“Ain’t nothing wrong with the world; it’s the people that’s in it.” So sang renowned crooner, the late Lou Rawls. Those lyrics could easily be altered to read, “There is nothing wrong with the world; it’s the leaders in it.”

But back to the people. Here in Jamaica, our people, many of whom have been infected with the virus of materialism emboldened by selfishness, have become crass, undisciplined, and boorish. One aspect of national life so gravely affected is how people drive on our roads, especially at night when extremely bright headlights literally terrorise unsuspecting motorists. This is a national crisis that has, for the most part, remained under the radar, primarily because there is no national push, by way of officialdom, to deal with this increasingly dangerous practice on our already perilous roads. Indeed, in addition to dodging potholes and constantly driving defensively to avoid speeding and reckless drivers, particularly those who operate minibuses and taxis, night driving has become a daunting challenge.

Research reveals that glaring headlights are often caused by brighter LED technology which can temporarily blind drivers and increase collisions. Celebrated playwright and theatre icon Basil Dawkins recently brought this vexing issue to the fore in a FaceBook post calling individuals so affected to join him in a national drive to have this matter addressed. I am fully aboard because, as a senior citizen, every time I take to the road at nights I have to earnestly plead with the Almighty to bring me safely home.

According to one online source, “To reduce this, avoid staring directly at lights, clean your windshield to prevent light scattering, use anti-reflective glasses, and check for proper headlight alignment. Nearly 60 per cent of drivers report that headlight glare is getting worse.” So there you have it, readers. It begs the question, though, as to whether the Government can introduce some form of legislation to deal with this growing crisis. Incidentally, this issue of glaring headlights is getting even worse as some “butoo” drivers are now turning on their glaring headlights in broad daylight on our roads!

Another online source stated that, in politics, headwinds refer to opposing forces, obstacles, or negative pressures that hinder the progress, popularity, or implementation of a policy, campaign, or administration. Similar to a wind blowing against a plane, these external, often uncontrollable factors, slow down advancement and require extra effort to overcome.”

In this regard, as if the devastating headwinds of Hurricane Melissa were not enough, Jamaica is now faced with geopolitical headwinds brought about by the adventurism and cavalier approach taken by United States President Donald J Trump that is fast taking the world to the brink of World War III. The current war in the Middle East being waged by the United States and Israel, with, so far, no end in sight, has already begun to adversely affect gas prices, a scenario that can wipe out all the economic gains at the macro level that the Andrew Holness Administration has been boasting about for years.

Even while Finance Minister Fayval Williams has sought to assure the nation that the country’s healthy Net International Reserves (NIR) can safely buttress this particular headwind, there is every reason to worry, especially if the ongoing Middle East crisis becomes protracted. As at March 5, 2026, Jamaica’s NIR stood at approximately US$6.839 billion. Experts argue that this figure represents a significant buffer, covering roughly 36.1 weeks of goods and services imports, which is well above the international benchmark of 12 weeks, and this protects the country against external shocks, like volatile oil prices.

Every well-thinking Jamaican should commend the Holness Administration on this stellar and significant achievement, but we must remain wary and become even more proactive as another hurricane season is just around the corner, not to mention those constant earthquake rumblings. These additional headwinds could prove to be cataclysmic, and so greater emphasis has to be placed on resilience, particularly in the areas of agriculture (food security is a must); infrastructure, including housing stock; health services; and manufacturing.

Needless to say, the impact from Hurricane Melissa is still haunting us in more ways than one. We have seen, for example, a spike in domestic violence, which suggests that there is a great deal of stress, perhaps caused by families’ inability to cope with the varying socio-economic pressures besetting many homes as well as fragile relationships. And it is no secret that a creeping mental health crisis is fast overtaking this troubled nation, brought about by the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Also, not wanting to pour cold water on the Government’s highly touted hurricane relief and recovery efforts, the harsh truth is that thousands of Jamaicans in the lower socio-economic bracket of the society are still in dire straits, which many of them were already in before the holocaust brought about by Melissa. Word on the ground also suggests that robberies are on the increase, many of which are not being reported to or by the the police.

In the meantime, a bullish and intemperate President Trump continues to flex his muscles, his overblown ego shored up by the fact that he is commander-in-chief of the world’s most feared military force. First, there was Venezuela, then there was talk about capturing Greenland, and now Cuba is also on the radar of the US president. All of these machinations present a clear and present danger to world peace, even as America’s arch-rivals Russia and China no doubt are amassing their warheads just in case world peace reaches that tipping point. And as Bob Marley has sung in his classic lyrics: “Where did it all begin? Whoa-oh! Where will it end? Well it seems like total destruction the only solution…”

Jamaica is a small fish in a big pond. Let us hope and pray that no warheads will be pointed in our direction.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 50 years. He has also served as a People’s National Party Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.