Global Voices Online » Economics

Trinidad & Tobago: Flagging

Janine Mendes-Franco — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:21:34 +0000

“Another monument to fiscal indiscipline by our government is installed in the name of national pride”: KnowTnT.com still can't get over the cost of the flag in the National Stadium.

Barbados, Jamaica: Debt Downgrades

Janine Mendes-Franco — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:05:35 +0000

“Jamaica's government kicked up a terrific stink with Standard and Poor's (S&P) after the rating agency again downgraded the country's debt”: Living in Barbados wonders how “Barbados' normally more polite and circumspect politicians” will react to more downgrades.

Uzbekistan: Thank you, cotton-growers!

Adil Nurmakov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:22:21 +0000

Musafirbek says that the president of Uzbekistan officially thanked the cotton-growers for gathering the harvest of this strategic product for Uzbekistan. However, those who sweat away, collecting this cotton (including children) were not mentioned in the president’s address.

Trinidad & Tobago: Flag It!

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:47:43 +0000

Trinidadian bloggers continue to weigh in on the exorbitant cost to taxpayers for a massive national flag: “The point is not only the credibility of the cost of the monster-flag and associated concrete but the reason we need a monster-flag during a recession and a white collar crime wave.”

Vietnam: Too many ads in an airport

Mong Palatino — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:38:44 +0000

Charvey notices an unusually big number of ads in a Vietnam airport

Kosovo, Hungary: More on the Tisza River Tragedy

Veronica Khokhlova — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:02:05 +0000

A Fistful of Euros discusses the story of tragic death of 15 Kosovo Albanian illegal immigrants, who were trying to cross the Tisza River into Hungary and the EU. More about it - in Marietta Le's Oct. 28 GV post.

CEE: “20 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall” - a Poll

Veronica Khokhlova — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:42:17 +0000

Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes about the results of a Pew Research Center's poll on poverty, wealth and attitudes in Central and Eastern Europe “20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Traffic Solutions

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:58:03 +0000

Alien in the Caribbean has a few suggestions to ease Trinidad's traffic woes.

Bermuda: The Sound of Music

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:24:41 +0000

Vexed Bermoothes is of the opinion that the Bermuda Music Festival “exemplifies the political tinkering, self-interest, and distraction that has left Bermuda’s tourism sector as a ruined economic basket-case.”

Bangladesh: Beggars Can Be Choosers

Rezwan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:33:37 +0000

Bangladesh Corporate Blog analyzes the decision of Bangladesh government to establish separate begging zones in the capital Dhaka.

Jamaica: Bleak Outlook

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:44:52 +0000

The Liming House says that the resignation of the Central Bank governor, coupled with Standard & Poor's downgrading of the country's rating, ” is…a serious blow to Jamaica.”

Jamaica: Of Patties & Personalities

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:39:33 +0000

Francis Wade thinks that Jamaicans and Trinidadians can learn a lot from each other.

Syria: The Best or the Worst Article Ever?

Jillian C. York — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:20:54 +0000

One of many billboards in Syria featuring President Bashar al-Assad (photo by jilliancyork)

Syrian bloggers frequently decry travel writing about their country - often it's too stereotypical, sometimes downright false. And for a country considered long “isolated” at least from the United States, it can be particularly frustrating to see such writing promoted as accurate. Therefore, when popular Syrian blogger Sasa, who pens the blog Syria News Wire spotted a recent piece in National Geographic that he deemed “the best article on Syria in a decade,” he just had to say something:

This article is the real Syria. It is a checklist of points which Syrians know about their country, but which foreign journalists skip over, in the rush to confirm their own stereotypes.

Unsurprisingly, in a country often divided, not everyone agreed with Sasa's interpretation of the article. Syrian Ambassador to the United States Imad Moustapha (himself a blogger) penned a letter to the editor of National Geographic that was republished on the blog Syria Comment, calling the National Geographic article a “misrepresentation of the Syria that I belong to.” Though Syria Comment's Joshua Landis didn't comment on the article himself, his posting sparked over eighty comments and a lively discussion.

Commenter Alex of Creative Syria was critical of the National Geographic article, stating:

I have no problem with most of what was written .. by I have an issue with the obvious impression the article leaves through its 90% emphasis on negativity … I don’t think an American reading it will hesitate to cancel his planned first vacation in Syria. Who wants to enjoy lunch in Bab Touma if poor brave Syrian people fighting for democracy are being tortured next door in Bab Touma?

Another commenter, Ghassan, liked the article:

the articale is rational, reasonable, and accurate . my support to NG, and to the free press and speach which do not exist in syria.

Norman, also commenting on Landis's post, aptly remarked:

It is interesting how Syria loving Syrians can disagree on the same article.

Other bloggers outside of Syria had strong feelings about the National Geographic article as well. Evan Hill, who writes for group blog The Majlis, felt that the article displayed Syria as behind the times, stating:

We're left with a Syria that seems stuck, economically and politically, in a mindset that's at least 40 decades old. The manager of a government-owned cotton plant, oblivious to or concealing any knowledge of the workplace dangers there, stares at Belt in seeming confusion when asked if he's ever made a profit. Academics and activists still fear the intelligence services created many years ago by Assad's father to destroy the opposition when his famed political wiliness wouldn't work.

After reading all of the criticism, Syria News Wire urged readers to read both the original article and Imad Moustapha's criticisms before making up their minds.

Latvia: Politics Update

Veronica Khokhlova — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:44:39 +0000

Baltic writes on the political situation in Latvia - here and here.

French Caribbean: “La Toussaint”

Fabienne Flessel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:23:36 +0000

Toussaint 2009, by Fabienne Flessel

In the French-speaking Caribbean, celebrating “La Toussaint”, All Saints' and All Souls' Days, are as much an opportunity for family reunions as the Christmas season is. Here is a review of what the blogosphere says about it this year [all links are in French]:

In Guadeloupe, blogger Mycho has decided to resume her blogging activity for the occasion. Her short post highlights two important aspects of this celebration of the lost ones, which are the tradition and the family dimension:

Comme d'habitude, les Guadeloupéens vont illuminer les tombes. C'est toujours une occasion de se souvenir de ceux qui ne sont plus là, mais aussi de revoir ceux qui sont bien présents, mais que l'on n'a pas l'occasion de croiser bien souvent. Un moment de tristesse et de joie mêlées.

As usual, Guadeloupeans will be lighting up candles on the graves. It is always the opportunity to remember the dead ones but also to meet the living ones, that we don't see that often. It's a moment of mixed pain and joy.

Toussaint 2009 in Le Moule, by Fabienne Flessel

Traditionally, the “Toussaint” season is an opportunity to do some grave maintenance as families clean, repaint and flower their graves. Domactu explains that when a grave presents none of these enhancements, it is a synonym of family disfunction and the issue sounds important enough for the local authorities to devote some money to fill in for missing families:

La collectivité régionale participe à l'opération à hauteur de 20 000 euros.

The region's administration partakes in the project and devotes as much as 20 000 euros.

This is the presentation of the above-mentioned professional integration project:

Depuis samedi [1 novembre 2009], cinquante deux jeunes procèdent au nettoyage des tombes à l'abandon dans le Sud Basse-Terre et en Côte-sous-le-vent.

Since Saturday [November 1st 2009], fifty-two young people have been working on cleaning deserted graves in the Southern part of Basse-Terre and Côte-sous-le-vent.”

Domactu also posted about the traditional celebration of “la Toussaint” in Martinique:

Un moment qui rassemble toutes les générations pour honorer la mémoire de leurs morts.

It is a moment which brings together all the generations, in order to honor the memory of their dead ones.

However, in this post, we also learn that the tradition has changed gradually, since families tend to discharge the maintenance of their graves:

Mais c'est aussi l'occasion pour certains de se faire un peu d'argent. Tous les services sont donc bons à prendre.

Nettoyage de tombe, peinture, embellissement des caveaux sont autant de jobs que se partagent petits et grands…

It is also a chance to make some money. People are therefore ready to accomplish any tasks.

Grave cleaning, painting, burial vault ornamentation are the casual jobs that young and even older handymen share…

For her part, Martinican blogger Imaniyé has decided to honor her ancestors by taking part in “An mémwa, Véyé Kont pour lézansèt” (Creole for “In memory of the ancestors, a storytelling evening”). Here is what she says about this cultural, historical and religious event:

En ces jours de Toussaint et de Fête des morts, pour la première fois, Amérindiens autochtones et Africains déportés sont honorés au cours de la même cérémonie. C’est très important. Pour les Amérindiens exterminés en 1658, comme pour les esclaves dont la dépouille git dans des cimetières inconnus, partout en Martinique. J’y participe. Je vous y invite.

In this season of All Saints' and All Souls' Days, indigenous Native Americans and deported Africans are honored jointly for the first time ever. It is very important for the Native Americans who were wiped out in 1658 and for the slaves, whose remains lie in unknown yards, everywhere around Martinique. I will be there. This is my invitation.

In this very informative and well-documented post, Pyepimanla explores the celebration of “la Toussaint” among the descendants of the Indian immigrants in Guadeloupe as well as the impact of the recent trend of celebrating Halloween in the French West Indies. This last topic is fiercely debated in a post and comments on Bondamanjak.

From French Guiana, blogger Nuguet expresses his surprise at the fact that a guided tour of the cemetery of Cayenne on All Saints' Day is actually a historical account of immigration and politics in French Guiana. He also had a chance to discover the almost festive spirit of this family celebration.

Finally, blogger Espas Ayisyen Toulouse, a Haitian expatriate in France, republishes a post about the dual celebration of “Toussaint” and “the Guédés” in Haiti:

Le premier jour de novembre est consacré à la fête de La Toussaint. Les fidèles catholiques vénèrent en cette occasion leurs saints et entretiennent la mémoire d’un membre cher de leur famille décédé.
[…]
La fête des Guédés, commémorée le 2 novembre, est typique de la religion vaudou en Haïti. Dans la mythologie du vaudou, les Guédés représentent les esprits de la Mort.

The first day of November is devoted to the celebration of “la Toussaint”. It is an opportunity for the Catholic faithful to honor their saints and remember their beloved dead relatives.
[…]
The celebration of the The Guédés on November 2nd, is typical of the voodoo religion in Haiti. In the voodoo mythology, the Guédés symbolize the spirits of the dead.

The bloggers from HN2000 also explain the dual celebration, but emphasize the fact that it is not unanimously accepted in Haiti:

En fait, encore une fois les fidèles catholiques et les vaudouisants vont pouvoir rendre nouvellement un hommage ou une nouvelle visite à leurs proches disparus. D’autre en plus, ils vont glorifier leurs dieux, un comportement sévèrement jugé par les protestants.

Once again, the Catholic faithful and the Voodoo followers will be able to pay homage or visit beloved ones. Furthermore, they will glorify their gods, an act which is severely condemned by the Protestants.

This post was also translated by the author.