Caricom/Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) cannot work for poor Haiti, so this iconic black nation depends on their former colony — Dominican Republic — and charity of the white folk they beat up centuries ago. What goes around and comes around! We just moved from ICU to growth, and Haiti is on life support, yet we are big guns of this union. I love Caricom, but in 2001 it morphed into CSME to our chagrin, so now inquiries from sincere readers need truthful answers.

E-mail received on my last column cited federations of non-contiguous states in the East, and they are right, but the glue those nations have we do not. Malaysia — chiefly two islands in the South China Sea — flying time is an hour plus, like us, and Cuba — a long history of trade, inter-marriage — easy union! It’s two days from here to our capital in Guyana, a day to Trinidad, and a bit less to Barbados. We did not know these folk, did not inter-marry, jump Cropover or move goods between nations by canoe — strangers! Some non-contiguous federations are bound together by friendships, Islam, fanaticism; these overcome distance. West Indians have no Anglophone caliphate with a mission to unite nations and no Christian jihad. Contiguity matters!

Another issue is: Can we exist on our own when benefactors want to deal with a group? Caricom was 1973 to 2001 — 28 years. How was it for you? We did not need political, economic union to trade, visit, play games, and love a Jamaican passport. List the benefits of Caricom to us up to 2001? We signed on to CSME in that year, got new passports, and border control did not know a nation called “CC” on the passport, so they distress our citizens in foreign ports. Shame on you, “sell out” politicians!

CSME’s crawling peg political and economic union 2001 to 2016 is strange. Norman Manley charged our mission was economic as the politics stuff was a done deed? Did he lie? Why join a political union when our problem is economic? What could we not do on our own? Check our progress against Singapore, Ireland, Barbados with like history, are we ahead? If Caricom worked why dump it? If it did not work why did we join the same losers in CSME? Can Edward Seaga, P J Patterson or Sonny Ramphal explain this? Do you see a McKinsey, KPMG, PwC report on the 28 years of Caricom? Chief Bustamante, Father Manley must be whirling. List the benefits from CSME in 16 years to 2016? How are you doing today?

Those who sent in e-mail also queried my vision for the Caribbean. I see a convivial and collegial space in a 21st century Caricom (not CSME) — festivals, culture, fine arts, craft, sport,expositions, competitions and jointure in negotiations. It would embrace all islands from The Bahamas to Trinidad and nations whose shores are washed by the Caribbean Sea — Belize to Venezuela. We are the Caribbean!

The islands in the South Caribbean — the Lesser Antilles — may expand their federation of contiguous islands OECS-unitary central bank, single currency, final court etc. But geography trumps politics and colonial history so they cannot ignore neighbour and benefactor Venezuela indefinitely and Guyana cannot be cut adrift. The islands of the North Caribbean-Greater Antilles suffer neo-imperial “divide and rule” tactics, dinosaur politicians, pesky Caricom mandarins and risk-averse businesses which thrived on Anglophone markets. All fear loss of power but we must venture, tap nearby markets and prove our talent and resilience on the big screen. Some say Spanish is a problem yet poorly educated higglers opened trade with Panama-so? We do massive business with China, do you speak Mandarin? Spanish hotels invest billions? You speak Spanish? Many businesses are spoiled, domesticated, lazy so the spirit of enterprise epitomised by Grace, Musson, JP, JMMB, others, must be mainstreamed now!

But there are consequences in this model. The tyranny of English will be broken; the centre of gravity will shift and a Capital/HQ for institutions will be in our backyard. The Revised Treaty describes who we are but in new Caricom the Caribbean man is not the Indian of Trinidad, Mestizo of Belize or African of Haiti. The force is with a new creation unique to the Caribbean-the mix-up, mix-up browning; not African, Asian or European, speaks Spanish, English, French and a dozen dialects. Did Caricom, a mainly black cartel, refuse entry to mixed-race Dom Rep on racial grounds? PM Holness should reinstate the directive on compulsory Spanish as business needs it. Jamaicans cannot even function in Miami as “mira, mira” people carry the swing. We are only winners if we win. What can we do now?

I want us to make friends with the Caribbean’s fastest growing nation (7%); most FDI-on the same island as mendicant Haiti. Are we gluttons for suffering? After, we can tackle the American colony Puerto Rico — they need our financial acumen; then Cuba (our capitalist acumen) and Haiti (everything we have in the tool pan) — no fear. We must not pitch hard to neighbours. People do business with people they like, so use soft skills and mount a massive charm offensive. The private sector must act. Our priority is services; recreational and leisure up front. From now through 2019 Cabinet must spend $250m on studies and subsidy to private teams to win hearts and minds in the Dom Rep — no hard sell. A nation with a Maserati and Ferrari shop is in sync with our verve and brio so our first wave is fine artists, couturiers, chefs, body builders, martial artists, golfers, musicians, beauties, dancers, tenors, cabaret singers, to build soft connective tissue. Get our “petrol heads” together for a joint motor rally there. Don’t talk business, just grow organic friendships. My vision? Usain Bolt leads the charge; Tracks and Records opens in three cities; UWI sets up a “U B High Performance Sports Clinic” in Santiago. Kamina Johnson Smith extends a charm offensive with state actors as we the people expose Dominicanos to our warmth, competence in English. We win people with honey not vinegar. Fear not, we have good friends there. Stay conscious!

Franklin Johnston, D Phil (Oxon), is a strategist and project manager. Send comments to the Observer or franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com.