Don't blame the people for the Caribbean's failures Sir Ronald Sanders Sunday, July 11, 2010 SOME leaders of Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom) countries often suggest that the slow progress of regional integration is due to a lack of "trust and understanding" among the people. Certainly this was the view expressed by Bruce Golding, the prime minister of Jamaica, at the opening of the 31st Caricom Heads of Government Conference in Jamaica. Interestingly, Golding also said that integration also requires "building trust and understanding" among the leaders themselves. He is right on both counts. But if the citizens of Caricom countries lack trust and understanding of the benefits of regional integration, the blame lies with the leaders. Over the last 20 years of Caricom's existence, the people of the region have been fed a regular diet of Caricom-bashing in the media. That bashing was - and is - conducted by Caricom leaders...