Ronald Michael Sanders: The Intellectual Fraud Destroying Democracy

By Kwame Nkosi Romeo

Genuine elections are a necessary and fundamental component of an environment that protects and promotes human rights.

-OHCHR and elections

On Monday, November 29, 2021, the popular Observer Radio FM 91.1 Snakepit show 'Knight at Night' hosted by Mr. Dane Knight and the show's prominent advocate, Ian 'Majik' Hughes, commented on Antigua and Barbuda immigration amnesty and voting issues.

Soon after Knight and Hughes tore down the Antigua Labor Party (ALP) facade of democracy, keyboard activists instantly jam-packed Observer WhatsApp with unkind messages. These exploitable minions failed to grasp the dialogue, severely reprimanding ALP's underhanded immigration policy that violates human rights. This scheme has caused political and social tension in Antigua and Barbuda.

Once again, on January 4, 2022, the efficient host voiced concern that the ALP's lousy governance is hellacious to the working class, the poorest and most vulnerable, fighting for democracy. 

Both discussions dealt with the ALP government's political psychology and clinging to the "foreign" vote based on the ALP repressive white paper of democratic deficits: We must win at all costs and maintain our hold on government, dated January 1, 1999.

The author of the white paper is believably Politically Exposed Person (PEP), Ronald Michael Sanders. Sanders was under investigation for Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co, Ltd (IHI) widespread rip-off disappearing in a web of bank accounts following the ALP election loss after 28 years to the United Progressive Party (UPP) on March 23, 2004. 

The primary goal of this cruel white paper, covertly titled 'For Your Eyes Only,' embodies the perpetual doctrine of ALP abuse of power against citizens' lives or rights; indeed, it is Totalitarianism. 

That Hitlerism on August 8, 2021, of teargas, bullets, and police hostility is forever in people's minds and a repeat of many injustices.

During ALP's loss and election victory on June 12, 2014, Sanders moved from hollow-hearted Ambassador to Person Of Interest (POI) in the IHI fraud case. Consequently, Sanders hid from Antigua and Barbuda law enforcement but conveniently met with the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Mary Kramer, on March 22, 2006, in Bridgetown, Barbados. Sanders's mysterious meeting was under the pretext of sharing information about other Caribbean leaders and Antigua and Barbuda citizens. 

(Cable: 06Bridgetown588_a-WikiLeaks)

In reality, Kramer duly noted Sanders's dishonorable and corrupt political life: 

"Sanders is linked to a bank under investigation. He used to be Chairman of Swiss/Israeli businessman Bruce Rappaport's Swiss American Banking Group in Antigua. Rappaport and the bank are at the center of a corruption probe that the new Antiguan government is conducting into the Lester Bird regime."

The IHI 36-page documents stamped "confidential opinion" involve ALP corrupt ministers:

"The 36-page document outlines in significant detail a scheme by government ministers and officials to skim money from gasoline taxes collected by the GOAB and allocate to finance a loan taken out from a Japanese company to finance the construction of a desalination plant. The report outlines how, by setting up a series of shell companies, granting non-transparent concessions to collect revenue from public sources, and over-reporting the size of the loan itself, a number of senior members of the government were able to funnel some $14 million into their own pockets."

Sanders was excessively confident, not knowing Kramer's character assessment was unfavorable. The meeting began with Sanders praising one Caribbean prime minister while criticizing two others, speaking well of the prime minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, stating Arthur "is the only PM pushing Caribbean integration."

Simultaneously asserting prime ministers Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda and Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are responsible for the OECS's failure to meet the January 1 CSME "launch" deadline. Sanders's smear campaign against Spencer and Gonsalves was grudge-bearing. According to Caricom's Council for Trade and Development (COTED), nine of the 15 CARICOM Member States "...have signaled their intent to follow by March 31, 2006." (COTED continues the march to CSME on January 6, 2006)

In addition, Sanders touched on the social conduct of Caribbean Ambassadors and Cabinet officials in Antigua but ignored substantial financial deposits into his offshore account. Indeed, Kramer was aware that Sanders had turned Queen's evidence against other Caribbean Ambassadors and Cabinet officials in connection with:

-Caribbean Ambassadors in Washington spend much time at the OAS and not enough time engaging the United States Government (USG). 

-Cabinet officials in Antigua are pursuing the WTO case against the U.S. (over Internet gambling) for personal gain. As well as hinting that Antigua and Barbuda Finance Minister Errol Cort, leading his country's WTO Internet gambling challenge against the U.S., has a significant personal financial stake in the Antiguan gaming industry.

Then again, Sanders's misconduct in public office is evident in the IHI extortion case, no different from the scandal-ridden ALP government thievery in the gaming industry.

Isn't it time to declare Ronald Michael Sanders persona non grata?

Sanders's infamous character and political objective of victimizing the citizenry is well-documented in We Must Win At All Cost and Maintain Our Hold on Government and clearly outlined in 8.1 (b) (c); 

(b) Between the dáte of the election and December 1999, you must permit an additional 7,000 immigrants- Chinese, Jamaicans, Guyanese, and Dominicans: Monsterratians for good P.R.

(c) It is a way to cut the monthly and weekly salary in half by replacing them with lower čost labour.

Sanders swears to ALP prime minister Lester Bryant Bird that these two critical factors assure workers will know that "their existence depends upon you, thus guaranteeing your vote at each subsequent election." This lawless ideology gives a cruel insight into ALP's inequitable system, and a still-used voting plan to oppress workers' rights and salaries is a National Shame! The disempowerment of local people must stop. 

As a feature of existing poverty, the Gini coefficient emphasizes the nation's skewed Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP per capita. Prime Minister Gaston Browne was disingenuous not to report the Gini coefficient is far worse under his leadership, moving from 48% in 2014 to 82.3% in 2019, more disadvantaged than Haiti's 80.1%. Today, the twin-island nation is most poverty-stricken!

In 2019, the twin-island nation ranked second in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and number three in CARICOM as an unequal society. (The Global wealth databook 2019- Credit Suisse -Table 3-1: Wealth pattern within countries, 2019, page 117)

Nonetheless, Browne boasts that Antigua and Barbuda are the richest in GDP but ignores the growing inequality.

Despite this, some people are susceptible to Browne's GDP economic hogwash, not thinking emerging crises of worst inequality are on the horizon. A passage from We Must Win At All Cost - Campaign & Money summarizes ALP political depravity, decades of cruelty, and Sanders collusion 3.1 (b) (e) and 10.2 (c):

(b) We must be prepared to pay utility bills; I would advise large-scale targeting disconnections of all utility services for even minimum arrears.

(e) Serious consideration must be given to giving cash to potential voters before the day of the election- I would suggest from $1,000 to $5,000; the candidate would make this determination.

The ALP talks about the virtue of democracy. Still, Sanders's callous words expose ALP's unwavering belief in crushing the Opposition parties and giving ALP infinite power- 10.2 (c):

10.2 (c) May I remind you that the Opposition parties and politicians cannot be allowed to function in the present free and fearless atmosphere after the election, or else you will not last as long as Prime Minister.

The situation is even more dangerous for the people who cannot discern the truth and are subservient to the ALP.

The argument is not critical of our CARICOM colleagues but opposed to ALP's misuse of power. Many theories suggest that the inflow of migrants eventually helped the ALP and Sanders's white paper agenda for decades and was commonly exercised by the ALP to tyrannize locals. Due to this ideology, democracy is threatened and infringes on citizens' rights.

Do these issues not concern our CARICOM colleagues?

Critics of CARICOM residents are aware of their home country's circumstances, our twin-island state's struggling economy, and the menacing dilemma of the Sanders Apartheid white paper. The white paper emphasizes sabotaging local people's franchise sovereignty in favor of ALP sustaining power is the crux of the vexation.

ALP's political treachery exposes Sanders Apartheid's white paper of divide and rule tactics and gradual conquest, which is why local people's voices must rise and vote to end this sorry episode. As put in words by Martin Luther King Jr., "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

These are serious issues why we continue to raise our voices against indiscriminate voting and the illegal white paper. 

Another deceit was Sanders's inaction and foreign policy failure concerning the Guyana government's imprisonment and deportation of Haitians who fled economic exploitation and political abuse. The Republic of Haiti has been a CARICOM member country since July 2, 2002, but has been treated brutally by all CARICOM member countries by stopping their exodus to freedom.

None is different from these people's imprisonment and deportation, exposing Sanders as part of a racial cruelty echo chamber. Sanders's most recent article condemns former U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration hatred. In contrast, Sanders forgives Guyana president Irfaan Ali's ideology of racial stratification.

Ali's action is comparable to Sanders's white paper; this time, bringing in people from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to work in Guyana to marginalize the rights of Afro-Guyanese is corrupt!

Why is Sanders not concerned about the happenings in his native Guyana?

Similar attitudes of barring the people of Haiti from entering any CARICOM country must immediately cease since it's an unjust practice. Caribbean migration, democratic inequality, and prejudices are against the people of Haiti. CARICOM must apply the freedom of movement equally to all member states! 

Do nothing, and this political repression continues!

"Each generation must, out of relative obscurity,  discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it."

― Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth