The challenge of this generation is to make Jamaica peaceful, dignified, and prosper — and do it ourselves. The last generation was into ideology and one-upmanship; the one before them was enamoured to West Indies Federation and exited to Independence with bluster but little economic sense. Inept leaders and slothful followers lived on credit since 1962 — not a decade of prosperity. We were dying by debt, now we breathe. We are getting better at statecraft; slowly, painfully we fill the gaps left by two generations of chancers. We have offers to help as American black people try to get white people’s money for us. I am no glutton for punishment, but we have lived this way for five decades, so beg pardon if we need space to find ourselves, develop backbone, emulate Portia, and work to the third power to build Jamaica.

I am no Calvinist or lover of sackcloth and ashes, but to pay our debt is our duty. So, while my heart warms at the Fab Five Congressmen’s offer, my head says “Not now, please!” Why? After 53 years of visas, we give thanks for our diaspora at work in America — they would be idlers here — but to ask President Obama to pull some strings; thanks, but no thanks.

The Black Caucus got the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the table; much respect. We inked a deal, now let’s do our part. And if we need variations, let’s talk to the IMF man to man.

Friend’s our national project is about more than money. We are carping, unproductive, and ‘hoover up’ foreign aid as if entitled; so sloth, greed, cruelty and criminality breed here. Manley and Bustamante forged Independence; the task of my Dad’s generation was to build prosperity. It failed! This generation has a mammoth task to build leaders, character, resilience, ethics; will a bly compromise national integrity and self-confidence. History may say Singapore worked, but Jamaica got a free pass to prosperity — Not in my name!

That said, Obama had no hand in our stunning Gold Cup. It took 25 years to get to the final, this augurs well for our prosperity plans. If you do not frame the question properly the answer may not help you. We reduce everything to resources: more money, teachers, buses, etc, but the Boyz prove spirit works! Yes, we need more, but we had no such problem in 1962. Can we use the resources we have better? Our lifestyle is to die for, but we produce little. We want riches, but who reads about the Khemlanis’ story? A penniless, foreign, walk-foot man — we black man diss as “coolie” — rents a shop, works, and gets rich. In denial we say he was born rich so we can extort and rob him without mercy. He works, we cool, no problem, we poor. We got freedom for free; a 4,000 sq mile island free. Independence was a gift, and for 53 years we lived on aid and debt. We are debt junkies and do not need another fix. Arise and build, Jamaica!

We are not known for hard work or self reliance at home. Look around! We had “free zone work” and diss it as slavery; yet in our lifetime the Chinese used it to develop and now they own us. Every successful person suffered; we want cool breeze. Why not end food aid and eat what we grow? Why not build rammed earth houses and limit lumber imports? We now know we can’t borrow or “aid” our way to prosperity. Our diaspora knows “there is no free lunch” and work like slaves. Here a tough man, wants a Flagman’s work, as he can’t mow lawns for it would “sweat up him Hi-Vis vest” — not cool!

We are not Greece. Years ago, in a fit of truculence when still fat with EU grants, they rioted and burnt stuff. Did it work? Here, when breadfruit is out, mango is in. Is our pain at riot point yet? Greece had it all, we can’t miss what we never had. “Five years of austerity in Greece has seen pensions and wages slashed …unemployment has risen to 26 per cent… youth unemployment to nearly 50 per cent….Greeks at risk of poverty doubled to over 44 per cent. The tough reforms Eurozone creditors are demanding for a new bailout are set to cause more pain, with higher taxes and further spending cuts.” — (AFP) Sunday Observer, July 19.

Prime Minister Tsipras failed and Greece suffers. Their sense of entitlement — as ours — is well developed, but the referendum taught them wisdom. They felt if 100 per cent vote for a thing it is a done deed — crazy! My kids outvoted me for more lunch money and learnt the iron law of cash: You can’t make decisions for another man’s cash. Greeks prospered for millennia; but, like us, confuse politics with economics — money rules!

Greece’s referendum did not redefine capitalism as even in Sharia law you have to repay. So the barking dog caught the car, what next? Das Kapital was counterpoint to unreconstructed, unconscionable capitalism, but Communism died while capitalism evolved a conscience and is strong — is Chinese capitalist a paradox? We all want “more and better”, so let’s get over ourselves and work for it.

Incidentally, Andrew Holness is the poster boy for Peter Phillips’s IMF success. Despite politics talk, his actions show he is personally confident in the People’s National Party’s plan — Bless his humble hear! Philips asks for a review of lending policies, but the corollary is we must review our borrowing policies too and borrow to invest for a good return. We always pay our debts, but we have never achieved the expected outcomes or prospered. Why?

Friend, we may get an Obama bly, but don’t take the pedal from the metal. I do not wish us to find oil now either. Why? We have not learnt to spend wisely, to love one another, to respect self, or to work. We would waste oil cash as we did bauxite, export income, foreign aid and loans. We are in a bad place financially, but morally and spiritually we suck! We are on a trajectory to economic stability, and innovation, but in the values, discipline, caring, innovation departments, it’s all dark. No hanky-panky, we will prevail. Stay conscious, my friend!

Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advises the minister of education. Send comments to: franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com