Are we really all in this boat together?

| 17/09/2009

Our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and husband lost their best seamen positions on the merchant ships and the super tankers because the shipping magnates replaced them with other seamen with lesser ability for a cheaper wage.

But, little did the Caymanian fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and husband knew that they would suffer a similar faith in their own home land with social and destructive consequences. With no ship on which to prove their worth they would be over-board out of the life boat.

We have spent millions and millions of dollars to engage studies and reports about some of the most obvious subjects that we already know what the pros and cons are including the parrots. We know that the parrots are destroying the farms fruits. Yet, we have not spent any money or meaning full time on engaging into the inquiry of what has been happening to our society since our seamen fathers, grandfathers, uncle, brothers and husband became left ashore.

I believe that many of our social and deviant behavior patterns exhibited by our young people over the past two decade to the present time are directly related to the place in this society in which those who once were accepted as best seamen have now been relegated to-mere “boys”.

Any one that studied and examined societal changes should recognize what has happened here from the mid-sixties to today. The mid sixties was a time that included those Caymanian seamen, the victims of cheaper replacements. After they were thrown ashore some of them became laborers employed on the building of the edifices to facilitate the passage of money through this country. Few of them became contractors. None of them were re-trained to become fund managers or passage money managers.

The Cayman Islands experienced the great boom between the mid seventies to the mid nineties when the building boom began to even off. The men and the women arrived to sit in the board rooms, to take up residence and to count money and to set their price for their professional services. The Caymanian seamen were not regarded as professionals, according to those new arrivals. Caymanian seamen were not entitled to any professional fee as their labour and skills that they had acquired whilst working on the merchant ships and supertankers were not needed. Many of them were relegated to driving taxis. Others, who could afford a boat, took tourist out on the sea. Others, many others, had no place to find stature but the bars. By this time their labour and their skills were no longer relevant. Employers could now get labour and skills from outside for a cheaper wage.

Between the mid-nineties and today the Caymanian seamen and their sons and grandsons too became almost redundant, except for a selected few. Only those persons who were deemed to be safe and cooperative with no desire for competition would be given the opportunity to get an entry level education and a corresponding position.

Caymanian men, great men, tried and proven became mere on-lookers as other men became wealthy, socially prominent and politically powerful before their eyes. Some Caymanian women faced a little better than their fathers, brothers, uncles or husbands. Some of them could still find the clerical positions. A few of them were even elevated to the not so powerful managerial positions. They could find jobs working in some of the hotels, condos and restaurants. None or not many of them were given management or head chef positions.

Many of Caymanian seamen their sons, grandsons, and now it seems their daughters and granddaughters, are seeking solace in the bars and the clubs often owned by non-Caymanians and are served often by non-Caymanian service workers.

Meanwhile, the Caymanian children who manage to stay in school and who manage to survive the ravages of the destructive hood culture are constantly told that if they go on and get a good education, especially a good education from a foreign institutions, they will succeed past the entry level positions. Unfortunately for them, when they equip themselves with that local and foreign education and present themselves, they are told that they cannot get the jobs because they have no experience. Meanwhile, the job positions are filled and manned by others who often have no more experience than the educated Caymanians.

The results of this systemic rejection behavior structure are resentment, lack of self confidence that often leads to despair, lack of respect for organized societal norms and ultimately deviant behavior. Those who witness this rejection process of their family or their friends or contemporaries are also affected. The domino effect of this emasculating and suppressive attitude breeds ultimate lawlessness and deviant behavior to gain status in a peer group.

What our young people see and experience now is a world that is mostly concerned with wealth, power, social elevation and privilege. A large number of our young people are victims of dysfunctional families where family stability and family values are eroded because many of them have been robbed of the ability to mobility in a non caring environment.

Many Cayman families also do not have the steadying presence of a grandmother or grandfather whose presence in the home acts as a mirror to remind the younger family members of their own mortality and values of caring for their own source of being and family history.

In so many homes today children are raised by people from other cultures who often are not equipped to deal with our cultural values that our young minds need to cultivate. Also, the country’s ordinary job market is now almost nearly serviced by cheaper foreign labour which is often detrimental for the Cayman families. They cannot compete in such a wage depressed work force and give their children the care and education they need to be successful.

Nearly every one speaks of our country as a successful capitalist bastion of wealth. Yet, many Caymanians in this capitalist system often have no access to capital unless they are in the selected safe few file. Here we are in a hundred percent over employment economy with some 27,000 to 28,000 people working on permission work permits but many Caymanians cannot get a job. This structural problem is endemic. It is endemic and emasculating to our young men and degrading to our young women.

One despicable thing that has resulted from all this is an expanding welfare system financed with assistance from work permit fees. That is the structural irony that our children and grandchildren are expected to face and accept.

We have for too long allowed the means of progress and wealth to be in the hands of a few people. Capitalism is a good system but capitalism without corresponding and connective morality and justice brings disruption, unrest, and ultimately violence. We are now experiencing this lack of morality and justice in our country. However, I do believe that we are special. We seldom do what we ought to do but we always do what we have to do.

We cannot stop progress and development but we can stop the destruction of our cultural and historical values. We can stop the violence and the mayhem. Violence and deviant behaviour have beginning in the urban sprawl that is proliferating and requiring increased public revenues as government service is needed for each left behind area.

For those who believe that they are safe because they are protected by guards and gated communities; for those whose only interest in the community is the amount of money in the cash register, I implore you to stretch out your arm and to give a hand to the child of the less fortunate family. Help him or her to get the required education and then open the opportunity door, when he or she come knocking with their qualifications. You may think that it is not your problem and wash your hands today in the preverbal act of cleaning yourself from the mess. But, you may become the statistic tomorrow.

The accumulated disappointments that he or she harbours grow into uncontrollable destructive behavior. I have heard the saying that “we are all in this boat together”. If that nautical metaphor is true then each of us is required to take turns on the oars and with the bailer to stop the boat from sinking. Let me remind everyone that should the boat sink their will be losses. There will be lost wealth as well as the loss of the means to obtain wealth. There can be no social and economic neutrality of crew members in this boat.

We now need a rigorous analysis of our vessel as we sail along. We need to inject our experiences and ingenuity into our voyage. We need to take on the social and legal mechanisms to deal with our difficulties as our cargo. We need to sail on into the difficult twenty first century with confidence, morality and Justice. To cause anyone of us to be in the water without life jacket, without being thrown a life line means that we are not all in this boat together. Let us load this boat with bales of Caymanian culture, drums of democratic values, and sail on together. To simply load this boat with bags of money owned by the selected few only to purchase objects will not prevent a mutiny.

The direction in which the boat will be heading will depend on who will be the captain and who will set the course of direction. Surely, if everyone in the boat wants to grab the helm and steer it towards this or that direction the boat may come apart on the preverbal reef.

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  1. Cookie Monster says:

    What have learned from today’s programme?

    1. CNS’rs love the ex-pat/local debate.

    2. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything, can be blamed on an expat.

    3. Steve McField’s views are underpinned by dark bigotry or fine nationalism (You chose). (At least the "bigotry" camp here quoted examples to back up this allegation.  Contrast this with the things that were said about Gordon Barlow).

    4. Metaphors – do not over extend them.

    5. Caymanian seafarers’ fame extends to all corners of . . . Cayman.  Some of the basis for this fame is aprocryphal.  When put to the challenge CNS posters came up with one real person, who, with all due respect just seemed to do his job.

    6. Some expats are just here for the cash.

    7. Some expats are not.

    Behave yourselves children, until next time.

    COOKIES

    • Anonymous says:

      LoL! "*dark* bigotry", eh? What about the hateful statements by expats – were they *light* bigotry? Examples were given of Gordon Balow’s bigotry; the fact that you don’t see it as bigotry simply means that you share his views.   

      • Cookie Monster says:

        The point was that bigotry is dark in the sense of wrong whoever says it.  The criticisms of Gordon Barlow may be valid BUT despite lots of requests to quote examples to support the allegations of bigotry not a single example was quoted by the "haters".  Link us to a quote of GB’s to support your allegations and I will happily tell you whether I agree with you or not.

    • tired says:

      Apocryphal (good word! had to look it up :))

      My uncle who retire to Port Arthur and my cousin who retired to Florida also did their jobs" both of my grandfathers also "did their job" and countless others. The men I have mentioned are hallowed to my family forevermore. Seafaring is not an easy job. Watch the discovery channel.
      As you obviously know many seafarers who have never heard of Cayman, I cannot debate whether our seafarer fames extend to… anywhere.
      Nor does it matter they are famous to us and guess what that what’s counts!
      Off all the countries I have travelled people of Cayman are the least ethnocentric. So much so I think that it is in fact our fatal flaw.
      Therefore the unfortunate reality is that we don’t need your disdain, hatred, resentment and other baggage we already have enough of our own.
       Leave us our heroes, you have yours, why cant we?
  2. Anonymous says:

     Expats only came originally and are only allowed to come now because Caymanians want them in to help boost the wealth of the country – because wealth (and NOT culture or being "the land that time forgot") is self-evidently what is most important to Cayman.

    Mr. McField also conveniently neglects to mention that Caymanians don’t wish to occupy the low-paid service positions commonly filled by Filippinos and other expats, and that Caymanian business owners employ those hard workers because they can get away with paying lower wages. 

    Further, Caymanian young people have it easier than any others in the western world. Even in a crisis like this the standard of entry for a Caymanian into a business/law firm is significantly lower than it is in other western countries and the likelihood of finding work far higher.

    But what the heck, let’s ask the expats to come in and then blame them for everything that goes wrong. That’ll work.

  3. Antonio L.H. Bush says:

    Why don’t some of these feisty expats put their names down when they leave disrespectful comments.. If cayman is so horrible, put your names down,pack up your sh*t and get ready to be on the next flight home friends..

    • Gerald says:

      Because we are fully aware of how we would be persecuted for speaking freely.  Many of us don’t really like it that much here, but the extra money makes it bearable (that’s why they have to pay us extra money).  So I will stay anonymous and look after my crock of gold.

      PS.  My name is not Gerald.

       

      • Anonymous says:

        If the money compensates even though you hate it so much- it can’t be that bad to begin with.  If it is us Caymanians that you don’t like, Cayman is not the place to live- duh! 

        • da wa ya get says:

          Agreed! Get gone Gerald!

          • Gerald says:

            Tough. I am here until I want to not be here. 

            • Anonymous says:

              Exactly, that is the key- you want to be here.  Gripe when you’re gone because you only sound like an idiot complaining as if it is not your choice to be here.  Obviously things are better here than wherever it is you came from.  The least you can do is show some appreciation for that because no one leaves their home to be worse off.

              • da wa ya get says:

                Precisely!

                • Gerald says:

                  If I had to deal with annoying hicks like Da Wa Ya Get (what does this moniker even mean?) on a daily basis, I would have left a long time ago. 

                  • noname says:

                    Gerald every culture has cultural catch-phrases that are endearing to the people of that culture and others might not get or find as endearing because they lack the cultural understanding/context.  It’s sort of one of those you had to be there things.   Da Wa Ya Get is a Caymanian one.  Some American ones I can think of are ‘get’er’done’, ‘did I do that’, ‘can you hear me now’, ‘that’s hot’ – Paris Hilton and the slang ‘ho’ for whore.

                    Da Wa Ya Get is endearing to me as Caymanian because of several reasons.  Growing up my mother always said ‘if you can’t hear you will feel’, which when ignored, usually resulted in pain either caused by discipline, or more often was self-inflicted.  To which my mother would simply look at me and say da wa ya get (that’s what you get).

                    Da Wa Ya Get is also a useful subtle way of saying "I told you so" and carried with it an unspoken accusation and corresponding recognitions of fact or opinion.  For example, "unah wanted this Government, da wa ya get" is another way of saying "you all voted for the present Government, you should have known better, now you are going to have to accept the consequences, so don’t complain when they do things you don’t like becuase this is really your fault in the first place"

                    Da Wa Ya Get was used in commercials here a few years ago, which as we all know is a great way for catch phrases to really become galvanized, ie "can you hear me now".  The commercials were clever and funny, and so they caught a lot of peoples’ attention (much for the nostalgia that I explainedearlier), securing the phrase as one that will continue to be used by Caymanians and other residents alike for a long time to come.

                    There are other uses of the phrase Da Wa Ya Get, and I am sure the writer who is using it as a moniker may have a specific reason for its use.  But please remember in future, that just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make sense.

                    And for the record, I always read Da Wa Ya Get’s posts and I find nothing annoying or hick about them.

                    And finally Gerald, we all know that you never had lifethis good, so please don’t think that you are fooling anyone.

                    • da wa ya get says:

                      Thank you, I’m just seeing this post now. You said everything that I would have wanted to say.

                      P.S. You hit the nail on the head when you said, "unah wanted this Government, da wa ya get" is another way of saying "you all voted for the present Government, you should have known better, now you are going to have to accept the consequences, so don’t complain when they do things you don’t like becuase this is really your fault in the first place". That is exactly why I use this moniker.

    • RESPECT says:

      Isn’t respect best earned rather than assumed as a result of an accident of birth?

    • Bill says:

      It is not really "horrible".  It is OK as long as you know you don’t have to spend your entire life here.  

  4. Raffaele says:

    Yes Oreally but when it was time to go back home Caymanians left respectfully unlike some who never want to to leave. Well done Steve we know who is trying to over fill the capacity and swamp down and sink SS Cayman arrrrrrrrr If they don’t leave make them want the plank lets turn to real Cayman pirates

    • O'Really says:

      I agree with your first sentence but your second one has me scratching my head. 

  5. noname says:

    After going through Mr. McField’s article again I must say that the saddest thing about this conversation is that the gentleman spoke on so many issues that are undeniable in this and pretty much every other country in the world.  Yet we have not engaged in any kind of meaningful conversation about any of the topics he has raised.

    I also find that CNS is dangerous (no offence to you hard-working ladies).  While you are providing an excellent platform, an unfortunate  consequence is that some really dispicable people can spend all day posting anonymously, offending others and making one ‘set’ feel that the comments are representative of the whole of the other ‘set’.  In other words, the evil, hateful, hurtful words being spewed here can only serve to destroy, not build-up.  So my question to the perpetrator(s) is… what exactly is it that you want?  Your ‘set’ is going to suffer because of your actions.  If that’s your idea of defence I would hate to see your idea of chaos.  Stop allowing yourself to be used so easily, strive to make a better person of yourself(s)… in other words, grow up and come correct, for your own sake and that of all others. PEACE.  (ps. If you are having difficulty deciding whether this applies to you there is a simple test you can do…. if you are offended it applies to you 🙂 I love you all, my Caymanian and non-Caymanian brothers and sisters, regardless of whether you loveme back or not.

    • N. Somnia says:

      True there are valid points in there, most notably about the breakdown of the family unit and the woeful state of Cayman’s education, but when the writer says things like: "In so many homes today children are raised by people from other cultures who often are not equipped to deal with our cultural values that our young minds need to cultivate."  It is hard to engage in a debate on an article whose subtext is little more than the worst kind of divisive nationalism.  It basically is saying that other nationalities aren’t morally good enough to bring up Caymanian children. 

      Yes there are limited job opportunities for the less gifted young men of Cayman.  Where the sea offered a career to those with less academic leaning, now that has gone, and Cayman’s lack of industrial work, an inevitable function of geography and lack of natural resources, essentially leaves construction or lower end tourism jobs available, jobs which do not engender the same social kudos sought by so many.  But those jobs are there, we cannot pander to those who do not want to take them.  Not everyone can become a professional, indeed only a small minority can.

      The difficulty with this article was throughout there was an implication that the problems for Caymanians and particularly Caymanian youth lay at the feet of foreigners, from those who denied seaman jobs to those who raise Caymanian children badly to those who now profit from the professional opportunities here.  It is this blaming cycle which is the start of the poison so prevalent on the posts here.  The article pandered to the anger it did not seek to dissipate it, and for what followed on this thread the article writer was as responsible as anyone. 

      The turn of phrase, the indirect accusations, the woefully overstretched metaphor, these are common in the language of darkest nationalism.  It was redolent in Serbian speeches in the last century, it is redolent in the demagoguery of the BNP in modern England.  The article left me feeling decidely seasick.

      • Anonymous says:

        Thank you for your well thought out and well written post.

      • Anonymous says:

        Forgive me for not expanding too much but I am in a rush.  I understand your feelings.  However i interpret the first paragraph to be speaking directly to Caymanian values.  Which in most cases will be the same as other countries, but there will be some values that are purely cultural, developed over time based on the culture of the particular country.  At the point that someone from another country is interjected that person does not have the cultural background or experience to know of those values, much less place credence in them.  After a time this may change, or the prevailing culture of the country will shift in direction moving either towards or away from the values of the person being interjected in the home as a helper etc.

        The problem with many of these conversations is assumptions, we all make them based on our personal experiences, prejudices etc. To your second paragraph I will say that while yes we can’t all be professionals, the assumption that Caymanians don’t want those jobs is not true.  I will only offer 1 example of  some of the problems.  I know a Caymanian who walked the entire 7-mile beach going from construction site to construction site looking for work and was turned down at every single site.  The guy is built like Mike Tyson and has extensive experience in masonry, some carpentry, sheetrock work and obviously can be a basic labourer.  I know three expat guys who have no extensive work, but they remain in Cayman and every week they are at a different site doing what is commonly called ‘roasting’. They get these jobs by going to the sites and talking to a few people – the same that the Caymanian did.

        Para 3 – I am sorry but the prejudices of foreignors are to blame for MUCH of what is wrong with Cayman.  Unfortunately the uncle-tom and self-hatred of alot of Caymanians is to blame for pretty much the rest.

        Para 4 – Nationalism has become 4-letter word in the new world, England has restled greatly with it due to the influx of other nationalities into England as it is slowly subsumed into the EU.  There is nothing wrong with nationalism so I will draw a difference between nationalism and darkest nationalism.  The problem with the nationalism conversation is that it will always be viewed negative because the argument for protection is being made b the host people and every other people are obviousyl against it.  The difference in the conversation that we are having in Cayman vs. the one being had in UK, USA and Canada is that while they are wanting to protect their people from influence, competition etc etc from foreignors, the foreign population in their countries is much smaller than the over 50% in Cayman. 

        As I said I would liked to have expanded more but in a rush.  I loved your replly, it was thought provoking and caused me to walk a mile in your shoes, hopefully I was able to return the favour.  Peace.

         

    • O'Really says:

      Do you find CNS, which allows all points of view to be expressed in the endless Caymanian vs. expat debates more dangerous than say, the talk shows on Rooster which present, almost exclusively, only one side?

      • Anonymous says:

        I think you missed my point.  I wasn’t criticizing CNS.  I love that they came up with this brilliant idea.  And Rooster doesn’t bias to one side or the other in the comments that they allow.  Call in and speak your mind.  I hear expats calling all the time.  There is one particular man from Jamaica that always calls that show and the Radio Cayman show and he is quite unafraid to speak his mind.  Don’t blame Rooster for your uneasiness.  And don’t get me wrong, I understand your apprehensiveness, Civil Servants feel it too, so do many other Caymanians who know that their bosses will fire them if they become too vocal on some of the real issues facing the country.  At the end of the day we are all under pressure in one form or the other when we want to speak. I know Caymanians that have been told directly by the companies they work for to not call talk shows, on their way into work, and they were not even speaking on issues related to the business (which you could at least part-way understand).  But my main point to everyone is to speak your mind, do it respectfully and lets all be careful that we don’t make mistakes in looking at the number of posts as being representative of the larger populations views, because it may not necessarily be so.  Believe me my friend, I am a 100% unapologetic Caymanian. That doesn’t mean that I can’t listen to you, pay you respect and love you as my brother/sister.  It means that I recognize that this is my country. I am sure you would have it no other way for your people in your country.  But at the end of the day we can make our points without filling them with hatred.  Peace.

        • O'Really says:

          I’m not suggesting that Rooster censors its callers, but I am suggesting that there is an big element of self-censorship, based on fear of reprisal, which prevents expats from calling in and expressing their views as frankly as they do here.  

          Nonetheless, I appreciate the tone of your post, even if I don’t completely agree with you.

  6. Anonymous says:

    The saddest thing about the Prison story is the lack of interest in it by CNS readers!  Meanwhile everybody is on about cutting Civil Servants (did you see what was said about Prison Officer needs?!) and the whole expat vs. Caymanian argument in relation to Mr. McField’s article.  Too many of us just want to be nasty to eachother.  Why don’t you all migrate your behinds over to the Prison story page and make a meaningful contribution that will benefit the youth of this country…. oh I guess I just answered my own question!

  7. Jumping Jack Flash says:

    "Caymanians were indeed famous seafarers and we have a heritage we can be proud of.  . . . . In addition , the first person to pilot a ship through the Panama Canal was from Grand Cayman."

    The first person to pilot a ship through the canal was of Greek origin:

    http://www.czbrats.com/Builders/pc1pilot.htm

    Apparently the following facts are well known in Cayman:

    1. Christopher Columbus was from West Bay.

    2. Vasco De Gama was a Bracker.

    3. Captain Cook’s mother’s maiden name was Ebanks.

    4. Most of the Argonauts were from Cayman

    "Caymanians were indeed famous seafarers and we have a heritage we can be proud of."  Shame a lot of it is made up. 

     

    • Anonymous says:

      I hereby quote from an article written by the late Miss Annie Huldah Bodden,back in 1984. She was a former legislator and prominent person in the community.

      "For the information of the reading Public, the first Pilot on the Panama
      Canal, one CAPTAIN VERNON BODDEN, a cousin of my mother’s, he was from West Bay,and had this great position. I am sure that a man like him from Grand Cayman, one of us BODDENS can be proud of"’.

      Please stop your contemptuous disrespect for our seafaring heritage as many of our people lost their lives at sea trying to make a living.

      When Caymanians went abroad to make a living in the olden days they did not show contempt for the people in their host country as do most of the persons from Canada and Britain etc who live here show towards Caymanians.

      You all are getting the privilege of earning a tax free income which would not be availabale in those highly taxed countries, plus you all are getting to live in pollution free environments.

      If you show contempt for Cayamnians, why dont you move on to somewhere else?

      .
       

      • Anonymous says:

        There’s more than one type of pollution, so trust me, Cayman is far from being free of pollution.  As for your great sea faring history, if one name is all that you can come up with…well, that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it.

        • Anonymous says:

          Especially if it is one name who appears not to have done the thing he was allegedly famous for having done.

        • Anonymous says:

          I can come up with more than one name but what I was referring to is the first person who piloted a ship through the Panama Canal not to persons.

          If you wish I can name many Caymanian sea captains, some such as Capt Anderson Radley Scott who are still going to sea as a Mooring Master involved with ship to ship transfers of petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico as well as off of California and in other places. Anderson Radley was a captain from the age of 20.

          I acknowledge that Caymanians had to go abroad years ago to make a living but the difference is that Caymanians did not show contempt and disrespect to persons in the host countries as shown by persons such as yourself towards Cayman and its local population.

          • Anonymous says:

             

            "I can come up with more than one name but what I was referring to is the first person who piloted a ship through the Panama Canal not to persons."  Are you referring to that Greek guy again? 

      • Anonymous says:

        I am no historiographer, I prefer the official history of the Panama Canal over third hand hearsay.  I don’t think it is contempt as much as viewing things in their perspective that while seafaring was a big local industry, it should not been blown up out of proportion as to the importance of Caymanian seaman to world shipping.  Many seaman lost their lives who came from coastal/island communities around the world, including members of my family, it was not a criticim of them, rather of a question of why it is in anyway relevant to what is happening in Cayman today.

      • O'Really says:

        I don’t doubt that Cayman has produced its fair share of good seamen. Whether they are the best or not, who can tell, but it’s natural for a place so closely tie to the sea to hold seamen in high esteem. 

        But my focus is on the acknowledged fact that many Caymanians went overseas or to sea to earn a living and send money back home. Things have changed and now foreigners of many nationalities come to Cayman to do just this. Does it not seem a little hypocritical in light of Cayman’s history for there to be an outcry by some Caymanians about this? 

         

         

         

         

        • Anonymous says:

          I wasn’t aware that there was an "outcry".  What is unfortunate though is that because so much of their earnings is sent back to the home country the worker lives in sub-standard conditions here. This is leading to the creation of slums. We have every right to be concerned about that. The same issues did not arise in respect of Caymanian seamen who were at sea of course. They did not live in the U.S. and they certainly did not live in slums.     

          • O'Really says:

            So landlords have no responsibility for slums? Sorry, don’t believe you. They have far more responsibility than their tenants. I wonder what nationality the landlords are?  By all means be concerned with the development of slums, but try aiming your concern in the right direction.

            But really, we both know the complaints raised by Caymanians about other nationalities sending money overseas has nothing to do with slums.

            • Anonymous says:

              Suddenly you are focussed upon nationality when you believe it is something with which to bash Caymanians.  Actually we have landlords ofvarious nationalities here, and much of the slumlording happens between landlords and tenants of the same nationality.  Landlords (of any nationality) will rent accommodation according to what tenants are prepared to pay. Would you prefer that they live in cardboard boxes, so we could say that the Landlords are not at fault?  Or that the landlords make a loss by putting them up in accommodations for which the tenant cannot afford to pay? Trying to shift the blame to landords is entirely specious and you know it.

              The primary issue with remittances is that the local economy is deprived of some $180m annually. But there are other important issues.  For the highly paid expat the issue it is not the quality of the living conditions, but for the lowest paid workers that is very much a legitimate concern.    

              • O'Really says:

                When I wrote " I wonder what nationality the landlords are?" I meant I don’t know. Your reaction speaks volumes. A bit defensive here, aren’t you?

                People don’t generally build slums. They build homes which are allowed to deteriorate without proper maintenance and become slums. This is the landlord’s responsibility. Bad tenants may exacerbate the problem, but in Cayman it is easy to remove tenants who do not meet the landlords requirements. 

                You really seem to think that landlords have no responsibility for the condition of property they own and I don’t agree. Not much else to say.

                 

                 

                 

                • Anonymous says:

                  Nice try. Having read a number of your posts, there is no doubt in my mind that you were implying that they are Caymanian. Otherwise the question has no relevance whatsoever.

                  These slums arise because an extra couple rooms of sub-standard quality are built on to an existing dwelling because the landlord knows that there is a large pool of blue collar workers who demand these accommodations. Supply arises because of demand. Capiche?

                  Not sure what "volumes " you heard, but there is no reason for me to be "defensive". I am not now nor have I ever been a slumlord.

                • Anonymous says:

                  LOL! "what nationality (singular) the landlords are".  Since you were suggesting the landlords were only of one nationality, in Cayman that one nationality could only be Caymanian (and yes I am fully aware that technically our nationality is BOTCship).

            • N. Syder says:

              A vast majority of these illegal slum dwellings are now legal as if they are not removed by the Planning Dept within 3 years, they become legal. An inconvenient loophole don’t you think?

              If you use FOI to find out who owns these slums, you’ll be surprised at how many high profile names come up……

    • jubba gump shrimp co. says:

      Dont forget all of those who have braved the seas and made perilous crossings at night to ‘Internationally Bulk carry’ hundreds of pounds of quality Herb and home grown weed!

  8. Concerned Reader says:

    Kudos to Mr. McField for a very thought provoking… and may I say accurate analysis of what transpired and is still relevant to our present state of affairs.

    As a Caymanian, I have long lamented that our system did not allow people to be re-trained, except a handful of people like attorney Mr. McField who was also a seaman. It is difficult for one to retrain without the finances etc when one has a family to feed,and I suspect this is what happened to many Caymanian seamen. Such an opportunity was lost never to be regained at a crucial juncture in our history.

    It is disrespectful for some of the obvious newbies here to put-down the contribution of our fathers and fore-fathers, who for decades and almost a century overall, had to ply the high seas in times of war and other dangers to feed their families and balance the budget of this country whom others have now taken for granted. When average local people do not see the benefit of development, it is healthy for them to question "what progress" and for whom.

    Whilst we are a victim of our own successes, steps could have been taken to more carefully manage our development for the benefit of our own people. We have have allowed our leaders to lead us down the path of least resistance, which is now bearing fruit but not the kind that we desire.

    Mr. McField’s analysis should form the basis of a future sociological dissertation, but I pray it will not come to what transpired to the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia and the Chagonian people.

    A macro-economic plan, that is enshrined in law and difficult to change is what is now needed, so that politicians will not be able to cast aside plans such as the 1975 Development Plan for their own purposes. Had the 1975 Development Plan been followed we would not be in this mess today!

  9. Mendacious Bonus Junkie says:

    I have found the easiest way to deal with the thorny ex-pat/Caymanian debate has been to put $100,000 of my salary each year into a bank account and smile nicely at everyone.  Seems to work for me.  Peace y’all.

  10. Anonymous says:

    (cont’d)

    Oh yeah…

    Add Dr. Lookloy to that list as well.

    This gentleman, if I am not mistaking, is not even a born Caymanian yet he clearly holds the people of this country in the highest regard.

    Why is this? Why is it so rare to experience the same level of respect and integration from so many of our other immigrated / paper Caymanians and expatriate workers?

    The hypocrisy, prejudice, discrimination and shameless tom-trickery that takes place in this country are finally being exposed and sadly many amongst us are afraid of the truth – therefore, they troll websites such as this one and throw cheap shot rocks from behind the alias tree.

    However, now we are labelled as xenophobic and racist. To those who believe this I would encourage you to review the results of the region-wide EU elections in June of 2009.

    Why such a rise in far right extremist political parties, organisations and movements?! Many have even won seats in the European Parliament – including the BNP in our beloved "mother country" – the UK!

    In the meagre amount of coverage dedicacted to these shameful developments, the British media has tried to paint it as a "Black & Asian vs. White / religious" issue – when it clearly is not. It is nothing but a result of the EU being expanded by the addition of Eastern European countries. Hmmm…anti-Slavic "racism", where have we seen this before? Nazism anyone?

    Now, imagine if the UK was faced with a 50% expat population like we Caymanians are today? What then?

    My overall point is this – Caymanians are warm loving people, but as history has shown time and again – there are groups in this western world that prey upon such qualities, exploit its holders, and turn around and tell them – "its for your own good".

    Lets keep it real here folks. Hardly any of you are in any (nationalistic) position to take a superior stance towards us Caymanians…kindly clean up your own backyards before you attempt to trample on our rose gardens.

     

    ** Re: Education / Employment / Caymanian Sense of entitlement / International Eurocentric Advantage (aka "white privilege")

    Education: Clearly, in RECENT years, the standard of the local education system has been negatively affected. However, that is such a recently occuring factor that it really has no place in the greater argument. The adult Caymanians that are facing the greatest and most significant difficulties in the workplace today are of a generation (28 – 50) where the "new" education issue does not really apply.

    Employment: This one is easy. Only a fool would try to argue that Caymanians are not unfairly treated in the workplace. We all know the horror stories by now. Moving on…

    CSE: I will not deny that thereare many Caymanians, especially younger ones 25yrs and down) that do possess this. At the same time – NONE of these individuals are in my consideration as I pen these words. No decent person should expect something for nothing.

    I have MANY friends that were qualified for, passionate about and perfectly suited for their chosen fields – however, due to intimidation, discrimination, expatriates etc. they were either squeezed out or unhappily stayed on nonetheless.

    "W.P." The BIG factor!

    The harshreality of this world is that what is happening in Cayman is really to be expected and should come as a shock to no one – if, they are not afraid of social truths and customs that is.

    In the high stakes world of International Finance, Investment Banking, International Trading & Commerce, Premier Real Estate, Luxury Tourism etc. – there is yet another harsh reality to contend with. White privilege. Mr. Lee in Beijing, Mrs. Martinez in Colombia, Mr. Jones in USA, Mr. Benmohammad in Qatar, Mr. Singh in India – whether these folks are fellow professionals or indeed clients – they would very much prefer to hear the voice of a white middle agedman (or woman – but not so much:o) on the other end of the line in the Cayman Islands, BRITISH West Indies. Prior to calling they may have already had a few belly butterflies about consulting the Caribbean over say London or New York – but alas, when Mr. Darcy answers their call, or greets them at his office the apprehension is somewhat immediately relieved. After all – what does some colored Caribbean "chimp in a suit" (Scarface – go figure!?) know about handling multi-million dollar international transactions and business? Who is he / she – an assitant?!

    Therefore, what normally happens is that the firm, in its full understanding of the aforementioned reality – (very bright folks tend to work in these places),will of course hire, promote, present and champion accordingly.

    Is this discrimination? Of course!

    Is it malicious discrimination? Perhaps no.

    Do they feel much regret or remorse for their sneaky yet denied actions?I don’t know…but what I do know is that money is to be made and people will do what they have to do to make it!

    As a matter of fact – someone of the typical Caribbean appearance and background probably has a better chance of upward mobility whilst working in another part of the world, thanks to social development and progress (even Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity at times) – funny how that works huh?

    Caymanian racial / color dynamics in itself and as it applies to this situation is far too deep-rooted and complexed to fully break down at this point in time – but in any event, thingsare the way they are.

    (Btw, you partners, hoteliers, developers and entrepreneurs don’t have much to worry about in regards to a true uprisal and demand for action in this particular situation. Simply because that would require Caymanians to truly discover and accept their history and heritage – and as I’m sure you all are aware by now … we don’t tend to do this. Thanks be to the stellar craftmanship of British colonial brainwashery! Furthermore, we are historically renown as "warm and friendly" people – and by now we ALL know what that REALLY means don’t we?)

    • Anonymous says:

      That was a most eloquent rebuttal of many posts written and was well thought out almost like a lawyer.

      But please allow me to disagree with several of your points. There is nothing more equal in the world than working on a job site next to a man or woman that carries their weight and then some. I don’t care what nationality or sex is involved if the person does their share of the work and does it well there is a bonding of accomplishment shared by all.

      Perhaps you have never experienced this but I have having working with various sexualities and nationalities. It doesn’t matter if it is digging a ditch or working on an accounting software project. The bonding of those who work hard and have a desire to do well and learn outweights anything else.

      Do you really think one expat will prefer to work with another expat if they are required to do more than their share of the load over a Caymanian doing their share? Let me clue you in to this fact the answer is you will work with a zebra if it does its share and more.

      I’m tired of this…

      • Anonymous says:

        Dear Anonymous,

        I’m tired of "this" too.

        However, we have to bear in mind that BEFORE we even reach the point of the issues that you have raised – many Caymanians are facing hurdles, booby-traps and discrimination … as I discussed in my previous posts.

        The bottom line is that the majority of our expats are getting a foot in the door(s) in another person’s country FAR easier than an actual citizen.

        And as I pointed out earlier – it is NOT necessarily due to higher qualifications or "experience".

        By the way –  while we are on the "experience" issue – as this is such a major and over-used factor in this dilemma – what exactly is this great "experience" of which so many speak?

        Cayman is home to hundreds of (international!) financial and legal institutions. Folks travel from halfway around the world to OUR shores seeking "experience" – yet WE supposedly are "inexperienced"?

        For example, upon completion of my undergraduate studies abroad, I was placed in (overseas) institutions where I was instructed to carry out the level of duties that I had long ago "experienced" in Cayman’s accounting, legal and banking institutions during HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER PLACEMENTS and whilst at my first job upon graduating high school!

        In many European countries one is required to possess an undergraduate degree to be a Bank Teller / Cashier!! When I mentioned to my fellow college classmates my previous jobs held prior to enrolling in university they were amazed!

        Therefore, yet again, we see international business / economic cultures and factors placing local Caymanians at a disadvantage – meaning, in many of the "1st World" nations (USA, UK, EU), a university education is as much (or even moreso) a vital part of the national economy ($$$) as it is a necessity for one to advance in life.

        By age 18 I had already achieved FAR more "experience" than my average USA , UK or EU counterpart – simply because of the environment and professional infrastructure of my country. Some of my university classmates first stepped foot into a corporate office at age 21 / 22!!

        Anyway, I will cut this one short.

        I would just like to leave with reminding those to whom it applies, that many of you have become "successful" in Cayman due to quirky factors, international social attitudes, "boy’s clubs", and injustices and not necessarily by way of truepersonal talents and qualifications.

         

        • Anonymous says:

          Thereis a difference in attitude between us.

          When I applied for a landscaping job with absolutely no experience I told the hiring party that I was not afraid of a shovel.

          I was given a chance and an opportunity to work there.

          The first day they worked my tail off, it was all manual labor to which I was unaccostomed to and it was no rest.

          The end of the day my back went out and I spent the night in the bath tub in hot water.

          I showed up the next day for work on time unable to bend over and even pick up a shovel but prepared to work as best as I could.

          That day I was given a job where I didn’t need to bend over and as my back healed I did other work and enjoyed a successful and advanced relationship with that company because I proved my desire to work without a chip on my shoulder.

          Attitude of a positive nature in the work place will get you much farther than an entitlement chip on your shoulder. Does everyone need to prove themselves on the job site of course even the Caymanian seamen needed to prove themselves aboard ship. As I have also worked aboard ship.

  11. Anonymous says:

    RE: Mozzie Fodder

    I’m not here to engage in idle battle with Mr. McField.

    However, ff I was I would have signed my name – especially considering that it is a requirement for the contributors to do so in this section.

    I find it a cowardly cheap shot to be honest.

    In any event – I would like to support and enourage Mr. A. McField, along with Dr. Frank McField, Mr. Billy and other Caymanian men of their generation for standing up for their people and having the courage to say the things they do.

    Whereas many may disagree with their views, a lot of what they say is the harsh reality of Cayman today.

    I have been expressing similar sentiments ( e.g. the influence of foreign persons and entities upon our society) from my teenage years but it fell on deaf earsand I was criticised for being too "radical" for trying to "stir up trouble".

    Caymanians need to take their heads out of their hymn and prayer books and realize what is taking place around them.

    The bottom line is the standard attitude and perspective of today’s Caymanian is detrimental to themselves and greatly beneficial to others.

    The sad thing is that Caymanians are the last ones to realize this – and in all honesty – I believe it is too late to change anything … the necessary evils of 1st World "progression" have taken roots long ago and are now fully grown trees complete with blossoms at the top.

    • Mozzie Fodder says:

      Not really a cheap shot, just commentary on this forum in general. My apologies if you took it the wrong way.

      The shroud of anonimity is a convenient buffer for those who wish to bully and insult each other – a practice which is seemingly accepted on this forum. CNS should seek to address this.

      • A Rose By Any Other Name says:

        The shroud of anonymity also allows those with opinions (based on their recent experiences) to participate in discussions of community issues without being personally harassed by those with other opinions.

        Name calling in a forum is one thing.  Being threatened physically, economically or otherwise for taking part in a lively debate would be something else entirely.  It could happen.

        By the way, all the best to your parents… who I assume are Mr. and Mrs. Fodder?

         

        • Mozzie Fodder says:

          Touche!

          Point taken and as a victim of harrasment after publishing by name in the Compass and Net News I reserve the right to use my fabricated identity!!!

          • A Rose By Any Other Name says:

             Mozzie Fodder, I respect that right and look forward to your continued valued input into these discussions!

      • Anonymous says:

        @ Mozzie Fodder.

        Its okay and I do understand people’s desire to remain anonymous (myself included), however, considering that in this "Viewpoints" section of the website, original contributors are REQUIRED to state their names – I feel that a bit more respect should automatically be granted to them…rather than folks posting the type of negative comments that we see here.

        Mr. McField put his neck on the line. Who are we to recklessly attack him as a penalty?

        Take care.

  12. food for thought says:

     From wiki- 

    A common theme that appears throughout Outliers is the "10,000-Hour Rule". Gladwell claims that greatness requires enormous time, using the source of The Beatles’ musical talents and Gates’ computer savvy as examples.[3] The Beatles performed live in HamburgGermany over 1,200 times from 1960 to 1964, amassing more than 10,000 hours of playing time, therefore meeting the 10,000-Hour Rule. Gladwell asserts that all of the time The Beatles spent performing shaped their talent, "so by the time they returned to England from Hamburg, Germany, ‘they sounded like no one else. It was the making of them.’"[3] Gates met the 10,000-Hour Rule when he gained access to a high school computer in 1968 at the age of 13, and spent 10,000 hours programming on it. In Outliers, Gladwell interviews Gates, who says that unique access to a computer at a time when they were not commonplace helped him succeed. Without that access, Gladwell states that Gates would still be "a highly intelligent, driven, charming person and a successful professional", but that he might not be worth US$50 billion.[3] Gladwell explains that reaching the 10,000-Hour Rule, which he considers the key to success in any field, is simply a matter of practicing a specific task that can be accomplished with 20 hours of work a week for 10 years. He also notes that he himself took exactly 10 years to meet the 10,000-Hour Rule, during his brief tenure at The American Spectator and his more recent job at The Washington Post.[2]

     

    While writing the book, Gladwell noted that "the biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work."[3] In Outliers, he hopes to show that there are a lot more variables involved in an individual’s success than society cares to admit,[3] and he wants people to "move away from the notion that everything that happens to a person is up to that person".[1] Gladwell noted that, although there was little that could be done with regards to a person’s fate, society can still impact the "man"-affected part of an individual’s success.[1] When asked what message he wanted people to take away after reading Outliers, Gladwell responded, "What we do as a community, as a society, for each other, matters as much as what we do for ourselves. It sounds a little trite, but there’s a powerful amount of truth in that, I think."[1]

     

    Accept competition. It’s healthy. Lose the word entitlement. It’s dangerous. 

  13. Shiver me timbers says:

    Type "famous Caymanian seamen" into Google.   The "did you mean" is priceless.

    Obviously they were famous worldwide in a secret and unknown kind of way.

    • Anonymous says:

      During the next century with limited natural resources to sustain them, Caymanians became famous for their resourcefulness and independent spirit. They turned to the sea for their livelihood, and Caymanians’ reputation as outstanding sailors and turtle fishermen grew during the 20th century. Many Caymanian men joined the merchant marine and earned reputations as some of the finest
      ship’s captains and seamen in the world

      • Plunkett says:

        Nice cut and paste from the CI tourism site – I think the point has been made, put in a Google search and the references to the fame of the Caymanian seafarers tends to focus on, er, Cayman based sites.  The only famous Caymanian sailor was Quarrel, and he was a fictional character.

      • Nice piece of halibut says:

        See the word "worldwide"?  The point being made was the issue of their being famous beyond Cayman.  Quoting from a Cayman-based website makes the point seem more credible.

  14. Anonymous says:

    As usual some uneducated fool with a sense ofd great entitlement commentating on the lack of opportunities for the young Caymanians as all the jobs are taken by expatriate workers.

    Being born Caymanian is NOT a qualification, it does not give you superior skills to anybody else. Technical jobs require technical skills. Any worker completing techinical work needs to be highly skilled and well trained and qualified in their field.

    Unfortunately the government has let down the local youth by wasting the countries funds and not investing in education. As a result the kids are leaving school with no qualifications and a couple of kids of their own.

    If kids were provided with a proper education and were not brought up with a sense of huge entitlement, they would not be as lazy at school and would finish and get their basic GCSEs and go onto college to get real qualifications.

    I think the comments pretty much confirm the sense of enitlement felt by the local caymanians and the lack of effort that most caymanians put in at work confirms why employers have to looks outside the islands for competent and motivated workers.

    • All Dressed Up With No Place To Go says:

       It is not only more/better education that is needed.  Too many times I have had young Caymanians come to me for jobs, even summer jobs, and there are no openings and no funds for them to even perform an internship.

      What I think is needed is a central "clearing house" to identify students locally and overseas and their areas of study.  Then, work with Civil Service and Private Sector to develop programmes WITH FUNDING so that students home for the summer could gain valuable experience here in Cayman in their areas of study.  The "clearing house" could also be instrumental in identifying/developing places within government and the private sector where graduates could begin to utilize their skills and knowledge as entry-level employees.

      A way needs to be found to integrate these young people into the workforce and that will take planning and funding.

  15. Mozzie Fodder says:

    I’ve been through many work permit renewals and know my colleagues have been through many more. We are expats in a technical field in a well known, well respected local company. We have accepted that each year we can be replaced by Caymanians. All is required is a science or engineering degree yet no Caymanian with those degrees ever applies for the jobs.

    So bash us if you like but until Caymanians with the relevant degrees apply, our industry will always be dominated by expats. Just remember Mr. McField that not everyone should be tarred with the same brush but there are just some jobs you cannot do without the right skills. This is not a derogatory comment but a fact.

    In my home country competition for every job is fierce and I do not expect to retain my post on this island from year to year – I welcome competition.

    • Anonymous says:

      well said, if  a qualified caymanian has been refused a job there are plenty ways to appeal…..

      but we will continue to here the myth of the ‘many degree qualified caymanians who can’t get a job’……. absolute nonsense

      • Anonymous says:

        Actually if a Caymanian appeals they are blacklisted and denied employment across their industry. Also, in many cases they are seeking a promotion with their own employer. If they appeal, they are fired – and then blacklisted as a trouble maker across their industry. What part of that do you not get!

        • Anonymous says:

          Some of these posters have a conspiracy based answer to everything.  Saying that, I was sent the latest copy of the blacklist in my industry the other day and it made quite interesting reading.

          • Anonymous says:

            OK then. Say you are an employer. You have a Caymanian that has worked hard and dilligently for you and has met every requirement  you have made of them. You tell immigration that you have successfully trained them and in significant part on that basis they make you a key employee. The Caymanian has now stagnated in an assistant manager position for years. He is doing OK but wants to be able to live in a home like that of some of his colleagues and be able to take his family on the trips he hears others in his department talk about. You have a manager whose permit is up for renewal. The Caymanian applies for. You tell him he is not ready and renew the permit. You forget to tell immigration that a Caymanian applied, or if you do, you do not tell them the full circumstances of his employment.

            You say that in these circumstances the Caymanian should appeal. So he does – against the grant of a permit to his immediate supervisor. 

            Do you or his supervisor fire him at that stage? Almost certainly. The Caymanian then sues.

            Next weekend at the Rugby club your  expat colleague tells you the Caymanian has applied at his office and asks you what you think of the Caymanian.

            You say he was fine but developped a sense of entitlement and became a trouble maker.

            Based on that you do not hire him.

            The Caymanian gets a small award from the labour tribunal but cannot seem to obtain any comparable employment.

            The Caymanian then says on CNS that he is qualified for a job that has been taken by expats.

            Who is wrong – and at what point do we get surprised if the Caymanian develops an anti expat viewpoint and starts to believe there really is a cospiracy? At what point does overt hostility break out? Ask a Bahamian over 40 – they will remeber. You want us to go that way – we can – but everybody loses.

             

             

             

             

             

            • Anonymous says:

              We know the letter of the law.  But as a business decision, losing an experienced manager to be replaced by an untested junior does not make sense.  So sometimes it is isn’t done.  There said it.  In the real world individuals have that problem all the time.  And guess what?  People don’t take it personally, they just start looking for the more senior position elsewhere. 

              Maybe the individual should start hanging out at the rugby club if they want an extra trip to Florida.  Or they should stop gossiping and beleive in cliches.

              • Anonymous says:

                Thank you. And there is the problem. The rule of law applies to all if the system is to work. If, as you acknowledge, the law is not followed by businesses, then frustrations will build and the potential for overt hostility increases.  The trust disappears.

                Oh, and don’t forget, you have much more opportunity to test the junior Caymanian seeking propotion than you did his expat manager that the business hired. I will ask Ezzard and co. to ensure that all businesses seeking skilled employees add to their job adverts "must be willing to spend weekends at rugby club drinking beer and shouting swear words" as this is now clearly one of the requirements to get ahead.

                How sad.

          • Anonymous says:

            What seems to you as idle conspiracy theories is unfortunately real life for many Caymanians. There is absolutely no question about it.

  16. Anonymous says:

    RE: Joe Average

    I’ve was preaching the same message months ago on this website but everyone told me to "stop promoting conspiracy theories!"

    What truly depresses me is that I am certain the DINOSAURS (e.g. McKeeva) that we have in power in our country have NO IDEA about the reality of the United States of the Federal Reserve (oops!) America’s economic / monetary / dollar system.

    Our KYD currency is pegged to theirs – therefore we are on board the very same train.

    We are at the mercy of the fractional reserve banking system, a baseless currency, worhtless, printable, constantly "deflating" US dollars – in effect modern day slavery.

    In 2009 it costs me more $ to buy an outfit than it did my grandfather in 1939. Make sense folks?

    Please wake up.

    One more thing – to the posters below that are so hell-bent on insulting and ridiculing Mr. Steve McField – could you at least grow some balls, find an ounce of manhood and sign your names to your coarse words. Typical of your sort anyway.

    On that point alone he has already won the battle.

  17. Anonymous says:

    "The accumulated disappointments that he or she harbours grow into uncontrollable destructive behavior."  McField is an apologist for the killers and drug dealers.  These criminals were driven to it by disappointments at not getting to be hedge fund managers because they have been let down by racist employers.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr. McField is attempting to get you to understand some of the roots of the problems we are experiencing. To explain is not to justify. It is useful if we can address some of the root causes.    

  18. Joe Average says:

    The powers that be…gigantic financial institutions, part of a world conglomerate….would love to see us abusing and badgering each other to death.  We often miss the most salient point:  The financial "meltdown" ,"crisis", or whatever term has become popular to define it, was a direct result of gambling and greed.  Other peoples’ excesses.  Our local problems will not be solved, and most of the problems people are facing throughout the world will not be solved…until the people actually responsible for destroying economies are held accountable. And made to pay resititution to all those who were affected by their actions. By fractional reserve banking. By mis-representing the real costs of mortgages. And by pillaging peoples’ savings and pensions.  Therefore the real cause of society’s suffering is desperation and insecurity.  It threads itself through all of our problems.  You can’t name a societal problem that isn’t caused by either. And we have a fairly good idea who caused it. They have admitted it.  But at the same time they say to us:  "while you folks fight amongst yourselves…we’re going to give ourselves a bonus..with your money!"  "Watch us."  And they have been.  They continue to profit with esoteric financial terms not even they understand (they deserve to be loaded into their special investment vehicles and driven off a cliff).   While we argue about our jobs, swine flu, and a bogus health care debate.  And on Cayman we point fingers.  Those are distractions.  Who was it threw the money-lenders from the temple?  Was he the first revolutionary?

    The cycle will continue.  Boom and Bust.  They get the boom.  We get the bust.  Until we take back control of money.  OUR money and make it work for US we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

    The Money Masters-YouTube…  Is very informative.

    • Anonymous says:

      Joe, actually it is a combined attack by the Illuminati and Opus Dei. 

      "the people actually responsible for destroying economies are held accountable" well that is probably the 75% of US sub-prime mortgage applicants who lied about their income to get a loan and the politicians who pushed rules to allow easier lending by banks to fuel the "dream" of home ownership.  And Opus Dei.

      • Anonymous says:

        Most people here have no idea what Opus Dei is and it would hardly be part of their thought process. You are trying to evade the issues with facetious remarks.     

        • Hopeless Day says:

          That is why they are so powerful.  I will not water down my facetious comments to pander to the masses in the cheap seats

          • Anonymous says:

            Careful. I lived in an Opus Dei Residence for a year. I know people.

            • Anonymous says:

              What you going to do? bleed on me after whipping yourself

              LOL

              • Nice piece of halibut says:

                Maybe Dan Brown’s next novel can be about that great conspiratorial body "Mother England".

              • Anonymous says:

                LoL! Glad you got my joke. I do know all about them though.

    • O'Really says:

      "Other peoples’ excesses"??  Would some of  those other people be Kurt and co?

      Cayman is suffering a 2 pronged problem. Revenue is down because of the wide implications of the global financial crisis and expenses are up because of failure on the part of the previous Government to exercise prudent financial planning. Putting Wall Street’s crooks in jail is not going to solve Cayman’s cash crunch.

      I agree that we should make " our money work for us" but who exactly is going to rein in the current government if they start down the same profligate path? I see no candidates for that thankless task.  

  19. O'Really says:

    Given all the advantages that Caymanians have in the work place I have often wondered why Steve McField has been so unsuccessful. Thanks for clearing that up Steve!

    • Anonymous says:

      "all the advantages that Caymanians have in the work place"!
       

      I assume that was tongue in cheek.

      Don’t be so quick to judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. Success isn’t just about how rich you become. Bright, strong-minded Caymanian professionals like Steve are seen as a threat as they cannot easily be controlled.   

       

       

       

      • Anonymous says:

        That’s right, before you insult someone, walk a mile in someone’s shoes… that way when they get mad at you you’re a mile away and you have their shoes. 😉

      • O'Really says:

        No, it wasn’t! 

        • Anonymous says:

          LOL! Caymanians face significant odds in the workplace where there are expat bosses who favour those of ‘their own kind’ and resent the fact that they have to at least pretend they are interested in employing Caymanians in order to get their countrymen work permits. Most expats do not genuinely seek to train Caymanians on the job since this would threaten their own jobs, and instead often set them up to fail and achieve a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is often assumed that the expat has the additional merit (over the Caymanian) of "exposure" simply because he comes from somewhere else regardless of his actual experience. There is a glass ceiling and, except in rare cases, it is smashed only by those Caymanians who are prepared to sell out their own in order to advance.     

          • O'Really says:

            Oh, the old " I’m a hard done by Caymanian who’s expat boss done him  wrong " argument. Haven’t seen that before. Thanks for opening my eyes.

            If we’re talking glass ceilings, then your point of reference is almost certainly the financial service industry. Whilst I am a big advocate of lifelong training, you can’t train someone if they haven’t got it, a fact that no Caymanian ever wants to face.  Most Caymanians do not bump up against a glass ceiling, they bump up against the limit of their abilities, but you try telling them this! 

            Those Caymanians who are genuinely competent, appropriately qualified, hard working and prepared  to put in the years to gain experience are in great demand and very well rewarded. 

            Your problem and that of Caymanians in general is constantly seeing the glass as half empty. You only see the opportunity you feel you have been unfairly denied, without acknowledging just how much you already have. You can only bump up against a a glass ceiling if you’ve already climbed pretty high, but apparently that counts for nothing. Today’s Compass is full of well paying jobs, not all will be taken by expats. Caymanians are one lucky people and are so busy complaining, they can’t see the wood for the trees. 

            • Anonymous says:

              That is absolute nonsense. Where given the training, the opportunity and necessary support Caymanians have excelled. 

              Often job ads are treated as simply fulfilling a legal requirement to justify a work permit rather than as a  genuine attempt to recruit Caymanians. I am specifically aware of one example, where a suitably qualified Caymanian applied for an advertised position but was not even contacted to acknowledge receipt (notwithstanding the application was personally hand delivered) let alone granted an interview. The next thing she knew is that one of her expat colleagues with no greater qualifications was sitting in the job. Clearly, they had not even advised the Board that a suitably qualified Caymanian had applied for the position since then they would be required to produce an actual reason for not at least interviewing her.  Qualification requirements are tailored to suit particular individuals who they really want for the job and not because they are necessary for the position. Some assume that because they have obtained a temporary permit they should be allowed to keep that worker automatically and there should be no need to advertise and so they find ways of eliminating any applicants. The list of manipulations goes on and on. People don’t just complain if there is no cause for complaint. The difference is that I have SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE of what I am talking about. Unlike you, my views are not based on prejudice. Your problem is that you are an ignorant, racist expat.  Those ‘iggers just aren’t grateful for what they get, eh?     

              • O'Really says:

                When given the training, opportunity and support, Caymanians will, like all employees in the same situation, maximise their potential.  The question is whether that potential is good enough. 

                This is true all over the world. For example, very, very few accountants recruited by the big firms in London, NY etc. go on to be partners and this is in firms where the initial educational qualifications to be employed are very high. Some drop out because accountancy is not for them, some are unlucky but most don’t make the grade. Why should this be different in Cayman, not just in accountancy, but throughout the financial service industry as a whole? Do you think the small Cayman population somehow defies the laws of statistics?

                Do you recognise that 2 people can have the same qualifications and yet be very different in their ability to preform their jobs? Are there no good or bad lawyers? Just somehow all equally competent? Sorry, time to live in the real world.

                For over 20 years I held a very senior position in the financial service industry  and had many Caymanians in training. Very few had what it took, but the few that did were coveted and rewarded as befitted their ability. I know the problems of trying to diplomatically explain to a Caymanian that they are not quite good enough. It does not take long for the race/nationality card to come out, when in fact, as the old adage has it, they had reached their level of incompetence.

                I don’t doubt this is the category you fall into. Good but not good enough and not man enough to face it. Isn’t this your specific knowledge? 

                And why, given the standard of living that Caymanians enjoy, should they not be grateful? You don’t have to be an Uncle Tom to recognise you have a good thing going, even if you’re not quite good enough to be the best.

                I see you accuse me of prejudice. I suspect you are the same poster who elsewhere called me racist. After my long time in Cayman, I can assure you racism is a 2 way street and you are certainly on it. I would never use the N word; in fact I abhor it and everything it stands for, but I see it trips lightly off of your lips.

                • Anonymous says:

                  So Dan Scott, and Ian Wight, and Jude Scott, and Naul Bodden, and Christopher Johnson, etc… are all statistical impossibilities and ought not to have been able to succeed at the highest levels of the accounting profession…. Poor Island people! They should just stick to catching fish and leave the important stuff to superior people.

                   

                   

                   

                  • O'Really says:

                    Well, let’s see. Ian Wight is originally from Guyana. Chris Johnson is of course originally English.  As for the others, I would say that their careers were not hurt by being Caymanian. I also observe that they appear not to have crashed into the glass ceiling so heavily touted here.

                     

                    • Anonymous says:

                      I.e.you see, if you are expat and you have reached the top it was purely by virtue of your merit. On the other hand, if you are Caymanian well it must be have been some sort of affirmative action because we all know that Caymanians are inferior. 

                      The Caymanians who have excelled at Ernst & Young to a wonderful man who happens to be an expat whom I shall refer to as JC lest I embarrass him too much. He identified talent, gave the opportunity, support and encouragement to Caymanians and it produced a harvest of Caymanian professionals which no other professional firm in Cayman has matched. There is no glass celing there. Why can this not be a model for others to follow? Who do other expats not follow his lead?    

                    • O'Really says:

                      At the risk of infuriating even further the various " anonymous’s" lining up to put words in my mouth, aren’t the immigration laws a form of affirmative action for Caymanians as a whole? 

                      I think this particular line of discussion has gone far enough. I’m afraid some of you are much more comfortable with the large chips you carry on your shoulders than you are with honest opinions expressed in a frank manner.

                      Onto the next subject. And if I may make one last suggestion, take the time to give yourselves an individual user name. That way I won’t get confused about exactly who is calling me a racist.

                    • Anonymous says:

                      Yes. The Immigration Laws are, in part, supposed to be a form of affirmative action for Caymanians – that is why they were called the "Caymanian Protection Laws". That is not unique to Cayman. England has even stricter controlds to protect its citizens from  competition in the workplace from non EC citizens.

                      The problem is, many persons break these laws with impunity. Those that nevertheless advantage their expatriate kin over hard working Caymanians with potential have cut off the pressure release valve – and pressure is building.

                      Either immigration must step in and fix the problem soon, or it will go BANG.

                       

                    • Anonymous says:

                      16:59;

                      Damn! So some foreign born people are doing well after living here as long or longer than some of the indigenous Caymanians. Why the heck don’t these BCs (you know what this stands for) stop griping and do better.

                      Incompetence-not the main problem. Laziness-not the main problem-want to get to managing director after a few years -MAJOR problem.

                       

                      Entitlement, entitlement entitlement. It’s killing this country and the poor sods dont  realise it.

                • Anonymous says:

                  Thank you for your efforts and for at least providing an opportunity for suitably qualified Caymanians to succeed. You are right in many of your observations. Regrettably many of the individuals to whom your generation handed the reigns do not have that social conscience, or longer term concern for these Islands or their people. They would much rather mislead immigration and have a pre-trained fellow countryman arrive to work with them, than to invest the time and energy in training a local person. Someone took a risk in Canada or the UK to train them. Who is to do it for us?

                • Anonymous says:

                  You have clearly your prejudice. On the other hand, you have no basis whatsoever to suggest that I am racist. You remind ofone of the Southern Plantation owners after the U.S. Civil War who thought their former slaves ungrateful because they wanted to leave the plantation and have a life of their own. Didn’t he treat them fairly by ensuring that that they had plenty to eat? Weren’t they "grateful" that he was even willing to let them have a little parcel of land to share-crop? Didn’t they understand they could never achieve what he had achieved since after all they are inherently inferior and ought to understand their limitations? 

                  I have gained specific knowledge of what happens, is not because this is my story, but because of the positions I have held allow me access to certain information.  

                  One of the common misconceptions in Cayman, inspired and fed by the expat, that if you are an expat professional it means you are "the best" (to quote somebody). Of course nothing could be further from the truth. There are many mediocre expats among us who nevertheless make it to the "very senior positions". When they have earned a great deal of money, beyond their wildest dreams in their home country, they then begin to imagine that it is because they are "the best" and begin to put on airs. The truth is that they have been very fortunate – in the right place and the right time. It is they who ought to be GRATEFUL!       

                  • O'Really says:

                    This is no longer a productive exchange. Your own prejudice and racism is eating you up. You will never quiet your inner demons until you recognise this and address it. Good luck.

                     

                    • Anonymous says:

                      It was not a productive exchange to the extent that you are unwilling to listen. Legitimate, factual complaints are dismissed as whining. When confronted with real scenarios of the obstacles placed before Caymanians in the workplace your response is that the only obstacle is our own incompetence and we ought to be grateful to have risen to the position that we have.  

                      I am not prejudiced or racist and you have no reason to say so. I have every right to be indignant about injustice against Caymanians for which I have a  clear, incontrovertible factual basis. In your mind anyone willing to stand for our rights has "demons". Obviously you cannot think of anything to rebut my points you resort to that.

            • Anonymous says:

              Nonsense. There are now many very well documented cases of Caymanians being denied training and opportunities that are made available for expatriates. I see it first hand in my own workplace. Further the Compass is full of work permit renewal ads. You should think about what happens if a Caymanian applies. First they are told it is not a real vacancy but a permit renewal, and if they persist they are warned that their existing employer will be told of them looking employment elsewhere. A couple of lawfirms played that particular game recently – to maximum benefit for the expat in the position and at extreme prejudice to the Caymanian applicant.

  20. Anonymous says:

    Mr McField is quite correct when he says that the Caymanian seamen were replaced with cheaper labor. But he should examine what prompted the shipping companies to employ Caymanians in the first place. Yes, they were perfectly capable seamen.  But most importantly (to the employers) they were cheap, non-union workers. Large employers will always look for the cheapest labour, as a quick glance around modern-day Cayman will show.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you anon at Thu 16:21!

      They just can’t seem to get it here-it’s all to do with who will do it cheapest not who has some supposed brilliance because of having been born in Cayman. Nowadays, the world’s fleets are full of filipinos, somalis, haitians etc. Caymanians were the the cheap labour of that time. I know it’s tough for them to swallow but it is the harsh economic truth-it doesn’t mean they weren’t very fine seamen, but then so are probably some of the filipinos etc.Caymanians’ time came and went.

      • Anonymous says:

        Ironically, in Cayman it is often assumed (even by Caymanians) that you are brilliant because you are expat.  

    • Nonnie Mouse says:

      No, employers will always go for the most productive labor relative to cost.  If more expensive workers, work hard or are more skilled they will find employment at higher wage levels.

  21. Adopted ex-pat says:

    Why is it that the largest employer of Caymanians is the Government? And they too can not run their show without the help from a lot of ex-pats. Why is it that a lot of full locally owned and operated Companies do not employ other Caymanians either. Is it because the ex-pat tells them not to or is it they too know that local recruitment still has a lot of limitations in terms of experience and/or overall knowledge. How many Companies can not afford for various reasons, to employ an apprentice if all they room and need for is someone with adequate experience and knowhow to fill the position.

    We live in an ever changing very fast paced society where even the smartest brains among us sometimes have a hard time keeping up with the changes.

    Regardless of where one is from, if you can’t keep up or do not want to keep up, one will likely end up on the sidelines of life. That’s nobody’s fault in particular, it’s simply the way it is.

    A lot of Caymanians with a seafarers heritage do have their own show for exactly that reason. Some have excelled and are now lawyers and bankers, some have not, they may be contractors of some kind however or own a store. But, it is of most importance that each and every one of us understands what one has to do in order to get where one wants to be.

    I know exactly the reason why I get up each and every morning at 5 am. Do you?

  22. Anonymous says:

    The premise of the existing system from the very beginning was "controlled development". The only problem is that the wrong people are in control.

    Lots of folks are uneasy with the rumblings of the inevitable revolution about to take place. They put on the pressure not realizing that we are being fused together into a body of people with one thing in common: deliberate displacement and devaluation……Then we will arise as one political unit and move forward to clean up this social experiment gone berserk.

     

     

  23. Shiver me timbers says:

    There is only so much of this "famous Caymanian seaman" stuff I can take.  Famous i.e. they could get a job in Tampa?  I come from a seafaring community, because my place of birth was on the sea.  Many  islands or sea-based communities had seafaring traditions, but the Caymanians are not the Vikings.  One line in Dr. No is not enough.

    Type "famous Caymanian seamen" into Google.  Apart from the hilarious suggested typo, note that all the articles say how wonderful Caymanians were seem to originate in Cayman. 

    Get over it is a) it is history b) the reality is the history was not that special.

    If only people knew how wonderful thatch ropes are . . . . .

    • Anonymous says:

      It always amazes me that when a Caymanian speaks out about the issues in our own country it is considered whinning. For far too long we have sat down much too long and eaten crap fed to us via an English or Canadian or other accents.  Continue speaking on behalf of us Mr. McField……no doubt majority of the people diasgreeing with you are expatriates.

      • Anonymous says:

         My only point was that it is absurd to claim, as Mr. McField seems to, that EVERY time a Caymanian is passed over for a job anywhere in the world – it is for someone LESS qualified than the Caymanian.

         

        • Anonymous says:

          Funny, I read the same article and did not see that claim made anywhere. Since that was your only point it seems then that you have no point.  Rather than building ‘straw men’ why don’t you try to understand what he is saying?  

          • Anonymous says:

            Did not see the claim?  In the first paragraph?

            “Our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and husband lost their best seamen positions on the merchant ships and the super tankers because the shipping magnates replaced them with other seamen with lesser ability for a cheaper wage.”

            These shipping magnates were not in Cayman.  Caymanians were replaced.  Their replacements were “other seamen with lesser ability”.

            It is still absurd to claim, as Mr. McField seems to, that every time your “fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and husbands lost their best seamen positions on the merchant ships and supers tankers”, they were replaced with “other seamen with lesser ability.”

            Is it not conceivable that SOME of these replacements were of equal skill and were simply willing to work for less money?

            • Anonymous says:

              My point was your absurd overstatement of the point he was making. He clearly did not say or imply that

              "EVERY time a Caymanian is passed over for a job anywhere in the world – it is for someone LESS qualified than the Caymanian".

    • Anonymous says:

      Caymanians were indeed famous seafarers and we have a heritage we can be proud of.

      The first colored man to have an unlimited British Master Mariners Licence was from Grand Cayman and the first to have its American equivalent was from Cayman Brac.In addition , the first person to pilot a ship through the Panama Canal was from Grand Cayman.Many Caymanians from many years ago held unlimited American Master Mariners Licences and were in command of the largest steamships at the time..

      If you have such contempuous disrespect for our heritage, why are you here?

       

  24. The SDA Committee for Legalizing Ganja says:

    Why do people like Steve McField get so worked up over immigrants?

    99.999 percent of Cayman’s immigrants are legal. They are here because Caymanians want them here and pay them to be here. If Mr. McField is upset over the presence of so many hard-working and ambitous outsiders in his country then his problem is not with them it should be with his fellow Caymanians who write the laws and keep hiring and promoting these immigrants.

    Maybe Caymanians would do better to spend less time praying up at clouds and complaining about being overrun by the guests they invited to come here. Maybe then they could find the time to put in the necessary schooling and work to advance higher in the labor market.  

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr. McField is a Caymanian and has a right to voice his opinion about the situation with Immigrants in Cayman.  No one is arguing Immigrants are not hardworking or that we don’t need them in some areas and its not that we do not want them here- we just want the advantagein our own country like everyone else in the world has in their country.  And you know what, we are tired of people telling us we don’t have a right to speak up.  We will continue to complain so get used to it- our only mistake was sitting down without saying anything for so long. 

  25. Anonymous says:

     I may yet get used to the "evil expats are keeping Caymanians from high paying jobs" generalization.  But Mr. McField’s comments reveal a whole new level of whining.

    Caymanian seamen may have been replaced by cheaper labor but probably not by cheaper labor "with lesser ability".  I appreciate national pride as much as the next soul, but to contend that every job a Caymanian has ever lost anywhere in the world was filled by a less qualified person is absurd.

    What probably happened, based on business experiences around the world, is that the evil magnates found somebody JUST as qualified for the job and who was willing to do the job for less.

     

  26. Anonymous says:

    The day the boat analogy is no longer used will be the happiest of my life. The least this article could have done was shown some originality. Old blame, old excuses, old cliches, all crap. Say something real and meaningful!

    • Anonymous says:

      yep, just what we need… a couple of thousand words filled with cliches about the ‘good ole days’….

      time to talk about real issues and finding real solutions

  27. Anonymous says:

    The cultural shock of an ever increasing society and economy has left a portion of the society desperate and hopeless. The ongoing calls for a living wage control for Caymanians and foreign labor both would eliminate the cheap labor undercutting local workers.

    Why wasn’t a minimum wage mentioned in this commentary as a possible solution or at least a measure of hope for lesser skilled workers. Is it because Caymanian contractors prefer to have the complete control of cheap but hard working foreigners.

    Until the real issues of greed and the ease of using foreign labor in a way local Caymanian labor would not tolerate are addressed the ship will continue to sail around in circles.

    • Visible Hand says:

      Wow it is the growing economy that is the problem!  Fantastic thinking there Adam Smith.  If Caymanian workers are unwilling to work for economic rates becuase they consider them too low, why subsidise them with a minimum wage?  There are also very serious productivity issues with the local work force.

      No one who is out of work should turn down a job because it pays too little.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ironically, most employers are expat and like to employ foreign workers on work permits because they are more easily manipulated and taken advantage of.  

      • Anonymous says:

        ‘Most employers are expat’?

        • Anonymous says:

          The Caymanian denial that companies are owned by Expats needs to be rebuked at every opportunity then perhaps people will realize that it is other Caymanians running these businesses.

          Any Caymanian owner could lay down the policy, "We hire only Caymanians." But it is safer to blame expats…

          Many companies are managed by Expats but the ownership is Caymanian. When the Caymanian owner was going to be called out on the Tom Jones firings, things changed quick.

      • Anonymous says:

        What are you talking about?  Companies on Cayman have to be 51% Caymanian owned….get over it, and talk to those business owners.

        The facts are that Caymanians have complete control over the business, but can’t understand it so the let the foreigner run it, and then everyone complains. 

        • Anonymous says:

          Here we go again. This point has been explained multiple times on this website. Try to gain some knowledge of the issue before you presume to correct. 

          1. The Local Companies (Control) Law requires 60% Caymanian ownership of a local company UNLESS it is a regulated company and has obtained a licence or it has obtained a licence under the Local Companies (Control) Law. "Caymanian" includes of holder of Caymanian status for this purpose.

          2. This means that as regulated entities every bank, trust company, Fund Administrator, utility company, telecom company etc. etc. DO NOT have to be Caymanian owned at all. 

          3. It also means as non-companies that professional partnerships do not fall within the ambit of the LCCL. 

          Aside from Government those in 2. and 3 are the major employers in Cayman.

          4. It further means that many businesses operate because they have an LCCL licence and therefore do not require Caymanian participation. 

          ‘Caymanians own the business and let foreigners control it’.

          I believe what you are describing is in fact the illegal practice of ‘fronting’ where although on paper Caymanians own 60% of the business in reality it is not their business and, illegally, it is beneficially owned and controlled by expats. Shame on those Caymanians who practise this. 

          What are you talking about?              

        • Anonymous says:

          Absolute nonsense. The law actually requires 60% Caymanian ownership and control of many local businesses – not 51%. Anyway, Law firms, banks and numerous other categories of business are exempted from this requirement. Further, the law is so widely abused as to be laughable. Fronting is now so widespread that even when there is supposed to be majority 60% Caymanian ownership and control it is all, in many instances, a lie. With that, and the widespread exemptions etc.. I would bet a very large sum of money that Caymanians do not really own most businesses. Hey – Caymanians are only a third of the workforce so why would you expect employers to be any different!

  28. Anonymous says:

    Did he steal this garbage from the BNP?  How many times could he refer to Caymanians?  This is fear-mongering bigotry.  How else can one explain a statement like "In so many homes today children are raised by people from other cultures who often are not equipped to deal with our cultural values that our young minds need to cultivate."  Enoch Powell would have been proud of the abuse of threatening dark metaphors in this article.

    1. The worst concentration of capital is in a few Caymanian families who stay desperate to hold power.

    2. Unemployment in Cayman has been steady over the last decade – only those too drunk, high or lazy can’t remain long term unemployed.  It is because Caymanians believe they are entitled to a certain level of remuneration that they refuse to do manual or other jobs.  That is unemployment by choice.

    3. Expats’ presence has increased the total amount of jobs available for Caymanians but widening the economy.

    4. I am sorry that welfare is considered "despicable".  Why is helping the needy so wrong?

    This article fans the flames of divide, resentment and anger in Cayman.  It is a disgrace.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr. McField has clearly struck a chord. He is well known for his deep insights and telling it like it is. The truth is often uncomfortable to hear rather like a spotlight shone in a dark alley. 

      You say in one breath that the only unemployed Caymanians are those who are too lazy etc. etc. to work and in the next breath asks why welfare is considered "despicable". The answer is obvious: it is despicable when it is given to able-bodied people who are quite capable of work but are simply not inclined to because they have been encouraged in that direction by the selfishness of their local politicians buying a vote at government’s expense.  

      Unemployment has not of course been steady over the past decade. It has worsened recently. And there are a number of qualified, able and willing Caymanians who are out of work.  It is absolutely correct that "job positions are filled and manned by others who often have no more experience than the educated Caymanians".   

      You have dismissed practically all of what Mr. McField had to say as racism, without taking the time to really listen. There is nothing which creates and perpetuates division more than the failure to listen. Don’t read to find something to take out of context and criticize, read to understand.          

  29. Anonymous says:

    My God! So the great Caymanian seamen lost their jobs because the shipping magnates replaced them with cheaper labour. Then, dear God Almighty, they came home and found furriners keeping them out of jobs. "The Caymanian seamen were not regarded as professionals". That’s right Steve. BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T!! Wonderful people etc etc but hardly able to run the financial services industry.

    As a young Caymanian, I find your and your embittered generation’s constant blame for things on outsiders (the shipping magnates eg) truly depressing. Is it furriners (who don’t have the vote) that have prevented you being elected to the LA when you ran in the past or being the massively successful lawyer that others here have become? I think not. It’s a chip on the shoulder limited capacity to rise above the small islander who wants it all by entitlement. Significantly, we, your fellow Caymanians, don’t respond to your constant blaming of others.

    • Knal N. Domp says:

       Anon honey, you’re confusing Herr Dokter Frank McField with Counsellor Steve McField. Although they are cousins, they are worlds apart except for a lingering resentment of historical systemic dispossession of their clan by the white Caymanian merchant class.

      • Anonymous says:

        The lingering resentment to which you speak is a poison that hurts the society and deflects responsiblity thereby slowing if not stopping a cure.

        Too bad really… 

      • Anonymous says:

        Knal, baby:

        I am anon wed at 21:04. No I wasn’t confusing Steve with Frank. Steve too has tried to get himself elected in the past but without success. His ship of political endeavour didn’t so much founder on the reef in inclement weather as it never actually left the harbour. To coin a nautical metaphor.

        • Knal N. Domp says:

           Anon 21:04- my sincere apologies, hon- it’s a piece by Steve, not Frank. It read so much like a Frank whine, that I missed the fact it was a Steve whine. The pitch and tenor was so similar (like a brace of turbofan engines), I got blondishly confused here for a moment.

          My comments on the McField corporate view on systemic dispossession however remain valid…

  30. Norman Wisdom says:

    And just what has this person done for the island? E not done much i say.

  31. Anonymous says:

    Every word in this article by Mr. McField is absolutely correct and direct on target for Caymanians and residents alike. 

    Everyone, heed the gentleman’s words and starting today, you all have to fully accept and come to terms and realize that "the want’s should be made last but the important needs should be made first"

    Secondly, stop biting down one another, as we are all in the same boat together, at least most of us, except those who are now in trouble having made Mr. Want become the dominant part of their lives. And yes if our boat does go down, we all go down together in one form or another.

    Thank you again Mr. Mcfield for this well put together article.

     

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      I am sorely afraid that we may have already struck the ‘proverbial reef’.  It seems that because we could not agree as to who should captain the ship we therefore could not determine what direction to go and a great fight erupted.  Everyone got all caught up in the fight, and alas with no attention being paid to what was really happening ‘the Cayman’ struck the reef.

      But wait, someone says there’s still hope; start bailing – everyone chip in and when the tide rises we may just be able to get off but you know what, we need a peice of clothing from everyone on board to try to plug these holes til we can reach safe harbour and get the necessary repairs done.

      Thanks Mr.McField for a very thought provoking, survival methods envoking, essay.