St. Martin News Network

I could not agree more with Mr. Lake Jr. What if the ma*ses wasn't foreigners ? I believe had SXM been occupied by the true St. Martiners, the directive would be different. What we have here are less than a herd of goats, lacking a sense of both direction and responsibility, and suffering from dependent syndrome. They are afraid of independence due to their lack of knowledge. There is an island in the Pacific that is smaller in size than SXm, and is independent, serviving on the very same tourism that SXM servives upon. For the lack of knowledge a people perishes.

Sxm cannot take care of all these people if it goes independent. They first have to clean up, expel some of these people so that govtment can manage the leftovers.

if st maarten was to go independent would we have the same politician that we have now?if the answer is yes well god help us !!!!!

St Martin independent? You wanting to cut the golden chains that keep this tiny island from being a poor cousin to Haiti? We make NOTHING here, except debt and chicken leg (which we buy)! You sound like the Rastaman dreaming of an Ethiopia that only exists deep in the smoke of his ganja hallucinations!
You quote Nkrumah...interesting. Though one of the first post colonial rulers in Africa, he certainly did not create a free or independent society...he replaced the British dogs with Ghanean dogs, became President for life, destroyed labor unions and made it illegal to strike, endebted his country and people before he was deposed during a trip abroad . His dreams of Pan Africaism was quickly polluted by the intoxication of power and wealth...and self preservation at any cost. These are not things that we need to aspire to, but certainly can learn from, a road not to travel, mistakes not to make. Unless your world is filled with the Rasta's smoke...?

St.Maarten can't go independent.
Do you think France will allow the french side to be there next to an independent side.

Well they brought down the walls in Germany, but I can tell you
that frontier wall will stretch accross this island so fast, it won't be funny.

French side is a window in Europe, and they will make sure bars get on it.

You see they investing heavily in the airport, in Grandcase.

We have to be careful, and pray for God's guidance.

As long the "happy few" are ruling, independance will be the worse that can happen to sxm and the people that don't belong to that group.

We have a fear of independence.
We see so many persons from independent countries flocking to Li'l S'MARTIN to make a living.
We see people risking their lives to get into the USA.

My major fear is: Who gon lead we into independence?
The independistas are telling how good independence is, but they can't lead us to it.
The politicians we have talk about it but don't dare campaign on it.

I am still waiting to see a political party that will run on the platform to take us into independence.

Blessings!!

Is this man mental and doing drugs. He hallecunating.

You a*sholes are existing rather than living. The Vatican is surrounded by Rome and is 0.2 square miles and is independent. Monaco is 0.7 square miles. Population 32.000, and is independent since the 13th century. Nauru, is 8.5 square miles, population : 13.000, and is independent since 1968. Tuvalu, 9 square miles, 9 corel atols along a 360miles chainin polynesia, population 12.000, Independent since 1978. All those mentioned are smaller than St. Martin Dutch colony. With St. Maarten / St. Martin together, San Marino is 24 square miles, North central Italy, Population, 29.000. WHY CAN'T DUTCH COLONY St. MAARTEN BE ONE ?????????? It is sad when comparing a*sholes with enlighten people. READ MORE EAT AND s**t LESS.

@vigilante:

Read my post.

@ Vigilante,

Your examples are the S**T you speak against

Nauru
The tiny Pacific island once generated a per capita income out of proportion to its size. But the source of this wealth - phosphates - is nearing exhaustion, leaving the islanders facing an uncertain future.

While the mining of 1,000 years' worth of fossilised bird droppings has been lucrative, Nauru relies on imports for almost everything - from food and water to fuel.

Moreover, recent financial crises have precipitated a slide into bankruptcy and a dependence on aid. The country had to sell off its a*sets in Australia to pay off a multi-million dollar debt to a US corporation.


Barren Nauru has seen its former phosphate wealth dwindle Nauru's government has tried to develop alternative industries, including tourism and offshore banking. A world body, set up to fight money-laundering, removed Nauru from its list of uncooperative states in late 2005.

In 2001 Nauru signed an agreement with Australia to accommodate asylum seekers on the island, in return for millions of dollars in aid. However, Australia ended its controversial "Pacific Solution" of detaining asylum seekers on islands in 2008.

Australia has sent financial experts to Nauru to help it overcome its problems.
So much for indepedence. This was one of the richest places on Earth, when they were scraping bird dung, but they blew it, and now are just another has been, used up rock...that YOU aspire to be like?

Tuvalu
Coconut palms cover most of the islands, and copra - dried coconut kernel - is practically the only export commodity. Increasing salination of the soil threatens traditional subsistence farming.

Tuvalu depends on foreign aid, the income from the sale of tuna fishing licences and the interest from a trust fund set up in 1987. The sale of postage stamps also brings in revenues.

It is one of a handful of countries to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which has funded the construction of Tuvalu's largest building - a three-storey administrative headquarters.

Independent? They sold themselves to Taiwan...for a friggin' 3 story building!

@ Vigilante

San Marino

Now you are talking!

Tradition has it that the country was founded in the fourth century AD by a devout Christian stonemason called Marinus, who took refuge there and set up a small community. Its rugged isolation helped the enclave to develop and keep its independence.

An 1862 friendship and cooperation treaty with Italy, which has since been revised and expanded, reinforced San Marino's independence.
Tourism dominates the economy of the 61 square kilometre (23.6 square miles) republic, which plays host to more than three million visitors every year.

Postage stamps and coins - keenly sought by collectors - are important sources of revenue. We may have a promlem with this, as our postal system recently fled the country!

As one of Europe's tax havens, San Marino has traditionally attracted a large inflow of cash from non-residents, but in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008-9 this status has come increasingly under threat, and the republic has pledged to make its banking system more transparent, real toubles ahead for them!

@ Vigilante

The Vatican....you are kidding, right?

While it may technically be an independent nation, it really is just priests and nuns...a sort of boys club where everyone gets to dress up in colorful, wierd attire...and if you want to stay, you better have the same beliefs.

If you seriously think that there is a parallell for St Maarten there, it would be a very interesting read. But most residents of this island would pack up and move before being subjected to that form of independence. You ready to bend over and kiss the mans ring? Not me!

It is not about the size (so I am told), it is what you do with what you have...put a blank sheet of paper into 20 peoples hands...some will make use of it as toilet paper, another may write a poem, and other draw or paint. Some may make a paper plane and fly it...and others might make it into money. One could make a contract and enslave those around him. My point is that you make the best of what you have with your imagination and ability. This paradise that we have come to call St Maarten, we have treated like toilet paper with no place to flush it, and we think we are ready for independence? We need to learn to use the potty before we even think about walking, let alone flying a nation. Aspire, yes, but do the ground work first, or we will all crash and burn...kinda like we ar doing right now.

@WTF,

You very well seems to be one of those that have been plundering SXM and hope to continue. What you fail to address is ST. Martins economic wealth that have , and continue to be squandered by uneducated a.h's. If SXM was getting its fair share, there would be no need for parasites like you be frightened. You are playing on the fear of an ignorant ma*s of people. Infidels always show their ugly faces when it come time for them to contribute. For your information, no country in the world is truly independent. I give illustrations Mr. who the hell you are. Many a persons read ENGLISH, but do not understand it. I hope for people like you that FRAUD, GREED, CORRUPTION and LAWLESSNESS will continue.
Mismanagement, coupled with the above, is the cause of countries like Italy, Greece, etc. being today in dire straights.
Aren't they independent. AMERICA, what's the cause for it's economic decay? It's not about you or what you want. You are free to go back to whence you came when you can no longer benefit from the prostitution of this island. There is more to the mortar than the pestle WTF

@vigalante

You are a little highly strung, a pill might soothe your hostility. Why is it so often the case that when a reasonable argument is offered, there is always the call to " go back where you came from", rather immature. In building a nation, many voices, some dissenting, are heard and given respect and value. One learns by listening and sharing, not through insults and false bravado. I have learned a great deal about you, by reading and listening to your words, whether I agree or not.
I do agree that no country is truly independant, as all are deeply interwoven. As to the corruption and greed, that exists as long as we allow it to. All seem to want thier turn at the trouth, and so few have ever been willing to simply say STOP! We allow it and we can stop it.
We living on small islands have a lot to teach the world, we live side by side with ones we love and ones we hate! We know that there is not enough room to make vendettas or be vigalantes...better to find common ground to share a peaceful and productive life than to make situations worse than they already are. That is how we move towards being a Nation. That is the path to independence. People "like me" will thrive under any circumstance, as we educate ourselves and invest in what we have learned. The fact that so many choose to remain ignorant and then become belligerent only furthers those of us that can see opportunity at any and every turn. I, and people like me are not victims , even when things do not go our way. We study and learn from our mistakes and go on to profit from them. But you probably know all this, as I a*sume you might well be employed by "one of us"? We are from here, and from many other islands and countries, and while blessed to live here, St Maartin is blessed as well that we have chosen to be here, as most of us would be able to thrive where ever we may be. The concept of mutual benefit is a beautiful one, and that balance should be protected, not threatened.

@ WTF
Where were you during the 1950s ? If you were around on this island you would understand. However, you need to familiarize yourself with the history of St. Maarten / St. Martin. I have no qualms with the opinions of others, I have a problem when people from other independent countries bringing their failures here and expect the people of this island to become frighten. This may sound immature to you again, If you can understand the logic, you would see where I am coming from. I have nothing against people from other countries providing they understand the governing procedures of this little colony.
People coming to this island bring with then a pre-conceive notion that St, Maarteners are all stupid. This is due to the people that have over the years been given the mantle to lead this island. Look at The Mega Port, the Great Airport, take into account that of more than 7 Thousand businesses and counting, more than 4 Thousand are none contributors. Another aprox. 50 Thousand Tax Paying individuals. with another 30 Thousand None Paying individuals.{ illegals } On the other hand the number of other taxes that is levied why are we, or why should we not be able to take command? Country SXM, do you swallow this B.S ? maybe you are right we cannot become independent twice. This island has come a long way from the 1950's and can achieve more. Take a better look and try and understand what you may have missed,

WTF, You are speaking the truth and shaming the devil.

This "Vigilante"character seems to be caught up in hid/her narrow minded short-sighted self-interest.

Yay, every city and town with a population over 90,000 should now consider it just fine to opt for independence. What a dumb argument, based solely on ego, vanity and pride. It's noble, but seriously, this is 2012 ffs.
Nationalism is responsible for just as many wars and suffering as religion is.We all HUMAN BEINGS, WE ALL CITIZENS OF PLANET EARTH!
Get those chips off your shoulders and see a shrink about the persecution and paranoia will you please. The only people been stealing and sucking St Maarten has been the same politicians the stupids of the island keep voting into office, them and their friends.

Hady Nufyet?

Give the politicians of SXM independence and they'll bankrupt, pollute, rape and turn the island into a mess.

Oh wait, they already done that!

Hady

The 1950's??

You mean when people who didn't support the power in charge would have problems finding jobs and even be spit on in the street and abused? People who used to support Jose Lake Sr would do so secretly and discretely, because going against the powers (Claude) was sure to bring misery.
The DP owe the people of the island an apology for all the political oppression and intimidation they forced onto people and drove out of the island in those years.

Hady

No man is an island, and paradoxically speaking no Island should be an Island ! the road to independance is frought with tyranny, corruption, twisted opportunists. I call myself republican because I believe in republicanism as a form of government, a democratically elected Government as representatives of the people constrained by rules and a constitution, recently we have witnessed what some of our politicians think of the constitution , in the Jules james affair. President of Parliament Hon. drs. Gracita Arrindell basiclly spat all over the constitution as did the UP (yours) party and the DP by allowing people to vote on issues that they had a personal vested interest in, this sort of corruption is part of governments the world over, St Maarten is no exception. Independence will only be won when strong men and women work to improve their own little corner of the world, you will never change government and its corruption, the current gang of crooks will eventually be replaced with a different gang. St Maarten is in a unique position as an overseas territory of Europe, there are no import duties to the EU for goods manufactured here, yet there is no manufacturing industry to speak of, the Island is incredibly fertile, yet there is no agriculture to speak of, the Island can avail of Solar, wave and wind energy yet there are no significant programs underway to take advantage of this, there was an economic zone set up last year with an incredibly low tax rate for companies involved in manufacturing and provision of services, where is St Maartens representation at trade and industry confrences ?? St Maarten should for all intents and purposes be in the middle of an economic boom right now, from reading posts on this forum and the letter from Mr. Jose Lake Jnr. one thing is perfectly clear to me, St Maarten has intelligent, well read people with pa*sion for what they believe in, if this pa*sion where to be directed into changing the things that could be changed , there is no end to the things that could be achieved for the benefit of all. Unfortuntely we are stuck with the clowns in governement untill next election, lets hope the people of st maarten think twice before giving their vote away to the same selfish, corrupt, mafia dons next time around