Who is Responsible for Nation Building Jamaica?

It is that time of the year again, Emancipation and Independence, known locally as “EmanciPendence”.  A time of Hyper-Merriment and Festivities! 

This independence is different from previous. It is our 60^th year of independence (Semi-Independence), our Diamond Jubilee. It is also that time of the year when Jamaicans start to ask the question, why are we celebrating and what are we celebrating? While playing the blame game, identifying who is responsibility for Jamaica not achieving its full potentials. The usual target of their wrath are the members of the Political Class, who really are just a subset of the people. If the politicians are useless, worthless and corrupt, then they came from useless, worthless and corrupt people. If they are suppose to represent the best if us, then "dawg nyam we suppa". 

The problem with Jamaica, is that it is inhabited by greedy, selfish non-progressive Jamaicans who are of low quality and ungovernable. If the water in the well is dirty, then every bucket of water taken from that well will be dirty. If all the cards in the deck, is a bad card, then chances are you will draw a bad card. If Jamaica is a failed state then the Jamaican people regardless of geographic locations are failures. Jamaica is our birth right, Jamaica is our responsibility, no one else can fix Jamaica but Jamaicans. However, Jamaicans stop being nation builders in 1962, and if all the nation builders before 1962 could see the future, then they would not have wasted their time, some dying for the future of this country and its people. If our National Heroes could see what they were dying for, then they would have died of old age. As a nation state, Jamaica has not achieved her full potentials.

Recently it was reported that Jamaica was the second highest in human flight and brain drain in the world. This started several online discussions with most Jamaicans declaring why they must flee from the rock. I brought up the concept that only the people can nation build Jamaica, to which most of my country men declared that I was chatting rubbish. They the people are powerless and the only option open to them is to flee the rock. So, I asked the question, if not the Jamaican people, then who should Nation Build Jamaica and for whom? If Jamaica is not the responsibility of natural born Jamaicans, then who is responsible for this rock? The last time I checked Jamaica was our birth right and responsibility, regardless of our geographic location.

The ability of the Jamaican people to distance themselves from their natural born Nation Building responsibilities always amazes me. Nation Building is not a top-down process but a bottom-up process. Educated Progressive people, produces and elects educated progressive politicians to implement progressive nation building policies, for the greater good of the nation. Progressive people know that electing a politician is not enough and does not guarantee the desired results. So, progressive people stay engaged with the process every step of the way, holding those they elected accountable. High demand and high standards of a progressive population is always reflected in their elected officials and Nation Building achievements.

The reverse is also true, semi-literate non-progressive people, produces and elects semi-literate non-progressive politicians. These semi-literate non-progressive people are not engaged with the process, for them it is vote and forget system. Leaving the semi-literate non-progressive politicians to do as they please. The low level, simpleton demands, and standards of the semi-literate non-progressive population is always reflected in the elected officials and lack of Nation Building achievements. These people believes that Nation Building is a top-down process. Hoping they will get lucky and elect benevolent politicians to look after their interest but instead they get malevolent politicians who focuses on their crony supporters and their own self-interests at the expense of the people and Nation Building.

Some Jamaicans are the first to declare that Jamaica mash up and fail state. When you ask them who mash it up, some will say the PNP, other will say the JLP and many will declare the politicians. It is always some one's else fault but never the fault of the people. If you believe in the bottom-up approach to Nation building, like I do, then you would have no choice but to point the finger at "we the people". People who believe in the top down approach to Nation Building are either religious, colonial minded, delusional and suffering from a Jesus complex. That is waiting for a benevolent Jesus to come off the cross and save them from themselves. These people are incapable of Nation Building because they believe it is someone else's responsibility to look after them.

Brain Drain

The Progressive Educated Professional Class are the primary source for change and nation building in all societies. They normally weaponised their education, weaponized their high demands, high standards, high expectations, discipline, and ambition for Real Progressive Social and Economic Development for the greater good of the nation. Progressive people are not selfish, they believe in the greater good. They understands that life is better when society is developed to benefit all and not just in their selfish interest..  

In the early 1900s, it was the educated class who organised all the nation building changes of the time. Human rights, Workers rights, Universal Adult suffrage and Independence movements all had the educated class in the forefront fighting for change. I cannot help but wonder why there is a lack of organized public activism and protest in Jamaica. I am having a hard time remembering when last Jamaicans organized a massive, peaceful, progressive, socially cohesive movement against anything. A socially conscious Nation Building movement against poverty, social injustice, mismanagement, child abuse, crime, and corruption within the Jamaican society. 

These days, our educated class no longer fight for change but instead flee, leaving behind a society overburdened with ignorant, semi-literate, low quality people, who are too dunce to even understand the basic concept of Progressive Development. As a society we are getting negative returns from the people left behind, and it will only get worse. The politicians love these types of people since they are easy to control and manipulate. This is what countries like Haiti are up against. Our Educated Class are too busy becoming Simpleminded Social Media Influencers.

I laugh every time I hear Jamaicans people threaten to migrate, as if they are spiting politicians if they migrate. Trust me at the end of the day when their backs are against the wall the politicians will leave also, along with the wealth they amassed over the years. This type of argument is like cutting off your nose to spite your face or shooting oneself in the foot. The only people who will suffer as a result of mass brain drain migrations are the Jamaican people. Because only Jamaicans can Nation Build Jamaica and only by progressively organizing and unifying, can we bring about real change. This is not a Justification for leaving but a justification for creating Nation Building Movements outside of Political control.

Jamaica Productivity Rate

Jamaica has one of the lowest productivity rates in the region. Prime Minister on labour day declared: “Jamaica has one of the lowest productivity rates in this region and it can’t continue. We can’t grow the gross domestic product (GDP) unless we increase productivity.

A World bank Research has shown that trends in productivity levels from 2000 to 2019 have seen a decrease of 15 per cent in Jamaica, as compared to a 51 per cent increase in countries such as the Dominican Republic. Jamaica’s poor work ethic has contributed to Jamaica’s low productivity and low economic growth. While other countries productivity rate increases, Jamaica productivity rate continue to decline. 

Haiti Syndrome 

I am not denying that a great injustice was done to the people of Haiti for generations. But the ignorance in Haiti has gone way beyond critical mass. It is now self-sustaining void of any sort of logic, intelligence or unity. Haiti is a Perfect example of Anarchy and cannot be fixed overnight. It took them over a century to be stewed to this level of dysfunctional perfection due to the injustice of the White Western World Order. Democracy cannot fix Haiti, because they are too far gone into the abyss. Haiti needs a firm Benevolent Dictator and not the usual Malevolent Dictators normally propped up by the USA at the expense of the people. Look at your future Jamaica because if we do not change course, this is where we will end up.