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<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Geof Brown
Friday, December 22, 2006
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Geof Brown</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Recently on his radio talk show, Wilmot ('Mutty') Perkins mentioned casually that this country is falling apart. This column categorically takes issue with that statement. Mark you, at times Mr Perkins is given to hyperbole and exaggeration (for effect?), as was perhaps the case when he relegated the University of the West Indies, a multi-faculty, multi-national, multi-thousand student body, internationally respected institution to the status of an "intellectual ghetto".
Such unthinking statements are hardly worthy of a "thinking man's" show. But this is not about the intellectual integrity or lack of it by Perkins, a man of considerable intellect. It is to dispute his rather casual assertion caught on the fly, since I am not a regular listener to his show. But some of his listeners unthinkingly take for gospel even casual and little thought-out utterances of the bright, engaging and entertaining talk show host. Thus, although his remark in question lacks any perceptual depth, it is not to be ignored.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This country is not falling apart. This country has a number of problems and concerns, some of them quite serious. They hardly bear repeating as not only are they obvious, but some commentators find just about nothing else to comment on.
The rest of us are overwhelmed with their barrage of recitation of the country's unworthiness. Last week's column, "Jamaica land of beauty" reviewed some of the positives overlooked in the constant recitation of our woes. Here is what one of the many respondents wrote, inter alia: (She has given me permission to quote her) "We are very quick to point out the talents and abilities of other nationalities and quick to condemn our own. We like to go overseas for exemplary people in any field but deny how much we have here: NDTC, Red Stripe, Tia Maria, Blue Mountain Coffee, athletes, cricketers, bobsleigh team, scientists, actors in Hollywood, politicians in the Whitehouse, mayors in England, etc."<P class=StoryText align=justify>The respondent continued: "What makes us stand out is that we are a small country but resilient (although) a Third World one. Having worked in the tourism industry for many years, I have heard over and over (visitors') comments and awe on how powerful a nation this is but we don't seem to know it". This last observation underscores my main thesis about Jamaica's true status, concerning which there are "none so blind as those who would not see". And I know that there are some who will say Jamaica's ability to produce world beaters in so many fields is no proof that it is not falling apart. By that they chiefly mean the seemingly intractable problems of the crime rate and the economy.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As this was being written two days ago, there was an intriguing discussion on the state of the country's economy on a leading radio talk show, The Breakfast Club, with prominent economists and the shadow minister of finance for the Jamaica Labour Party, Audley Shaw. The gist of the current economic trends discussed showed a number of positive indicators. The Net International Reserves (NIR) are up, the debt to GDP ratio is going down, interest rates are trending down, inflation is down to a single digit, there is new growth of two per cent in the economy, reversing the negative growth of several previous years, the deficit position is better than projected, external and internal business confidence are both moving up. Does that sound like a coun
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Geof Brown
Friday, December 22, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=80 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Geof Brown</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Recently on his radio talk show, Wilmot ('Mutty') Perkins mentioned casually that this country is falling apart. This column categorically takes issue with that statement. Mark you, at times Mr Perkins is given to hyperbole and exaggeration (for effect?), as was perhaps the case when he relegated the University of the West Indies, a multi-faculty, multi-national, multi-thousand student body, internationally respected institution to the status of an "intellectual ghetto". Such unthinking statements are hardly worthy of a "thinking man's" show. But this is not about the intellectual integrity or lack of it by Perkins, a man of considerable intellect. It is to dispute his rather casual assertion caught on the fly, since I am not a regular listener to his show. But some of his listeners unthinkingly take for gospel even casual and little thought-out utterances of the bright, engaging and entertaining talk show host. Thus, although his remark in question lacks any perceptual depth, it is not to be ignored.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This country is not falling apart. This country has a number of problems and concerns, some of them quite serious. They hardly bear repeating as not only are they obvious, but some commentators find just about nothing else to comment on.
The rest of us are overwhelmed with their barrage of recitation of the country's unworthiness. Last week's column, "Jamaica land of beauty" reviewed some of the positives overlooked in the constant recitation of our woes. Here is what one of the many respondents wrote, inter alia: (She has given me permission to quote her) "We are very quick to point out the talents and abilities of other nationalities and quick to condemn our own. We like to go overseas for exemplary people in any field but deny how much we have here: NDTC, Red Stripe, Tia Maria, Blue Mountain Coffee, athletes, cricketers, bobsleigh team, scientists, actors in Hollywood, politicians in the Whitehouse, mayors in England, etc."<P class=StoryText align=justify>The respondent continued: "What makes us stand out is that we are a small country but resilient (although) a Third World one. Having worked in the tourism industry for many years, I have heard over and over (visitors') comments and awe on how powerful a nation this is but we don't seem to know it". This last observation underscores my main thesis about Jamaica's true status, concerning which there are "none so blind as those who would not see". And I know that there are some who will say Jamaica's ability to produce world beaters in so many fields is no proof that it is not falling apart. By that they chiefly mean the seemingly intractable problems of the crime rate and the economy.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As this was being written two days ago, there was an intriguing discussion on the state of the country's economy on a leading radio talk show, The Breakfast Club, with prominent economists and the shadow minister of finance for the Jamaica Labour Party, Audley Shaw. The gist of the current economic trends discussed showed a number of positive indicators. The Net International Reserves (NIR) are up, the debt to GDP ratio is going down, interest rates are trending down, inflation is down to a single digit, there is new growth of two per cent in the economy, reversing the negative growth of several previous years, the deficit position is better than projected, external and internal business confidence are both moving up. Does that sound like a coun
Trust me ... delete or edit the post. Mi know wha yuh a try say .. but the Rent a Dread thing ..... totally different.
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