I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon of last Sunday with a group of Jamaicans from diverse backgrounds and ethnic origins. Among us were some regular visitors to the island, while others were naturalised citizens, mostly through marriage to Jamaicans. A number of them are involved in the cultural industries. This was the continuation of a grand birthday weekend bash which had commenced from the previous day. We had witnessed a spectacle of nature and culture in combination at the Rock Away party the night before. This became the initial talking point, immediately upon our arrival.
Steve, the selector from Cyclone Disco, had whipped up a good groove even before, then between and after the performances of Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin. By then, the dancing was no longer restricted to the dancefloor, as it was totally corked, so everyone shuffled, jigged or danced with their partner, wherever they were located.
Suddenly at 1:50 am, coming as if out of nowhere, on what had been a calm and clear blue starry night, an intense, steady wind started to blow. Nobody seemed to care or even notice; no one was leaving and the party was rocking. After a while- obviously affected by the high winds- we saw a most spectacular display of light on the JPS high tension wires which run along the North Coast highway. The wires brilliantly lit up and this glow travelled for approximately 300 feet, ending in a mild explosion. This was repeated twice on different sections of the wire, then all the lights from Ocho Rios to Discovery Bay (including Brown's Town) went out. All this time, the wind kept howling, even making musical instruments out of drink bottles in hand. But the people just kept on dancing. Soon, the very skies took over the light display, with vivid streaks of complex lightening. These were not your simple flashes, rather, the visual form resembled a network of arteries and veins. Now the rain came in buckets and only then did patrons start to depart, still leaving behind a determined few dancers refusing to let the weather spoil their boogie.
The drama described above led us to discuss the topic "standard of living versus quality of life". There were two general conclusions. Firstly, that comparatively, the quality of life in Jamaica was, all things considered, still very good. Also, that one of the most attractive things about Jamaicans is our fun-loving nature. Jamaicans, we all agreed, certainly know how to have a good time, regardless of their own personal or domestic circumstances.
We continue to see an increase in the frequency of these outbreaks of freaky weather systems. The discussion therefore quickly turned to global warming and its future potential negative impact on our cultural activities and way of life unless we begin to correct our abuse of the environment. We lamented the fact that leading elements within the artistic fraternity are not yet in the forefront of the movement to make our people aware and active in efforts to preserve the environment we share and so depend on.
Inevitably the issue of our high crime rate and spiralling violence came up for discussion. The twin questions asked by someone who is not domiciled in Jamaica and last visited three years ago, was what are the root causes, and what are the real solutions.
The responses were almost unanimous, that the essential causes were two-fold. Our failed economic policies of the last 30 years coupled with a broken political system that has divided us into two warring tribes, while the country's political leadership panders to special interests for expediency and aggrandisement. It seems that the Mighty Sparrow foresaw this in his song 'Capitalism Gone Mad'.
The economic fiasco is best summed up by Linton Kwesi Johnson in a review of Stephanie Black's documentary, 'Life And Debt', published in the Guardian on February 28, 2003. "Having made modest strides in shaking off the legacy of slavery and colonialism, on the road towards self-reliance during the first decade of independence, Jamaica was suddenly plunged into deep financial crisis by the rise in the price of oil in 1973." Thus began our borrowing relationship with the IMF. "Jamaica has been swallowing the IMF medicine ever since."
"Jamaica's continuing financial crises, high unemployment, lawlessness and social turmoil have to be seen against the background of IMF/World Bank policies that governments of both the left and the right have been forced to pursue for well over two decades…The local farmer … cannot compete with the cheap imported onions, carrots, [and subsidised milk powder] from the US. The IMF insisted on the removal of tariffs on imported goods. The banana industry "has been devasted by the US instigated WTO ruling that robs them of their secured tariff-free markets in Europe."
"Black's film shows … the spectacular failure of the IMF's 'remedy'. After the structural adjustments, the cuts in public expenditure, the removal of tariff on imports, the privatisations and devaluations, Jamaica is still plagued by financial crisis."
Finally, we agreed that the seeds of a real solution reside in our very roots. Immigration is our story, it's the reason we are here. While the African were brought here in chains, the other immigrants who came later were seeking a better life and greater opportunities. Many were fleeing oppression and persecution in their own homelands. This continuous influx of new talent, energy and ideas accompanying each wave of immigration has been one of our greatest historical strengths. Many of their descendants in turn have migrated to Europe and North America, where they excel academically, economically and socially, disproportionately relative to other migrant groups and to the benefit of these societies. 'Colonisation in Reverse'. We are exceedingly creative and ambitious. The only way to begin a crime meltdown, to springboard our innovation and progress is to be able to attract and keep the brightest, the doctors, scientists, engineers and artists. It is up to us to reject the politics of prejudice which manipulate our tribal, ethnic and class divisions in addressing issues like education, healthcare and the environment. We must restart the process to let "social barriers bruck down, inna one love Jam Down".
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