EDITORIAL
It’s Not All About Money
Thursday, August 12, 2004
There is a distinctive theme beginning to arise in the minds of Cayman
Islands’ residents as they contemplate the upcoming General Elections. In
offices, at pubs, in lunchrooms, or wherever people gather to talk about
politics, it is being said that the upcoming election is all about money.
In many ways, especially since the United Democratic Party (UDP) plans to
use the current vibrant economic conditions here as a focus of its campaign,
this election will be have a lot to do with money.
Making money a central theme of a campaign is nothing new, here or anywhere
else. Former American president Bill Clinton rode his “it’s the economy,
stupid” slogan right into the White House in 1992.
The latest polls in the United States show that presidential challenger
John Kerry is looking best in states where residents simultaneously feel that
their economy is worse than before George W Bush took office in January 2001.
The Cayman political situation is also beginning to mirror the American
landscape in another way, in that one party is seen as pro-business, while the
other party is seen to be aligned more with social issues.
Looking at the type of campaign backing reportedly behind the UDP, it
becomes apparent that certain major business in this country with substantial
investments are keen to do what they can to see the current government
re-elected.
It is often said that politics makes strange bedfellows, however, there is
nothing really strange about big business backing the UDP; it is simply a
matter of protecting investments and profits.
It has been suggested that having independent candidates, or those from the
People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) take over the reigns of the government
could upset the applecart in a way that affects a company’s economic
performance, and businesses do not like uncertainty.
The unfortunate thing is, these businesses often do not look any farther
than the bottom line. While they might not necessary agree with the members of
a particular party on a wide range of other issues, or even personally like
those members, money becomes the all-important issue, whether it is earning it
or preserving it.
These big business will argue, if put on the spot, that their economic good
fortune results in benefits for the population in general, and there is an
element of truth to that theory.
However, the ratio of good fortunes between those in big business and those
in the general public is highly disproportionate, and certainly not worth
ignoring other issues over.
It is tempting to be caught up in the economy talk of this election, and
with the fear of what will happen should a new government come to power.
Residents can expect that fear card to be played often during the campaign,
with dire prognostications suggested should a change to the structure of the
government come about.
The economy is in fact a very important element of the local standard of
life, but not necessarily the most important factor. Other issues affecting
the quality of our lives must also be weighed, issues that could have many
more long-term repercussions than any profits made over the next four years.
No one wants to turn down a bank account full of money, but what good is
wealth if the place one calls home is not worth living in because of social
problems? Expatriates can take all of their money and move back to their
homelands, but what do Caymanians do if the social values and conditions of
this country continue to disintegrate.
Similarly, businesses can go bankrupt, move to another country or become
less viable over the years. The citizens of the country, however, are here for
a lifetime, and in generations to come. These facts make this election, like
any other, more than just about money.
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