Jamaica's Kingdom Going to Waste
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20201002/peter-espeut-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-and-facts
The political violence of the 70s has established the fact that our political establishment do not care whether we live or die. The current crime and virus situations reinforces that fact. Jamaicans continue to delude themselves into thinking that the politicians care about us. When it comes to the environment, the evidence speaks for itself. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the ravaging of our beautiful environment. The entire JLP/PNP political establishment has been hijacked and is dominated by a plutocracy. Like rabid dogs, the JLP/PNP fight for the power and the glory while the kingdom goes to waste (Ernie Smith). Once in a while a deluded well-meaning person like the Rev Ronnie Thwaites enters the political arena determined to make a difference only to leave with disappointment. The NDM tried and went down in flames. Recently, other religious leaders dipped their toes in our political water and sensing the temperature, they ran away. Remember the parable about new wine into old wine skins? Well meaning individuals soon learn that it is impossible to swim against the tide of corruption, nepotism, and cronyism in the political establishment facilitated by a weak first past the post electoral system and a flawed constitution. The few well-meaning politicians are given a basket to carry water. A few good individuals by themselves, changes nothing. Jamaicans need to stop the wishful thinking and stop being in denial. We need to stop believing the false promises and the false claims from the politicians that they love Jamaica and Jamaicans. They don't. What they care about is power. They use this power to benefit who they really care about - themselves, their girlfriends, their relatives, their friends, their top tribalists and their cronies in 'a venal private sector' (Peter Espeut). Unless and until civil society (the church, the diaspora, citizen groups, police federation, the army, etc.) disabuse themselves of the notion that the politicians mean us well and organize to disrupt the corrupt process, move to engage with the political establishment in a serious way, nothing much will change. No more prayer breakfasts! We delude ourselves that the politicians deserve our loyalty because they wrap themselves in the cloak of legality and royalty represented by a foreign queen. Our current political emperor, His Holiness the Honourable Brogad has no clothes. He is an illegitimate leader leading an illegitimate, uncaring government supported by a deluded police and army leadership but not supported by the rest of us. History has proven that Jamaicans have limits to the oppression they will tolerate. Eventually we draw the line - with blood if necessary. Or, we run away - emigrate. During slavery, Nanny and the Maroons drew the line. Later, George William Gordon, Sam Sharpe and Paul Bogle, all Baptists, drew the line. Bishop Herro Blair and the Peace Management Initiative peacefully but forcefully drew the line on political violence. Another line will be coming up sometime soon because of the virus crisis...Singapore was fortunate to have a good, populist leader in their beginning. Populist leaders, both good and bad, arise out of a population's perception that the deck is stacked against most people and that elections do not matter. Most Jamaicans now feel that way and don't vote. The safety valves of religion, emigration, ganja and the gangs help to delay a societal explosion. Who will be the next leaders to draw the line? If the church would lead the charge, more suffering and bloodshed can be avoided. If not, who knows what can happen? Hopefully, the embassies will reopen soon!
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