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Commentary>Dissecting independence, governance and corruptionBy Wilberne Persaud, Financial Gleaner Columnist |
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Enthusiastic feedback indicates the column on developmental governance struck a reverberating chord. No one thought the subject misplaced in the Financial Gleaner.
One Washington reader notifies me: "... what you have to comprehend is ... no matter what you do, no matter what you say, until the day you run your own banks, print your own money, and have your own military (for your Jamaica Defence Force troops swear to protect 'Elizabeth'), you are nothing but a mining colony for the British empire and its surrogate American colonies."
I replied: "We still swear to protect "Elizabeth". Do you mean to suggest by this that when we cease so to do, and add the other features - banks, money etc., we will indeed be ''independent'?
I am not sure really. The powerful United States of America is not as 'independent' as one would think.
Though the U.S. certainly can, should Bush simply nuke Iraq or Iran, etc. - perhaps he actually dreams of doing that. Or is it that even though it is the world's lone superpower, U.S. freedom of independent action is circumscribed by other variables which it is not always able to control.
POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE
Jamaica and other post-colonial societies enjoy political independence.
Indeed, many of them do have some of the things you speak of: their own
money, which may well be not an unadulterated blessing; and armies, some
of which do not swear allegiance to 'Elizabeth'.
This powerfully circumscribed or limited 'independence' is to a great degree reduced by their own actions.
If we govern ourselves properly we could reduce our level of dependence. On the International Monetary Fund, on United States Agency for International Development for cornmeal, on Canada for sardines. It is precisely because we do not govern ourselves well, and behave in ways that enhance individuals' and a few companies' material prospects in life, that we are led into the trap of continued erosion, even of the limited degree of freedom that we could enjoy.
We cannot simply see ourselves as victims of imperialism, colonialism, exploitation. Yes, we have been and in many ways still are victims. Reparations are due for slavery. Regardless, it does seem to me that we are to blame for a large part of the lack of independence we face.
Chávez may be attempting to exert his independence. I am happy about this, even though he may well be going about it in ways that will deny him success.
Caribbean nationalist, anti-imperialist, true believer in the United Nations Charter of Human Rights regardless, it is we, human actors, that must give life to these high ideals.
Corruption and choice of what appears to be the least difficult way to 'eat a food' is a surefire way to continued bondage. And by the way, we in Jamaica did create our own banks. But greed, corruption, social inferiority embedded in the psyches of many, expressed by status ascription based on conspicuous consumption and of course criminality, destroyed them, and retarded the peoples' fortunes for decades which left the yet unborn with a hell of a mortgage to pay.
SILENCE MEANS CONSENT
The other more animated reader comment I feel obliged to share is edited.
Entitled: "Is Jamaica one large criminal country? What does the evidence
show?" this reader feels "Jamaicans hate to face the source
of problems and believe that they do not have to pay the real price for
progress as they build on their fascination with dialogue." He adduces
evidence: "Highest rate of mob 'justice' killings of any democratic
country in the world - 19 last year. There has never been a national call
from any Prime Minister or Minister of Justice for the arrest of these
mob murderers. Silence is agreement."
He blames the "80 per cent out-of-wedlock birth rate, immorality and mistrust in personal lives that parallel our high rate of political corruption."
For him, extortion is "accepted as a way of life: one deceased criminal had a J$100 million business minutes from a major police station. When he was killed, riots and demonstrations shut down the former capital as the 'law abiding citizens" who call politicians corrupt supported him."
He is concerned about purposely under-scrutinised contributions to political parties, the citizenry that commonly refers to politicians as corrupticians! Agreeing that these 'governmental corrupticians' are not aliens but Jamaican citizens, he concludes: "A corrupt people form a corrupt government. Period. If the citizenry were not corrupt, their government would not be corrupt."
We must attend to these concerns whether they are views widely held or even of remote validity. As Archbishop Tutu might say, truth, so often awkward, is, alas, liberating.
email: wilbe65@yahoo.com