The decision to pause CSME is welcome. If you are digging a hole, the moment you stop you are 100 per cent better off. I have nothing but sympathy for those who invested a lifetime touting and pursuing economic integration. Jason pursued the mythical golden fleece too; but this is real life! CSME may be good for some, but as Bustamante might aver, CSME is not good for our economy and cannot take us to Manley’s “economic independence”. We cannot sacrifice our prosperity to mollify the bruised egos of great men. Great men also believed Earth was flat! Small men demonstrated it was round. Other Caricom nations are prosperous, so let’s get ours and move on. Tighten belts with a purpose!

For us, the right reason to “pause” CSME is not emotive rhetoric but to assess the 1960s British plan we bought lock stock and barrel and decide if in 2012 it works for us. Caricom is a socio-cultural venture and works for us; as a prosperity generator it does not and as a single market it cannot. CSME is good for other members. Why? We are a big desirable market to them in a single market. They are peanuts to us in or out of a single market! If we sold them the kitchen sink, our GDP would not move 10 per cent; but our market can move their GDP seriously! Suriname draws close to its South American neighbours, T&T has a pact with the EC, we are in the backyard of the mother of all single markets – a union of 50 sovereign states – and for 49 years we can’t tap it. The tests Turkey must pass to get into the EU are horrendous. CSME is easy to get in because it has no money. Greece’s EU partners are more stringent than the IMF and insist on deep cuts and higher taxes as they have to live with Greece and bail it out. No CSME member can help us, so can you see us obeying Barbados or T&T’s instruction to raise taxes and cut jobs to come up to their level? Riot and rebellion, mi fren!

Caricom nations have done well and we should learn from them. They manage their economies and enjoy prosperity. We are no economic example, nor are we a force for good or morality and we hit a new low with the Dudus debacle. We do not lead in prosperity, order or good governance. We suck!

Free movement is a deal-breaker. Why do we sign a CSME treaty for free migration of skilled people only? The US and UK will employ them, unskilled too, with no treaty. Does the brain drain end if T&T takes our graduates? But not the US or UK? If like America they takes our jobless and unskilled, the ones who need a break and leave our graduates we would be happy. I would bless CSME for this.

T&T citizens pay little for oil, not because they have oil, but because Cabinet chooses to place a low tax on oil. Our Cabinet chooses to tax oil heavily. We lobby to change the oil policy of a foreign state. Why not lobby to change things here? The T&T example is not unique; Guyana rice is cheap in Guyana and Belize seafood is cheaper in Belize than here. Why not lobby them too? Caricom nations prospered while we tightened belts. Even Sanford’s Antigua had a 15-year ride – everyone saw the money!

Currency value is a marker of success. Caricom currencies range from $1 to $6 for US$1, the Jamaican dollar is near $90. It tells us how badly we have managed our country for 49 years. We had wizards as Seaga, Davies and never came close to EC, Barbados or T&T success. After 2012, statutory redenomination of our dollar (maybe nine to one; new J$1 = old J$10) must be a plank of growth. Knock off one zero – newJ$1 = old J$10. The psychology of relative currency values is important. When the diaspora hear our rates, the zeros dismay them. Venezuela redenominated in 2008 – a new V$1 = old V$1,000; Ghana in 2007 – new G$1= old G$1,000. We all know of Zimbabwe – new Z$1=old Z$1billion. Currency values in Caricom show us performers versus talkers. A Bajan student in Sovereign plaza sees a chewing gum machine- “Blow-wow, $10 for a gum ball? Madness!” After a thought he realises JA money is worth zilch. We do not bend to pick up a Busta or Norman! If you do not pick up Barbados $5 you lose US$2.50. All the other islands can’t be wrong – it’s we who must change!

The pause means we must examine CSME from our selfish national standpoint. Our prosperity matters. It’s not linked to CSME but to the 30m near by in the Greater Antilles. We do not need CSME’s permission to bond with our closest neighbours, so let’s make the deals now!

The Greater Antilles, the geographic name for Cuba, Haiti, DR, Puerto Rico and us, has 30 to 40 million people within an hour of each other while our nearest CSME state is hours away. It is over 500 years old and has been staring us in the face as the logical unit of economic integration. But for neo-colonial reasons and English, Spanish, French rivalry we ignore our manifest destiny. Then too we had no language-proficient leaders. Bustamante’s travels might have made him a pioneer of neighbourhood integration. Manley was too global; the rest were “homies” steeped in English ways. Will Bruce seize greatness? Portia? Our greats surveyed the Caribbean and saw only distant ex-British colonies – what perception, oh mighty visionaries! We are brainwashed! Incidentally, Guyana and Belize must now look to their South American neighbours; that’s their future, not CSME. Likewise, in the geography of history (vice versa?) Britain will not keep the Malvinas. Geography is stronger than politics! We can’t support a remote outpost in Guyana. So I now lay out my stall for JA:

* Contribute to Caricom actively but “pause” CSME economic integration in perpetuity.

* Escalate bilateral relations with Haiti, DR, Cuba, Puerto Rico – full missions and protocols – media, security, culture, airspace, maritime, education, trade, investment, banking , business, sport; scholarships to learn English, French, Spanish. We once had the exclusive to teach English to the region but we embraced reggae English and they want English English or American English with the accents. Why not teach all three? These nations have rich cultures; we have acts from faraway T&T, but none from the DR 45 minutes away? Might our ballet hopefuls be in Carlos Acosta’s town? Our Spanish guitarists? Our opera singers on stage in Cuba? Why lose them to America and Europe? Would Oliver work in Spanish? Anancy and obeah are there already. Send Mento, get Mariachi; send Ska, get rhumba, meringue, zouk; get surreal art; CSME cannot do for us what our neighbours can. We have a Greek restaurant; why not Cuban, DR, Haitian or Puerto Rican food courts? We want new, direct bilateral relations with our neighbours! We must not filter our neighbourly relations through Guyana. Jamaica first! Who will stand up for JA? Let’s build our own prosperity.

* Ratchet up the teaching of English, French and Spanish from basic school. Minister Baugh must pick “low-hanging fruit” – protocols on media, communications, travel; to stream TV fare so we learn the languages. Sir Ken, please register the Antilles URL for this 30-40 million people in the Northern Caribbean today! Multilingual websites, social networks, new media and “digital penpals” can make us one digitally, as we wasted decades fighting the wars of masters long gone. Where is our vision?

* Promote and set up an “Antilles Trade, Tourism and Culture Centre” in all five countries so locals and visitors can flit around. We are so close, culturally diverse and similar, yet so far apart!

*Negotiate special Antilles air, maritime and visa regimes to allow for no-frills commuter air and shipping lines to move people and goods like “minibus!” We live in the Antilles, so let’s elect some fresh men and women to build friendships in our neighbourhood and implement new ideas for our prosperity in 2012! Stay conscious, my friend!

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants currently on assignment in the UK.

franklinjohnston@hotmail.com