Cayman History,Tourism, and Survival
The following commentwas submitted to this newspaper as part of a conversation writerhad on an Internet chatroom with another person whose real namewas not submitted.
In the absence of thatname we decided to publish only an extracted segment by Mr Lerner,who had forwarded to us the entire conversation on the developmentof Cayman Islands
From: Tony Lerner
Rumpole5@aol.com
To: caymanet@candw.ky
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2001 8:37 AM
Subject: Feedback
Canada, England, and most of therest of the western world are becoming depressing socialist has-beensnations. You criticize "19th century ideology", butboth England, and to a lesser degree Canada have been on the downslide ever since the 19th century ended. They are both becomingpathetic, emasculated places. Winston Churchill (whose motherwas from the USA) was prophetic when he pronounced 1941 to bethe empire's "finest hour" I don't think that the Britishhave since produced a man to equal him (except maybe Lady Thatcher).However, against that backdrop I return to Cayman.
The basic Caymanian culture is vigorous.It is a unique blend of the stubborn and resourceful Scott (theoriginal progenitors of Cayman were Puritans from Cromwell's invasionof Jamaica), the assertive African, (but sailors, not slaves,the ground was too bad in Cayman for a plantation system) pirates,and others devoted to self reliance and freedom. The islands alwayshave had a strong tie to the United States rather than Britainbecause the leading families were involved in shipping, and thatis where the ship lines ended. Most of the older wooden houseson Cayman Brac are built of the timber which the sailors wouldpush off on their way to Mobile from Honduras (The Honduranianswould load more than the bill of lading called for, and the cannyBrackers would swing by the Brac and re-adjust the load back tothe called for tonnage). In short, the Caymans developed a wonderful,resilient, self reliant, humorous and unique population superiorto that found anywhere else in the Caribbean.
This was the superior Camanian I first knew20 years ago. Most of the men were employed in going to sea, whichprovided the outside stream of money, local commerce and agriculture,and a modest amount of tourism and banking which provided a niceincome supplement.
The airports were clean, modest, (but charming)sheds. The people were well groomed, by and large sober, churchgoing, and possessed of shy, well behaved children. I recall abaptism in the sea which I attended which attracted several passers-bywho gathered to sing some impromptu hymns. Compare this scenewith Cayman today - Snooty
Englishmen everywhere, looking down theirnoses at Caymanians because they have not adopted every socialisticUK folly known to mankind, drunken loud American tourists andlosers who can't make it at home who are, as the old saying goes"overpaid, oversexed, and over here", trashy, obnoxiousJamaicans loitering around everywhere one looks, and most lamentably,"follow fashion" Caymanians who are trying to "cuta dash" and mimic the outsiders, and in the process losingtheir culture, their dignity, their religion, their (now rudeand neglected "let go beast") children's future, andeventually - their property and freedom.
To close, (for August 18th anyway) YES,the Caymans could survive just fine without the degree of tourismthey have now. In fact, the average Caymanian would survive better,because he is now in the process of selling his birthright fora mess of potage. (Since you subscribe to a 21st century ideologyit is probably necessary for me to explain "mess of potage".It is a reference from the B I B L E (Christian book of faith)you will find it in the first part, the book of G E N E S I S...Look for the names J A C O B and E S A U.)
Instead of criticizing people who retaina "19th century ideology", perhaps you should open youreyes and see that the values of the 18th and 19th centuries weresuperior in every way to the rotten stench produced by those ofthe 20th. The various 20th century dictatorial, collectiveist"Isms"
Nazi (or national SOCIALIST), communist,fascist and other anti-individualist schemes have produced nothingbut concentration camps, and corpses, poverty, and heaps of skullswherever they have been tried, from Germany to Russia to Cambodia.Criticize the 19th century indeed!
I'll take John Locke and the rights of man,Adam Smith and the invisible hand of capitalism, the US constitutionand the bill of rights for the INDIVIDUAL (including the individualright for me to posses property free of onerous taxation and theright to carry a gun to protect the same) over Lenin, Stalin,Hitler, Roosevelt and their most recent counterparts, Clintonand Blair any day.
It is the modern 20th century ideologieswe have to beware of, not those of the 19th. I hope the Caymaniansthink about that re: their new Constitution. Adopting a MagnaCarta / USA Constitutional style right to bear arms and reaffirmingthe death penalty might be good place to start.
Caymanians should tell the socialist Labourparty British bureaucrats and their EU counterparts in Brusselsto take their 21st century collectivist, politically correct,ideology and - stuff it where the sun don't shine.