Dickson Igwe. Photo: Provided

It was a very interesting piece highlighting that the politics of demographics has become a major feature of Virgin Islands society. Yes the politics of population subsets is at play, albeit indirectly. And the online article told the story of a skillful political sword fighter, a key power player in the game of politics. This Musketeer deftly cornered a crucial demographic, putting it squarely on his side: a great tactical move politically.

Yes, and very cleverly, this political mastermind did this to his own political advantage, by making a very public statement on citizenship in the Virgin Islands: that it should also be by birth, and not only by heritage and ancestry. This statement, which sounded fair and humane, brought strong response from certain commentators. These well known individuals gave their strong opinions, and very intelligently. However, in the game of politics sometimes the best thing one can do is learn when not to respond.

Why? The reason is that an Act of Parliament, and its effects on people’s lives, no matter how critical, in the present climate, does not hit the public radar. And yes, that is a sad reality in a new digital environment of voters with very short attention spans and even shorter memories. People are interested only in what is immediate, controversial, and exciting, in today’s high energy media environment. Sometimes, emotionalism is far more potent than logic in politics: this was such a time.

Yes, in politics, perception is everything. And the fact is that honest and informative responses of certain commentators on the subject may have been taken wrongly by a significant cross section of the voting public.

The British Nationality Act & clever political legwork

This to and fro on that issue, the British Nationality Act, became a great paradox. It was a riddle, and even mystery. It was a smokescreen that hid some major politics at play. Why. Well, because a politician painted by certain elements inaccurately and unfairly as an outsider, and who is under constant attack by a subset of the national media, turned around, and then he clearly played their own game to even better effect. He roped in a crucial demographic, and even more effectively than his critics could have ever dreamed of.

Thus, and by throwing a very political banana skin into the game of Virgin Islands politics, a veritable Scarlet Pimpernel, very brilliantly defended the rights of the first generational Virgin Islander, without upsetting the multi generational Virgin Islander. This was demographic politics at its best. The politician played the other side of the coin in a new type of local politics, to his clear political advantage.

He saw an opening, an opportunity, in the original game plan of those who had earlier attempted to play the entitlement game. And he used that opportunity to put a large number of voters in his corner, and that of his party, probably permanently. This guy has been doing his political homework. The first generational Virgin Islander is the swiftest growing voter group in the Virgin Islands.

The dangers of Demographic politics

Now, demographic politics is just one step away from racial or ethnic politics. And two great examples of the dangers inherent in divide and rule politics are Guyana and Trinidad over the past half century, and then some.

Since independence from Britain, successful politicians in these two states have owed their seats of power to the support received from blacks and Indians, and how closely their own ethnicity and race identify with these much prized racial groups. The ability to foster and nurture ugly race stereotypes, and create racial division and discord, touches the lowest common denominator of the human soul. And political leaders who use race, tribe, ethnicity, demography, and nationality to pursue power frequently succeed. But at a heavy price to the countries they rule.

The game of demographics is becoming a feature of Virgin Islands politics. This is not as poisonous to the social cohesion of a country as race. However, it is just one step away.

The Virgin Islands opposition mute on migration & entitlement

There is more. It is ironic indeed that the opposition was wise enough not to take the bait in this Virgin Islands citizenship by birth affair. The main opposing group in contemporary Virgin Islands politics appears to have wisely abandoned this nationalist and entitlement element of a section of the national media. It stayed mute on this subject. It had the political savvy to understand that association with entitlement politics in a complex demography, as the Virgin Islands clearly has become, would have clearly been politically detrimental. Indeed, the politics of division would have painted this powerful outfit as divisive and nationalist; leaving the opposition out of favour with the swiftest growing voting bloc in the Virgin Islands: first generation Virgin Islanders.

Another observation is this one. The politics of divide and rule has created its own 800 pound gorilla. It has introduced demographics into Virgin Islands politics. The divide and rule proponents have created a new playing field in which politicians will from now on have to appeal to different population subsets to have any hope of power.

Virgin Islands Commentators: the fall guys in the political game

But what is clearly ironic is that in this game of divisive political chess, it was the Virgin Islands commentator who got checkmated. The opinion element of the Fourth Estate took the hit. It was the commentator who fell into the well laid trap set by a political sharpshooter.

It was the columnist who played into the hands of Niccolo Machiavelli. And the Fourth Estate has not only paid a price in this matter; but the journalist and commentator will continue to pay that price for some time. One only needs to assess the comments on the blogs when commentators and their views are highlighted, to get a very unscientific perspective of public opinion; and how high or low the commentator is in the public’s estimation.

The Virgin Islands commentator has been made to look like he or she is siding with the darker elements in Virgin Islands politics.  And nothing annoys a demographic more, than when they perceive that they are being singled out, or unfairly treated, for simply being who they are. Ask single mothers, gays, Latinas, and blacks in the USA, and one very rich white politician and his assertions in late 2011, that the US poor and middle classes are scroungers.

Be careful with demographic politics: it can be very unpredictable.

To be continued...

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