Ronald Thwaites | Let us take a sober look

It is a reproach to every principle of human solidarity that we as Jamaicans, and our government, show so little concern about the people of Haiti. More Haitians than all the people living in Jamaica are suffering from acute hunger, the breakdown of order, and the spread of deadly diseases. These are the descendants of people who broke the back of colonial rule in the Caribbean. More than that, they are human beings of the same race as most of us and they are desperately in need of support.

What is CARICOM’s response, or that of the Organization of American States? I have heard of nothing so far. Do the rulers of Jamaica believe that Haiti’s maladies are not contagious here? We are supposed to be different because the high-ranking policeman said we have no “third-generation gangs” bold enough to take on the State. Really? Remember Dudus and the entire Cabinet who grovelled to his empire until the Americans got ‘renk’ and cauterised the coup.

And why is it that with all the big argument about land capture at Bernard Lodge, there has been no “person of interest” bulletin, no “pre-charge arrest without bail” of the supposed Clansman real estate agents who are said to be selling land? Who is in charge around there anyway? As one who has been engaged with squatters for decades, please check inside state agencies for the racket which often starts there.

Anyway, what’s the morality, or if you don’t believe in morality, even the practical point of the Crown (i.e. King Charles and his local realtors) owning uncounted acres of land while a million and more, on whose behalf governments exist, can’t get a square to live on?

RUN BY CABAL

Haiti’s condition is the consequence of the breakdown of the institutions of mutual trust, of order and justice which command the confidence of the majority of citizens. The place is run by a cabal.

Jamaica is not like Haiti. but if we leave ourselves careless, the same weakening of institutions can slide us in their direction. Pretence, corruption and tribalism cause institutional fractures which undermine the glorious experience of freedom in both countries.

The heroes we celebrate today showed magnanimity of purpose about their Jamaican-ness. They were willing to sacrifice all for unselfish ends. It is that spiritual turned political virtue which is supposed to inspire us. Is that happening this Heroes’ Day? No. So what is the compelling ethic which binds us as Jamaicans and propels us to lives of service and productivity? Catchy music and fast runners are not enough.

As for the economy, the IMF tells us that the “worst is yet to come”. That’s terrifying unless we are going to have serious talk among ourselves about how to cope with our ‘mawga’ incomes and high prices and how food and energy sufficiency are going to be achieved. Not happening.

Mr Holness says very fittingly last week, that his preoccupation now is not to seek after the political power (because he has it already?) but to ensure that his legacy will be that Jamaicans are in a better position at his departure from office than it was at his accession. As it looks, the legacy he craves is very unlikely, no matter how long he is allowed to continue in office.

If you have position and you really don’t know what to do with it or you just can’t manage, it is best to seek help or to leave before you mash up people’s future. That’s strength, not weakness; greatness of spirit rather than selfishness. Political engagement is purposeful only when it enhances the lives of the most vulnerable, not when it contributes to the “grab ’n’ go” of the tribe.

FAVOUR OF THE FEW

As things run now, more people will squat, more gangsters will be spawned, the Bob Marley beaches of the nation will likely be sold off to foreigners and GDP growth, however large, will continue to be skewed in favour of the few. Check Haiti again.

Senator Councillor Sinclair gets the point clearly. Enough of his green colleagues don’t. He said legislators relegate themselves to giving out care packages, back-to-school supplies and deciding who fixes potholes instead of legislating and advancing policy.

Councillors like him have no power even over public sanitation, and when last have you heard members of parliament, like AMH, seriously taking on land reform, foreign policy (we are still supporting Trump’s puppet in Venezuela to our detriment) or comprehensive education transformation?

Attending, consensually, not by diktat (it really isn’t all up to you Sir, and the orange people are not the enemy), to far-reaching policy and execution on these and other issues should form your legacy. This entails a very different type of political leadership than what is common now.

Nanny and Sharpe took on the British imperial power for the sake of freedom. Mental slavery persists. Bogle and Gordon fought for the same land rights that are still being denied. Garvey struggled to vindicate the principle of equality of opportunity for all which we don’t have yet. Busta and Manley elevated the political process as the prism and medium for progress rather than the compromised, debauched and disdained cudgel of the few which is the way the majority sees the system working now.

Hope lies in the growing number of people who are standing up to resist those who don’t care and the advantage-taking. Our constitution and Charter of Rights, though under assault, still stand up. Give thanks! Those showing the fortitude to resist still number less than those lined up at the US Embassy though. But add to them, the many corporations, civil society groups and individuals here and in the diaspora, who with genuine charitable spirit try to mitigate the inefficiency and sometimes downright oppression of the established order presided over by the parish councils, Gordon House and, never forget, King’s House.

These sources of hope, up to now at any rate, lack organisation and the leadership which our seven National Heroes incarnated. Let us stop disappointing ourselves. Take a sober look. Have a thoughtful Heroes’ Day!

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.