The decision by the British people to exit the European Union has huge ramifications for Caribbean nations and the world as a whole. This decision, which brought on sudden uncertainty to the world, should be viewed both as a crisis for the British and an opportunity for Jamaicans and Caribbean people alike.

It is rare historic opportunities like this which allow for a change in the geopolitical framework of the world. At times like these very rich and powerful countries fall and poor and developing countries rise to new heights. Brexit should be seen by Jamaican and Caribbean people alike as a rare historic chance to improve our global influence by diverting investment, expertise, fiscal strength and trade from Europe.

Uniting the Caribbean into a single country

Since Brexit, many in Jamaica have been questioning whether a referendum should be held in Jamaica to decide our future in Caricom. While Caricom may be fairly criticised as being ineffective and void of any authority, opting to leave would be a historic gesture which may have long-term consequences in a region that we are permanently located.

Also, Brexit only goes to show that division leaves everybody weaker to the outside world as the entire European continent is unsure of the future at this point.

The best course of action would be to take steps to unite the Caribbean into a nation state so that it is stronger and better able to attract investment away from the fading European superstate. Many may laugh at the idea of uniting a region that can barely even get along. However, the truth is that Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Bahamians, and other Caribbean people would all benefit 50 times more than their present circumstance if they opted to unite into a single nation.

With that fact in mind, one must wonder why we have yet to unite and become a single Caribbean nation. It may be because our leaders do not benefit in any way from this. Most Caribbean leaders may, in fact, lose power over their small and exploited nation in favour of unity which is arguably the same reason why the West Indies Federation fell. That is why it is important to them that everyday citizens of each Caribbean nation dislike other Caribbean people, because this is a means by which to keep us divided and weak while politicians drain our individual nations dry and sink us into more and more debt and control by mulitlaterals. We will progress nowhere as individual Caribbean states. We must see past the manufactured hate that Caribbean leaders have cultivated to trick us that we should dislike other Caribbean people because they envy us.

Attracting investment away from Europe

Due to the fact that Europe’s economic circumstance is currently uncertain, many potential investors are at odds with investing in Europe’s unpredictable economies since Brexit. Both the pound sterling and the euro have reacted negatively to Britain’s decision, and thus money is expected to flow away from Europe and into another region of the world.

Dubai may be an investor’s initial choice, but if the Caribbean can market itself as a large, strong and centralised nation it may be able to attract huge investment. Our natural environment makes us the most ideal tourism destination on the planet, and if we could attract the level of tourism investment that Dubai receives then nobody would even consider going to the Middle East for tourism, especially since the most popular tourism nations (America and western Europe) are all closer to the Caribbean. If the Caribbean combines, with Jamaica’s cultural flare, with Cuba’s forbidden appeal, and the general paradise undertone of the region, we can develop Caribbean tourism into a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Also, if we do establish a Caribbean nation then our new currency (the Cariba) may be able to secure investor confidence and help to lift the burden off the pound and euro which many global investors are now sceptical about.

Aspiring to permanent UN Security Council status

The highest sovereign achievement that a nation can attain is a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. This is no doubt unattainable by the present Caribbean nations but if we unite into a Caribbean superstate, we may be able attain more investment, better debt management and a new and stronger currency (the Cariba). We may also be able to develop a larger army to better protect us from terrorism, drug smuggling and international war. We will be a part of a nation of 19 million or more people who will have far more influence on the global scene. We will have more leverage within the UN so as to better provide our citizens with the highest level of state protection which is permanent Security Council status.

The weakness of Britain and the entire European continent signifies a deficit in power which is ripe for exploitation by an emerging Caribbean nation. We will be unable to achieve our objective of attaining permanency within the Security Council but we will be one step closer to it if we make use of Brexit.

Waiting on the other crisis

Our foreign policy should not be geared at preying on the unfortunate happenings of developed countries. However, as developing nations with desperate citizens who could benefit greatly from ambitious leadership, we are forced to take advantage of the opportunity presented as Britain or any other nation would do. In fact, it was just last year that Britain denied us an apology for slaving and exploiting us for 300 years, so we will simply be taking back some of what is rightfully ours in a more dignified and pragmatic form than to beg for reparation. Thus it is in our best interest to make use of this and any other crisis that may emerge to better our desperate circumstance.

America was once a colony, then a developing nation which had to prey upon the Spanish at their weakest hour to become a big boy on the international scene. After two world wars and a squabble with the Soviets, America is now the only superpower in the world. If America didn’t possess the necessary ambition to better its people at the peril of a fading empire, then American citizens would never have enjoyed the highest standard of living in human history and would probably become debt slaves like Jamaicans. Do we want to just be spectators of history or the characters involved in its outcome?

Toraino Beckford, LLB, hails from Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. Send comments to the Observer or to torainobeckford@gmail.com.