When it comes to corruption — my emphasis — the current Administration has not distinguished itself from any previous administration — Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) or People’s National Party (PNP) — and that is where I have a distinct problem.

While the bar is never lowered or heightened based on biases, our current Andrew Holness is the only prime minister who wrapped himself in the mantle of being a transformational leader. Even before his swearing-in he made it clear, tweeting from a meeting at the Ministry of Finance, that certain practices that cost taxpayers would stop. One may recall his pre-swearing-in announcement that the practice of outgoing minister’s government buying vehicles for basement prices would stop. That reminded me of “draining the swamp”.

In effect, Prime Minister Andrew Holness promised a level of leadership that was different from his predecessors. My challenge to him, and to Jamaica, is that we should hold him to his word.

Holding any leader to his word constitutes the highest form of respect. If a prime minister expects not to be held to account for what he/she has promised, and if a prime minister does not intend to keep his/her word, then one has to ask whether such promises were made in good faith or with the intention to mislead.

But Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s social media fans who seek to deflect attention from conversations over whether he is keeping his word is doing him a great disservice.

Are we seeing the end of Trump?

When Donald J Trump won the presidency of the United States, the most powerful position in the world, just over a year ago, millions of people (or perhaps billions) around the world were in shock. The global shock resulted from many factors, but perhaps the chief of them had to do with the concern that deception, rashness, unpreparedness, and shenanigans had trumped truth, reason, hard work, and fair dealings. Many people feared that the world had entered a dangerous era; one in which fake news and dishonour would become templates for how other leaders pursue power and lead.

Since Trump’s shock victory, which he himself did not expect, and his assumption of the presidency, the world has seen a new level of meanness and pettiness by a leader that is perhaps without precedence — certainly not in recent history. Never before has a leader been so unrestrained in bellicosity and in showing disrespect to others, seemingly without consequence.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, Trump has the record of uttering falsehoods at a rate that is incredible, and he and his communications staff lie to the American people with consummate ease and impunity. But a series of recent events give great hope. The most recent being the election of a Democrat Doug Jones to the Senate; beating the Trump-like Republican candidate Roy Jones, who was not only backed by a seeming Teflon-like Trump, but the Republican National Congress and the divisive and self-absorbed Trump advisor Steve Bannon, whom some describe as behaving as if he is a god.

The victory of Doug Jones over Roy Moore is, first of all, a triumph of decency over decadence. Moore has been credibly accused of sexual crimes and has been twice removed from the office of judge in the state of Alabama for violations of the canons of good conduct. It is even alleged that he was banned from a particular mall because of his practice of preying on young girls.

If Moore had won it would be a most cruel affirmation that the Trumpian style of leadership of vitriol, verbal abuse, disdain for others, lack of honour and integrity, and sheer crassness were acceptable or did not matter, given Trump’s full endorsement of Moore.

It is to be noted that in the presidential election just over a year ago Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by a margin of 28 per cent. It is to be further noted that the state of Alabama has not elected a democrat in over 25 years. But most importantly, it is to be remembered that Alabama is the home of some of the worst forms of racial injustice and was one of the stomping grounds of the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, in his fight for racial equality.

It is no surprise, then, but great news that the percentage of whites who voted for Jones was greater than that which voted for Barack Obama in his historic win of the US presidency, and counties like Selma and Montgomery, which were the scenes of many rallies led by King, voted overwhelmingly for the decent candidate, Doug Jones.

Deception has limits

If the Trump-Bannon-backed candidate Roy Moore had won it would signal that deception and dishonour are on a roll. Although there had been spectacular Democrat victories in recent state elections in New Jersey and Virginia only a few weeks ago, the victory for the Democrats in Alabama, a stained-in Republican State, indicates that leadership by deception and dishonour will not always win the day. Indeed, it is a sign, at least one hopes so, that the Trump train is being derailed, and this cannot happen too soon.

But there are other areas is which the Trumpian world of dishonesty is being unravelled. The recent indictment and guilty pleas of former aides and advisors by Special Prosecutor Robert Muller, and the likelihood of more to come, are signs that, contrary to what many feared up to days ago — that Trump would become the new norm, and was himself unstoppable — is in fact, thankfully, not the case. Deception will not always win the day.

Lessons for Jamaica

The lessons of the overall unravelling of Trumpism bodes many lessons for politicians and other leaders in Jamaica. I will highlight only four.

(1) Both the PNP and the JLP have, at various times and probably to varying degrees, been involved with criminal gangs and have shown reticence, if not outright refusal, to disentangle from these gangs. We are now seeing a level of blood-letting and social anarchy that are of an order never before seen. We are reaping what they have sown. Claims of having the answer to the crime problem, as was made by the governing JLP while in Opposition, are being shown for what they were — attempts to deceive.

Unless the Government comes clean, by first declaring that it cannot solve crime by itself and, as others have suggested, commence a truth and reconciliation process, we are likely to see thing get worse.

One notes the seeming fervour and seriousness with which the Government has enacted the compensation process for residents of Tivoli. What about the many other Jamaicans who have won cases for unlawful acts of the State which have resulted in citizens losing lives, limbs, and property? Can we expect the same fervour and devotion to be shown to them? Unless there is an across-the-board seriousness and commitment, the passion, pity, and apology for Tivoli will be shown for what it is — an attempt to deceive.

(2) The current Government came to office on the promise of devoting resources to the police to fight crime. National security would be the priority for the first three years, we were told. The security forces would be given velvet treatment. This is the same party and the same leaders who had also promised nurses a 100 per cent increase in salaries back in 2007 (and a 100 per cent increase would only be the start). Yet what we now see is that nurses and police personnel are becoming sick in larger numbers, placing the health and security of the country at risk. The Government’s offer of a six per cent increase over two years (whether three per cent in year one, then three in year two; or four per cent then two) has been roundly rejected. Did the JLP promise prosperity knowing that it could not deliver? Has deception caught up with us…them?

(3) We were also promised firmness in dealing with corruption by both the JLP and the PNP. Such promises would be like cool water for a country in the desert of corruption with the economy losing billions per year due to corruption. What have successive governments done? The action has been more talk than substance, and the man now at the helm has shown, despite repeated heart-warming assurances to the contrary, that he has no intention of dealing with corruption.

(4) Who can forget the details of the by-elections held there recently. Focusing on the St Mary South Eastern seat, the JLP wanted it badly, but to do what we cannot see. I was told by a JLP operative, and others corroborated, that the seat was needed to give the prime minister the room to take action against misconduct by ministers whose possible response of crossing the floor of the House of Representatives, or becoming independent, could bring down the Government. Were we deceived? Has there been any action, and any sign of likely action, to set a new bar of behaviour?

Reports have also surfaced that public works that were being done in St Mary South Eastern have stopped abruptly since the by-election, and street lights that were erected have been taken down. Were the people of St Mary South Eastern deceived?

It would be unnecessary to restate many of the other glorious promises whose making have all the markings of deception and the realities now show. One of my late mother’s deep counsels was from that verse in Galatians 6: 7: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth that he shall also reap.”

We cannot continue on the path we are following as a country. We need to take radical steps if we are to see a reversal in the conditions of crime, corruption, duplicity, one-upmanship, and other unsatisfactory outcomes that we are now seeing.

Dr Canute Thompson is head of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning, lecturer in the School of Education, and co-founder and chief consultant for the Caribbean Leadership Re-Imagination Initiative, at The University of the West Indies, Mona. He is also author of three books and several articles on leadership. Send comments to the Observer or canutethompson1@gmail.com.