Dear Editor,

The Bank of Jamaica’s (BOJ) attempt to sensitise the public on the importance of inflation is one that is misplaced.

Those who operate in the retail market can attest to inflation as being grotesque; it is second only to usury in its ugliness. As Tarrus Riley, in his track, Parables, from the album of same name, highlighted, much of the ‘ugliness’ which obtain in our socio-economic space may be hidden in fairy tales.

The secret to inflation, similarly, may be hidden in the childhood story of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears. There are several innuendos within this story, but the one of relevance to the intention of the BOJ’s advertisement drive, and the likely failure of its objectives, is that of “things”.

Consider the following three observations: If one were to examine how the majority of failing or failure-headed economies seek to solve their problems, from the administrative down to the individual citizen, is through the use of “something”; whether it be a drug, supplement, a prayed over bottle of olive oil, gadgets, equipment, or anything that money can buy. It is the latter generalisation which will nail the BOJ’s or any other global institution’s efforts in keeping a cap on inflation,to the cross.

“Service” has fallen into the shadows of “product”, much to the expense of the more intangible treasures such as health, effort, faith, love, etc. Products depreciate in value over time. They expire, get broken, lost, and stolen; they may even make us sick. This is why not even laws of men and of God, which are products in themselves, could and will not save us from that said “cross”. I had to have been done through service, where, like Jesus, we give of ourselves, for it is the right thing “to do”, and not the right thing “to have”.

The highly respected National Health Service (NHS) of Britain has well-defined formulations and guidelines pertaining to its medical issues, and although Britain has been a world leader in this regard, and otherwise, it still widely uses inexpensive, easily manufactured, first-generation penicillin (antibiotics), while we have allowed ravenous drug companies to flood our space and pressure our people with unaffordability. Furthermore, the British are carrying out further research in the possibility of reducing the length of time in which antibiotics therapies are prescribed to be used by a patient, whilst still benefiting from it, representing the drive to further decrease their dependence on “things”.

Finally, experts consider the world’s nuanced tastes or “pickiness” to be unsustainable, but unsustainability has often been mitigated against or buoyed by acts of injustice, such as slavery, unfair wealth/resource distribution and inflation. Although, the same England has benefited from its former colonies in this regard, they still stuck to social staple-like regimens, such as “fish and chips”. Such staples and uniformity are comprehensively missing from Jamaican society, from our food, our cars, family life, culture, politics, etc. Much better-off countries, such as England and those in the Asian region, are not as boastfully wasteful as is Jamaica. Our nation’s leaders have made a mess of matters surrounding inflation and have allowed, and continue to allow, impostors like Goldie Locks to ruin our economy and our social fabric. Miss Lou would say, “While the wealthier countries fancy up their stance as being patriotic and restructuring, they would label our stance as protectionism or Marxism.”

Andre O Sheppy

Norwood, St James

astrangely@outlook.com