The Rasheed Griffith Show

The podcast dives into the stalled gay rights movement in the Caribbean, revealing how shortcuts in advocacy could lead to severe backlash. It discusses the 'gay drain,' where educated individuals leave the region for better opportunities, leaving behind a more radicalized advocacy scene. The hosts highlight the contrast between experiences in Washington D.C. and the Caribbean, examine the disconnect between local and global movements, and critique the effectiveness of pride parades in fostering real change.

Send us a textThe traditional definition of sovereignty is not afforded to the small island states of the Caribbean and should be redefined in our newly evolved and globalized world. Ivelaw Griffith joins us for another insightful discussion of the political balance of the Caribbean, this time in the context of true independence versus perceived independence."Who is really paying the bills?" Dr. Griffith brings attention to the honesty of politicians and their willingness to have difficult talks with the population on the true nature of financing and governance in a region that is still deeply connected and in some cases vertically integrated with their colonial parents. "Where has the political willpower gone?" The stagnation of the socio-political landscape of the Caribbean has dulled the electorate's curiosity to the idea of competent and dynamic governance. Interest in necessary unions like CARICOM and their continued improvement are falling by the wayside in the minds of more recent generations. Why?Without answering these pertinent questions, the most basic pillars of stability in the Caribbean remain shaky, especially regarding immigration, crime, and resource allocation.

Send us a textEconomic collapse, the largest native exodus in Latin American history, and border woes with Guyana. In this episode, we sit with political analyst Parsifal D'Sola to unravel the last three decades of Venezuela's tumultuous history and the path ahead for the embattled former juggernaut of South America. Venezuela has fallen from its prized position as the most influential economy on the continent. Its financial influence is now only felt in the massive burden imposed by the mass migration of its citizens away from their homeland. 30% of the country has now fled, leaving all but a few cities like Caracas as centers of any viable economic activity. While Parsifal acknowledges some stability being established, he also posits that this is mostly due to the country hitting rock bottom. After all, you can only go up from absolute ruin. The political landscape, now stunted by incumbent President Maduro is facing a slim chance of revival via María Corina Machado, who despite being banned from running, has named her alternate candidate Corina Yoris on a platform that poses a credible threat to the Maduro hegemony. But what exactly has kept Maduro in power throughout Venezuela's precipitous decline? A cabal of business owners who have benefitted from nepotism may be a key cornerstone of the administration's continued existence. Alternate sources of income to prop up the ailing government and the legitimacy granted by close ties to Beijing also complicate any efforts to turn the country's political fortunes around. In this episode, we examine the current state of Venezuela and try to ascertain where the country could go from here. 

Send us a textAnd we mean that. Rihanna's cultural relevance (despite her foray into cosmetics and fashion) remains deeply rooted in Caribbean society. Behind the generic summer beats and a few questionable lyrics, lies a regional thinker who has created 8 memorable albums, each chronicling her own evolution and development as an artist. Join us for another frank musical discussion, journeying from "Pon De Replay" to "Work", as we cover Rihanna's cultural influence and contributions to the Caribbean's sociopolitical landscape.This episode contains some adult language and references. Listener discretion is advised. 

Send us a textHow do we categorize the Milei administration and its policies? Today on the show, we're joined by Argentinian economist Iván Carrino in a deep dive into political movements throughout the country's history, from the authoritarian economics of Juan Domingo Perón to the controversial interventionism of the Kirchners. Can Milei's own brand of Libertarian populism work to revitalize Argentina? Argentina has fallen from lofty heights, and all eyes are on Javier Milei to right the ship. Once having the highest GDP per capita in Latin America, Argentina is now eclipsed by Chile, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay. We explore the ideologies over successive governments that have eroded Argentina's stability, namely the mantra of "spend, spend, spend" that has ballooned the country's deficits in what has been deemed a decadent approach to economics. Iván takes us through the evolution of "La casta," a seemingly ever-changing metaphor used by incumbent political parties to provide direction for public outrage, which Milei's administration has flipped yet maintained its effectiveness to the voters. Milei's most recent victory, "Ley Bases," a collection of laws aimed at fiscal correction through privatization, shows there is hope yet for his congressional capabilities, which were in question in no small due to the hyper-conservative ideologies of his colleagues. The same ideologies could clash with Milei's strident Libertarianism. And what of his aspirations for dollarization in the early days of the campaign trail? They are on the back burner for now. Milei's current objective is balancing Argentina's fiscal budget and controlling inflation. Then, once those previous US dollars can be shored up to back the peso, dollarization may finally return to the fore.

Send us a textOn this episode, we're joined by Patri Friedman of Pronomos Capital to discuss the more practical facets of building a charter city. What are the building blocks of a viable charter city project? At what milestone can a charter city be deemed successful, and what common mistakes can a nascent city stumble upon? Friedman himself is in favour of corporate governance, but also expands on and compares alternative methods of administration and explores the pitfalls that could lead to the undesired discontent or even rebellion of a charter city, what he creatively calls the 'Avatar Effect' - after the events between the colonists and native inhabitants of James Cameron's fictional movie series.  Freidman warns that while no system is perfect, the key is not to enact drastic or sweeping changes that could leave sizable portions of the city's population unhappy, which would lead to a quick undoing. At what point does a charter city earn its title? The consensus varies as the industry evolves, however, Patri suggests that at least 10% of the legislation needs to diverge from that of the host state, in favor of more dynamic development within the charter city. The clearest success story today is Prospera in Honduras, which meets the criteria of not just substantial legislative self-determination, but sound legal standing for its existence that is enshrined in the host country's constitution. He is clear, however, that a charter city's goal is neither independence nor sovereignty from the host state. So what are the goals? Higher earnings, a better state of life, and economic contribution to the greater state, directly through the addition of resources or indirectly through the migration of skill and talent. A charter city should spur the development of various industries, like Endeavor in Kenya which is now responsible for a sizable portion of the country's coffee cultivation. Patri argues that the attributes of a charter city are not easily transplanted onto existing settlements as it could displace and disenfranchise those who already live there. But perhaps some of those very attributes are just what the micro-states of the Caribbean need in some capacity to breathe new life into their stalled socio-economic engines.

Send us a textIn a previous episode (Madrid: the Capital of Capitalism), we explored the nature of governance in Spain's capital. However, the bigger picture for the largest country on the Iberian peninsula is one of political turmoil and deadlock. Economist Daniel Lacalle joins us for a thought-provoking discussion and a somewhat cautionary tale for the Caribbean region.The current political stalemate stems from the 2017 Catalonia Declaration of Independence, which Lacalle describes as more of an unconstitutional pantomime of an actual coup d'état. Despite having no legal or even historical basis for independence, Lacalle notes the knock effects that this event has had on Spanish politics even to this day. The parties who engineered and participated in the coup have been allowed to form a coalition government which is unsurprisingly and consistently at loggerheads with the ideologically dissimilar ruling party it is now bonded with. A major point of contention is a recently passed amnesty law that allows the most egregious offenders, to be pardoned for sedition and thus remain in power. The result is a stagnant legislative and executive arm of government that is paralyzed by infighting. How does Spain's prosperity persist against these odds? Lacalle posits that the country is not where it should be economically. And that the government's growth reports are mostly deceptive, hiding inflationary gains following the downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic. This resembles the reporting from some Caribbean countries, keen on maintaining the delusion of a rebound after the hard-hitting effects of global tourism shutdowns. The key takeaway is the air of distraction from the real economic and political thorns in Spain's proverbial sides and the lengths to which a discordant government will go, to deflect from these issues. Once again, how can the Caribbean region learn from the pitfalls of political fracturing that can grossly impede the progress of even the world's largest economies? 

Send us a textOn this episode of the show, Rasheed is joined by international lawyer Thomas Laryea, who specializes in the mediation process for sovereign debt restructuring. As a senior lawyer with the IMF, Thomas holds a unique vantage point at the tables of the negotiation between state debtors and creditors when financial instability requires a reevaluation of ongoing agreements.The Caribbean is no stranger to Laryea's field, with several members having undergone their own restructuring processes. Of particular note is Suriname's own recent restructuring, which came under scrutiny in the public eye for it's long-winded execution and apparent delays brought about by the largest creditor, China. Thomas explores the intricacies of of the negotiation process, an outlines factors that could lead to the perception of overdrawn negotiations.What makes a good or bad deal? There's no one size-fits all for restructuring. Sovereign debt restructuring is handled case-by-case. Dynamic solutions must be brought to the table to bring each party as close as possible to their perceived conditions for a win. The negotiations must also account for future investment opportunities and ideally provide new vehicles for additional financing in the long term.Climate change poses a significant threat to the Caribbean region with many territories lacking the necessary financing to implement infrastructural and policy changes needed to weather the upcoming crises. Here, Thomas offers advice for governments seeking funding solutions across both private and public liquidity pools. The climate conundrum will be a broad challenge for small island states, and broad solutions will therefore be required to meet that challenge. 

Send us a textNavigate the Barbadian political landscape with Rasheed Griffith and CPSI Podcast Producer Shem Best. In this episode, we discuss the evolution and decline of governance on the island, starting with one of its most prolific Prime Ministers, Owen Arthur. What tipped the scales for the David Thompson administration's rise after over a decade of BLP rule? What disastrous decisions paved the way for Mottley's landslide victory in 2018? Barbados' Westminster-style government structure has created one of the world's most stable democracies with over three centuries of an uninterrupted parliament  (the 3rd oldest in the Western Hemisphere). However, its two-party arrangement has also generated predictable levels of stagnation throughout all levels of leadership which can result in knee-jerk reactions from the electorate, easily swayed by domestic and international pressures.  We explore milestones in industry and policymaking that have produced one of the most tumultuous political environments the island has experienced since the early years of independence. From self-harming fiscal and monetary legislation to the resulting physical deterioration of the island's infrastructure and the compounding shocks of international events, join us in this two-part series on how the Gem of the Caribbean lost its luster. (All over afternoon tea)

Send us a textWhere does Caribbean tech infrastructure stand today? Join Cybersecurity expert Neil Harper as we investigate the slowdown in innovation and standards adoption that could further erode the region's competitiveness and digital integrity.  Could 5G benefit the Caribbean? Neil says yes, outlining the surface benefits of the latest in cellular data technologies and how they could provide resilience in a disaster-prone region. 5G offers the opportunity to bolster telecommunications infrastructure with a smaller footprint that is less susceptible to natural phenomena like hurricanes.What about security? The Caribbean has become a breeding ground for nefarious cyber activity, owing to a failure to adopt more stringent policies to protect its citizen's data. With the digitization of entire industries underway, a more systematic and meaningful approach to how information is handled, both at the business and legislative levels, will be required.