Defyfear, greetings. Did not take your post as being anti -anything. The reality is Antigua and Barbuda government has been fighting the US through all the legal and formal channells on the internet gaming issue. As life goes we tend to get dug on issues which for all intents and purpose irrelevant to our economic development, but there is a clear principle at stake and quite rightly the Baldwin government is not moving an inch on behalf of the Hadeeds who are a long establlished Lebanese family in Antigua and his country.

I mean the whole issue of internet gambling and all these cheap arse casino's these low life want to introduce into our countries is another issue which I will come to. But the broader issue is about world trade and rules regarding competition and the US doing all in its power to ensure outsiders cannot penetrate its markets while it screws anybody it can using the same argument regarding globalism and open markets, structural adjustments and all the over labels they want to hide the red eye avarice and greed.

I just find it distasteful that this parasitic class can engage the government to fight over shit really but fight they must and hold their own. It just disgusts me and always has about the lack of ambition of a significant section of the Caribbean business class and particularly the more richer sections who could not even spell risk or competition and are terrified of loss, hence rather than show balls like most small business people who face going to the wall if they make the wrong call. These wasters invest their money is shit such as internet gambling which costs nothing, will pay poor people next to nothing and make them a mint. Casinos are exactly the same thing if not worse becasue they will pimping our women or young men for batty boys tourists who come to have some gamblng and then look sex because as we know and every police officer worth a dime, these activities are intrinsically linked.

I would shoot every single one of them and confiscate every dollar they have for pimping and thats what these people are pimps not business men or women. Only poor or middle size businessmen understand risk in those parts. You a small man set up a successful supermarket. Those big boys watch you and start scratching their heads and then will buy up land and compete against you throwing all their resources at it to take you out. That is the kind of ambition these queers have.

I remember when a food chain set up in my country from Barbados. A very slick and well run operation and they started to make good money. Before you could even blink they were bing robbed systematically and only a fool could not work out they were being targetted by the big boys who smell threat and after about four years they packed up and went to Barbados.

When Walmart wanted to open a massive store in St Lucia the rich went crazy and called meetings of the Chamber of Commerce which they dominate eg small number of super rich historically exploitative families and declared war on Walmart.
Very interesting in watching these swine work. US can piss on their countries and you don't hear jack. Once the US step on their toes you shouls see nationalism, see them pulling in favours with their pals in the media declaring war on these Yankie boys who dare think they can come here and set up their stores. They drove Walmart out. Killed their shit dead.

Ironically and these shows you the crazy nature of Caribbean and no doubt African politicis in terms of where does the people's interest really lay. Does it lay in beating the US in their attempts to frustrate Antigua in penetrating the internet market even though what the people get in return compared to the Haddeed family? But the ordinary man and woman in St Lucia at the time wanted Walmarts to set up in their country. Why a massive super store would help employment of the lower social classes, but at the same time it would cut out the middle man and
provide cheaper goods. Much of the stuff and often inferior stuff in my eyes you find in the stores of these big elite families comes from the US. They go their regularly and tight contacts and bring that stuff in and take their piece and probably far more in profit than that shit actually costs.

Walmart would bring US good direct. Now the poor man don't give a shit regretably about the impact of such a move on economic infrastructure or the fact that Walmart may hurt the big boys but may kill smaller traders dead. And in many respects why should they given those who benefit the most from the country are the least nationalistic and will sell their mama if the price is right.

So trying to analyse and identify a clear and correct view or position in such madness and complexities aint easy. I find myself having to support both Antigua against the US even though I despise the Hadeeds. I find myself supporting people who I would like to see tried for treason and all that means which is a capital hanging offence and still on the books against the US who I do not want to see penetrate our markets one inch more.

The failure of the business elite to use their resources to build businesses which are not based on short termism but allows them to make their money but still create important business infrastructure, along with weak and no interventionist governments who have been captured by these elites so who work around them rather than taking them on and imposing a economic focus and discipline on them creates this underlying situation. So economically we have no centre and if you come and introduce stuff eg manufacturing once those *******s find out how it works they will move onto you. Hence why we say before you start serious business in the Caribbean and innovative business you have to have a serious security infrastructure in place.

There is a series of fires in one island in commercial centres. You don't have to think twice to know it is economically driven. They will burn your arse out if you come with new shit which will threaten them.