Mark Wignall | Forgive Holness for his jitters?

There is, I suppose, no need to go out on a national campaign to state the obvious. Jamaicans do not respond well to moral suasion. At a time in 1988 after the devastation wreaked on Jamaica by Hurricane Gilbert, the wealthy and the dispossessed did not need any directions from then prime minister, Eddie Seaga.

Both ends of the social classes met when it suited them, and they did business with each other in the big reconstruction layout when specific benefits were satisfied. At a convenient time later, both ends returned to their social spaces. The poor man did not flatter himself in believing that lifelong friendships would be forged. He knew who held the handle and it certainly wasn’t him.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has been having many human moments where to err is human and to forgive, divine. Is forgiveness from the people coming? The nation has been listening to Mr Holness since early last year when an earthly nightmare known as COVID-19 descended on all global populations.

We trusted him implicitly but, somewhere along the line, that trust lost its purity. We then began to weigh his directions and question his conclusions. In our backyard and in social media. We rode alongside him in the first lockdown. It was like a doomsday scenario but the voice of the PM and his face and the battery of medical experts sold it to us as simply as a dire problem that would always at the best and the worst of times call upon personal responsibility as almost a government policy.

I am not surprised that we are where we are with high reproductive rates of the vaccine (for every 10 people infected, they bring about 11 new infections) and positivity rates heading through the roof. Why do I say this?

Well, based on my observations at street level, it seems more luck to me that Jamaicans open lack of adherence to COVID-19 protocols has not made our rates even higher.

OUR DEFIANCE MAY HARM US

Jamaica’s history is richly and liberally spread out as a blanket, not of comfort but of fighting back against oppression. “In the modern political arena there are still ton loads of mistrust that we have for Mr Andrew Holness and Mr Mark Golding of the People’s National Party,” said my teacher friend.

“I hate to tell you this but, in my 75 years, I am convinced that that thing you call moral suasion has no social use in Jamaica. One US president cited his governance style as “speaking softly and carry a big stick”.

“In the present scenario where social media has an outsized influence on sensible debate, the prime minister must talk loud and carry an even bigger stick.”

By the PM’s statement that he will not be giving in to big sectoral interests, he has confirmed what a lot of us knew, that he may have ceded ground in the fight against COVID-19 when he allowed the wealthy and powerful their dreams in Negril.

Many of Holness’ notional supporters in the little communities making up our rural and urban inner-city spaces, and even in the little towns across Jamaica, lost significant trust in him, especially as economic fallout continued for many since mid-2020.

“Is him fren dem pressure him,” said a 42-year-old DJ to me last Thursday. His friend nearby with a spliff delicately balancing on his bottom lip said, “How you mean sey fren pressure him? Him and dem is bredrin and is just so Jamaica run.”

We may be witnessing the first real sign that in the coming days the PM may find that twice per week the COVID-19 bad outcomes may provide increasing spokes to jam up the machinery.

The PM has no choice but to follow the path of best outcome, even it was not part of the grand plan. New numbers of people jumping on the vaccine bandwagon even if it requires that the political directorate may have to sully itself and beg Vybz Kartel to mouth a few words in favour of getting the desired Jabs.

TRUE TO FORM REV AL MILLER

I believe that there is much goodness in Rev Al Miller if even because the gentleman never fails to make the nation laugh. His latest pseudo science crap on Pfizer vaccine was standard Miller.

Remember now, this is the same person who told us that it was his prayers which brought about Hurricane Ivan in 2004 not giving us its full fury as it danced dangerously on our south coast. Lest we forget, Ivan went on to devastate our sister territory, the Cayman Islands. No prayers for them?

I am certain that there are many members of Rev Miller’s flock who lap up each inanity and silly pseudo fevers which occasionally occupy his cranium. He believes that the words we utter to each other have the potential to affect physical phenomena.

When I was in my early 20s, I dabbled in the study of something called metaphysics. I had to study it to determine that it is just made-up stuff so that a group of lonely and bored people can gather in the evenings for cookies and tea and discuss pleasurable nonsense.

I would suggest that, if the Rev Miller wants to make amends, he should immediately seek out a meeting with PM Andrew Holness. We know that the good Reverend is at his best in hurricane season.

His God seems to make known His presence best during June 1 to November 30 each year. But, Rev Miller, I need you to be more, much more, proactive.

I need you to move the hand of the PM and Health Minister Chris Tufton and all the medical experts so that he can provide the best guidance. Dare we challenge you to use your links with the Big Guy so that he can sit with you all at that grand table?

But then again, we are not even sure if he has removed that latest foot stuck in his mouth.

- Mark Wignall is a political and public-affairs analyst. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com.