EDITORIAL

WITH the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, as with all Administrations, the world waits to see what will be the impact of new policies on the stability of the world.

 

With the new President promising ‘America First’ in his first address to the country during his Inauguration, it will bear watching, what exactly will be the level of engagement of the United States in the face of an uncertain world, with a myriad of problems. The world needs American leadership and engagement on key issues which impact the development of smaller states in particular.

 

However, with the War on terror and issues related to security occupying the attention of all countries, we await word from the new Administration on these issues.

 

In relation to the economic priorities of the new Administration, we in this region are eager to see what the new power in Washington D.C. will do on the issues of global trade and the implications it will have for small open economies like Barbados. 

 

One expects that the initial focus will be domestic. Repeals of the Affordable Care Act, promised repeals of the tax code to provide tax cuts, improving the transportation system to make it globally comparable and getting his Cabinet nominees confirmed by the Senate are immediate concerns, but we wait.

 

What stands to be more important is the role of the media in the new Administration. Early Sunday morning, the new President’s former campaign manager and now senior Advisor, Kelly-Anne Conway, appeared on a Sunday show and created a new controversy of her own. When asked about the debut performance of the new White House Press Secretary Sean Spier referring to the inauguration crowd as the largest ever, she simply stated that the new man who was charged with communicating with the media, was simply presenting ‘alternative facts’.

 

That comment alone should send off alarm bells immediately as to the calm manner with which that comment could be made. The United States, much like this country, has been well served by a media core which is committed to keeping politicians honest and protecting the public’s interests. Even when presented with evidence to contradict that ill-constructed statement, the lady in question, simply stuck to her talking points.

 

It sets the stage for a rough initial phase for the new President, if that is the posture which permeates the discussion. The real agenda item would be what will the response of the media be?

 

Perhaps it is a lesson for us in this country. What kind of information do we accept and do we ensure that in speaking truth to power, that we ensure that information is presented fairly to the public? How do we challenge information which is given to us and do we do the necessary research to ensure that we are prepared to challenge sources?

 

In this country, we deal with challenges every day. Recently, the topics of discussion have shifted from pot-holes to the performance of the economy. Tomorrow, the Central Bank releases its assessment of this island’s economy for 2016 and projections for 2017. Furthermore, on Wednesday the Right Honourable Prime Minister Freundel Stuart will address the Barbados Chamber of Commerce (BCCI) on the economy. 

 

We, like all Barbadians await the information. One can only hope that there is scope for a mature discussion on this subject as is expected in this country. The world has entered a new phase of its development and as usual, the “Fourth Estate” must stand up and act as a protector of the public good.