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Our prime ministers need to apologise
By leighton williams, STAR Writer
I read somewhere recently (I can't remember where exactly, it could have been the news wire service) that Peruvian president Alberto Garcia apologised to the poor of his country for failing to improve their lives one year after he took office. He made this apology although the country was experiencing an economic boom and he had promised so much to them but failed to deliver.
From what I read, Garcia sounded sincere, especially since his popularity among the poor had fallen. What has led me to write about this is that I believe all our prime ministers, bar none, owe us an apology after 45 years of 'independence'.
As someone who doesn't like politics, I think I'm in a better position to say all seven prime ministers should apologise, even the one who claims to be 'ordained by God and who loves the poor'.
When you think about it, our earlier prime ministers did not invest in education. They did not attempt the 'great leap forward' which would have made us put country first and give us a better life now. Instead, it was a big fall backwards, as they encouraged the 'slavery mentality' which is causing most of our problems today.
Good work ethic
Instead of encouraging hard work, independence and a good work ethic, they built garrisons and introduced programmes to keep people in poverty rather than get them out. Instead of teaching everybody how to fish, they handed out the fishes. For example, garrisons were built to secure votes and a 'freeness at all cost' lifestyle was encouraged. Now, the end result is everytime I drive through a garrison I see wires criss-crossing like a spider web, and I have to pay bills for these people because some politician failed to take action because they wanted votes.
Also, because everything is 'free' some don't bother to work. Instead, they become pests to the rest of us who actually have a job.
I say all our prime ministers should apologise to us for misleading us over the years. Why didn't they just tell us from day one that we were a Third World country and so we should live within our means, instead of promising us a First World lifestyle which we can't afford? All this talk of free education, health and providing money for this and that is surely going to put us in more debt.
Think about it, when that conference centre in Montego Bay will be built (if it is ever constructed), I'm sure you are going to see funded by X agency or Y Government. Even the highways that they brag about building, have you ever seen one that says funded entirely by the Jamaican Government? The fact is, we are broke because of years of mismanagement and corruption, as all seven prime ministers have stood watch, but we will never be told that.
What we will be told instead is a bunch of promises which will put us more in debt and make our lives miserable and create more social problems. And, for this, the ones alive should all apologise and do so on behalf of the dead ones too. But, I won't lose sleep waiting for it because that apology will never come.
leighton.williams@gleanerjm.com
By leighton williams, STAR Writer
I read somewhere recently (I can't remember where exactly, it could have been the news wire service) that Peruvian president Alberto Garcia apologised to the poor of his country for failing to improve their lives one year after he took office. He made this apology although the country was experiencing an economic boom and he had promised so much to them but failed to deliver.
From what I read, Garcia sounded sincere, especially since his popularity among the poor had fallen. What has led me to write about this is that I believe all our prime ministers, bar none, owe us an apology after 45 years of 'independence'.
As someone who doesn't like politics, I think I'm in a better position to say all seven prime ministers should apologise, even the one who claims to be 'ordained by God and who loves the poor'.
When you think about it, our earlier prime ministers did not invest in education. They did not attempt the 'great leap forward' which would have made us put country first and give us a better life now. Instead, it was a big fall backwards, as they encouraged the 'slavery mentality' which is causing most of our problems today.
Good work ethic
Instead of encouraging hard work, independence and a good work ethic, they built garrisons and introduced programmes to keep people in poverty rather than get them out. Instead of teaching everybody how to fish, they handed out the fishes. For example, garrisons were built to secure votes and a 'freeness at all cost' lifestyle was encouraged. Now, the end result is everytime I drive through a garrison I see wires criss-crossing like a spider web, and I have to pay bills for these people because some politician failed to take action because they wanted votes.
Also, because everything is 'free' some don't bother to work. Instead, they become pests to the rest of us who actually have a job.
I say all our prime ministers should apologise to us for misleading us over the years. Why didn't they just tell us from day one that we were a Third World country and so we should live within our means, instead of promising us a First World lifestyle which we can't afford? All this talk of free education, health and providing money for this and that is surely going to put us in more debt.
Think about it, when that conference centre in Montego Bay will be built (if it is ever constructed), I'm sure you are going to see funded by X agency or Y Government. Even the highways that they brag about building, have you ever seen one that says funded entirely by the Jamaican Government? The fact is, we are broke because of years of mismanagement and corruption, as all seven prime ministers have stood watch, but we will never be told that.
What we will be told instead is a bunch of promises which will put us more in debt and make our lives miserable and create more social problems. And, for this, the ones alive should all apologise and do so on behalf of the dead ones too. But, I won't lose sleep waiting for it because that apology will never come.
leighton.williams@gleanerjm.com
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