By asking active-duty personnel ( no less than all our heads of Belize’s security forces ) to join in the Yes to the ICJ propaganda… In their own selfish, political interest, The Government of Belize, crossed an important and Dangerous line.
Admiral John Borland, Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and Brigadier General Steven Ortega, oath to have had more integrity and military honour.
They were however no doubt protecting / securing their positions and their jobs.
Anyway… bad decisions are made every day, it however does not mean that it should continue.
Belize is in a very difficult, political, military and economic state of transition. Which means that changes are happening, there is revolution in our people’s hearts and Political leaders must be more careful than ever.
This transition will not be gradual…it will be unexpected and will hit Belize like a tsunami.
There are very Difficult decisions to be made. Our past Leaders have dodged these decisions in the past and most are still turning a blind eye…
Our People must be open minded, must develop a memory and be sober about their influences, their votes in shaping the events in the years ahead. Being absolutely sober and Nationalistic about our sober political decision in the upcoming election is an indispensable prerequisite to help our country break corruption, build our nation and establish our rightful position in the Latin American Stage; and the family of progressive democratic nations of the world.
To achieve this kind of progress for our Nation however, the role of our security forces must be considered Urgently.
The very principle of political control and manipulation of our armed forces as we have witnessed, is rooted in an entrenched systematically corruption; and it is very dangerous for the security of our country. Our Military Leaders should never be made to bow down to the supremacy of a civilian institution, over the defence and security of our people and territory. The security forces are there to protect the Government only as the Policy -making apparatus for the protection of our Nation…Not to serve them as political pawns.
Governmental control must always be a two-way street, between a Nation’s security forces and it’s Government.
The Government is the Policy making machine; the military is the protection machine ( to protect people and territory)
The constitution must be the ultimate protection for the armed forces, the Government and it’s people. The constitution must be our ultimate guarantee to protect us from the dangers of politicians who are after military control and power, and from military or police commands with political ambitions.
These two crossing the floor is very dangerous for any nation but can be detrimental for a small, weak military power like Belize. I is therefore an urgent matter for us to invest in the presence of a well-trained , well equip Defence force is respected, and fully funded by Government ; a force that will acknowledge the governments control over civil matters , political neutrality and non-partisanship of all security forces and law enforcement .
So then, in order to maintain Peace and order aswell as keeping corruption at the lowest possible, our security forces must be Government must never again confuse their roles…we must respect and become embedded into a strong legal frame work of separation of powers.
Because we are a small state with a very small military, that has always faced diplomatic, political and military risk with Guatemala…we must prepare for war in times of peace.
I strongly believe that it is high time we consider the benefits of mandatory military service for every citizen between the ages of 17 and 30. His way you can serve either before or after college. With all Eligible men and women joining the BDF or Coast Guard, we will have an assurance that our country will be safer and our territory more secure during threats of conflict.
More importantly, in a country so divided by dirty politics, this will be a good strategy to unite our people on the road to rehabilitation. Since most, if not all youths will serve the country at one time or the next in their lives, there will be a sense of unity, of national pride among our people. Our citizens will certainly develop a sense of patriotism and nationalism, which are important values that were robbed from us through dirty politics and corruption.
In Such a Small Population as we have in Belize, Mandatory Military service is a great strategy to build a larger, stronger Army , where we would no longer feel the need to appease any aggressors but we could actually earned the right to assertive diplomatic efforts as it relates to our territory and people.
I know , I make it sound easier than it is…but no one ever said that running a Country was an easy task, difficult decisions must be made , reshuffling of our budget must be done and among all the other changes , we must ensure better investment in our military toys and our men and women in uniform must be assured an education and dignified means of making a living after their service to this country. It is a disgrace to follow the life of our veterans… They deserve better than we presently offer.
