The ramifications of the BBC Panorama episode of January 30^th , “Secrets of a Tory Billionaire” have already started to ripple out. 

When looked at a few months from now, or a few years from now, the revelations in this program will be regarded as signaling as fundamental an inflection point in the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands as was the release of the interim and final judgment of the highly respected jurist Sir Robin Auld at the conclusion of his Commission of Inquiry in early 2009.

Some of the most fundamentally important issues of our time find themselves represented in the unfolding DRAMA that is the Turks and Caicos Islands.

•        Democracy and the influence of wealthy individuals

•        Public / Private funding of elections, politicians and political parties

•        Freedom and the intimidation of the press

•        Crony capitalism

•        Wanton abuse of the environment

Many of these issues will now gather significant additional international press and attention.  This has already started and will continue to grow.

We would be wise to pay attention and learn from these experiences of ours and not seek to blindly return to places we long ago outgrew.

We have a once in a generation, or perhaps a once in a century, opportunity of having the entire world watch us and support us as we attempt to build a better, more open and more egalitarian society here in these Turks and Caicos Islands.

Let us not miss or abuse this opportunity.

Respectfully,

TCIJournal@gmail.com, Editors@TCIJournal.com