Why I side with the PNP
Basil Waine Kong, Ph.D., JD
I believe that People’s National Party President, Portia Simpson-Miller, is a rare gift to Jamaica and to humanity. She is charismatic, astute, a visionary who cares deeply about the people and the future of Jamaica. She is an unselfish leader who never places personal ambitions ahead of her public duty.
This talented and gifted leader is restrained from letting her light shine because of bad-minded and prejudiced people who oppose her because she is a strong woman in a chauvinistic society. She is also held up to ridicule by uptown people because she is one of the few politicians who consistently advocate for the poor and down trodden. She persist in proposing changes that would “lift all boats” and the defenders of the status quo just as consistently attack her for her advocacy. According to Marcus Garvey: "If one wants to do good for the masses of Jamaica, 'Big Brains' will plot, conspire, and do everything to destroy you and your name." It is a callous and a sad commentary on those who say: "Portia loves poor people so much, she wants to make everybody poor."
According to Party Leader: “Many of the rich and powerful in Jamaica have never heard of Psalm 41:1 (Blessed is he that considereth the poor), the Sermon on the Mount or the story of the Good Samaritan.” She envisions a kinder, gentler nation recognizing that we are all in the same boat. "How we treat the least of us, the poor, the old and the infirmed is a reflection of our moral conscience. This generation, must be mindful of our place in history." She quoted Nelson Mandela as having said: "The generosity of the human spirit can overcome all adversity. Through compassion and caring, we can create hope."
"Our country will be judged by how we treated people in need and what we did to educate, house, feed, clothe and provide economic opportunity, prosperity and security for ALL Jamaicans." All she strives to do is provide a gateway for ALL Jamaicans, meet our citizens where they are (not where we would like them to be), equip them to be better participants in society, and empower them to build a good life for themselves, their families, and their communities.
In contrast,she said: "The Jamaica Labour Party is only invested in complaining that their fellow citizens aren’t further along, setting them up to fail, and drawing the walls and fences higher around themselves. Their agenda for Jamaica is for the rich get richer and the poor get poorer."
It was been a great privilege for my wife and me to sit down with Party Leader and hear at length what she is about. I hope it does not surprise people to know that our Party Leader has a substantial knowledge of a wide range of subjects but also very humble and engaging. She can walk and talk comfortably with Queens, Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers of the cloth as well as the good citizens of Jamaica. Sister P cares.
I asked her the question that is on the minds of many: ”Is Sister P ready to run the country? Can you take us forward?“ She said with confidence, "I do not shrink from this responsibility, I welcome it. I have assembled the most marvelous talent that will help me to move this ship forward. But while I have great faith and trust in my advisors, my imprimatur is to do what justice, humanity, and reason tell me I must do. The People of Jamaica are my masters. My contract is between those who came before us, those who are living and those yet to be born. I do not want to make slaves of future generations by burdening them with debt on funds that were not used to create economically viable assets. I recognize that we cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong, increase wages by ruining those who pay the wages or help the poor by destroying the rich. We also destroy character by doing things for people that they should be doing for themselves."
"Maybe the greatest difference between the JLP and the PNP is that we believe in preventing crises and the JLP believing in trying to deal with disasters after the fact. The truth is that we can do a great deal more to prevent unemployment by preparing our citizens for productive work on the one hand and expanding business on the other. We can significantly reduce how much we spend on health care by promoting healthier lifestyles and we can accelerate our use of alternative energy like the sun, the ocean and the wind on the one hand and more fuel efficient automobiles on the other. Preventing crime and violence is certainly more effective than crating environments that promote criminal behavior, arresting, and then having to feed, cloth and otherwise provide for their needs at great public expense.”
When we parted, my wife and I each got one of her famous hugs that also told us about her kindness. I am now among her strongest supporters, and was pleased to be formally introduced in her speech to the delegates at the PNP Annual Conference in October, 2009. The more I get to know her, the more convinced I am that Jamaica would be in great hands under her leadership and what Jamaica needs right now is to change the party in power.
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Dear Doctor Kong, I enjoy your articles so much I have forced myself not to visit the blog as it forces me to think and its impossible to stop at reading just one..i go on and on. But in the last few months as I prepare to hand in my dissertation time is precious. Its due in five days but i needed a break and decided to take a peep at what i would be able to freely enjoy in another week. But you stopped me DEAD in my tracks. I had to read your last blog twice as I honestly thought you were being sarcastic...I spirit I don't like and was surprised as it did not seem consistent with your nature. But I have concluded that your are being quite genuine which relieves me on one hand but brought great perplexity on the other.
ReplyDeleteI am completely at a loss here. That you would choose to describe the Opposition Leader as charismatic does not surprise me, she has never had that impact on me at all but all evidence suggests to many she does. That she has been ridiculed by the "uptown people" and on the basis of skin, I believe and accept. But from that point on you have completely lost me.
On what basis beyond Mrs Miller's say so can she be called an unselfish leader, who puts this country first? What evidence is there of her advocacy for the poor and downtrodden beyond her say so? What changes has Mrs. Miller ever proposed that were visionary in "lifting all boats"? She tells you she does not want to burden the future generation with debt? She sat as Deputy PM, a voting MP, a Cabinet insider when the debt moved from 43Billion to 825Billion under PJ and more under her short term as PM. They ran a country on a policy of debt finance. You say Bruce is all talk. I agree. But tell me how much could anyone actually do if you take over a country that earned 310 billion in revenue but has to pay out 325 in debt and interest and nothing yet towards investment or wages to public sector for a budget of 500=billion? A budget where half the obligations were left by their by the PNP….billions of losses yearly on a highway, air Jamaica, sugar cane estates. These are plain facts ….she cannot rely on the same “talk” that she accuses Golding of…she has to tell me of her actions and unlike he who has had all of 2 years she has had decades in leadership in this country to speak of.
How can she possibly bring herself to say "Maybe the greatest difference between the JLP and the PNP is that we believe in preventing crises and the JLP believing in trying to deal with disasters after the fact" when her party while she held all those hats of seniority created the crises leaving the JLP to clean it up "after the fact"? How can she bring herself to say the answer is to make our citizens productive and reduce unemployment when wearing all those heavy hats of responsibilty for decades the PNP's policies led to almost destruction of manufacturing industry which provided employment and as any economist would say she sat there in an period with policies that facilitated the greatest transfer of riches from the poor and middle class to those same folks who ridicule her now. I will not even go down the road of crime under her/their watch.
Dr. Kong lets even forget all of that, and this just the cream on the top. On this one point I will stand. If you can visit the constituency of Mrs. Miller and tell me you still believe one word of what she says then I will take back all I said. Mrs. Miller as Minister of Local Govt, PM, Deputy PM has been the "leader" for one of the most depraved and deprived communities in this Godblessed island. I cannot describe it, it’s most frightening & painful to behold. If she was so inept at improving the lives of the poor in one constituency with all those positions (including being Minister of Local Govt) and resources at her disposal then how can she possibly be the rare gift and visionary the other 59 constituencies await? I listen every Tuesday Parliament for that visionary leader….still waiting.
Very very sincerely
Jeanette
Dear Jeanette: I am extremely grateful for your thoughtful and sincere response to my post: “Why I support Sister P.” I even feel guilty that I am responsible for keeping you away from the final touches on your dissertation. I would love to read it. So, if you are in the frame of mind to share, I am certain it would be an enlightening experience for me. I hope you plan to return to Jamaica when you complete your education as we need thinkers like you more than ever.
ReplyDeleteWhile I recognize that there were plenty of sins and mistakes in the past across the political spectrum, I can tell you most assuredly that Sister P means well for the country and has developed a new vision for the new world reality we are facing. In addition to her elected PNP advisers, she assembled a significant brain trust (on which I participate) to advise her about improving the lives and opportunities for ALL the people of Jamaica. Whether it is maturity, insight or legacy that is driving her at this moment, she is the woman of the hour and a great stateswoman in my book. So, I make no apologies for supporting her wholeheartedly and whatever contribution I can make to advance the cause, I have jumped in with both feet. Her charge to the taskforce is to be bold and to devise strategies that emphasize:
Prevention rather than putting out fires in every facet of the government and society, education of the masses, monitoring, anticipating and adopting to change and becoming self reliant by developing alternative energy, increasing exports(particularly food) and reducing imports. While she is not the Prime Minister or the party in power, she is thinking long and hard about her agenda when her party returns to power. It is exciting to see how responsive she is to our ideas.
While she is committed to optimal health and a worthwhile education for ALL, she knew that if the Golding administration prematurely went ahead with "Free Health Care and Free Education" in order to win the election, it was going to backfire and would not be sustainable. She was right. Both have deteriorated badly. It turned out to be another bad campaign promise by the Labour Party.
I know the JLP constantly and incessantly blame the PNP for our fiscal difficulties, the crime and economy and the weather. The truth is that the JLP has shown no savvy in dealing with these difficult economic challenges that has escalated under the Golding administration. Sister P saw the need to diversify our Economy. As opposed to the JLP who borrow money to pay interest, she agreed to borrowed to invest, yes invest in upgrading our airports and opening up the country through the network of Highways to attract new businesses to Jamaica and make it easier to get goods to market and people to work.
We can also agree that there are many intangible benefits to her lofty position in Jamaican politics. She is a symbol of hope for many girls/children and people of limited means throughout the world. She is passionate advocate for our children. No one is more protective of them. And finally, she is an Iconic symbol of the fulfillment of the quest of our freedom fighters, heroes and political fore-fathers for a more equitable Jamaica where it is possible for an airline steward to make the pilot pregnant.
Let’s continue the dialogue!
Basil Waine Kong, Ph.D., JD
Dear Dr. Kong. Putting on the final touches but took time out to check for your response. Having just read it, I am feeling a mishmash of emotions..some are unfamiliar..I can't find known adjectives for them so for now I am just gonna let them do their thing while I try to process it. What i can say for now is how appreciative I really am for your equally genuine response to mine. I am glad you chose to share it with the rest of Jamaica (saw it in the Sunday Gleaner) though a bit tongue in cheek...I would probably have chosen another of your blog entries over this one (smile). This discourse with you is one I have been not just wanting but needing to have with a Jamaican who not just supports the PNP but moreso Mrs. Miller. I needed to understand what I was failing to see but its hard to find such as most if not all those I meet are merely orange-blooded diehards. I enjoy disagreement (you rarely learn from those who agree with you) but it has to be honest and that I find I have with you.
ReplyDeleteSo I look forward to slowly re-reading in another few days - post thesis...and having your usual measured response. Oh the thesis by the way is on Public Private Partnerships focusing on how to properly harness the strenghts of both sectors for the delivery of services in particular urban infrastructure. Its an interesting way of leveraging financing (cuz we bruk) and know-how for the benefit of all.
Have a great Jamaican Sunday
Jeanette
Dear Jaycee: Let me share a proud moment. Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller was the keynote speaker at the annual Eric Williams Symposium in Miami last week and received several standing ovations. In was broadcast to the world. She was the picture of elegance and sophistication. She said: (brief summary from a 45 minute speech)
ReplyDelete“My presentation is a frank soul searching callto action on “A New Vision for a New World Reality: Prospects for the Anglophone Caribbean”. I hope we can recognize our interdependence and come together with a unity of purpose to face the new world order. How do we commit ourselves to a new identity that will meet the needs of our people? How do we share the responsibility for peace and prosperity in our region?
We face a new world order in which we had better engage or face the prospect of remaining dependent, subjugated, marginalized neo-colonial elements in a world not designed to function in the interest of the Caribbean…
The eradication or mitigation of poverty is paramount. The policy options in our development strategy must turn on investment in our people to build the social capital through wide-spread quality education, good affordable healthcare, available housing, accessible jobs (including opportunities for self-employment) and so on. Such is the stuff of self-empowerment of our population; and our relations with the outside world – meaning largely the developed world – should be guided by such aims and objects that guarantee human survival with dignity and on the basis of mutual respect. These things remain mandatory for people like us with a history of dehumanization, denigration and discrimination on the basis of class, race and colour…
The story is told in Jamaica of two school boys who were successful in capturing a live bird. With the bird in hand, they conjured up a plan to demonstrate to their "know it all" teacher that she doesn’t know everything. Their strategy was for one of them to hold the bird behind his back and ask their teacher if the bird was dead or alive. If she said it was alive they would squeeze the life out of it and present a dead bird; if she said it was dead, they would present a live bird. When they were finally able to ask their teacher the crucial question, she merely responded: Son, it is in your hands.
The very future of the world may be in our hands. There is a long list of threats not only to the English speaking Caribbean but the entire world. It is, in fact, a mere global village of which we are a part. One finger may not make much of a difference but fingers joining together as a fist can be a formidable weapon.”