Demigods are man-made

Jamaicans are still dissecting the life, fortunes and misfortunes of the 'President' of Tivoli Gardens. Our little country is making one person the archetype for corruption and crime. I am not defending or supporting Dudus; however, he is only one symptom, not the disease.

If a patient turns up at an emergency room in a hospital with a very high fever and the medical staff simply concentrates on that symptom, while doing very little to ascertain the causative disease, the illness will remain untreated and, perhaps, kill the patient.

As has been said repeatedly, individuals like the 'President' emerged out of the desperation created because politics exploited the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. Even today, it keeps entire inner-city communities dependent on handouts and favours. Simply sustaining the poor only supports their poverty, postpones their suffering and never empowers them. Our brand of politics is built upon support from those who vote based on enlightened self-interest. At the inner-city level, it's about putting people in power who can 'let off something' regularly.

The power of the go-between

Grass-roots Jamaican politics demands an enforcer and a go-between, all wrapped up in one individual, to keep the masses protected, faithful and contented. But, such power inevitably supersedes its creator and draws sustenance directly from the people benefiting from it. These people develop a symbiotic relationship with empowered area leaders/dons. They protect their benefactors because the benefactors provide all that they need.

Dons provide food, shelter, clothing and money for schooling, home repairs and some-times even employ-ment. They protect their people and adjudicate swiftly when disputes arise. They are from their respective areas and are well acquainted with the unique characteristics of their domain. All this comes at a price and necessitates a set of so-called laws alien to civil society. Most people living under those regimes stay because of fear or need, or if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

And so, all the terrible ills of our society are being heaped upon Dudus. All our dirty political secrets have been attributed to, and embodied within, this one individual. It's as if he has absorbed the dark side of society and taken it with him to the United States of America. But this is very far from reality. The instigators and beneficiaries who create, facilitate and clandestinely coexist with similar demigods continue to masquerade as upstanding citizens; many hold very influential positions, and they will produce new demigods if they can.

A victim of politics and society

Powerful space shuttles don't mysteriously materialise on the launch pad and thrust themselves into orbit - teams of scientists work assiduously behind the scenes to get them up there. Similarly, Dudus could not and did not mysteriously materialise as a don in Tivoli Gardens - he inherited the whole shebang, and was what the Mafia calls a 'made man'. To some degree, he, too, was a victim of politics and society.

In the long run, what becomes of Dudus will have minimal effect on our country, unless he decides to spill the beans. Although all demigods now see that, in spite of the politicians, given the right incentive, civil society is capable of ousting them from their strongholds ... that will not suffice. Until we change the relationship between politicians and the poor, the need for demigods will always exist.

We need to continue purging known criminal hot spots of ensconced thugs and concomitantly provide sustainable social programmes for the citizens therein. We also need to make those responsible for the ascent and empowerment of dons accountable. After all, demigods cannot create themselves.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Feedback may be sent to garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.