The Dutch Caribbean and Transitions in United States-Caribbean Relations

Abstract

The Dutch Caribbean territories are considering their political future in a context of change in world political-economy. The crisis of the world economy, their own experiences with neo-colonial growth strategies, and the vicarious experiences with independence and cooperation in the region combine to deprive Antilleans of their innocence. The remainder of this chapter considers the implications of these common Caribbean conditions and the unique conditions the Dutch Caribbean holds for encounters with the United States, as these relations attempt to find their context in the five transitions which have occurred over the last four decades. In both the English-speaking and Dutch Caribbean, measures such as minimum wage, dismissal and termination laws, greater responsiveness to trade unions and greater investment in public housing and social services were undertaken. In this regard, trends in the Dutch Caribbean as the 1980s draw to a close are not encouraging.