Author: REAL NEWS GRENADA.COM

The topic about culture is popular in Grenada media again with the recently elected National Democratic Party into Government to govern the country. During the period of the Grenada revolution the same topic about culture was popular but it was all wrapped up in Socialist-Marxist discourse, instead of creative citizen’s freedom of expression.

After the demised of the revolutionary government, the traditional form of governance multi-party politics was restored, and former Prime Minister Nicholas Braithwaite told Grenadian youths to go back to their culture.

In the early post revolutionary period Grenada experience a revival in the art form of calypso and soca music culture to a higher level.

Some new calypsonians and soca singers made their name know in the music world on the stage where Caribbean carnival celebration is held annually.  For example, popular calypsonians such as  Ajamu, Inspector and  Black Wizards are the most active historical names to mention as artistes and also legends.

For the last four decades there is a large increase in visitors coming to Grenada for the annual August Carnival celebration that has its own unique of the popular Jab Jab Masquerades culture that attracts visitors global.

The Jab Jab masquerades culture attracts carnival lovers, historians and others who have an interest in African cultures in the Diaspora.

Now with this new NDC government in office, and the country needs for tourism dollars as part of the growth in the economy, it seems as though the administration is trying to revive various cultural activities to the fullest.

However, I can see some challenges ahead in the restoration and modification of culture and the cultural industry, knowing that Grenada is always politically divide, even when it is not general elections time.

The new cultural industry will faced multiple problems based on who will be managing the industry.  What kinds of cultural production will be favoured by the influential class, knowing that persons who are involved in Grenada’s culture are not united as citizens on the sister islands of Carriacou & Petit Martinique, where the differences of classes and locations are not a major social issue in terms of showing any kinds of artificial prejudice.

On mainland Grenada there are so many different kinds of social and political prejudice, I am wondering how and what kind of methods the government will introduce to bridge the social divides for a creative industry to succeed as part of the economy.

I am wondering how long again it will take for Spice Mas’ Corporations (SMC), to respect traditional masquerades that they continue to exploit in advertisements to promote Grenada carnival as the most unique in the Caribbean.

By Hudson George

In a small underdeveloped country like Grenada where job resources are scare, citizens look to the government to create employment, while politicians used their political campaign skills to entice voters to elect them to office.

In return, voters expect the party that wins the general elections to fulfil its promise that attracts the majority of voters. So the big question is: How will the new government fulfil its promise to deliver what voters are expecting?

After the new government parliamentarians are sworn in and the prime minister appointed ministers to serve in the different ministries, this is when most citizens within the general population start making political comments based on which political party they are aliened to.

Grenada system of government is modelled on the British Westminster parliament standards and the prime minster has all the power to govern the country from the centre. Such a kind of power makes the prime minister a five years term dictator.

Due to the fact that Grenada is not industrialised and there is not a high growth evolution in the local cottage industries, Grenadians who are a living abroad in those highly industrialised countries are sending money and foodstuff in barrels to their love ones back home. Remittances money is important based on the old traditions of family ties that keep people together,

Now that Grenada has a new government, the ruling party has to create jobs for some the party supporters and political activists.   Politicians’ across the board in general are aware of the importance of foot-soldiers as the driving force to mobilise and convert voters in order to win the election.

Foot-soldiers are very important small islands state politics and they are now a necessity in Caribbean politics. The fact is that Caribbean people are mostly tied to an oral tradition cultural society.   Village gossip and rum-shop are more influential than libraries and national news report.

It took this present ruling New National Party (NDC) more than thirty years to understand and accept the cultural pattern of Grenadian voters, while the present opposition New National Party (NNP) were able capitalised on that cultural pattern to win the most general elections, until they got a shocking defeat earlier in this year’s June 23, 2022 elections results.

Now, it seems as though this present ruling NDC government is focusing on keeping a strong voting base as their main opposition rival.  They are getting rid of some government workers who were most likely hired with political string attached, rather than through the right channels and they are giving their party supporters the job space.

Presently Grenada is experiencing a “teeth for tat” political change within the public service and other institutions such as boards of directors, while the opposition political activists are crying out loud about victimisation.

In other for the present government to hold on to power, it is very important that the politicians keep the party supporters happy.  In addition, they must diversify development and erase the old mentality of centralising all major institutions in the south of mainland Grenada.

In conclusion, although Grenada’s politics is a model of British Westminster democracy, culturally Grenadians are a not British people. Grenada is a former slave society country and it citizens are culturally based on the legacy of slavery and colonialism.  It is not expected that the political culture will change easily as long as there is a lack of employment for the youthful population. Therefore, it is very important for political parties to secure a strong loyal base support.

By  Hudson George

Everything has a beginning.

Most of the things we are involved in.

We don’t know the beginning

We were introduced within

And we joined in.

It is what we were told

And what we were taught make us believe.

In how and what we believe

And beliefs are faith.

Faith is the substance

Of things that we believe.

Our beliefs give us faith and confidence.

Our confidence gives us courage

And peace of mind.

Nothing else to worry about

It is like religion to us

Most of the things we love

We don’t know their source

It is like bathing, fishing, swimming and washing in the river

But we never been to the source of the river

It is like religion

We were not in existence

When the religion we attended were formed

We look up in the heavens

We see blue skies

We look down at the ocean We see the sea

But we don’t know their beginning.

By Hudson George

The recent spread of COVID-19 virus in Grenada exposes the lack of democracy and the failure among intelligent people to engage in open round table discussions. The culture of political and religious leader’s selfish interest in guarding their respectful organisations is creating more divisions and ignorance than embracing unity.

Even though Grenadians today are more educated in terms of academic achievement than their parents and grandparents, they failed to be opened-minded with the ability to hold healthy discussions with good reasoning and critical thinking skills, without holding animosity against each other.

It is unfortunate, in this present day and age to see educated people so selfish and divided when it comes to politics and personal interest.   Those who know better keep are instigating divisions instead of working together. Such behavior is very common among political activists on both sides of the political fence.

The so-called bright intelligent politicians from the various different political parties are avoiding each other. They prefer to make the COVID pandemic crisis a political issue in order to gain popularity among eligible voters.

On the other hand, religious leaders are not making an effort to work together with the Ministry of Health to deal with pandemic crisis. They are not encouraging their church members to get vaccinated. They prefer to remain silent, as if they are waiting for some kind of divine miracle interventions from God to cure the disease.

Now, that COVID-19 is spreading within the general population as expected, with the influx of visitors coming to enjoy themselves in the nice a beautiful tropical weather, since the government opened up the ports of entry, commonsense alone is enough to know that such an invitation opened the door for COVID-19 virus.

Nevertheless, some people chose to play the blame game. Pro government supporters and sections of the Christian religious communities are blaming the Jab Jab masqueraders protest for the spread of the pandemic even though the most new cases of the virus presently are in the south of the island where there were no large jab jab masquerader’s gatherings but an influx of new visitors.

Others are saying that the government quarantine policy for visitors is too short. They are claiming that, quarantine visitors for only two days with a free negative test result is risky and can create a window for the disease to spread in the wider communities, if some of the visitors are healthy carriers allowed to mingle in the wider society.

As the blame game continues, it is not expected that the government will close its ports of entries for visitors.   The government is cash-strapped for money to keep the economy floating. They cannot close the airports and seaports.  Therefore, they are sacrificing the citizens for political survival, as it is the norms of all governments globally in this present pandemic crisis.

What is very alarming is that those same politicians and their loyal activists are very quick to blame social media when they are chastised by concern citizens who are using Facebook and Instagram to air views of discontentment  about what is going on in the country.

And even though some people are using social media as their outlet to spread conspiracy theories and fake news sometime, there are others who use social media to inform and educate. So, it is unfair to criticise all the news we are reading on social media because politicians and religious leaders also spread propaganda too, when it suits their interest.

In conclusion, the latest news from Grenada is that the country has recorded it first local death from COVID-19. According to reliable news report, the dead person is the wife of a local church pastor from and she was not vaccinated.

Now, the big question is:   Will the death of a pastor wife from COVID-19 open the door for religious leaders to cooperate with the Ministry of Heath to encourage citizens to be vaccinated to curb the virus, rather than remaining silent and waiting for a miracle from divine intervention?

It is time they stop the blame game, so that the people will put the hatred aside and get vaccinated to end this pandemic.

Hudson George

Grenada has three serious social problems to deal with in the new normal times.   COVID-19,  Jab Jab Masqueraders popular culture and  government response to the situation are conflicting factors.

Although the country has the lowest deaths from COVID-19 pandemic globally, there is still controversy over how the government is handling the crisis in terms of police versus civilian’s relationship and oppositions making strong critical complaint.

As we approaches the August month there is a conflict of interest brewing between traditional Jab Jab Masqueraders and the government, whenever the police make attempts to stop large crowd assemblies and Jab Jab lovers from creating a sort of mini carnival atmosphere.

Every weekend in some villages in the rural communities young people are defying the laws and protocols just to play Jab Jab and even though the conflict between the young people and the state authorities is not political per se, it tends to attract opposition groups that are fed up with the government because they want a political change.

Grenada has its own unique kind of internal political conflict that is home grown due to lack of civil communication between the government and opposition supporters.

Unfortunately, no one is willing to sit down and discuss the social problems. All because of politics and power to govern the country in a sort one party style rule, while the ordinary citizens are caught up in the melee one way or the other.

The sad thing is that Grenadians have a long history of political ignorance with the belief that their individual brand of politics is relevant and their favourite political party is infallible with a Godly figure type political leader.

As long as the pandemic continue to ravage the entire globe, people will always rebel against the status quo.   There are others who will never accept modern science based on religious values and their own independent beliefs and ideas.

In terms of culture and traditions some people are defiant when it comes to traditional culture. Pandemic or no pandemic they believe the entertainment must not be interrupted.

Well don’t mention politics!   Grenadians hate to accept political facts. They put their favourite political leaders and party loyalty first.  Therefore, politics is like religion.  So, don’t expect people who hold on to dogmas to accept critical reasoning.

By Hudson George

Governments around the world advise citizens to stay at home and don’t go out if it is not essential in order to stop the spread of the COVD-19 virus.

Some of us are obeying the laws and staying indoors even though we are getting frustrated and tired of state-imposed restrictions. We understand it is not a normal time.  We have to follow protocols based on health guidelines.

As humans, in this pandemic, we have to deal with so many different groups of doubters, such as people who are anti-big business corporations, religious fundamentalists, and skeptics who mistrust global establishments due to colonialism and racism-based on historical past.

Those different subgroupings of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine are creating more fear and doubt within the wider population causing some people to be reluctant to take the vaccine due to negative things that they were told by conspiracy theorists about pharmaceutical companies.      Others are skeptical about population control.

Unfortunately, the doubters don’t have any perfect answers or scientific medical solutions to curb this deadly pandemic disease.

Some people retreat to traditional medicine which is good to an extent but it is not effective enough to stop the contagious virus from spreading.

If the virus continues to linger longer in the atmosphere contaminating the air that we breathe, the only solution will be modern medical science.  Therefore, the best choice is the COVID-19 vaccine presently.

Conspiracy theories cannot save us from catching the disease. Religious beliefs cannot help us. We have to embrace medical science to end this pandemic.

By Hudson George

The government advises people to stay home. Don’t go out if it is not essential. I am staying indoors. I am abiding by the law but staying indoors is a hard task.

I am now frustrated. It is not easy living in self-isolation. It is a new kind of imprisonment, A new fear of an unknown disease.

Then I have to deal with religious people who are doubters.  The anti-business doubters. The anti-vaccine advocates and their propaganda.

They base their fear on past historical oppressions and religious prophecies and a utopian revelation. They are predicting, it is the end time.

On the other hand, some people are retreating to the old traditional medicines to build a stable immune system to protect themselves from the deadly disease.

I believe it is very good to use traditional medicines but I don’t think a global pandemic can be eradicated without a vaccine for global immunity.

I believe in modern science.  I am tired of hearing all those crazy conspiracy theories and theorists.  They are boring and misleading without any scientific proofs to back up their statements and predictions.

If COVID-19 continues to linger longer in the atmosphere and contaminating the air that we breathe, I will be left with no other choice but to take the vaccine.

Conspiracy theories can’t save me from the exposure of catching the virus. It cannot save anyone from this global pandemic. Religious beliefs cannot save us either. The only solution is an effective COVID-19 vaccine.