“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone,” says Romans 12: 18 (New International Version). This is one of the most profound bits of advice in the Bible. It is relevant to all cultures and geographical locales.

Apostle Paul encourages believers to do our best to live peaceably with others. But Paul was a practical intellectual. He recognised that the ideal of peace with everyone was not always possible because “one hand cyaan clap,” as we say locally. Sides in a conflict have to practically commit to peace.

“Love thy neighbour,” is a foundational principle of the teachings of Jesus. I believe that is one of the main reasons that Paul goes to great lengths in the book of Romans to press home the need to pursue all reasonable steps to foster reconciliation, while acknowledging the realities of human nature. It bears repeating Romans 12: 18 warns that we must: “Live good wid people,” as far as, is practical. Relatedly, I imagine Paul was also cautioning, “Nuh mek nobody draw you out and tun yuh inna ediat,” to among other things, suit their very personal, social, economic and political agendas — to the detriment of a bigger more important cause.

PRAGMATISM IS BEST

For months prior to Hurricane Melissa landing on our shores some among us were busy lobbying especially their regional partners to put pressure on the Andrew Holness-led Administration to embrace particular positions regarding certain international issues, some of these long-standing. Happily, the Administration did not yield to folly. Clearly, some want to ensnare it with ropes of an unusable past.

Notice that soon after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica started to receive assistance and firm commitments of assistance from our major trading partners and other countries around the world. Why did so many countries reach out and help Jamaica so fast? The rapid response was partly due to the fact that Jamaica has chosen the prudent path of “living good” with other peoples as far as is possible.

Lesson: Alignment with specific factions or nations during disputes and geopolitical ‘cass-cass’ and/or ethnic conflicts cannot benefit countries like Jamaica. This is common sense. We are easy ‘peeps’. Our economies are very fragile. Those who declare otherwise are living in la-la land or worse.

Long ago, I said here: “There are no strong countries with weak economies, and there are no weak countries with strong economies.” This is an undeniable fact. Given this reality, it is best that Jamaica continues to give the greatest priority to our growth and development, first and foremost.

It has not escaped my notice that some who are hankering for the return of the so-called ‘glory days’ of an unusable past are well-anchored economically and relatedly. They know already where next year’s meals will come from. They have the option to jump on an aeroplane at the drop of hat and disappear from our shores. Some have citizenship elsewhere, too. And some have ensured that the lion’s share of their life’s earnings is invested outside our borders. We must listen to what individuals like these say with not just a grain of salt but a pound of it.

Those who want to resurrect an unusable past in order to try and regain their positions as kings of the hill must not be allowed to go unchallenged.

“You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips,” said Oliver Goldsmith, renowned writer. I agree.

Those who strenuously advocate that Jamaica must “cut off her nose to spite her face”, as we say locally, must be exposed to the penetrating and sanitising heat of sunlight.

Of course, Jamaica cares about peoples in dire straits in other parts of the world. She has always done so. Realpolitik dictates, however, that the concentration of that care and concern cannot outstretch to where Jamaica cuts her own throat.

For sure, if Jamaica had acted foolishly and resurrected an unusable past regarding certain international matters, some of the same advocates of a certain ‘nostalgic bliss’ would then castigate the Administration when the supremely negative social and economic repercussions start to bite. The cop-out of these bad-faith actors would then be, ‘Well, you did what we asked, but you did so incorrectly.’

I said here three Sundays ago: “That we are living in unusual times. Focus! All well-thinking Jamaicans have to pitch in and do our part to protect and preserve this Rock. She is our home.” Those of us who live here by choice and those who were born here and love this country have a duty to help repudiate those who work to sink Jamaica.

FORWARD-THINKING NEEDED

In the wake of one of the most devastating hurricanes for many decades, Government, which includes the Opposition, has to, among other things, focus like a laser beam on restoring especially ordinary people’s livelihoods and, simultaneously, on the stronger rebuilding of the social, physical, and related infrastructures of this land with due haste.

Land settlement has always been a troubled spot, given our history of chattel slavery and colonialism. The passage of the hurricane has pushed the thorny matters of landownership and settlement to the fore, again. This is a good thing. We cannot continue to kick the can down the road.

Last time I checked Jamaica had around 700,000 citizens living in what are euphemistically called informal settlements. These citizens are generally known as squatters, and where they live is often described as capture land. There are also dozens of citizens who are living on lands where permission should never have been granted for construction. Hurricane Melissa has exposed some of these communities for all to see. Storms before did, also.

Admittedly, we have done a lot over the last 30 years to, among other things, improve how we construct dwellings. All that we have done is clearly not enough, notwithstanding, the fact that a Category 5 Hurricane like Melissa is a beast with spectacular power to destroy.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Certainly we cannot fold our arms and cry woe is me. Ultimately, no one is coming to save Jamaica. We have to save ourselves. Understand this, the flow of humanitarian aid will soon slow and then stop. Disasters are happening in other parts of the world too. And here is another reality: When the urgency and immediacy to help Jamaica wanes — and it will — donors near and far will shift their focus to thinking it is time for Jamaica to begin to help herself. Talk of bilateral-type support will then start to get louder and strict humanitarian-type support will subside. These are realities.

I am eternally thankfully to all who have poured out support in whichever form in these times of great need. May your basket be never empty, as we say locally; meaning, may you always be prosperous.

The passage of the hurricane must be used as an opportunity to resolve many of the landownership and settlement problems which have plagued Jamaica for generations. That is real prosperity if we are really serious about increasing the chances of especially ordinary Jamaicans having a real stake.

Robert Montague was recently appointed minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development and given responsibility for land-titling and settlements. Now is a perfect opportunity for Montague to regain the full confidence of not just the prime minister but, more importantly, the people of Jamaica.

Has Montague said and/or done anything meaningful regarding his specific assignment? I am waiting to hear how he will lead innovations and the process of implementation in the areas for which he has responsibility. I don’t believe I am singular in this respect, either. This is a time for meaningful action.

The Administration needs to understand that, going forward, folks are anxious to hear practical solutions to problems related to land-titling and settlement. I don’t understand the stony silence from Montague.

ACTION TIME

I said it here before, but it bears repeating: I don’t believe some in the Cabinet are demonstrating the required energy needed at this time. Lack of empathetic, meaningful, and urgent action is proof.

“The system does not work unless energy — meaning determination, decisiveness, forcefulness, and efficiency — is in the executive,” said Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers. I agree.

Again, I believe a Cabinet shake-up is needed at this time. A shake-up, I believe, would apply some heat to the feet of some who to me are not firing on all cylinders. Some in the Administration might be of the mistaken view that the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has all of five long years to restore and rebuild. Imprudent legislators in the JLP need to understand that, especially for the ordinary Jamaican, the time left on the Administration’s clock exists only in the present. Folks’ watches show only one time. That time is today. A secured roof, restoration of livelihoods, those are the things that are important. And they are important, today!

DUCK FOR PRESIDENT

The urgency of now is very great. Sunshine leaders are no good to Jamaica especially at this time. Let me illustrate further:

There is an insightful political satire called Duck for President, by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. In this New York Times best-seller, a duck named Duck is unhappy with Farmer Brown’s rule. Unlike in George Orwell’s classic allegory Animal Farm, where there is a communist takeover of the farm, Duck leads a democratic revolution and displaces Farmer Brown.

Anyway, Duck’s journey progresses from a farm election to running for governor, and, finally, president. Why? As Duck becomes frustrated with the grinding work associated with each responsibility he escapes by running for a more prestigious office. Ultimately, he wins the presidency but finds the job too hard, so Duck eventually returns to the farm.

What is the gist of this apologue? Essentially, that too many politicians hanker for the flashing cameras, titles, glowing reviews by media, and all the perks of high and low elected and selected office, but simultaneously do not, more so cannot competently manage the hard work required by State office. Jamaica has several of those today.

There was a time in our politics when Cabinet ministers who did not and or could not “turn any butta”, meaning show any verifiable achievement sufficient to affect public sentiment positively, were routinely shuffled around and put in charge of different ministerial portfolios. I don’t believe Prime Minister Andrew Holness can afford such a highly inefficient and extremely expensive luxury, given the immense and immediate needs facing thousands of especially ordinary Jamaicans today.

In my The Agenda piece on October 5, 2025, I said: “Inept ministers blame civil servants. If ministers are failing to produce material results, which are making the lives of especially thousands of ordinary Jamaicans better in a sustained manner, then Holness is falling down on job. The prime minister’s performance, or lack thereof, is a direct measure of the success or failure of the signature policies of his Administration.”

I also said, among other things, “As I see it, the primary focus of well-thinking Jamaicans should be on timely deliverables by the ministers and their political apparatuses. At minimum, at the six-month mark, those ministers who do not ‘turn any butta’, as rural folks say, meaning produce no measurable results which materially improve the lives of thousands of especially ordinary Jamaicans, should be put on probation.”

Jamaica cannot afford, especially at this time, a Duck for president prime minister, or minister of anything, Member of Parliament, etc. It is time for meaningful and sustained action. The action I speak of does not mean that politicians and others in similar offices are responsible for every itch and scratch because of the hurricane. I am talking about very practical help which can enable folks to help themselves to get back on their feet in the shortest possible time.

I am not at all on the side of those able-bodied Jamaicans who are using the disaster as a crutch for opportunistic helplessness. That is anti-Jamaican.

Garfield Higgins is an educator and journalist. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or higgins160@yahoo.com.

Robert Montague signs his oath after being sworn in as a member of the new Cabinet at King’s House. He has been appointed minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development responsible for land-titling and settlements. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Time for a shake-up: Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (third left, front row) and Governor General Sir Patrick Allen (fourth left, front row) take a group photo with members of the Cabinet after they were sworn in at King’s House in St Andrew earlier this year. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness speaking with residents of Whitehouse, Westmoreland, on a visit post Hurricane Melissa (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

Garfield Higgins