Dear Editor,

I am an unapologetic sceptic of all who vie for public office. You never know who may just want to board the gravy train. This is how I view the New Nation Coalition (NNC). But wait…

I recall when I studied in the US and lived on campus. My dorm room had no refrigerator, and no air conditioning. Did I mention this was California? I arrived there during the fall, so all I needed was a refrigerator and bought a small one for US$100. Life was great. When winter came I had warm clothing and bedding and hardly needed the heater. But alas, summer came, and did I mention that I was in California? Not pretty without an AC, so I went out and got one. The only problem was I shouldn’t have. My dorm was old and wasn’t wired to accommodate too many appliances, so my electric pot would cause the breaker to trip and an entire section of the dorm would not have electricity. My AC was not a problem, though. It worked fine, but the dean found out and I had to get rid of it.

Here’s the beautiful part of the story. After about two months I took the unit back to the store where I bought it, produced my receipt and got a full refund. Almost two years later I returned my refrigerator, produced my receipt and got back my US$100. Oh, the beauty of a soft market!

Politically, Jamaica could benefit from having more options to choose from. This will not mean that there may not be dominant players who consistently outdo others, but the awareness that there are others in the market does regulate the actions of these market leaders. In lieu of meaningful political restructuring, perhaps it’s time to give NNCs and the NDMs opportunities where they show real potential either to do good or fail like most everybody else. In this way, market forces (the people of Jamaica) will regulate the behaviour of the sellers (politicians) and make it into a buyers’ (Jamaica’s electorate) market.

To rationalise this “risk” we would do well to remember that all these other persons whom we may put in charge will become watchdogs for these young’uns. We will also have the benefit of ministry staff for tactical support. It needs to become a fickle prospect to unjustifiably hold on to power in this country. I think I’ll go for a “newbie” next election. Y’all come good, you hear!

Charles Evans

charles.evans@ncu.edu.jm