"The story of Antigua, its ruling family, and the corruption that has swept over the island since 1978 provides the core of this penetrating investigation of the Caribbean's dirtiest little secret. But surrounding that core is the equally disturbing account of the United States indifference to, and deep involvement with, that corruption. First brought to public light in author Robert Coram's lengthy New Yorker article about Antigua and Barbuda, these shocking truths about a presumed island paradise are now fully revealed for the first time:" "Despite its tourist-based economy, Antigua presents the greatest large-scale health hazard of any Caribbean island. Raw sewage from more than a dozen hotels and restaurants is pumped into the sea in the middle of the island's two most popular beaches." "Since 1978, the United States has spent nearly $200 million in Antigua to maintain and expand virtually useless air force and naval bases to support a friendly but bloodsucking regime." "On at least three occasions the United States Navy smuggled arms to South Africa by transshipment through Antigua, in defiance of the United Nations embargo." "The United States Embassy in Antigua, its smallest in the world, has been presided over by a charge d'affaires who has twice been investigated by the State Department." "Among the many notorious, celebrated, and shady personages who appear in the book are Robert Vesco, the fugitive capitalist who cheated investors out of more than $200 million and who is still wanted in this country for an illegal campaign contribution to Richard Nixon; Gerald Bull, the mysterious arms-building genius who was assassinated in Brussels; Rodriguez Gacha of the Medellin drug cartel; Donald and Ivana Trump; Saddam Hussein; and Rosanno Brazzi, the 1950s movie star of South Pacific, who was indicted for gunrunning. And overriding them all are the members of Antigua's ruling family, the Birds, most particularly Prime Minister Vere Cornwall Bird and two of his sons, Lester and Vere, Jr." "V. C. Bird has held power longer than any other ruler in the world; and the unfolding of his descent into ruthlessness, greed, and venality is especially dismaying. For it was he who led his people's movement for freedom from the yoke of colonialism, only to destroy the dream he helped create."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"The story of Antigua, its ruling family, and the corruption that has swept over the island since 1978 provides the core of this penetrating investigation of the Caribbean's dirtiest little secret. But surrounding that core is the equally disturbing account of the United States indifference to, and deep involvement with, that corruption. First brought to public light in author Robert Coram's lengthy New Yorker article about Antigua and Barbuda, these shocking truths about a presumed island paradise are now fully revealed for the first time:" "Despite its tourist-based economy, Antigua presents the greatest large-scale health hazard of any Caribbean island. Raw sewage from more than a dozen hotels and restaurants is pumped into the sea in the middle of the island's two most popular beaches." "Since 1978, the United States has spent nearly $200 million in Antigua to maintain and expand virtually useless air force and naval bases to support a friendly but bloodsucking regime." "On at least three occasions the United States Navy smuggled arms to South Africa by transshipment through Antigua, in defiance of the United Nations embargo." "The United States Embassy in Antigua, its smallest in the world, has been presided over by a charge d'affaires who has twice been investigated by the State Department." "Among the many notorious, celebrated, and shady personages who appear in the book are Robert Vesco, the fugitive capitalist who cheated investors out of more than $200 million and who is still wanted in this country for an illegal campaign contribution to Richard Nixon; Gerald Bull, the mysterious arms-building genius who was assassinated in Brussels; Rodriguez Gacha of the Medellin drug cartel; Donald and Ivana Trump; Saddam Hussein; and Rosanno Brazzi, the 1950s movie star of South Pacific, who was indicted for gunrunning. And overriding them all are the members of Antigua's ruling family, the Birds, most particularly Prime Minister Vere Cornwall Bird and two of his sons, Lester and Vere, Jr." "V. C. Bird has held power longer than any other ruler in the world; and the unfolding of his descent into ruthlessness, greed, and venality is especially dismaying. For it was he who led his people's movement for freedom from the yoke of colonialism, only to destroy the dream he helped create."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This volume provides the first comprehensive assessment of post-Cold War US-Caribbean relations. Focusing on Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad-Tobago, the book looks at the political history of the region during the Cold War years, the region's current political economy, international security, and issues of migration and crime. Spanning the Caribbean's linguistic and cultural sub regions (Spanish, French, English, and Dutch) it calls attention to the achievements, setbacks, and concerns that are common to the region. The United States and the Caribbean will be of interest to students and scholars of economics, geography and politics and international relations in general.

This volume does four things. Firstly it examines the nexus between the illegal narcotics enterprise as a social phenomenon and political economy as a scholarly issue area. Secondly it explores the regional and global contexts of the political economy of illegal narcotics operations in the Caribbean. Thirdly it assesses some of the political economy connections and consequences of the enterprise in the region. Finally, it discusses some of the measures adopted to contend with the illegal drug challenge in the area.

From your baby's perspective, choosing the right nanny is probably the most important decision a parent can ever make: this book is about making the best possible choice. Coming home to an abused, badly injured, or even deceased child is a parent's most horrific, unimaginable scenario. And yet it happens: In 2012, two small children died while in the care of a nanny. The Nanny Time Bomb is the most accurate and comprehensive analysis of the current crisis in child care, offering case studies and practical advice to help parents make the most educated, well-informed decision when choosing a nanny for their child. The book takes the reader through various types of nannies—from graduates to undocumented workers—thus allowing parents to see how the industry has evolved far past schoolgirl babysitters. Setting itself apart, Jacalyn S. Burke's exploration of the different types of nannies offers a new perspective on child care not only for parents but also for those interested in larger sociological trends. This book gives a voice to the often-unheard grievances of nannies, showing why they may snap; explaining how to prevent tragedies; and describing how parenting has evolved. The author's examination of current cultural and social trends will be useful for a wide readership beyond parents.

Caribbean Women Writers and Globalization offers a fresh reading of contemporary literature by Caribbean women in the context of global and local economic forces, providing a valuable corrective to much Caribbean feminist literary criticism. Departing from the trend towards thematic diasporic studies, Helen Scott considers each text in light of its national historical and cultural origins while also acknowledging regional and international patterns. Though the work of Caribbean women writers is apparently less political than the male-dominated literature of national liberation, Scott argues that these women nonetheless express the sociopolitical realities of the postindependent Caribbean, providing insight into the dynamics of imperialism that survive the demise of formal colonialism. In addition, she identifies the specific aesthetic qualities that reach beyond the confines of geography and history in the work of such writers as Oonya Kempadoo, Jamaica Kincaid, Edwidge Danticat, Pauline Melville, and Janice Shinebourne. Throughout, Scott's persuasive and accessible study sustains the dialectical principle that art is inseparable from social forces and yet always strains against the limits they impose. Her book will be an indispensable resource for literature and women's studies scholars, as well as for those interested in postcolonial, cultural, and globalization studies.

Political corruption in the Caribbean Basin retards state economic growth and development, undermines government legitimacy, and threatens state security. In spite of recent anti-corruption efforts of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations (IGO/NGOs), Caribbean political corruption problems appear to be worsening in the post-Cold War period. This work discovers why IGO/NGO efforts to arrest corruption are failing by investigating the domestic and international causes of political corruption in the Caribbean.