Manley labelled as reckless

[Farmah]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Manley labelled reckless</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline>Local think tank says former PM's socialist ideology was a 'big mistake'</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer
Sunday, December 17, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>Michael Manley's social and economic reform efforts of the 1970s failed to drive economic growth and social transformation in Jamaica and his socialist ideology was "a serious mistake", a new local think tank has concluded.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=130 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>MANLEY. his democratic socialism ideology was blamed for the largest contraction of economic activity in Jamaica since World War II </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>In fact, the group, which says it is comprised of Jamaicans from various walks of life, academics and researchers based locally and abroad, branded Manley as "reckless" for his "radicalisation" during his terms as prime minister of Jamaica between 1972 and 1980.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The think tank presented its findings on December 7 at a public forum at Emancipation Park in New Kingston as part of the launch of a broader research project titled 'Taking Responsibility'.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The rationalé for the project, the group said, was to raise the standard of public discussion on the economy in order to create the environment necessary for Jamaicans, armed with information on all options available to them, to demand challenging decisions from their leaders that will result in a better Jamaica.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to the group, the research project title is really "a call to arms" to reclaim the hope that existed among Jamaicans on August 6, 1962 when the island gained Independence from Britain.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The think tank was spawned from a group of friends who started meeting three years ago and who would agonise over why Jamaica has not done better economically, even though they knew the island could.<P class=StoryText align=justify>At the December 7 launch, the group presented what it said were three key findings on which several points of consensus have emerged. They were that:
. the relative prosperity of the 1960s was somewhat illusory, as the gains were concentrated, resulting in an unstable political economy;<P class=StoryText align=justify>. the 1970s' turn towards reform was a necessary tonic to these shortcomings; the turn to socialism by Michael Manley, however, even if it was largely rhetorical, was a serious mistake; and<P class=StoryText align=justify>. the social opening provided by Manley in the 1970s was probably salutary, in that more Jamaicans apparently began to feel that their young state included them, but was largely derailed by the reckless radicalisation of their then prime minister.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Manley's democratic socialism ideology was blamed for "the largest contraction of economic activity in Jamaica since World War II" resulting from a combination of price controls, restrictive trade policies, inflation, and socio-political programmes.
Hated and revered equally, Manley's fiery socialist rhetoric was fought with equal fervor by then Opposition Leader Edward Seaga, who believed in a free market, capitalist-driven economy.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaica's political survival began swinging in the balance, between the Cold War foes, the United States and the then powerful Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
The group's findings, however, did not go down well with all members of the large crowd in attendance.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The think tank was cri

[Jawge]

RE: Manley labelled as reckless

See one has to be very careful here because

waving your hand and saying manley was reckless hence our trobles today is not the truth. Yes Joshua's foreign policy was a disaster but his domestic policy of social reform was thiry years ahead of its time. Can the upper class provide the brain power and skilled labour in order for JA to compete in the ino age today? (check the number of such an elite entity) What if Joshua had run the same course left the population in 53% rate illiteracy, did not give land to the poor, did not encourge the lower class to start their own business by providing soft loans (many who are now in the upper echelons of Ja society are a direct consequence of manly's domestic policy otherwise they would not be there). Whilst Joshua attacked education and poverty, he did not go deeply as to dismantle the post colonial/slavery system. YOu still have teachers telling students that they can't do exams (imagine and these teachers aren't paying for it) so you find many disenchanted young men walking the streets thinking if only he had a chance (mek di man tek it an fail it pon him own) hence gangs and guns become attractive. There is a system in Ja that still looks down on the masses in Ja and this causes a lot of medicore performance in every aspect of Ja's society. Why are our young boys get a sense of bleonging with these gangs?. The info age is upon us; Ja wants to compete and enter this new world. Have we solved the problem of uniteruppted power supply? This is critical for the IT business and web across the island. We must wean ouselves off the concept of of aid because from what I saw Eddie got 200 illion in aid after the 1980 election and we still didn't budge very much. Why? we are not producers.

Joshua's (foreign policy with the UWI advice) destroyed what could have been. I need to say more but later. Got some stuff to do .