Might, might be right

The SUN newspaper front page of Tuesday April 10, 2018 had a strap "International pressure mounts for Dominica:" followed by the headline "Same sex marriage". The piece quotes some groups, like those that keep blacklisting third world countries including our Caribbean countries for all kinds of infractions while being careful to steer clear of their own country's human rights records, as the pressure source.

I would be interested to observe what an editorial on the question of same sex marriage and other such strange notions and legislation would look like.

Might is right. When Rome ruled the world, its language, laws, culture, communications et al were imposed on the countries that it subjected, and that is no less true than what has happened in recent years, the last 500 years in fact, since Columbus set sail from Europe in search of new lands for conquests. Incursions were already being made in Africa, India and China by then, ask someone called Marco Polo. The countries conquered all have, to a lesser extent for larger territories, the language and customs of their conquerors.

These European countries have managed to give so-called independence to those conquered countries but enshrined that they would continue to be dominated. Developing countries attempting to chart their own course in the wake of their independence have been thwarted. Stand up to the European powers and you are made a pariah not only to that former controller, but the other powers that divided the world for their profit. And strangely, our subjected countries in the Caribbean are quick to repeat what these so-called watch dog groups say. Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Guyana, Jamaica and our Caribbean sugar, rum and banana growing economies have experienced these controls.

A World Trade Organisation was formed which targeted preferential treatment and protectionism for, it seems, ACP (Africa Caribbean Pacific) countries. When WTO rules against the mighty USA over gambling rights and dues to Antigua & Barbuda, has it complied with those rules? But they are always in the forefront to impose sanctions on developing countries. Unfortunately, countries are buckling under the arguments of personal rights being imposed on them from outside.

But to the matter in hand, when some group comes and says, I want to marry my pet, and some countries decide to legalize that as a human right, how do we respond? Mr Editor, I will just end by saying that I would be interested in your own position and not just your being a mouth piece for these groups who couch themselves as human rights upholders and yet espouse outlandish behaviour, which they want to foist on their former colonies with all sorts of threats made.

Might, might be right. Abhorrent legislation may be enforced. But nasty behaviour no matter how well it is couched and promoted will remain wrong behaviour, no matter how hard they try to impose their will on others; and there will be a day of reckoning, if not in this life, then in the hereafter.

Morris Cyrille Journalist