St. Thomas - Good Diving but Overpriced Ghetto

[DennisS]

Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia have some of the friendliest people you would want to meet anywhere. They have the same disparity of income and a history of slavery, the same as the Virgin Islanders, the difference being, there is no attitude. I've walked around towns at all hours of the night and never had a problem. The Virgin Islands are just bad news.

 

[H2Andy]

Dennis, then there must be a difference that we are not picking up on

maybe the Virgin Islands have a different set of expectations, or perhaps they feel a promise was made that was not kept

i don't know ... i'm just guessing

 

[Cacia]

Andy, there really is only one thing. Welfare, public housing.

I studied Caribbean Studies at the University of the Virgin Islands and the islands have more in common than differences. U S of A gets into situations with their handouts and ruins cultures. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but eight years is a enough time to pick up on some things.

 

[RS]

now you guys have to take a second step:

why is it that there is so little crime in other parts of the Caribbean compared to the U.S Virgin Islands? or Puerto Rico, another U.S. territory.

why do parts of the Virgin Islands look like Detroit? why are there so many violent crimes in Puerto Rico?

why do these U.S. controlled islands resemble more the mainland U.S. than the rest of the Caribbean?

It's the NATIVES!

 

[H2Andy]

Andy, there really is only one thing. Welfare, public housing.

I studied Caribbean heritage at the University of the Virgin Islands and they have more in common than differences. U S of A gets into situations with their handouts and ruins cultures.

it is no good to make a people dependent on you ... cuts down on the chance of rebellion (who wants to bite the hands that feeds you?) but it creates a lot of dependency (almost junkie-like) and resentment ...

It's the NATIVES!

doh!

 

[Cacia]

The Caribbean is one of the most colorful, vibrant, pulsating places in the world.

A very fascinating place. Look at all the influences there---Danes, Africa, French, British, American, Spaniards, ....

I'm just not willing to let the "white guilties" take over my mind.

 

[ReefHound]

Andy, the dependence on tourism and economic disparity between "natives" and visitors is present in many many other places around the Carib and the rest of the world. That is just a fact of life. How the "natives" deal with it says more about themselves than the tourists.

St. Thomas is treading on thin ice. Look at how the image of Aruba changed suddenly and dramatically in the eyes of many due to one sensational incident. The thing is Aruba really *is* a safe and friendly island and they had the stats to prove it. Aruba defended it's image by showing the stats and putting themselves on display. St. Thomas would have no such defense. If they think their economy is bad now, wait until the tourists just go elsewhere. They will become Haiti. Who needs them? There are plenty of better alternatives.

 

[ReefHound]

it is no good to make a people dependent on you ... cuts down on the chance of rebellion (who wants to bite the hands that feeds you?) but it creates a lot of dependency (almost junkie-like) and resentment ...

And yet, many people are trying to do more of that here in the U.S.

 

[ReefHound]

Andy, there really is only one thing. Welfare, public housing.

So pumping lots of money into their economy cause them to turn to hate and crime?

 

[Cacia]

Oh, you had to mention Haiti....

lol, yea, now that's a fun vacation. If you want to do medical volunteer work, go by all means. But if you want to stroll the steets and look at the stars, better stay in the compound.

So pumping lots of money into their economy cause them to turn to hate and crime?

hey, that is the conclusion I came to.
But not commerce money...handouts: welfare, horrendous public housing.
Anytime you pay somebody more if they don't have a head of household you are really messing with their social architecture. White, black, doesn't matter. Look at the father situation on the different islands. Is the family functional and intact? or is Uncle Sam the daddy?