SSP Diaries | The thirst for power

The US attack on Iran on 28 February 2026 comes as no surprise to many and continues to be indicative of a very dangerous, undemocratic trend. The fact that Israel is a wilful partner in these operations is also to be expected. There isn’t much difference between Israel’s actions in the Gaza and what the US-led operation against Iran is likely to reveal.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is fighting for his political life in Israel. The longer the war with Gaza lasts and the more that nation becomes embroiled in conflict, as their situation in Iran suggests, the more likely he’ll be able to remain in power and escape the long hands of the law. Not too long ago, we should remember that President Trump himself had openly suggested that the President of Israel pardons Prime Minister Netanyahu. With Israel now fully committed in Iran, that request is temporarily on the back burner but a card to be pulled based upon favourable outcomes.

President Trump’s situation is not far removed from that of Netanyahu. Apart from being a convicted felon, the fear of impeachment for alleged illegal actions constantly looms over his head. The lack of public evidenced based accounts of the lives lost at the hands of his armed forces, in the Caribbean, summarily dismissed as drug traffickers, is still something that will eventually to be dealt with by a court of law. The conduct of violent regime changes against foreign states not aligned with US foreign policy or dictates, is again a matter increasingly creating unease at home and abroad. Threats to Cuba, Greenland, Nigeria, Mexico and Panama immediately come to mind.

RECIPE FOR DISASTER

From a solely internal perspective Trump has threatened to abort future elections in the US, obviously with the hope of making himself president for life. This is an occurrence normally attributed to communist states, so it’s not clear what he’s trying to signal here! Notwithstanding, the current administration seems bent on rewriting black history, is not worried about the obvious manipulation of the justice system, inciting people to violence, internally or externally, Iran being a case in point. Remember, Trump is likely to be of the opinion that a President can pardon himself.

Both these scenarios indicate individuals who have reached a stage where they believe themselves to be above the law. They have demonstrated an unwillingness to abide by the laws of their own countries and totally disregard international law and its conventions/institutions, and the organizations established to achieve and maintain an acceptable world order. This has been abundantly displayed by Netanyahu in the handling of the Palestinian crisis in the Gaza and elsewhere, and by Trump in the removal of Maduro, president of Venezuela, and his eagerness to dispense with negotiations when dealing with foreign states, resorting to military interventions instead–the current situation in Iran speaks to this.

It is a thirst for power and its absolute retention that seems to be driving the two administrations in question. Both individuals seem bent on doing anything that can be done on their part to ensure they retain power. Power has become their comfort zone, a way of life or existence. This is a clear recipe for disaster as history has shown from the time of the great Roman Empire and even before then. How do we prevent the same disastrous consequences in today’s world?

COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING

The proper use of the powers of democracy is the only answer if good sense is to prevail. It’s a grave misconception in today’s world that small nations have no say in geopolitical considerations outside of their dimensions. In the exercise of the principles of democracy, size is not a factor. If I am to use some of our own Jamaican leaders as examples, who have stood unwaveringly on the principle of what is right and what is wrong, I will cite Michael Manley, P J Patterson, Bruce Golding and in recent times I have come to welcome positive statements coming out of CARICOM from the mouth of our present Prime Minister, Andrew Holness.

Democracy is not about the imposition of the views of the powerful upon or over weaker states. It’s more about the acceptance of differing views and the ability to find a common path, moving forward for the betterment of humanity. We (Jamaica) stood against apartheid South Africa when the great USA was fully aligned with that regime. We never faltered and even the great US came around to our point of view and helped to end that illegal and inhumane practice. CARICOM today is finally putting its position on the table; we recognised the value of Cuba to our economies and call for more dialogue in resolving issues and have made it clear that violent military action should not be an option. The Caribbean needs to send the same message and commit to the collective well-being of the region as opposed to seeking unilateral short-term gains which, as history shows, have never served us well. The thirst for true democracy must be strong and resilient enough to trump the thirst for individual power.

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