On The Latest Episode of The Neoliberal Round on The YouTube Channel: Caribbean Thought Extended; What’s happening in Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos?
Dialogue:
SHONTAL: Sir, do you agree that the average American is not able to take vacations like the average Jamaican and Caribbean residents can?
PROF. RENALDOMCKENZIE: No, but it also depends on who you are comparing because black and Brown people are just as dependent and economically behind everywhere. So there is no positive to be gained from the poorest being better than other poor people. Moreover, the average person in the US is not looking to break the law to travel to the Caribbean. In fact, there are very few restrictions to travel from the US to the Caribbean. Moreover, the US is a post-industrial developed country where US1$ is Jamaica $150. In the US, the poorest have access to social welfare, tax returns and credits, and other benefits. Jamaica and Caribbean governments struggle to provide benefits to their most vulnerable peoples and can barely afford to provide social welfare. The question is an inappropriate question, as one cannot compare the two in terms of wealth as the US has more wealth than Jamaica but the wealth is concentrated around those who are white or of a certain class. The episode went beyond the Caribbean Thought Lecture’s class topic, looking at the film “Life and Debt” by Stephanie Black, which is why this Episode series of Caribbean Thought is called Caribbean Thought Extended.
We also switched gears and discussed some breaking news from around the Caribbean
1. Turks and Caicos – Immigration restrictions on immigrants as the Turks are being outnumbered by immigrants.
2. Trinidad and Tobago – The Government announced a State of Emergency, and the Chief of Police was arrested for his association with a known gang leader responsible for bringing in illegal guns.
3. Haiti – The whole country is still in a state of crisis as gangs control half of the capital.
We discussed these lead by: Edras from Haiti living in Trinidad Ombertta – from Jamaica living in Turks and Caicos Shontal – From Jamaica and is in Jamaica. The discussions are facilitated and hosted by Rev. Renaldo McKenzie, Professor/Lecturer in Caribbean Thought and Author of “Neoliberalism Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance,” Creator and Host of The Neoliberal Round Podcast and YouTube Channel.
Also check out The Neoliberal Post at renaldocmckenzie.com
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