What is the greatest threat facing Jamaica ?

[Karl]

Answer!

The minds of the leaders - public and private sector.

[Time]

So what happen when we didn[t have the IMF setting polices in the 1990's???

WE can't blame anybody else for our debt and short comings. Manufacturers don't come from the skies. We need to set condition so people can run business effectively. We have too many factors that are not a part of any business operation that causes this. You see the Shrimp farm went ouf of business? Not because of IMF, and not because of interest rate but because of theft and lack of proper policies to govern. These should be eliminated from our society and government have to do a better job of setting a level playing field and creating shocks for businesses instead of doing things for friends.

These are not factors we should even have to consider when we starting a business or it is a no go. My friend wanted to start a chicken farm and an advisor tell him, unless you are here in Jamaica "forget about it".

The fact that were we not borrowing from the IMF is irrelevant. The IMF policies still stand as long as you owe them. In additional you cannot get another loan from another international lending agency without a certificate of compliance/approval of the IMF and the other agencies that you owe money. Some of the poor in Jamaica have to steal in order to live. I don't have any idea how were are going to get out of this mess.

[Sir X]

I do hope you have read most comments before you answer ,esp the piece from Chung.

[Assasin]

Well the problem is our leaders too have no idea how to get out. Many others have and we need to study successful polices that worked. The fact that we do nothing much to grow our economy will never take us out of the Grasp of the IMF. IMF is considered a last resort or "bad credit lender" but to Jamaica the are a "regular bank". If you have your policies right others don't need the IMF stamp.

We use everything to excuse away the lack of growth and the unbusiness like condition that we set up but devaling, borrowing and printing more money to feed our "foreign appetite and political loaded civil servants", while thinking small business is evil.

Lot we can still do. Controlling crime and creating a friendlier investment climate(without government relate shocks) and stop thinking quick rich schemes would be a start. Any country who have government as the number one employer and nothing exporting will always be in trouble.

[Time]

Well the problem is our leaders too have no idea how to get out. Many others have and we need to study successful polices that worked. The fact that we do nothing much to grow our economy will never take us out of the Grasp of the IMF. IMF is considered a last resort or "bad credit lender" but to Jamaica the are a "regular bank". If you have your policies right others don't need the IMF stamp.

We use everything to excuse away the lack of growth and the unbusiness like condition that we set up but devaling, borrowing and printing more money to feed our "foreign appetite and political loaded civil servants", while thinking small business is evil.

Lot we can still do. Controlling crime and creating a friendlier investment climate(without government relate shocks) and stop thinking quick rich schemes would be a start. Any country who have government as the number one employer and nothing exporting will always be in trouble.

Please check our Manley in this' Life and Debt' shorten clip, there is also a longer version of the same clip on youtube,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXNYA58-2zU

[Sir X]

You guys are addressing symptons,economics ,debt,poor leadership,its silly to suggest the leaders , they havent a clue, the question should be ,is it to their benefit or interest ?

That would mean the two party elitist dictatorship would have to ceed alot of power to the masses !

Since the 80s when Seaga did an overview of the constitution and the suggestion was made for an independent prosecutor hence came the OCG with no teeth,yes it was suggested from the under Seagas JLP that it has prosecutorial powers.

Change will have to come from the people through human rights orgs by educating and demanding change.

[Assasin]

Let me ask, how many businesses close in Jamaica in the 70 that have nothing to do with the IMF and it's policies. How comes some countries survive the IMF and turn themselves around?

Why was the devaluation in the first place?? Is it because IMF demand it or because it is suppose to spur economic activity? The different between us and others is in Manley's word. Look at the Import food bill, the Import gas bill and the taste for everything foreign. Why wouldn't private bank lend us?

The problem with Jamaica is the more money we borrow, the more we import. Somebody have to pay for it. How can the IMF solve that????
"we have no wheat to make bread" so maybe a little more yam and coco would do. Greece, Ireland and others will rebound long before us and they also had IMF assistance. why???.

If we want to build nothing can short economic growth. That is the only way for use to build and maintain economy. Look at the growth since the 1970s.

[Gamma]

Jawge

[Sir X]

Nelson Mandela

We discovered that peace at any price is no peace at all. We discovered that life at any price has no value whatever; that life is nothing without the privileges, the prides, the rights, the joys which make it worth living, and also worth giving. And we also discovered that there is something more hideous, more atrocious than war or than death; and that is to live in fear.

Nelson Mandela

This where we are today.

[Assasin]

But even then, how much people the OCG put inna jail? We need to demand more. The system is so tainted that people are finding ways around the OCG.

The move is first to taint such offices and discredit them. Full your lacky in them so you can get a "bligh". Not neglecting that we need new laws and polices that suits us but there is always the constant fight against the "powers that be" who is corrupted and the people have to believe or we are doomed. Changes come with real responsibilities, are we ready?

[Rockman]

The responses reaffirmed my belief we NEED to elect a third party,it is the solution to ALL the problems mentioned.
Ah mean,you have the PNP as an alternative to the JLP and vice versa,why not have an alternative to both?
We need to take back our country from them.

[World Fan]

Leave crime out of it , its a broad term that encompasses alot be specific., and what is it linked to,what emboldens this threat ?

1) Police brutality
2) Economy
3) Corruption
4) Education
5) Health Care
etc etc

You pick anyone of these and its linked to our system of governance , which is represented by parlimentarians.Which to me means our system of governance(constitution) has failed us.Proof is our deterioating standard of living and the state sponsored terrorism to maintain the status quo .This system in no way represents the people.While we dont have a dictator , our governance is a dictatorship.....one mans democracy is another mans dictatorship...Papa Doc .

George Ayittey Speaks
http://www.ted.com/talks/george_ayit...vs_hippos.html

Water is one right now
http://wealthmanagement.ml.com/publi...the-world.html