Jamaica, land we…
Based on what is happening in Jamaica today we may as well change the last line in our national anthem to “Jamaica, land we hate”, instead of love! More and more the country is descending into an abyss of hopelessness and anarchy, even while our legislators make a fool of themselves in Gordon House. Indeed, based on that recent sorry episode featuring certain Government Members of Parliament and the auditor general, many Jamaicans are coming to the conclusion that Parliament is fast becoming a poppy show.
In the meantime, survey after survey has revealed that well over 60 per cent of Jamaicans would opt to become American citizens if given the chance, opting to discard their Jamaican citizenship. Others have looked to the United Kingdom, the so-called motherland as a veritable promised land ruled by Missis Queen — so much for the Empire Windrush.
In the case of America, which many Jamaicans yearn to embrace as home, like a magnet the Statue of Liberty remains the iconic symbol of the American Dream, which is rooted in the Declaration of Independence that states inter alia: “All men are created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Let’s face it, in the very final analysis, every American citizen, notwithstanding racism and other inequalities, is guaranteed certain inalienable rights, regardless of their socio-economic status. Is this scenario applicable to Jamaica?
Is there a Jamaican Dream that can inspire Jamaicans to stay on The Rock in pursuit of those ideals that will make him or her a useful and happy citizen? The highly touted Vision 2030 is perhaps the closest we have got to defining and espousing the Jamaican Dream. It proclaims, “Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business.” It was noted by the framers of this ‘dream’ that “Vision 2030 Jamaica is the strategic guide or road map to achieve this level of development. Through short- and medium-term priorities and programmes, which are captured in the medium-term socio-economic policy framework (MTF), the plan provides dynamism and flexibility. This framework for implementation facilitates consistent monitoring and evaluation and allows domestic as well as global changes to be reflected and incorporated in the planning process. We will not achieve developed country status overnight; the change will be gradual. To achieve this goal requires leadership, partnership, national will and commitment for transformation, a sense of urgency about the unsustainable nature of the current path and a passionate desire to achieve greatness.”
How many Jamaicans, including our parliamentarians and private sector leaders, have embraced Vision 2030? In particular, how many of the new legislators on the Government side, as well as back benchers in general, are enthused about this dream?
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, you and your colleagues in the House of Parliament have been weighed in the balance and found wanting!
Is the Jamaican Dream dead? According to the national development plan, “The key underlying objective of Vision 2030 Jamaica is to secure sustained and broad-based improvement in the quality of life of our people that will transform Jamaica into ‘the place of choice to live, raise families and do business’. In order to achieve this objective, the national development plan articulates a comprehensive and integrated strategy around four fundamental goals:
* Goal 1: Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential.
* Goal 2. The Jamaican society is secure, cohesive and just.
* Goal 3: Jamaica’s economy is prosperous.
* Goal 4: Jamaica has a healthy, natural environment.”
Where are we now?
It is safe to say that, while there have been some incremental strides in some areas relating to these four goals, Jamaica, for all intents and purposes, is fast becoming a failing state in which crime and violence, corruption in high and low places, lack of productivity, crass indiscipline, hopelessness, and the failure of our leaders both in the public and private sector to sufficiently and persistently pursue a shared vision as embodied in the aforementioned four goals have caused the ‘Good Ship Jamaica’ to founder on the rocks of hypocrisy and narrow partisan rivalry (Labourites versus Comrades), while overlooking the most important fact that we are all Jamaican and that we should all think Jamaica first — principles over party politics.
At the heart of this recurring problem is the lack of transformational leadership. For the most part, our parliamentarians are content to squabble over the spoils and scarce benefits of office while the country, for the most part, remains a rudderless ship. The current brouhaha surrounding the Montego Bay Perimeter Road project is yet another example of this puerile pursuit with Prime Minister Andrew Holness, revelling in his alpha male status, all the while beating his chest and shouting, “Bad mind!”
Is there a balm in Gilead to heal this sin sick nation? There has to emerge a leader who will dare to be a Daniel and not just one who is preoccupied with optics, gimmickry, cheap politics, empty promises, and the razzle dazzle of a populist agenda lacking in substance.
Of course, in the very final analysis, we get the leaders we deserve, and methinks the time has come when civil society, instead of remaining snugly ensconced in the stands as critical spectators, its members should enter the field of play, rearrange the goal posts, and roll the pitch where necessary.
When all is said and done, the people of this country should demand that the goals of Vision 2030 are pursued and actualised. It is time that we all embrace a Jamaican ideology (or philosophy, if you prefer) that ensures that we, as a people, have a shared vision which every man, woman and child will be attracted to buy into.
The appropriate values and attitudes must be inculcated into the Jamaican psyche by way of the introduction of character education from the basic school right up to the tertiary level. In this vein, we should seek to create a meritocracy while putting a serious dent in the high level of corruption that pervades the society which, in real terms, reinforces the widely held view that it is good to be bad. Then, too, the inequitable distribution of wealth as well as a justice system which more favours the rich and the powerful must be addressed if the Jamaican dream is not to become a perpetual nightmare.
Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 44 years. He has also served as a 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.