Tweet
Editorial
We're losing our post-colonial leaders
Sunday, December 26, 2010
In the course of life, death deprives us of important individuals. For nations, the loss can be of an entire age cohort and sometimes these age groups are defined by a common experience.
In the United States, there is the much discussed "Baby Boomers" who were born in the years immediately after World War II. They distinguished themselves for their wanton consumerism, virulent anti-communism, liberal sexual attitudes and confident assumption of American global supremacy.
Jamaica has had significant age cohorts, such as the young men who worked and survived the building of the Panama Canal and the veterans of two World Wars.
The most important for contemporary life in Jamaica have been the anti-colonial leaders who fought successfully for political Independence. The exemplar of this cohort was Mr Norman Manley, who rose from modest rural life to glory at Jamaica College, Oxford University, medal-winning military service and later as Jamaica's greatest lawyer, party-co-founding politician and leader of the Independence movement. There were many others from all "walks of life" who contributed to the political liberation of Jamaica from British colonialism.
Their task was to win political Independence and they can say: mission accomplished. The goal of economic development was left to the post-colonial leadership cohort. They have tried and there is no doubt that they have failed. This in no way diminishes their effort, as all that can be asked of a person is that he gives of his best.
The good that has been accomplished since Independence has been due to the post-colonial leadership cohort, but the danger is that the good may be interred with their bones. This age cohort consisted of people between the ages of 10 and 25 years old at Independence. They were imbued with a nationalist sense of responsibility to country, putting nation-building ahead of personal gratification.
These post-colonial leaders are now in their 60s and 70s and are passing on. Jamaica's dilemma is that another generation of leaders has not emerged to take the baton from them.
Most of the "Independence generation" know nothing of the struggle for the opportunities and rights that they now take for granted. Consequently, they feel little obligation to contribute to the nation's development.
Market economy values cum market society individualism have created an egocentric focus of economic development. Progress is measured by and confined to the acquisition of personal wealth and hence little time and energy are devoted to national wealth.
The selfish gene has triumphed to the point where there is widespread belief in the morality and efficiency of selfish pursuit with a disregard for the implications for others. The balm for a conscience uncommitted to nation-building is the facile argument that those who do not succeed at the "monopoly game" view of life are poor because of some fault of their own. This is usually accompanied by the ultimate 'cop-out' that if there is no economic growth it is the fault of governments past and present.
This is no way to build a nation and achieve sustainable economic development, which is the uncompleted task of the post-colonial cohort that will pass into retirement or pass on in the next few years.
The land we claim to love desperately needs a new patriotic cohort dedicated to Jamaica to take over from the post-colonial leadership, many of whom were lost to us this year.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz19FKKTeIK
We're losing our post-colonial leaders
Sunday, December 26, 2010
In the course of life, death deprives us of important individuals. For nations, the loss can be of an entire age cohort and sometimes these age groups are defined by a common experience.
In the United States, there is the much discussed "Baby Boomers" who were born in the years immediately after World War II. They distinguished themselves for their wanton consumerism, virulent anti-communism, liberal sexual attitudes and confident assumption of American global supremacy.
Jamaica has had significant age cohorts, such as the young men who worked and survived the building of the Panama Canal and the veterans of two World Wars.
The most important for contemporary life in Jamaica have been the anti-colonial leaders who fought successfully for political Independence. The exemplar of this cohort was Mr Norman Manley, who rose from modest rural life to glory at Jamaica College, Oxford University, medal-winning military service and later as Jamaica's greatest lawyer, party-co-founding politician and leader of the Independence movement. There were many others from all "walks of life" who contributed to the political liberation of Jamaica from British colonialism.
Their task was to win political Independence and they can say: mission accomplished. The goal of economic development was left to the post-colonial leadership cohort. They have tried and there is no doubt that they have failed. This in no way diminishes their effort, as all that can be asked of a person is that he gives of his best.
The good that has been accomplished since Independence has been due to the post-colonial leadership cohort, but the danger is that the good may be interred with their bones. This age cohort consisted of people between the ages of 10 and 25 years old at Independence. They were imbued with a nationalist sense of responsibility to country, putting nation-building ahead of personal gratification.
These post-colonial leaders are now in their 60s and 70s and are passing on. Jamaica's dilemma is that another generation of leaders has not emerged to take the baton from them.
Most of the "Independence generation" know nothing of the struggle for the opportunities and rights that they now take for granted. Consequently, they feel little obligation to contribute to the nation's development.
Market economy values cum market society individualism have created an egocentric focus of economic development. Progress is measured by and confined to the acquisition of personal wealth and hence little time and energy are devoted to national wealth.
The selfish gene has triumphed to the point where there is widespread belief in the morality and efficiency of selfish pursuit with a disregard for the implications for others. The balm for a conscience uncommitted to nation-building is the facile argument that those who do not succeed at the "monopoly game" view of life are poor because of some fault of their own. This is usually accompanied by the ultimate 'cop-out' that if there is no economic growth it is the fault of governments past and present.
This is no way to build a nation and achieve sustainable economic development, which is the uncompleted task of the post-colonial cohort that will pass into retirement or pass on in the next few years.
The land we claim to love desperately needs a new patriotic cohort dedicated to Jamaica to take over from the post-colonial leadership, many of whom were lost to us this year.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz19FKKTeIK