The Fleeting Relevance of the Caribbean Territory
The Perils of Consistent Inaction
The notion of impermanence is that nothing lasts and change is the only permanent reality. This wisdom is a universal truth. A truth that pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus called “change” the only constant thing. Although this may seem obvious; for Caribbean leadership and people, it is seldom adhered to. Therefore, in this transitory decade, never before has the Caribbean species put itself in so much peril.
A very recent article titled Blinken says US is “equal partner” with African countries, the article points out how the geopolitical times are changing. The article highlights how The United States sees the 54 nations of Africa as “equal partners” in tackling global problems. “Our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force — one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present and will shape our future,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. However, the US did not just come to any sudden realizations or moral awakenings where Africa is concerned. China (Sub-Saharan nations have been major recipients of Chinese investment through its “Belt and Road Initiative,” essentially Colonialism 2.0) and Russia are becoming major economic forces in Africa, which is quickly changing the geopolitical power landscape.
Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth’s total surface area and 20% of its land area and is resource-rich of course. With 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world’s human population. Africa represents the greatest economic potential of the 21st century, and if African leadership can act in their continent’s and people’s interest, its economic potential will lead to meaningful future political power. The US clearly understands the developing African reality, so it’s making moves according to its geopolitical self-interest— this is how the world works — alignment of economic and political interests.
Where the Caribbean is concerned, it is now faced with an economic growth problem, one based on the economic principle of the scarcity of resources. Regardless of the fact that the Caribbean is right in the US’s backward, the US is allocating serious resources, transferring knowledge, investment and otherwise to Africa, instead of the Caribbean. This is all about relevance, and Africa has made itself relevant and the Caribbean has not. The US is securing its geopolitical “market share” with an ever-relevant African continent. Of course, power always flows from money and investment to achieve political ends. Simply stated, if the Caribbean does not grasp this fundamental reality about how the universe really works, it can’t align with the positive directional forces of the new economy globalization.
Nevertheless, suffering does not have to be the outcome for the region, nothing is ever predetermined, and prosperity is very much in play. But only if real action is taken! The region must realize, leverage, and act upon its competitive advantages and turn them into economic opportunities, to attract US, and global investors alike. The region must show its economic value by first demonstrating its economic potential. In the end, it’s all about capital! An aggressive and strategic approach to bringing quality foreign investment to Caribbean shores is where the future begins for the region.
In truth, the past has little to do with the decisions we make in the present. In other words, the future always hinges on what we do next— this is the reality of our existence — the simple metaphysics of the universe. However, the Caribbean people are choosing to spend their energy and time in the mental colonial legacies of the past. Time does not wait and wasting time brings you peril. The region fears change because it hasn’t yet made real efforts to understand reality. Caribbean people continue to rely on the unreliability of emotion. But emotion doesn’t create change, only real actions can. You can’t cook food by just thinking about it, you have to find the food, organize and prepare it. Then you’re going to need a stove to cook it on. So emotional thinking about wanting something doesn’t help you, actions do.
Back to Heraclitus, and our understanding that “nothing endures but change” is paramount to a successful existence, necessary to align and succeed in life. “Everything flows, and nothing abides;” according to Heraclitus, “everything gives way, and nothing stays fixed.” This 2000+ year wisdom is even more relevant today in a fast-moving technology-based world. In the end, life is what you make of it, and standing still waiting for others to make decisions for you, will only ensure your suffering.
Author, Simone de Beauvoir points out that our existence is about realizing that we are constantly becoming, that “there is no fixed essence to our being since we are always becoming something other than what we are today.” The Caribbean people must understand this functional reality and take action toward what it seeks to become. Otherwise, other global forces will decide what it becomes. And one thing is for sure, others deciding for you, will surely design a future in their best interest, always doing the math in their favour.
Simone de Beauvoir goes on to say that “existence precedes essence,” meaning that we exist to act and create the lives we want to live — our essence, identity, and prosperity. Heraclitus also says that “the sun is new every day,” and with each new day, our new actions generate new opportunities, setting our future outcomes. So in the end, it’s always up to us, the Caribbean leadership and people must come into reality about how the world works, and begin to write its own story — an action adventure preferably!
