Columns

Thug culture in Jamaica

WHEN I first left Calabar High School in the 1980s, it took about 10 or more years before I resumed involvement in my alma mater or in high schools in general.

Tax cuts, interest rates, privatisation and a housing bubble

Writing in the UK Guardian, Oliver Wainwright describes a high-end totem of the excesses and iniquities of the real estate-industrial complex, in which prices are tumbling, investors are melting away and promises are turning to dust.

Atrial Fibrillation (Part 2)

This week, we continue our discussion on atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common electrical conduction abnormality of the human heart.

PNP's implosion: A threat to Jamaica's democracy

THE Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb “implode” as “collapse or cause to collapse violently inwards”. The Opposition People's National Party (PNP), over these past months, seems hell-bent on imploding, as two warring factions do battle, owing to...

We stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Cuba

THE protests in Cuba last weekend, fuelled by unlawful imperialist economic sanctions and carried out by a small minority in a nation of 11 million people, in relation to certain shortages of commodities for life and living, bring into focus, again, the remarkable and heroic achievements...

Time to reclaim the roads from lawless motorists

IN recent times, I have seen an upsurge in lawlessness among motorists on our roads, and as such I am concerned. In the past, we would often blame taxi drivers for the callous manner in which they operated on our public thoroughfares. Today, we are seeing motorists of all ages showing...

US Capitol riots: Far right still denying the truth?

A violent insurrection engulfed the US Capitol just six months ago. One United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died and other Capitol police are still healing. Investigators are still going through video and social media to document the attempt to disrupt congressional...

Assassination of the Haitian president: A wake-up call

THE assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo�se and the serious wounding of his wife should send shivers down the spine of every Caribbean person who believes in the integrity of the democratic project and the rule of law. The attack is dastardly from whichever angle it is assessed...

Jamaica's adult learners need more support

EXPECTATIONS of adult learners are generally high. They are assumed to be naturally focused, motivated, and self-directed. While this may be true, some adult students still need significant encouragement and scaffolding, and should not be told to simply read for their degrees.

The Caribbean should support ecocide as an international crime

Small island states and countries with low-lying coasts are usually the victims of ecocide.

The G20 faces three big tests

Since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic we've heard a lot about global solidarity. Unfortunately, words by themselves will not end the pandemic — or curb the impact of the climate crisis. Now is the moment to show what solidarity means in practice. As G20 finance ministers meet...

Free health care, but only for the vulnerable

The demand for health care at public health facilities far exceeds their capabilities. While the dilapidation of infrastructure and limited resources contribute to the inefficiencies which exist within our public health-care system, another major cause for concern...

Time to revisit the abortion law?

WE are in the age of the iPhone 12, TikTok, and the rapid growth and transformation of the virtual space. These developments have created a multitude of opportunities and have fast-tracked accessibility to the world around us. And, yet, women in Jamaica do not have access to something as...

Haiti Cherie: In contrast

Shading tree, Creole maiden for company. A gentle breeze, a warm caress if you please. Work, laughter, and play; yes, we'll always be this way, Haiti Cherie, now I've returned to your soil so dear. — Haiti Cherie, by Jamaican Harry Belafonte

Mark Golding had better switch gear

People's National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding's position atop the shaky political perch will be pulled hither and thither by increased tensions, and dogged by cock-ups, inexpert optics, and amateurish political choreography until he achieves a victory at the ballot box. The...