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RE: Steemit exclusive...Photos during and post Hurricane Irma ravaged through St Maarten...
Sorry you had to experience that dude but I'm glad you made it out alive and are doing good, all things considered!
Here's hoping that you guys get all the help and aid you need to help you rebuild your islands and lives!
Man I certainly hope, but from my previous experience (two previous), help rarely reaches the people on the ground, but i hope things are different this time around because the need is really great
It's such a shame and so frustrating to watch so I can't imagine how frustrating it must be on the ground. I know your island isn't a British territory but we're all left here wondering what's going on in the world when our own foreign aid can not be used to help our own islands such as Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands which were also devastated. As a result, less money and resources have been sent as it can't be taken from our 13bn foreign aid budget!
Best of luck for the future, I think you're long overdue some luck now!
Politics and politician, you know how they operate...Trinidad and Tobago are lending its hand so that's the bright spot, there are pledges from the Netherlands and France to help but these tend to focus on their people...America has Puerto Rico and other US territory to deal with...The other small islands that went for independence are just inflicting unnecessary suffering on their people...these Northern islands provided alot of opportunities to the entire Caribbean so there would be rippling effects felt throughout the Caribbean...things gonna be desperate for awhile as America close its door to immigrants, there isn't much place to run and these islands don't have any economic activity going...We would see how the insurance handle the situation but we definitely need some stimulus package because Tourism is everything...I wasn't impressive with how some of these mother countries reacted they were just focusing on their people and ignoring other nationals but I guess that the signal of protectionism, if you don't have papers then you are in deep shit and these are the people that work the hardest...some of these islands may stand a better chance with the Dutch but the British are very slow...I read the IMF is offering rapid credit line but most of these countries won't ask for help because of the terms and conditions...in these disasters you know which country got their shit together...just saddened that opportunities now are scarce with these islands struggling.
"because of the terms and conditions"
They might be quite correct to do so. International bankers are usually well-cloaked bloodsuckers.
On the flip side of things a lot of the economic mess some of the islands find themselves in are solely loans by these organization...we have a saying when dealing with them "better to ban your belly and suck salt" before accepting any package...Quite a few islands have gone under Structural Readjustment Program with the IMF, and within 5 years they are back to where to were and even worse in some cases...I am not to much of a big fan of their austerity policies crippling and causing unnecessary suffering...When you get a loan from them, they dictate down the salaries that public servants can get, added to that, the government of the day has to ignore the plight of their people to follow their guidelines...We are heavily dependent on Tourism, its bread and butter so its a tricky situation moving forward...We have some interesting politician in the region but very few are progressive or strategic so these bankers would always have them in their pockets and most of our institution are weak or heavily dependent on their funding so they can't shape policies or cause any meaningful change
"they dictate down the salaries that public servants can get, added to that, the government of the day has to ignore the plight of their people to follow their guidelines"
Yes, they effectively totally subvert any government that they are involved with. The cost of the loan is also sovereignty.
We have to fight on and create innovative financial instruments, more reasons why I am excited about what cryptocurrency can do and the impact it can have
Same reason I'm here!
Very good artical...tnx sir