In the real world there is only so much a country like The Bahamas can do on its own, which brings us to the role of the United States of America in the so-called fight against drugs. That country can and should do more to assist The Bahamas and its sister nations in the Caribbean – inclusive of Cuba and Haiti – in their efforts to fend off the depredations of criminals intent on delivering contraband to markets in the United States of America.
We are convinced, that the United States of America can do all of this and more without offence to the sensibilities of the proud people of The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Put otherwise, we are convinced that the United States of America and its partners in The Caribbean, inclusive of The Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti can so harmonize their strategies that together they can succeed in the battle against the drugs trade and terrorism, however defined.
The one caveat is that The Bahamas and its sister nations in the Caribbean must be given the respect their sovereign status demands. In concrete terms, this brings with it the responsibility on their part to live up to the letter and spirit of laws as laid down in the United Nations Charter. The same principle applies to the United States of America . In the event of trouble and distress, law abiding nations should turn to each other for help.
Indeed, in times such as these where size and might are no guarantee of ultimate success, the mighty United States of America can be assisted by countries which are ostensibly small and weak. Mutual assistance is a two way street. The Bahamas can and should do all in its power to help its neighbours in their struggle against all who would breach international laws.
The Bahamas is today being subjected to intense and unrelenting pressure from The United States of America to intensify its anti-drugs efforts. Much of this renewed fervour was exemplified in recent times by the intense reaction expressed by US authorities in the aftermath of the murder of a customs officer, allegedly at the hands of a number of narco-trafficantes.
Today, even as we reflect on the damage done this nation by the horror and tragedy surrounding the killing of this man, in far too many instances, gangsters have been able to flout the laws of the land.
The drug trade through The Bahamas had and continues to have a disastrous impact on all aspects of social life in The Bahamas. In the seventies and eighties, this trade conspired to undermine the entire political system of the Bahamas . All branches of government were subjected to the most intense pressure. Hardest hit was a judiciary which came under severe assault for allegedly being too soft on so-called known drug dealers.
To this day, there is a pervasive and deeply held view that a number of gangsters have been able to evade prosecution either because they were able to find “loop-holes’ in existing laws or because they had high level protection.
This notwithstanding, Bahamians still pride themselves for any number of achievements. One which is highest on their list is the adulation and adoration they give themselves for the manner in which they went about changing the complexion of political power in the country. Bahamians boast – and rightly so – about their high regard for the rule of law.
This high respect for law and order, interestingly enough, is epitomised in the way successive regimes in The Bahamas have sought to use Commissions of Inquiry. Going back as far as the Burma Road Riots and as recently as the inquiries into the drug trade and the operations of certain government corporations, the public has had the opportunity to see how government works.
The point we make is that these inquiries are simultaneously political and judicial apparatuses, involving as they do issues of power and justice.
In recent memory, The Bahamas has seen fit to examine the nation’s collective response to a number of socially important issues. One of these involved the pervasive impact of the drug trade through the islands of The Bahamas, with the focus put on the extent to which this trade had corrupted and undermined the nation’s judiciary.
Granted the fact that The Bahamas does not and cannot act as if it were oblivious of the wider international context in which it operates, it is therefore not surprising that its economic, social, political and cultural institutions would come in for scrutiny. So, notwithstanding its own pride in its political and judicial systems, The Bahamas must and should work to put in place laws and regulations which protect its citizens from hurt and harm. As importantly, The Bahamas should be obliged, as a law-abiding member of the United Nations, to so put its house in order that it can play its full role in the fight against terrorism, drugs and human cargo smuggling, among other scourges.
Therefore, the Bahamas must – as a matter of the greatest urgency – redouble its efforts to strike drug dealers where it counts most. No effort should be spared in tracking down the money they have earned.
This might involve putting legislation on the books which have the power to trace and forfeit dirty money, however artfully disguised. In egregious cases where people are enjoying lifestyles which seem totally disproportionate to known earnings, they should be made to account.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
