The Jamaican Civil War

I have no doubt that former Minister of Security K.D. Knight told the present Minister of Justice Dorothy Lightbourne in 1980 that "All labourite fid dead." I believe her not only because that profile fits the public persona that we know as K. D. Knight, but also during that period, members of the hierarchy of the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, were arming poor people to kill each other. That is why the 1980 elections are recorded more as being an informal civil war than an election.

During that period, some 800 mostly poor Jamaicans were killed by their own poor brothers who just happened to support another political party. It is also well accepted that the people who actually pulled the trigger were just not in the financial position to buy the sophisticated guns and weapons that were used to commit murder in the name of politics.

This is seething sore that remains in the underbelly of the Jamaican body politic, which, until it is dealt with some form of truth and reconciliation hearing to cleanse our souls, will never be healed in this poor unfortunate nation of ours.

Our problems as a nation and especially the issue of crime, do not lie with the poor but with the educated middle class which have forever been pulling the strings in the dark while great honour is heaped on their heads in the public arena.

Who Salt?

There was a time we used to hear how salt Bruce was for everything he touched turned to dust, bringing the very opposite returns to what had been announced/expected.. (Bruce of course is the prime minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party JLP) .

I am however beginning to wonder if the same could not be said about the PNP since their expectations and revelations are also turning to nothing but dust.

Right after the 2007 elections when the JLP won by a very small margin, the PNP saw an opportunity to try to regain power through the back door via the "Dual citizenship affair". so they brought a number of suits in the courts trying to unseat JLP members of parliament on the basis that their tenure in parliament was unconstitutional because they had sworn allegiance to another country (the USA).

But guess what, the courts turned the tables on them so instead of getting the seats, they were required to fight by- elections all of which they lost!

Then to add insut to injury the enrtire country soon learnt that their mortives were not at all honourable (they had claimed they brought these cases to make sure the constitution was upheld) FOR THEY TOO HAD MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO WERE DUAL CITIZENS!

Now its the Mannat,Phelps and Philips Affair. This had to do with the JLP hiring a US law firm to make sure that their don Dudus, was not extradited for drug smuggling and gun running.

The PNP and especially former minister of Security Peter Phillips, milked the matter for all it was worth until the government capitulated and established a Commission of Inquiry. But guess what has now been revealed? Dr. Phillips, when he was minister of security, signed a secret MOU with the USA which in fact breaches the rights of the Jamaican people to freedom of expression! Now who has eggs on their faces? We cant wait for more to be revealed.

Fact is though, wi all salt by virtue of having these two crime families, the PNP and JLP, having the power to alternate in government for what seems to be forever.

Wi salt fi true..