Jamaica's United Independent's Congress (UIC)

 How rights are won: "The flaws in our society..are going to have to be corrected outside of the framework that is commonly accepted. I think we are going to have to find new ways of political action." (Noam Chomsky).

 Photo of Joseph Patterson and his wife (UIC webpage)

The UIC was founded by Joseph Patterson. Mr. Patterson brings an impressive resume to the table and he certainly does not need to get into politics because of financial need.

Why should Jamaicans turn to the UIC? The main thing that I draw from the UIC website is that the UIC will '...replace the current system that benefits a few, at the expense of the many, to one that will reward everyone according to their own efforts and abilities.' (UIC website). How they plan to do this is not clear.

There are 3 registered political parties in Jamaica but the UIC is the only one reliant on members and supporters donations. The UIC does not accept corporate donations I am told.

The two dominant political parties in Jamaica, (the JLP and PNP) rely on corporate donations. Since 'Independence' in 1962, Jamaicans have been voting in the JLP and PNP for various terms but the country continues to slide into the abyss - particularly in the area of violent mostly gang based crime. Years ago, I participated in some discussions with the UIC on the issue of crime. Some of the crime fighting measures we discussed were:

• A JDF National Youth 2 year Service for all males not enrolled in a post high school institution.
• A Quick Response Unit (QRU) on high powered motorcycles.
• The use of drones (even armed drones) to take out criminals in confrontational situations with criminals.
• Bail reform (requires constitutional change).
• Acceptance of CCTV evidence in court.

Ironically, some of the above ideas have since been adopted by the Holness administration:

• There is now a limited National Youth Service under the JDF.
• The Jamaica Constabulary is now establishing a QRU in all divisions. There are such units now in Kingston, Montego Bay and the Police Commissioner announced last week that one will be assigned to the Hanover Division.
• The JCF and JDF now use unarmed drones - mainly in searches for missing persons.

Someone once said that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Except for the most diehard JLP/PNP party hack feeding at the public trough, it is now obvious to all that the JLP/PNP have failed to develop Jamaica for most Jamaicans. The corporate elite who supports the JLP/PNP are fine and prospering as the policies of the JLP/PNP cater to their interests. What is to be done? Mr. Patterson's solution is to start a new political party not connected and supported by the corporate elite. Fine. But, how do you get into power when the playing field is not level?

How is the UIC doing so far? Not good. The party is broke, the leader and some supporters have been arrested (they are out on bail) and the media pays very little attention to the UIC so most Jamaicans remain unaware of the existence of the UIC. The UIC's website is pretty basic and they have a presence on social media. Their YouTube Channel is poorly produced. There is significant diaspora involvement in the UIC with chapters in the UK, Canada and the USA. However, without corporate support, the UIC remains poor and marginalized. Their public meetings are poorly organized and sparsely attended while the JLP and PNP can still call out huge crowds for their well organized public meetings. Time will tell if Jamaicans in the diaspora who want to retire in Jamaica will support the UIC.

The ordinary Jamaican does not financially support the political party they are affiliated with. Jamaicans have been trained by the JLP/PNP to expect to receive largesse from their affiliation to a political party. The UIC does not have the financial resources to do this. Therefore, the UIC has to do a process of political education so that Jamaicans will realize that their dependence on PNP/JLP does not lead to national development. This will be a slow, long laborious process. Does Jamaica have that long before the country experiences a social implosion similar to neighboring Haiti?

A majority of Jamaicans no longer vote so a minority of the electorate who support the JLP or the PNP keep both parties in power - one in government and one in Opposition. The group that really controls the levers of power in Jamaica is the corporate elite by funding both parties. Right now, the JLP enjoys the favor of the corporate elite so although the corporate elite supports the JLP and the PNP, the corporate elite currently favors the JLP and thus the JLP gets more funding.

Politics has a bad, bad reputation in Jamaica due to the corruption of the JLP and PNP. Most Jamaicans do not vote or take any part in partisan politics. Therefore, the UIC has its work cut out for them...to convince the average non affiliated Jamaican majority who do not vote to support the UIC will be an uphill task. Most Jamaicans, especially the young, are either sedated by ganja, distracted by the entertainment scene or looking for a visa to get the hell out of Jamaica. The diaspora remains an untapped resource as many of us left Jamaica because we felt forced to or that we had no other choice. Many in the diaspora, including myself, would like to retire in Jamaica if it were not for the level of crime and poor conditions.

Bearing in mind the political, social and cultural realities in Jamaica, the UIC will need to return to its previous strategy of street action but this time in cooperation with the churches. Yes, they will get arrested (again) and maybe even assassinated but all revolutionaries are arrested and jailed before succeeding. Garvey, Busta, Martin Luther King, Mandela, Angela Davis, Paul Bogle, Malcolm X and others were arrested and jailed. Some like Garvey did not succeed but we revere Garvey to this day and he is a National Hero in Jamaica albeit posthumously. The only real changes in Jamaica come from street action and civil disobedience. For example, some years ago, when it was announced that a Gay Cruise was coming to Ochi Rios in Jamaica, thousands of people converged on Ocho Rios. Armed with sticks, stones and machetes, the Ocho Rios police was overwhelmed and the cruise ship was turned away. Jamaica is a homophobic society but that aside, the principle is what I am talking about. People got the outcome they desired through taking to the streets armed with what they could get.

Here are some areas that the UIC could get involved. Where people are being evicted from their homes for some new development without proper arrangements being made for alternative housing the UIC could organize human blockades to stop the evictions. Where higglers are being attacked and their goods seized, the UIC could surround those being attacked blocking the police. The UIC should be peaceful but state violence will be visited upon them and there will be bloodshed.

"Freedom comes with the cost of blood" (Queen Lonidis in the movie 300)

Raymond D. Grant