Bmda: Quo vadis, Bermuda?

Political novice, Mark Bean, who recently ran for election and lost, has some insightful things to say concerning the future course his country should take. Bean is a taxi-driver, a trained air traffic controller and commercial pilot. This is a man the rest of the Caribbean, and Bermuda, of course, ought to keep an eye on. Read the rest of the article.

Bermuda, he says, has three options – remain as a colony, go independent or pursue a third path of "self determination and interdependence".

The first two options would "lead to instability" because they would maintain either a colonial or "neo-colonial" state where most of the country's institutions are geared toward a Eurocentric cultural perspective.

Besides, he added, the word independence is "outmoded".

"Bermuda in its isolation cannot be independent... Our economy is determined by the relationship Bermuda has with Great Britain, the United States, Europe and Canada." He said that many Bermudians who already have cultural links with those areas are already "independent and free."

But many more Bermudians lack independence because, "we don't have those links with geographic regions that serve our interests directly".

He said at least three to five years of preparation will be necessary for true Bermuda independence – which is in fact self determination and interdependence.

"We would have to create those institutions that links us to the Caribbean – Caricom (membership) being a very bold step in that direction. We have to create institutions that give us direct contact with the African continent and with African American people in North America."

He said professionals in financial services, tourism and international business could benefit from "vast" business opportunities in those areas that could develop "once we are able to tap into our culture".

Mr. Bean said he had opened his presentation to Sandys North branch voters by reminding them of "what we are moving away from."

Bermuda's social problems are the effect of people "moving away from the way we were raised, the way grandma and grandpa raised us – work hard, look after your family and check for your neighbour," he added.

"We've become selfish. Our material prosperity has made us spiritually dull."