THE confession fashion seems to have spread to Grenada. I read that Bishop's killers now accept full blame for the 1983 killings in Grenada. That's not telling us anything new. Every sane observer has known this for a long time.

Good old-fashioned communism or, if you wish, Marxism was, and I suppose, still is, a form of religious fanaticism. Anyone who stood in the way of the Holy Revolution had to be liquidated. Stalin had millions of Russian peasant farmers murdered, because they stood in the way of Communist Collectivisation. Bishop's sin was that although he headed a Communist party, he was also more of a populist and also, in his way, a reasonably decent and sane man. So when his innate decency became a threat to the Grenadian Revolution he, and those who supported him, had to be killed.

At that time, while I was watching events in Grenada, I was also watching events in Jamaica with care. I realised that if the Marxists in Jamaica had ever managed to take full control of the PNP, the fate of Michael Manley, who always was more of a populist than a Marxist, would have been the same in Jamaica as Bishop's was in Grenada. In spite of deep political differences, I was always fond of Michael Manley, and we always got on very well on a personal level. Talking to him at that time, I warned him, that in a similar situation in Jamaica he would be killed. He told me that he was perfectly aware of that risk, and that he would never put himself or Jamaica in that position. Fortunately he never did.

Regarding world affairs at that time, it was impossible not to be aware of a profound irony. England, at war with Germany, had inherited Stalin's Russia as an ally, and the two greatest tyrannies in Europe were at one another's throats. I am convinced that without Russia, England would have gone down in defeat, and even American intervention could not have turned the scales. The freedom-loving people of the world can therefore be grateful to at least one cruel dictatorship for saving their democratic bacon. The moral of this, if you can call it so, is that if you want to keep a whole skin, you've got to play off one nasty lot against another.

The infamous 17 in Grenada should have been hanged. Had they been, they would not have lived to repent, which I suppose will strengthen the arguments of those who oppose capital punishment. That's all very well, but the question remains. Is it worth taking a chance on repentance? Perhaps, it is, for look how respectable and benign our own ex-Marxists have now become!

As to Grenada, while the present regrets and apologies which are being made by Bernard Coard and company, may be genuine, I can't help feeling that the whole business is also a ploy to get themselves released from prison.

A MATTER OF DISHONOUR

I think Colonel Lloyd has behaved rather badly about his decoration. The reference to his military service in the citation was apparently omitted because of his resignation from the army some time ago. I am not really concerned about that argument, but when one is offered a decoration, it seems a bit unfortunate to get into a big discussion as to the terms of it. Colonel Lloyd should have either accepted his decoration with grace or turned it down quietly without a fuss. To get into a big brouhaha with the Government about it is really not fitting for an officer and (supposedly) a gentleman.

DISCOUNTING

Francis Tulloch our Tourism Minister has been warning small hoteliers from the Caribbean region about the dangers of discounting their prices. I am glad that those concerned with tourism have at last awakened, (officially at any rate) to the dangers. It's been going on in Jamaica for quite a long time now, and not only by the small hoteliers. The Minister should also take a look at the commissions paid to travel agencies. I am told that these commissions are very large. This is, of course, another form of discounting, and I have an idea that the travel agencies have been squeezing some of our hotels for all they are worth. I find it difficult to understand why all this discounting should be necessary, for the value of the Jamaican dollar, relative to the US dollar, is already the equivalent of a large discount. With the US dollar able to buy about 40 Jamaican dollars, any American with US$20 in his pocket should be able to buy a large amount of accommodation in Jamaica. If we continue discounting at the rate we are doing, it might soon be possible for an American tourist to buy a day's accommodation in some hotels for US10 cents.

Cayman is doing very nicely thank you, and its tourism is greatly aided by a considerable number of Jamaicans. But these Jamaicans are "good" Jamaicans, as Jamaicans always are when in a foreign country, which keeps them under heavy manners. Those Jamaicans who are not, are in jail, which of course is where they ought to be.

Unfortunately in Jamaica, we seem unable to keep our bad Jamaicans in jail. Not only do they escape from police lockups with the greatest of ease, but some have now walked out of the General Penitentiary without interference. It is said that they were seen at the entrance taking taxis. At the next jail-break they will no doubt have a stretch limo waiting for them, to take them for lunch at the Pegasus.

I don't suppose that the waiters will be able to tell the difference between them and some of the former bankers who regularly lunch there.