CoHA memorandum released

The Council on Hemispheric Affairs have just released their latest memo on Bermuda's independence debate.

In summary:

While the Council on Hemispheric Affairs historically has supported every independence campaign in its purview where a majority of the people have called for independence, COHA, however, has taken the opposite position on Bermuda’s independence, and has found that there are a number of disconcerting aspects to Premier Scott’s driving quest to achieve it pretty much by any means...

The advocates of independence must come up with decisive arguments proving that independence will overwhelmingly benefit the nation and its citizenry, or must, in good conscience, surrender their fight.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Decolonisation Committee has just released an update on its work.

Comments

[J Starling on 23.02.06 at 19:51]

I'm sorry, I really don't see how this contributes to the independence debate. If its true that COHA has relied solely on the mass media for their information, than the methodology are flawed and it is simply a nice little summary. The UN Decolonisation bit tells me nothing new either. I look forward to the upcoming public debate on Independence, and expect to vote in the referendum and see my vote count, whether it is for or against independence. Agreed, there are more important issues to deal with, but I don't see the harm in this debate as long as we don't shirk our responsibilities in remembering these other issues.

[loki on 23.02.06 at 20:33]

Wow. I actually thought that they took a remarkably charitable view towards the farce that was the BIC. Although they correctly pointed out that the BIC was a propaganda tool rather than a genuine attempt to educate the great unwashed, I was surprised that they did not point out that the Commission was hand-picked by Alex Scott and was stacked with known supporters of independence. The one UBP-affiliated Commissioner chosen by Scott, Mike Winfield, was a strong supporter of independence at the time of the last referendum on the issue. There's also no mention of the extremely embarrassing unprofessional Rolfe Commissiong. Nicolette Reiss incident. All in all, I'd say the BIC got off lightly.

[Slowhand on 23.02.06 at 21:05]

The first three points bulleted at the beginning of the COHA memo speaks volumes, not so much to the question of Independence, but more to the question 'Why are we going about independence in this way'.

[NoVote on 23.02.06 at 21:25]

I don't think that this document adds much to the debate other than the fact that it has been published by a well respected think-tank with no particular agenda in Bermuda. This objectivity should tell us a lot about the vailidity of its conclusions.

If it has relied upon the mass media as its source, then it is possible that there is some bias. Other data triangulation points should also have been used.

However, I do find it incredibly difficult to believe that the government of Bermuda cannot get its point across to the public with or without mass media support, and it is manifestly failing to do so in a way that is convincing.

As for the fundamental constructs of the COHA argument, I don't believe that they are based around factually inaccuracy so why therefore should we not give credence to this report?

If there are factual inaccuracies, somebody please speak up, as these are the kinds of things that need to be aired publicly.

[DeGraff Beef Pie on 23.02.06 at 21:47]

The report makes a succinct point: our premier is a treacherous douchebag.

[Shark on 23.02.06 at 21:53]

"Premier Scott’s driving quest to achieve it pretty much by any means..."

pretty much sums up Scott and his mentality.

The UN report basicly sums up that while they regret the decision made by the people of Tokelau they respect it which is something i hope they remember when the verdict on Bermudas Independence is made. Should Bermuda chose to remain part of the UK they should accept that and stop trying to tell Bermuda and the world they know whats best though they will regret it again as the UN has its own agenda of getting as many countries in the UN as possible (which i wont go into as what i have to say about the buracratic, weak and usless UN gose widley off topic.

In fact thats a good topic to create a post about what do people think of the UN.

[Tiger Bay on 23.02.06 at 22:00]

The UN decolonisation committee is a relic.

[zoom on 23.02.06 at 22:16]

The UN says that it will not rest until all countries that are non-self governing by its definition have been "decolonised". This is the second decade of the eradication of colonialism by the way (sounds like a Soviet tractor factory quota to me). They have a similar approach to Alex Scott: they will continue to (re)educate those countries, even if they vote against independence, as was recently the case in Tokelau.

The countries on their list are: Western Sahara, American Samoa, Guam, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Tokelau, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Really. How many of these - ourselves included - are self-sustaining as freestanding nations? Are they really doing favor to these peoples - or just a socialistic committee chugging along forever. Frankly, I am not sure I want to be "lead to democracy" by a committee guided by a Cuban and Syrian!

[Uncle Elvis on 23.02.06 at 23:19]

But... um... aren't we self-governing? Aren't we, like, the second oldest self-governing thingie?

[NoVote on 23.02.06 at 23:38]

I didn't realise Pitcairn was on the UN Decolonisation Committee's list too.

I thought that half of the men on that Island (about 8 of them) are in the process of trying to establish independence from Britain through the Privy Council to get off child molestation charges.

Now there's an alternative to a referendum!!!

[MBLA on 24.02.06 at 07:39]

Might explain Ewart's recent "man-boy" comments.

[pinhead on 24.02.06 at 11:50]

Why don't we just ignore the UN, everyone else in the world does.

[ace on 24.02.06 at 12:03]

"The UN decolonisation committee is a relic."

Nah...its not a relic. It is a nice gravy train for the members of the committee. They still have "lots of work to do"....travelling about on the UN dime.

[SmokingGun on 24.02.06 at 12:06]

If I were running things I'd have my troops stationed at the airport ready to blow their plane out of the sky the next time they try to come here and tell us what's in our best interest.

Ooops - saw a Rambo re-run last night....