Fiddlin while Rome Burns Dept: Update on Caricom and the WTO

[Capn Jimbo]

We did and will continue to do our best...


Some time back I wondered just what was happening insofar as an official complaint insofar as the subsidies and the WTO. This was one of those hot potatoes that gets tossed around, and tossed around but which no one is willing to quite hold onto. Although the DR, Barbados and Guyana were hit the hardest, letters were written and discussions went on the big step - filing an official complaint - managed not to happen. The most likely complainant - the Dominican Republic - failed to do so.

I recently received an update from our Bajan resource in which I learned that Diageo continues to lobby heavily in support of the notion that multi-billion dollar subsidies could not possibly upset the marketplace. It seems that the appropriate party to file - Caricom - can't achieve the consensus needed to proceed.

My guess: the Big Three have been sure to spread enough dollars around, buying bulk for themselves in a fashion strategically designed to to shut up some of the key players. Complain and we'll buy bulk elsewhere I daresay is the likely threat.

I must say that all of us here have little to be ashamed of. I can name several of you who really stuck your necks out here and around the the net to speak out. As a group we have had more of an impact than you know, but a few suggestions...

1. It's not hard to promote the Petition to Save Caribbean Rum. Here's some code you can add to your posts and sigs elsewhere:

[url=http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/sto ... uerto.html][color=red]Go to Save Caribbean Rum Petition![/color][/url]

This will reproduce "Go to Save Caribbean Rum Petition" in red.

2. Another good link is to the ALKO and Swedish sugar reports:

[url=http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtopic.php?t=1193][color=green]Sugar content: Rum[/color][/url]

This will reproduce "Sugar content: Rum" in green.

Thanks again to all...