In 1980 nearly 1,000 people were murdered. These were political murders. These were wars fought between supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party.
The War is not misused; I am talking about guns and battles, and shootings and death, because it was a matter of Life and Death which Party made up the Government.
The Wars began just before Independence in 1962. They were fought but not as violently nor as hard. This is because it was not until 1972 that there was an actual choice; no more Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, but a Democratic Socialist Party against an old fashioned Capitalistic one.
Although there was no admitted apartheid in Jamaica, there were sharp class lines. In Kingston, the poor stayed below crossroads.
King Street had many popular shops and poor people didn’t dare to walk there.
Then, in 1972 Michael Manley came to power with the People’s National Party and instantly began legislation to make Jamaica a fairer society.
There was free education from primary to tertiary. One got into University by merit and merit alone. It didn’t matter who your father was, who your mother slept with, it was merit, so the child of a maid might enter where her employer’s pampered darling did not.
Health care was free and backed up with Cuban doctors of the highest quality.
From Maternity leave with pay to Holidays with pay, from the legitimacy act which ended the prejudice against children born out of wedlock; by 1974 Jamaica was transformed, and the United States was getting very worried about the close ties between Jamaica and Cuba.
The 1976 election was bloody. Both parties armed their supporters, and people fought and died fighting politics.
Manley won again in a large majority and the United States implemented Underthrow, which they had done in Chile and which under pins the ‘Arab Spring’. That is get the citizens of a country to fight against the government of the country; arming them if necessary.
In 1980 the Underthrow worked, and the Jamaica Labour Party, under Edward Seaga took control of the Central Government, but the local elections went to the People’s National Party.
Seaga called a snap election in 1983 and the PNP boycotted, and Jamaica had a One Party Parliament until 1989 when the PNP again took power.
But this was a different PNP. A PNP that was more in line with American desires.
Few people died in 1989 because few people actually fought politics.
From 1989 until 2007 the PNP won election after election, then in 2007, the JLP, now under Bruce Golding won.
During his tenure, (he resigned in 2011) he turned more Labourites against him than the PNP ever did, and his successor, Andrew Holness lost and the PNP under Portia Simpson Miller took power.
In 2016 there was a General election. Only 43% of registered voters bothered. The JLP garnered 23% of the vote and won.
In November there was a local government election.
Only 30% of registered voters bothered to turn out. The JLP won the locals.
No one cares.
There was a time people sat up on election night, anxious because it mattered. Where people lined up to vote. A time when Jamaicans saw an importance with whom sat in Parliament or at the Local government levels.
Only 30% of those registered bothered.
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So you're saying the average Jamaican probably has the same mindset or attitude as the Native Americans. Who cares who is in charge? It changes nothing for us!
I just have one thing to say to the Jamaican people. There will always be greedy money grabbing power mongers out there. These kind of people don't see any border lines. There are no countries. They think the world is theirs for the TAKING!
Voting or not voting isn't the issue. If you don't care what happens to you, nobody else will either. If you don't mobilize yourself and stand and defend yourself, your world will be a giant ghetto! Or … you'll live on a reservation and people will tell you that you have some autonomy in governing yourselves, but if push come to shove and they want to take your land … THEY'LL TAKE IT!! That's the real world. It don't just happen in Jamaica.
It's not about politics. It's about your survival versus greed and power. Politics is just a system that's conveniently useful to the TAKERS. If you - Mr. or Ms. Average Jamaican - don't have a plan, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT BACK! If the political system don't work for you, use something that does!
We once had a system where we cared. We voted, it was important, and then apathy took over. Yes, the persons who run for office are not inspiring and don't have programmes to attract the voters.
I am somewhat familiar with the political and historical situation in Jamaica. My dad was from The Bahamas and had Jamaican friends. My husband also is from The Bahamas and had Jamaican friends. Two generations and they – my dad and my husband – were both in tune with the politics of their countries. All I'm saying is you can't lift up an apathetic person much less a large group of apathetic people. So somebody needs to inspire them or they need to motivate themselves. Otherwise, life will stand still for them for as long as they live. Do I sound like I'm putting down Jamaica or does it sound like what I'm saying applies to any human being on the planet no matter where they live?
In the 1970s Michael Manley inspired. He put forth a great deal of social legislation, more than before or after. We believed in him. When he retired there was an in house election which was crooked, and PJ Patterson became leader. We put a brave face on it, but he couldn't inspire. By the time Portia Simpson took over she was a shell of who she had been. Golding replaced Seaga and he is a thoroughly despicable man who resigned, was replaced by Andrew Holness who at first was so obnoxious that he lost, then he developed some ability to act as if he cared about the people and was elected.
There was a 43% turn out for the General.... the lowest in history. At local there was a 30%, the lowest in history.
The entire leadership of the PNP has to change and it must adopt ideas and principles.
By the time I knew of Michael Mankey he was already out of the picture and Jamaica was on its way downhill. From listening to you talk, it looks like the country is still rolling downhill. When a government is corrupt and does not serve the people, it's clear changes must be made. You say the leadership of the PNP “must”?? But who's going to make them? That's probably what they're thinking. Is there some noble honorable fearless leader or leaders who are going to step forward and clean things up. Looks like, from my distance, Jamaica has two problems: nasty mean streets where the ordinary people strive to live and a nasty mean government on top of them who don't care how they live. That's a rough situation. Do you have plans to enter the political arena? You seem to have a burning passion to make your world a better place.
I doubt there will be any improvement. As is usually with 4th World nations, the corruption takes over and people go into politics to get money and power, not to do anything positive for anyone.
Right now, Jamaica in 2016 is in worse condition that it was under the British, then it was when Edward Seaga became PM in 1980. Nothing works. There are very few local entreprenuers. I had to search to find a store which sold Usain Bolt tee shirts that were NOT made in China, but made here.