But in fact, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) itself is an artificial construct that makes little geographic or economic sense, but owes much to the legacy of British colonialism.
In 50 years, West European nations put together a regional community based on mutual self-interest that clearly offers more than it loses, which is why East European nations are now clamouring to join.
But in the 40 or so years since the Caribbean began toying with integration, there is relatively little to show. The parochial interests that led to the breakup of the West Indian Federation in 1962 are still at work today.
The federation was formed in 1958 from 10 British West Indian territories. But the biggest members, Jamaica and Trinidad, pulled out in 1961, fearing they would have to shoulder the burdens of the smaller, less-developed members.
Surviving regional institutions, such as the University of the West Indies, eventually led to the creation of the Caribbean Free Trade Association in 1965 which, seven years later, was transformed into CARICOM.
Meanwhile, the small island states of Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat joined forces in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to balance themselves against the larger nations.
And this is one of the main arguments for the CSME ﾖ that our small countries will do better within CARICOM than they will if they face megablocs and superpowers in trade talks individually. But the counter argument is that investment of our limited skills and resources in the pursuit of regionalism will reduce our capacity to engage in multilateral negotiation.
The Bahamas did not join CARICOM until 1983 and we have largely restricted our participation to the annual talking shops known as heads of government meetings. The economic divergencies are too great, and our focus has always been toward Florida ﾖ a bare 100 miles from Grand Bahama.
Now we are being prodded to become a full member of the CSME, which proponents say will expand production and trade in goods and services within a combined market of over six million people. But entering a regional customs union would presumably lead to a diversion of trade ﾖ displacing lower-cost imports from the rest of the world for those from our neighbours to the south ﾖ who are not The Bahamas’ natural trading partners.
There is also the question of whether the growth of regionalism is part of a process towards global free trade, or a substitute for it; a substitute that harms multilateral negotiations by leading to protected trading blocs.
We agree the Bahamian economy needs to be deregulated. We agree Bahamians need to welcome foreign technical personnel as role models. We agree Bahamian workers need to be more productive. We agree common fronts are sometimes useful. We agree tax structures should be revised. We accept our shared cultural heritage.
But none of this presupposes or requires our inevitable accession to the CSME.
Editorial, The Nassau Guardian
