Jamaica's general election

Jamaica has a lot to be proud of and among the many, is how we remain committed to upholding our strict democratic traditions.

Regarding the general election yesterday, I don't think the most optimistic JLP supporter or the most pessimistic PNP supporter could have expected the results which reflected such a total rejection of the opposition PNP. (49 seats to the JLP and 14 to the PNP). 

Oh yes, Jamaica has had these kinds of results before. For in 1980 it was 51 to 9 JLP voter turnout 86.9%;  1989 45 to 15  PNP voter turnout 78.4%; 1993 PNP 52 to  8 turnout 67%. (Of course, I didn't mention 1983 as that was uncontested). The difference though is that whereas in the previous elections, registered voters turned out in their numbers, yesterday the turnout was a dismal 37%. 

Yes having an election during the corona plague was a challenge but I agreed with the prime minister for not postponing the event because of that disease, as we have to learn to live with it. Maybe a significant number of persons stayed away because they feared getting contaminated but we will never know the extent to which it affected the turnout.

However,  it is not good that 63% of the electorate refused to participate in electing their government.

While I totally agree with the electorate giving Andrew Holness a second term as he has done fairly well as the country's leader, I don't like minority governments or weak oppositions.

One of the greatest problems affecting our country is the prevalence of corruption in our government. 

This was raised during the campaign but the PNP had no moral authority to do so, as they were just  just as corrupt. On the other hand, their leaders have never even tried to deal with the corrupt people in their party. While Holness at least separated some corrupt politicians from their jobs and allowed some investigation, the PNP used the Trump/ Putin strategy.....deny deny and depend on the base to loudly back them up. Further, as long as the stain of Trafigura remains unresolved, the PNP cannot speak about corruption. That is so sad for the country. 

The PNP's main problem leading up to this election was the issue of disunity in the party. I dare say too that the shabby manner in which they treated their former leader, the much loved Portia Simpson-Miller has not gone down well with their base. That I think too was behind Mrs. Simpson-Miller's silence during the campaign and her staying away physically.

But its time to look head,

 As promised by Peter Phillips, the PNP leader, if his party lost he would resign. He did so this leaves his party in a bit of a dilemma for the heir apparent was Peter Bunting and he lost his seat to a newcomer. Of course, the party could go the route of appointing Bunting as party leader and nominating someone who won their seat as, leader of the Opposition in the interim, but I don't think that would be a popular option.

Of the names, I hear being bandied around as possible successors to Phillips are Mark Golding, Phillip Paulwell, Lisa Hanna, Julian Robinson. Of that lot, I think Lisa Hanna would be the best bet but she has an urgent task ahead of her to rebuild her constituency, as in what had always been a solid PNP constituency, she barely won by 14 votes.

If Lisa becomes the PNP leader, the PNP would have a solid record of being an equal opportunity party as she would be the 2nd female leader while the JLP has yet to have one. I am watching that party with great interest for there were 14 brand new ladies elected to parliament under the JLP ticket, so how the cabinet is structured will tell us a lot.  As will their appointments to the senate.

There will be interesting times ahead but I really hope the PNP unifies quickly and becomes an effective opposition as nothing is worse for a country than a government with unchallenged power.

In the meantime, the most urgent task will be to get this damn virus under control, for there had been a spike before and during the campaign, and with the lack of due care during the campaign, I am sure there will be even greater contamination.

Close down again? Definitely not!

In light of the sudden and rapid spiral in coronavirus cases recently in Jamaica, some people have been quick to try and make it into a political issue, claiming the government had opened its borders too quickly. They should, therefore, be thinking of closing down again, they say.

When are these detractors going to accept that this murderous virus is not going to go away any time soon so we better start using our brains and learn to live with it?  Even if a vaccine is found, how long before it can effectively reach all the vulnerable people in the world, especially in poor countries?

 Anyway, I suspect that even if one is available to all before the end of 2020, most people are not going to willingly take it, for the general feeling is that one developed so quickly will not be adequately tested to see what the side effects are. In fact, a CBS poll done in May 2020 found that at least half the US population was saying they would not be taking a vaccine. I suspect Jamaicans are just as skeptical.

On the other hand, we in Jamaica have learned how to effectively control the spread of the virus and were doing quite well until a church got out of control.

 I have long warned that religion is going to be the death of us in Jamaica and it seems some churches are determined to prove me correct. More ominously, there is now a religious political party, the Jamaica Progressive Party ( JPP) which is made up totally of parsons.

Interestingly, this party is promising to pay off Jamaica's national debt. In 2019, that was listed as $14.3 billion US dollars. They have not indicated where they will be getting that class of money, so I can only conclude they are not serious about that promise!

A great start for a religious organization.

I think Jamaicans should be glad I don't have power, for, during this epidemic,  I would probably have padlocked the whole bunch of churches down, as I have always considered them more dangerous than useful! Yes, the parsons would be screaming all the way to the altar, but as far as I am concerned, virtual church service can be just as effective and a lot cheaper for people wanting to be saved and at least they won't feel as pressured to give collection, Amusingly, some parsons are already suffering so badly from a shortage of collection that I hear they have been writing to even unemployed people telling them to tithe even though they have lost their job. 

That's, not a problem though since I don't think math has changed since I did it decades ago. So 10% of zero still remains zero!

But I stray.😁😁

Anyway, there is just too much panic and irrational thinking affecting too many people as far as this virus is concerned.

As of today, there are 1023 cases of coronavirus diagnosed in Jamaica but only 14 deaths. As far as we are concerned, therefore, for some strange reason, this virus has been quite benign. 

Let's give thanks for that and move on.

So while in the USA, coronavirus is the 3rd leading cause of death, coming only after cancer and heart disease, in third world Jamaica which has been very proactive and efficient, deaths from this disease have been insignificant. On the other hand,  I am sure, violent crime is our leading cause of death. (Just can't find the numbers on this issue anywhere!) However, the World Bank has consistently said that Jamaica's economic growth is stymied by about 5% per year because of our crime problem.  I, therefore, wish we would spend as much time thinking up solutions and finding the funds to deal with this perennial problem, as we are for this quite benign virus.

 As long as the government continues to test, track, educate, enforce social distancing and mask-wearing, we can have a pretty normal life. 

We need to open up totally and join countries as diverse as Aruba, Costa Rica, and UAE in requiring that all visitors must have international health insurance so that our budget is not devastated by those foreigners who have the disease.

The alternative to opening up is just too frightening to consider. For as it stands, it is estimated that the Jamaican economy has already contracted by 4%  (sounds like an underestimate to me) because of the lockdown and an additional 100,000 persons are now newly unemployed. When one considers that each paycheck supports between 4-5 persons, the scenario is really troubling. 

With tourism now almost dead, remittances iffy and bauxite struggling, what will happen to the economy in the long run if the government listens to middle-class dreamers who say we must lock up the country once again? 

Back to the days of coal stoves and semi-literate children who must go to school barefooted, hungry and ragged?

 Those who are comfortable can continue to spew from their airconditioned homes and offices but the future for the majority is just too dire for the government to even think of closing down again,

Hopefully, although elections are due soon, they wont fall for the nonsense for short term gain.

St. Augustine, worth a visit

When I first heard about St. Agustine in Florida, I was a bit reluctant about visiting,  as I had become so tired of hearing Americans telling a story of their country, as if it was the white man's story. And more, I had heard of that city being described as America's oldest city.

Anyway,  since I was trapped in Florida, as the coronavirus is out of control here which makes international destinations out of reach at this time,  I decided to kill some time visiting that location.

I was pleasantly surprised as everywhere I went, it spoke to it being "The oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the USA," not America's oldest city as others had described it.

                               

That is exactly right.

This was originally a native American village called Seloy,  but the Spanish put down their roots in 1565 after the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who is reputed to be the first European to set foot in Florida, came ashore there. As the Europeans came with diseases that the native Americans had no immunity to, in the old part of the city, you see a native American cemetery which bears witness to the fate of the toll their arrival had on those early people. Besides, the Native Americans just did not have the wherewithal to repel the European invaders with their superior ships and weapons,  so the rest is history.

The first thing the  Spanish did was to build a wall encircling their settlement, and most of it is still intact today. 

They occupied the area 200 years but in 1763, they ceded it to Britain after the 7-year war.

 Britain returned Florida to Spain in 1783 but Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819.

The wall still looks quite intact 

This city, therefore, plays an important role in displaying history in action, and in Florida (pre carnivorous) all third-grade children were taken to this important city to see and feel the history of their state.

The oldest marina in the USA

St. Augustine is also the site of the oldest marina in the USA and of course, the impressive vessels you see there today are nothing like what existed in the olden days. 

There is a huge modern bridge over the marina which attaches the mainland to the 14-mile long island of Anastasia, where numerous hotels are now to be found, but in terms of history, only the lighthouse is of interest. 

Matthew did this

In 2016, a category 5  hurricane named Matthew created havoc in the region, and although many streets could only be navigated with canoes and small boats, today there is very little evidence of the damage except for this building at the entrance of the marina which had been a restaurant. There is one building close to the sea, where the 5-foot tall watermark is prominent, to remind all of that devastation. 

Replica of the original look-out tower

My favorite place was "The Fountain of Youth" which is actually a very impressive archeological park where a bunch of peacocks has now taken a shine to. 

There, it is said Ponce de Leon first came ashore and in the 1990s, they actually found archeological evidence of it being the first Spanish settlement.

Images of the native American lifestyle are all over

 Naturally, hoping for a miracle, I actually drank some of the water from the well which is supposed to be the fountain of youth. The water was awful, as it had a salty taste but neither Ponce nor I were lucky enough to revert to our youth😀!

It was really an interesting experience touring the park though and I actually needed another day as after trying to take in everything.

A demonstration of how a crossbow was used

 I got my first experience of seeing and hearing a cannon being fired and some information on the workings of a crossbow. 

Of course with each European conquest came the church and a replica the oldest catholic is there and of course a huge cross on the property next door.

 To be fair, in St. Augustine, there has been a commendable to record actual history, and not downplaying the role and of slaves and Native Americans as one often encounters in the written history in the USA.

Outside of the Fountain of youth, what I also found intriguing was the excellent architecture representing the various periods. 

And as a matter of interest to music lovers, especially soul music lovers, the late Ray Charles who was born in Alabama,  went to school there.  For at age seven, when he started to become blind, his eye had to be removed. When he became totally blind, he was sent to the school for the blind in St. Augustine where he learned to read Braille and started to play the piano, clarinet, and saxophone.

We who continue to revel in Ray Charles' music, give thanks to the school for the blind in St. Augustine.

Bridge to Anastasia island

Talk like a Jamaican-Jamaican dictionary

A modern, comprehensive Jamaican dictionary is now available that not only gives the meanings of words, but also popular Jamaican phrases and proverbs. Available in paperback and ebook format.

https://wwhttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=talk+jamaican&ref=is_s

w.amazon.com/s?k=talk+jamaican&ref=is_s

 ebook link; https://www.amazon.com/TALK-JAMAICAN-CHAT-LAKKA-WI-ebook/dp/B01K83Z224

Cartoons make it easier

https://youtu.be/Bae7DGI0qRs

Believe it or not

Replica of Michelangelo's David

For many years, I have been fascinated by Riley's. Without giving away my age, this love stemmed from the days when the newspapers used to carry daily, snippets from the fascinating world of Ripley's. Some pictures and stories were so bizarre that one really had a problem believing the claims.

Over the years, Ripleys has morphed into a franchising business, so many cities now have museums bearing the name. Wherever I see one, I do try to take it in to get a top-up of the grotesque and bizarre happenings throughout the world.

On a recent trip to St. Augustine, Florida, the minute I saw the ads that this city had one, it went to the top of my "to see list". And they did not disappoint.

As if one needed a drawing card, right at the entrance is a huge replica of Michelangelo's renowned statue of David and in the yard is a 4 room house carved out of the trunk of a monstrous 1900 hundred-year-old redwood tree. The inside of the house is 247 feet high but as happens with wood, the termites have discovered it and the damage they are doing is now quite visible on the outside.

Inside the 4 room house carved from a redwood tree trunk

Wherever you go and see

 Ripley's, take a look as they never disappoint!

This stallion displayed in the yard was made from chrome bumpers of old cars.

                        

What can I say here?

Whites inherently evil?

An afro-American millennium really had me thinking this weekend.

We were discussing the increased racial tensions in the USA and the decades of struggles of people like Representative John Lewis, who recently died, for racial equality. Lewis's achievements were being celebrated all weekend as a precursor to his burial which will take place around mid-week.

That's when he sprung this question on me;  "Did you know the term racism was coined by whites?"

Taken aback I told him I had never given it a thought, but racism in the USA is certainly toxic.

Then he added, "whites are inherently evil."

My initial reaction to that was one of amusement since I had been around when the late Elijah Mohammed, founder of the black Muslims, used to declare that the "the white man was the devil".

More specifically, according to the Independent, with reference to the white people in America,  Elijah's often declared that "The white man is the Devil. We do believe that. We know it he is a  blue-eyed, blond-headed Devil! No good in him, no justice, he’s gonna be destroyed!"


Even my hero, the late Mohamed Ali who was an ardent follower of Elijah Mohamed, had often repeated such sentiments, but since the death of Elijah and the divisions in his organization, I really had not heard that argument again. In fact,  as a student of the late Malcolm X, I had dismissed or rather, ceased to give it even a second thought since Malcolm's rejection of that philosophy after he returned from Mecca, where he discovered that, unlike in the USA, Muslims came in all colors, and it was illogical to brand any one race as all bad.

Anyway, I decided to engage my young thinker in further discussion.

His philosophy was that white people are inherently evil since from the beginning of written history, each generation of whites has tried to either enslave or commit genocide against every other race. This as they pillaged and stole their possessions. To detract from this inherent evil as a race, he continued, some devious white person coined the word "racism," so we would become distracted from the real issue and instead waste time arguing about which whites, groups, or parties were more racist!

Well, that certainly stopped me in my tracks and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how correct he could be! And now I understand perfectly, the sentiments expressed by Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-cotton-slavery-necessary-evil-1619-project/)that;  " US founders viewed slavery as a "necessary evil upon which the union was built".

Yup, necessary in the view of whites, as it comes naturally to them to either erase every other race or work them to death, so the white race can prosper! 

I am sure we all know some really good white people so may very well reject this thesis, but before we do we need to remember always,  that there are exceptions to every rule!

The child is surely the father of the man (woman).

https://youtu.be/9nWaAEZi8SM

More testing less results?

While the governor of Florida is talking about speeding up testing, no one seems to be paying any attention to getting the results back quickly, to effectively stem the increase in coronavirus.

For the long time it takes to get results in Florida, make them totally useless.

In my case, I did my corvid test on the 10th of July but up to the 21st,  no results had come back so I resolved never to check for them again.

I needed a negative test result to be able to travel to Jamaica and it could not be no older than 7 days, so they would have no use to me now anyhow.

In fact, in the period of only a few days between getting the appointment to do the test and the actual testing, the wait time for results had theoretically increased from 4-6 days to 7-10 days.  But even on the 21st of July, when the 7-10 day wait had passed, I could not get any results. 

My experience is not unique for I have actually seen people on local television saying they have been waiting two weeks for results. A NBC  news report dated July 21, not only confirmed that 7-10 days or longer, was now the norm, but it went further, stating; "Demand in testing has caused shortages in swabs, chemical reagents, and equipment.

Florida, one of the worst-hit states in the country right now had a record number of hospitalizations Tuesday. Hospitals took in an additional 517 patients since Monday. The death count was recorded at 134 and the state reported 9,440 new cases. The positivity rate among new cases in the state is now over 13 percent, though in Miami-Dade County it’s averaging about 20 percent."

So clearly, in Florida, everything is going in the wrong direction, 

What purpose can results that take so long serve? During the interim, one could be without symptoms but pass the virus to dozens of people. Worse there is no track and trace in Florida, so if your results come back positive in even 5 days, those who contracted it from the silent carriers who did not even know they have it,  are not quarantined so quickly pass it on to others.

That's what happens when incompetent politicians are the ones who are in charge of things they know nothing about and are too arrogant to take advice from qualified scientists.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, even other states in the USA are wary when people travel from Florida as are international destinations like the Bahamas next door. These islands were once the playground of Americans but effective July 20, 2020, all Americans are banned from those islands.

Maybe when the entire world puts up signs saying "Americans not welcome, " Trump and his incompetent minions will take this deadly pandemic seriously.