are all in this together. Ask the victims of Dorian how our country has really helped them.
Do we honestly believe that we can reduce crime without increasing the minimum wage? Or homelessness? Or poverty?
So come on Bozos, stop with this cutting taxes and cutting services nonsense.
Get some balls and advocate for a Christian way of taxation.
Stop going to church and pretending to be a Christian, if after all your "good" education you cannot speak up for humanity.
If a hard working person in this country still has to struggle to pay their bills, every joker in government should be fired and replaced with someone with the common decency to speak up for "the people".
The reason we have such stark inequality has nothing to do with nature, but everything to do with the laws we pass and the ideas floating around in our heads.
Isn't it about time to try out some Christian ideas for a change?
What we are seeing now is an absolute failure for humanity.

Mr. Allen,

You are exactly right.
What happened that people can be elected to office without even the basic understanding of economics?
Clearly, our educational deficit exists not just at the bottom rungs of our social strata.
It appears that even up to the office of the Prime Minister there has been no call or evidence that a superior, or even adequate education is required in this country, for any position. Let alone the basic Christian tenets of compassion, fairness and humility.
Next question. Where does a country go without thinking, moral, people at the top?
Are we witnessing it now? I believe we are.

"Mark A Turnquest, head of the fledgling 242 Small Business Association and Resource Centre, told Tribune Business that while his members “understand” why Philip Davis QC called for consumer caution they were concerned it may provoke too sharp a reduction in purchases from Bahamian-owned companies.
Also a consultant to the sector, he warned that the first casualty of any spending slowdown would be employee salaries and, potentially, jobs if consumer demand and the wider economy nosedived and the right balance was not struck."

Mr Turnquest, the balance that has not been struck is that of equality and fairness. Economic principles suggest that the more you squeeze "employees" the less money they have to buy Bahamian products. Something that continues to rely on constant growth is called a cancer.
The problem is that for someone who may label themselves as a Christian, and then continues to promote Capitalist warfare on the people has conflicting ideas together in their head.
Think about how many hard working Bahamians still have to receive government handouts just to pay their bills. Is this a Christian system of truly caring about our neighbors? I know of many single mothers who work full time, and then still have to get a second job in the evening to buy school clothes and food. So, yeah, let's cut salaries, instead of running a real business. And then wonder why no one is coming into our store.
If Mr. Turnquest has to convince his members not to mark up their goods by 3 times, instead only 106%, what does this tell us about the state of affairs and the relationship between owners and customers? Of course we want businesses to stay in business. But, if a business has to mark up their goods this much to stay in business, then we have a problem.
The problems are, quite clearly: A government that doesn't give a damn, and throws up as many roadblocks as they can to keep Bahamians down. An unproductive and uneducated workforce who don't have a clue as to what customer service is. And, no clear plans to extricate ourselves from this mess and little vision to see what is headed our way.
We have a long way to go. Unfortunately, this is a generational issue which politicians talk about, but will never lift a finger to do something about. We get the leaders we deserve, me thinks.

A scheme that impoverishes thousands for a lifetime, and then gives them back a meal is worthy of nothing. The effects of the web shops on The Bahamas are clear to any honest, thinking person.
A web shop owner should have no voice in a supposedly Christian country. While our utterly failed educational system has cost our country dearly, it has also benefited those charlatans who sell their snake oil to the uneducated. We don't need to pray to God for fairness and justice. We need to elect honest and intelligent leaders to make this a more equal country, in the eyes of God. This seems beyond even imagining because most every politician we have is selfish and there for the pension and position of power, and is on the take. A sweeping generalization, which hits home too closely?
And, the Tribune goes right along with this scheme of elevating criminals to the front page of their paper, just because they have money. All mob bosses made sure that those around them were well enough greased to keep them in a safe orbit. The same way the Tribune promotes those who likely spend a lot of advertising money with their paper. If the Tribune lacks the ethics, and decency, to inform their readers of what exactly is threatening the fabric of this country, who is left to do so? It appears to me that all media is now "owned". Sad, but show me the exception.

When did thinking die in The Bahamas?
Is there a particular date that can be identified?
Or, did it actually ever exist in the past?