Reality, Perspective and our Feudal Political Overlords
Jamaica’s Political Feudal/Monarchy
The Jamaican political system is a democracy where our selection between who to vote for is very limited to a certain number of recycled people, our Feudal Overlords! What is amazing about Jamaica’s Political/Feudal/Monarchical System is that when a person is born they become familiar with Politicians who have a certain last name and also listen to their parents and grandparents talk about these politicians with the same last names who seem to outlive everybody because even on your deathbed a person with same last name will still be in office or trying to get back into office and one must wonder if it is the same person and do they live forever?
The legacy of the Jamaican Political class is like the legacy of the Phantom who is the 21st in a line of crime fighters that originated in 1536. The legacy of the Phantom is passed from father to son, leaving people to give the mysterious figure nicknames such as "The Ghost Who Walks", "The Man Who Cannot Die" and "Guardian of the Eastern Dark", believing him to be immortal and so is the Legacy of the Jamaican political class except that the legacy is not only passed to sons but also to daughters, niece, nephew, sisters, brothers and almost every and any family members.
It seems that our Future Leaders are already getting into their hereditary positions, like royal successions, jockeying for position to the Royal Throne. Our Home Grown Colonial Class, fought for independence only to create a Monarchical, Feudal like system that guarantees them control, power and wealth from generation to generation.
- Michael Manley - Norman Manley
- Douglas Manley - Norman Manley
- Daryl Vaz - Douglas Vaz
- Ann Vaz - Daryl Vaz
- Mikal Philips - Peter Phillips
- Dr.St Aubyn Bartlett - Ed Bartlett
- Imani Duncan - DK Duncan
- Patricia Duncan Sutherland - DK Duncan
- Patrice Charles-Freeman - Pearnel Charles
- Pearnel Charles Jr - Pearnel Charles
- Duane Smith - Derrick Smith
- Matthew Samuda – is he related to Karl Samuda?
- Hugh Buchanan - Donald Buchanan
- Kamina Johnson-Smith - Anthony Johnson
- Juliet Holness - Andrew Holness
- Michael Peart - Dean Peart
- Winston Spaulding - Frank Spaulding
- Anthony Spaulding - Frank Spaulding
My cousin always seh:
”Freedom and Democracy is not for everybody”… in the wrong hands it is like a loaded gun, used to shoot one's self in the foot or face… Democracy requires a strong sense of responsibility, discipline and participation from everyone… qualities that are missing from the Jamaican society of ungovernable's, where commonsense decisions play no part in everyday life… Zim zimma, who got the keys to my bimmer … (or should I have said Audi) ...who am I… The girls dem sugar.
The IMF
Reality and Perspective!
Recently “On the Ground News Report” (OGNR), the Jamaican Facebook news page reported several news items from other Caribbean countries and suffered a mini-backlash from some of their readers who were both dismayed and disgusted. Some readers responded saying that OGNR should not report news from the Caribbean region but stick to news only from Jamaican sources.
I quickly realized that these readers were not really upset because OGNR was reporting more news from the Caribbean but what they were upset about was because the news items being reported was Bad Negative News about a country that was NOT Jamaica. So the question you might ask is, why would this be so upsetting to some people? In all my interaction with Jamaicans I have come across a lot of Jamaicans who sometimes take great exception to the reporting of bad news from other countries for a number of reasons.
The Anti-Jamaica, Jamaicans whose favorite pastime is to declare Jamaica a failed state, to continuously bash and curse the hell of Jamaica every chance they get, do not want to hear anything good about Jamaica and only like to hear positive/good news about other countries especially those in the Caribbean region. These are mainly foreign based, Never-See-Come-See Jamaican but we do have a huge amount of home grown locals hoping to become foreign Never-See-Come-See Jamaicans and they need to maintain that hate for Jamaica to follow it through.
How else are they expected to propagate the concept that Jamaica equals everything bad in this world, a wicked and evil place, no longer a pearl and everywhere else especially our wonderful Caribbean neighbors as good, progressive and better than Jamaica and Jamaicans. The reporting of Regional Reality News by the blasted local media is making this a difficult concept to sell, you cannot have murders in Jamaica and also murders in the rest of the Caribbean, it would make murders seem like a bigger problem and not just a localized Jamaican issue..
The Opposition’s Diehard Party Supporters (regardless of party, PNP or JLP) do not want good news reported about Jamaica and do not want bad news reported about countries in the region, how can they continue to sell the concept that Jamaica is going to hell in a shit basket under any government that is not theirs, if the news organizations continue to report Negative Regional Reality News. Spreading misery, doom and gloom is an election campaign tactics. The more miserable the people are under any Government that is not theirs then the better their chances of being elected to become the next Government.
In this situation misery certainly does not love company, the Anti-Jamaica, Jamaicans and the Political Diehards do not want Jamaicans expose to miseries from other countries but want all the misery in the universe to focus like Hurricane Gilbert, hanging only over Jamaica.
Access to Regional News
Recently I found myself more and more in various debates with people from all over the world including and mainly the Caribbean region and realized that we cannot actively and realistically debate each other without proper knowledge of each other’s society and the problems we face. It is amazing the amount of stereotypical, made up generalized rubbish, spouted by people in the other Caribbean countries when one is trying to have debate. To get a better understand of the Caribbean region, I made it my objective to seek out almost every online news outlet, from almost every Caribbean island. I now get a daily feed of what is happening in every country, even at times listening to debates in their parliaments and their nightly news. I now have a better understanding of their reality and a deeper perspective of the problems we all face as people, in this region. Yes I do agree Jamaica is in a bad state, have been for some time but I now understand that most of the countries in this region are also suffering from some of the same problems we are suffering from. I no longer have to make assumptions but quote actual economic and social facts and figures... Everyone should try it, instead of pulling crap from their asses and spout it, as if it were factual.
Comparing Jamaica to America, ...is it really apples and oranges?
How a Bill Becomes a Law?
Recently the leader of the Opposition declared that the Government should not pass certain bills until our Feudal Financial Overlords get a chance to look them over and give their seal of approval...
I have nothing against the opposition saying they want more time to study the bill, after all they are elected MP’s and paid by the people. However I have a problem delaying bills, holding up progress, while waiting for approval from a group of people, the Jamaican people did not elect… The members of the financial sector were not elected by the people of Jamaica. I therefore see no reason why the Government should delay the passing of any bill, so they can give their 2 cents while grandstanding. The bill in question, have been talked about for some time now and if the financial sector cared they would have studied it and give their concerns already… Frankly I am tired of sitting around waiting for Jamaica’s Technocrats to come to some conclusion, since as far as I am concern they only care about hearing themselves talk, basking in their own self-importance and stroking their own feudal like egos.
Amazing at the start of the PNP term in office the opposition was complaining that the Government was not tabling any bills in parliament and now complaining they are tabling too much. …Politics is a dangerous game my friend…
Exchange Rate and Imports
In 2011 the PNP inherited an exchange rate of 86.34, Jamaica’s exchange rate is now over J$106.00 to US$1.00 and this is by IMF design since they have declared they will no longer lend Jamaica money to finance their nasty disgusting import spending habits. If Jamaicans want to live like big shots then they must work hard and earn big shot money not borrow it…
Recently Agricultural Minister declared that the country's food import bill has increased by 20% for first half of 2013, this after 15% devaluation of the Jamaican dollar and after everyone complained that the exchange rate was way too high. No matter what the Exchange rate is, Jamaicans it seems are genetically predispose to consume imported rubbish… It is almost impossible to wean us off our love of Butterball Turkey and Hennessy and imported Weave …Even if the Jamaica’s exchange rate reached 150 to 1, which is where the IMF said is the true value of the Jamaican currency, based on our meager production levels, Jamaicans will continue to import like there is no tomorrow. I say let it run wild, run free, if for nothing else but a social experiment to see what it would take to wean these idiots of importing rubbish... and we should all take bets on that final number, like guessing how much marbles are in a jar.
Jamaicans have been using the excuse that imports are cheaper, even when the products was not cheaper. The last Government pushed for increase Agricultural production as everyone demanded that our farmers step up to the plate and deliver. The farmers did stepped up and delivered increasing Agricultural output from 400,110 in 2008 to 500,305 in 2010 but at the time when agricultural output was increasing, so too were imports. In 2008 imports reached a record US$8,162,874 while export was only US$2,496,156. The increased agricultural output was largely ignored by the Jamaican people, onions and red peas rot in the fields as the Government continue to give away import waivers (tax reduction to importers) even for products produce by our farmers who now could not sell their produce fast enough…
The then Minister Agriculture, in stroke of brilliance had no choice but to create the “Eat what you Grow program” aka Operation Grow... with farmers markets all around the island to help the poor farmers get rid of the bulk of produce. It was a fashion statement to attend the Farmers markets but as soon as it stopped being fashionable, people stop buying and went back to imported products.
Political Youth Org. wants end of garrison Politics
OK so another Jamaican youth organization of a political party, made a grand announcement, “calls for end to Garrison Politics”…. And actually got a little media attention for this…. We have been paying lip service to garrison politics since the garrison politics started… It is just some shit people say when they have nothing better to do and need to some spotlight.
I am sure soon they will log on to one of those useless petition websites, while sitting in their bedrooms, in their Y-fronts and create more useless petitions… Jamaicans seems to have adapted to this lazy form of public activism like fish to water… These petitions get lost in cyberspace the second they are created.
Meanwhile in the UK, students are rallying, yet again… after a week of protests, you see, their talk and petition creation is backed by solid actions, they hit the streets… Our so called young, up and coming political clowns are a bunch of lazy ass, lip service paying, ipod carrying, Samsung galaxy using, Hennessy drinking fools, basking is their own self-importance… they are more first world than the actual first world… they have arrived…. And to borrow a word from my friend Jane… They are part of the Feudal system we call the Jamaican society… where we worship our feudal overlords in the political and business class…
Clovis
One thing I have gotten use to with the Jamaica Observer cartoonist Clovis is that:
- Kartel face will always be white from bleaching
- Portia always look like Sketel, dutty gal..
- Gays look like cross dressing Donald duck
- PJ always have a bag of money over his shoulder
- Roger Clark will always be daggering or eating rice or both
- Bounty Killa is never without his Hammer and Chain
Community Get Standpipe
Someone needs to explain to me how adding a standpipe to a community is moving backwards? Since one must admit that the standpipe is making water more accessible to the people... versus before the standpipe ... so the argument that we are moving backwards is retarded, maybe not moving forward fast enough is more appropriate… and 2) why all this shock and awe that there are people in Jamaica still depending on a standpipe, a communal source of water, some people still using the river. I am beginning to understand that being in foreign turn these neva-see-come-see Jamaicans into idiots, they are no longer connected to the reality of their homeland or when they step off the plane they put blinkers on and head for the resort with speaky spokey accent…. The full spectrum of Jamaican life is not equal and yes we are third world (developing country). It might be shocking to believe that this exist in almost every single island in the region even Trinidad with it Gas and Oil and mega billions….
It is not the Government’s Job to install modern Kitchens and bathrooms in people’s houses, the Government however must make sure that a water commission water main runs in every community… and make sure the economy is in a state to provide people with employment so they can install their own pipes and pay their water bills... How much do you want to bet that if you go out to the frigging standpipe a couple big head SUV Park up and the owners filling barrels of water fi put in dem brand new F-150 truck.
Government in my view should only provide Security, Infrastructure and create a climate for Economic Growth. This giving away land titles and loads of free stuff should not be the purpose of any government and wasting my tax dollar.
The Jamaica Logistic HUB Symposium
Symposium is just another word for idle chatter from Jamaica’s chatting class… Our ever talking Technocrats who love to hear themselves talk… as they pay lip service to development and implementation without actually developing anything and implementing anything… The Government goes on and on about the master plan and the opposition goes on and on against the master plan while the diehards hang on to every word… It will be an orgy of technocratic babble – “well you know the socioeconomic, micro, macro indicators and the economics of scale… with budget and expenditure and I will take you to the mountain top…”…. My head hurts just thinking about it… Hub, Power Plant and Rare Earth Projects are fictional projects design to give them something to chat about… and consume tax payer’s money... Oh Please, Please, Please prove me wrong… I do not want to be right but history is on my side...
The Jamaica Constabulary Force
I do understand that we have some problems with our police force and I am not denying the fact that some are semi-literate and rotten to the core but this over generalized, across the board, relentless attacks on the police force will do nothing but to demoralize good hardworking front line officers who are not even being paid enough for the abuse they get. I mean why bother, if all you get for your troubles, risking life and limb, is constant daily cursing from the general public and everybody who wants to get their name and picture in the newspapers, with fancy popular anti-police sound bites… I have never heard people cuss criminals like how they cuss police officers…. Dons and warlords and semi-literate DJ’s are role models and loved by the general public while the police are treated like warts on the backside of humanity. Over 1000 people get murdered every year in Jamaica, it is more than likely that I will lose my life at the hands of the Jamaican civilian than at the hand of the Police force, who at this point are the only thing standing between me and the murderous mob.
The Crime Rate is Spiraling out of Control
Let’s define the term spiraling out of control…. If our crime rate was 500 per year and in one year it reached 1000 ....then yes crime did spiral out of control… But our murder rate has been at this level, in this region, around this ballpark for over a decade now… 2001 -1100, 2002 -1045, 2003 -975, 2004 -1471, 2005 -1674, 2006 -1340, 2007 -1583, 2008 -1618, 2009 -1683, 2010 -1428, 2011 -1124, 2012 -1087, 2013 -1200... I really fail to see a spiral but business as per NORMAL!!! ...SNAFU - "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"
CrowdFunding vs Remittance
I think we should rename remittance and begging’s to "Crowdfunding"....the new hip techno terminology... you no longer beg your relatives in foreign.... you crowdfund... as in... I have a dancehall event to go to and need to raise 12,000 for the entry fee and 20,000 for the imported drinks and food... and seeking some funding...
The Dutty Black Gal Campaign Strategy
It seems the entire JLP campaign strategy is centered on short unflattering video clips and sound bites of the Prime Minister, often taken out of context to create a certain negative image. There is so much more to base ones campaign on, other than the Dutty Black Gal Strategy, which have been tried many times before, the JLP has simply been there and done that already. The disgusting state of the economy, the delivering of Austerity hardship and various anti-social issues should be enough to guarantee any party, winning any elections, if that party can come up with a valid and viable alternative, which I think is the crux of the matter … If one cannot formulate a valid and viable economic and social alternatives then cheap video gimmicks and sound bites …it seems, is all there is to run on…
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