Mask-slipping moments reveal the true intentions and character of people. In private engagements and public relationships these red flags should not be ignored. Disregarding mask-slipping moments more often than not are very costly — financially, socially, and emotionally — in personal and public life.

As I see it, mask-slipping moments, among other things, are like the security alarm on a vehicle, which shoots off a loud noise when there is a threat.

It did not escape my notice that some people who are seeking high and low political office were jumping for joy last Saturday when Iran used drones and other types of weaponry to attack Israel in response to a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier this month. Junior leaguers quickly joined their political kin, those whose political antecedents are well known on social media in their seedy exhilaration. Both groups were equally gleeful at the prospect of higher oil prices and the deleterious impact this would likely have on Jamaica’s economy. These people are not bewitched, as some may believe. They are corruptly conscious of what they are doing. In fact, I believe they are deliberately being guided by a rancid formula rooted in corrosive politics. It will debilitate its hostages, sooner than later, I believe.

“Anju economy mash up now,” one malevolent hope-crasher’s post read.

“Everything crash, by Monday morning oil prices will be more than US$100 dollars a barrel,” a misery specialist posted.

“Nigel cyah save dem again, time come, LOL,” bellowed a miserabilist.

These bad actors, of course, work hand in glove with certain con artists, religious fanatics, conspiracy theorists, and social media confidence men.

Right quick as the attack on Israel started these and other merchants of tomfoolery took to various platforms to, among other things, massively aggravate anxieties and provoke surges in people’s blood pressure. These are traffickers of almost-crippling fear. These merchants of ‘samfie’ know that people, in general, are superstitious. Superstitions are a major part of our cultural make-up, and there are some among us who are calculatingly abusing our varied and historical disposition to certain superstitious beliefs. I say calculating because ‘sky is falling’ merchants ensure that they always put just a smidgen of verifiable evidence in their concoctions. It is important for us to recognise their bait. Those whose livelihood is dependent on the harmful trade in cacophony and falsehoods thrive on ignorance. I maintain that ignorance is a scourge.

The salvos of ill will and animus which were released, especially on social media, last Saturday are mask-slipping moments which must not elude the attention of well-thinking Jamaicans.

Those who want Jamaica to strive and thrive only when their political party is at Jamaica House are not patriots. Those who are prepared to see Jamaica reduced to rubble, once they are kings of the pile, do not mean Jamaica any good. As I see it, their singular objective is self-aggrandisement. Their masks slipped again last week. Well-thinking Jamaicans see you.

Competitive politics is about winning, I get that, but when we allow winning by any means necessary to corrode our political DNA, there is no worthwhile prize whomever passes the finish line first.

Beware of false prophets

The huge rise in world oil prices that some prophesied last Saturday has not materialised. Those who were touting the attack on Israel as the start of World War III are unlikely to get their wish. The present trajectory of the tensions and the strong interventions of President Joe Biden, of the United States of America, and other countries do not suggest a catastrophic heightening of tensions.

Recall that just over two years ago, when Russia invaded the Ukraine, some took to the highways and byways shouting that World War III was about to start — so too the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Well, that was just over two years ago.

The Bible says: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36, KJV) I believe the
Bible is the word of the God. And for that and related reasons, I am suspicious of people who claim to know the time of his Second Coming. Those individuals claim to speak with God more often than Moses, Daniel, Job, and Elijah combined. As I see it, like the Sadducees and Pharisees, they wear masks.

Mask off

Nowadays mask-slipping moments are captured in permanent form. We are a fortune generation. We must use this great advance to our advantage for informed decision-making, especially in our politics.

Five days shy of two months the Leader of the Opposition and president of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding has not conceded defeat in the recently held local government election. I see this as a major mask-slipping moment. It is a serious harbinger too. And it does not augur well for our young democracy. Those who prop up Golding in the feckless folly that he won the February 26, 2024 Local Government Elections are retailers of an unusable past.

Additionally, there is the selective and stony silence from civil society on Golding’s refusal to concede. Several of these groups have appointed themselves as judge, jury, and executioner in especially matters of public accountability and yet mum’s the word on Golding’s refusal to concede — a foundationally important matter to good governance. It is not difficult to figure why.

Conspicuously some church leaders who frequent the public arena with stern condemnations of and trenchant comments on national happenings are silent on Golding’s refusal to concede too, in spite of the fact that the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), the body with ultimate responsibility for the management and administration of elections, has declared that: “With all the ballots counted, the result is that the JLP [Jamaica Labour Party] won the election for the control of the local authorities, with seven of the local authorities, and the PNP won six of the local authorities inclusive of the Portmore Municipality.”

The deafening silence of these guardians of moral rectitude and protectors of public probity is seriously troubling. Their worrying inaction should concern all well-thinking Jamaicans.

Right quick, I expect some, for reasons which are obvious to the discerning, are going to howl: “But the church and civil society groups are not public figures.” Really?! As I see it, once you place yourself in the public arena you are a public figure and, therefore, should be treated as such. They are not sacred cows. “A sacred cow is a belief, custom, etc, that people do not question or criticise,” says the
Cambridge Dictionary. Peace at election time has become one. All well-thinking Jamaicans endorse, work towards, and pray for peace, especially at election time.

Since the killing of just over 800 Jamaicans (according to official police statistics) in the run-up to, and during the October 30, 1980 General Election, the bloodiest in our history, there has been national consensus that we must never travel that ghastly road again. Since then our national political leaders — former prime ministers Michael Manley, Edward Seaga, P J Patterson, Bruce Golding, Portia Simpson Miller, and Andrew Holness have commendably done their best to embrace peace.

We saw what I believe was an alarming departure from that peace continuum recently.

Consider this: ‘ ‘Get wicked pon dem,’ Golding tells Comrades in election pitch.’ The
Loop Jamaica news item of December 5, 2021 said, among other things: “ ‘Time to step up and get busy, and get wicked pon dem too, cause it nah guh easy. Labourite nah give up dis ting easy. If yuh think dis ting a guh come easy, yu fooling you self!’

“That was the charge given to Comrades by People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding at a recent Thompson Town divisional conference in Clarendon North Western.

“Golding delivered the call to action while on the campaign trail.

“He told Comrades that the next step is to ensure that the PNP wins the next local government election.

“During his presentation, the PNP president also lashed out at JLP Chairman Robert Montague.

“He described the JLP chairman and Cabinet minister as ‘di likkle bwoy Montague’, as he slammed Montague’s performance as a Government minister.”

The Bible tells us that, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” warned Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist. I agree.

Golding’s mask-slipping moment resurrected a terrible ugliness which this country does not need.

There are still dozens of Jamaicans who still bear the terrible physical, social, and emotional scars of the snap election under an illegal state of emergency in 1976 when key JLP workers and candidates were locked up shortly before and then released just after voting day; the mentioned bloody 1980 General Election; and also more recent national elections.

Since Golding made the mentioned frightening statements, many who parade themselves as benchmarks of moral uprightness have tried to sanitise them. Others, perhaps too embarrassed, have remained quiet, doubtless hoping time’s hourglass will dissolve the frightful implications of Golding’s declaration.

Thankfully, Google is well preserved.

Some will certainly say, “On the hustings, politicians will say and do anything to get a forward (political mileage), and, therefore, we must not take their actions seriously.” I reject that.

There are several examples here in Jamaica, and globally, where inflammatory words on the political stump have crossed over into conduct, very violent conduct. Locally dozens have been killed, and internationally thousands, as a consequence.

No joke!

‘What is joke to you is death to me,’ as the local saying goes, makes eminent sense.

Seemingly encouraging voter fraud is a deadly matter. Seemingly encouraging squatting in an instance where the court has ruled against the illegal occupiers is not a laughing matter. Seemingly sanctioning squatting on lands which a geological and seismic expert says is unsafe for human occupation is no joke. Seemingly approving of squatting on lands which have been sold illegally to unsuspecting people and which pose serious national safety and security risks, as adjudged by the police and related competent national authorities, is not an instance for mirth.

Making election promises which if implemented would cause the resurrection of fiscal imprudence and result in biting austerity, high interest rate borrowing, runaway inflation, foreign exchange shortage, and cripplingly high unemployment, which was the norm in the 70s and 90s, is not amusing.

As I see it, mask-slipping moments must register in our national craw, as we say in local parlance.

An Opposition rehearses to form the Government of a country. The country gets a glorious opportunity to judge its competence, or lack thereof, during the auditions. Woeful demonstration of lack of fitness to manage national affairs must be seen for what they are.

We would do well to ‘tek sleep and mark death.’