OUR REALITY AND THE ELECTION

As we approach this election, there are tough days ahead. We are still locked in a global pandemic, and the Jamaican economy is weak and ill-prepared for what is to come. We can stand around and blame our past, or we can grapple with the reality of now and try to elect a government that can navigate us through what will be tough times to come regardless of who forms the government. The truth is this, we have several issues that hamper our economy as well as the general governance of the country.

As a small open economy, operating in a globalized economic system, we are outmatched both politically, i.e., global influence and technically, i.e., industrial and creative output. In many areas, that we strive to compete in, we are significantly behind. Countries are innovating faster than us, and they have better adherence to the rule of law. These represent twin challenges that we need to solve to make any meaningful change to our quality of life in Jamaica.

Our industrial and creative output is one issue that is most often sighted as our premier issue, followed by adherence to the rule of law. However, how do we solve it? The reality is that no government, in the short term, whether that government is JLP or PNP, will fix the Jamaican economy to ensure general-large scale improvement in the livelihood of most Jamaican people. It needs to be acknowledged that the overall increase in our well-being economically is a long-term project, at least twenty years. This is the approximate time it takes to educate a brand-new human being. Until then, our dollar will suffer and continue to devalue versus other countries that we trade with, and we will most likely lurch from one crisis to another. What does educating a brand-new Jamaican have to do with anything? Why is that important? It is essential for the simple reason; how we think, influence, how we live, and how we live is influenced by how we were educated. And let me be clear; when I say educated, I don't mean educated in its classical 'schooling' sense. I mean the way we view and understand the world around us. We haven't developed a "Jamaicanness" that is our own economically and societally. And to do that at this stage, education is the basis on which we must begin.

This education is essential because it drives innovation; countries with higher rates of change in creative thinking (innovation), create more goods and services as a result of precisely their rate of change in creative thinking or innovation. In a way, we are locked in a contest for competitiveness, and innovation is the coach. It will move us to higher levels of productivity in this world economy, given that global output is at real risk of collapsing due to unsustainable global economic practices and now a global pandemic (actual, imagined, or human-made). Combined with our lack of adherence to the rule of law, we have expertly shot ourselves in both feet. When both are used as measures of global competitiveness—our high level of corruption, crime, and violence and our lack of education reform, that result in a lack of innovation, which has negatively impacted real industrial output. It is hard to exert any control over our destiny as a country. The question then to ask is, "which of the two parties, if they were to form the next government, will ensure that they invest in the long term rather than the short-term thinking?" I have answered that question in my mind. There is no need for me to state it here. You can make up your mind.

We do have some short-term glimmers of hope, it is not all bad. Yes, in the short run, our economic output can be bolstered by the services sector, the financial industry. And given its importance in feeding our country, we must protect the agricultural industry. The agricultural sector is the most vulnerable in the economy today, due to agriculture's heavy reliance on innovation to drive output in a technology-driven industrial world. The forces of global competition are profoundly felt in the agricultural sector—however, it is a national imperative to protect it. We can't abandon food security. Food security should be regarded as Jamaicans number one national security issue. Yes, in my view feeding our people is a national security imperative.

Our musical and cultural innovations represent substantial opportunities that have brought a robust moral return to our people, even if no real economic and financial gain. As such, the other question to answer as we vote is, "which government in the short term will invest more in our areas of competitive advantage?". I have a viewpoint on this question. Can you figure out and answer it for yourself?

However, the elephant in the room is the structural changes needed within our economic and societal structures, including making our Constitution more reflective of our Jamaicanness. And I say reflective of our Jamaicanness, instead "removing the queen" as our head of state because I don't think that is the debate we should be having as a nation. The queen's removal will do very little to change how Jamaican feels about themselves, their capabilities, and their values. Simultaneously, it is clear that genuine change is required in many areas of Jamaican life so that all Jamaicans feel comfortable in their skin, particularly within their own country. The less we look to the external for someone to blame regardless of their historical wrongs and get on with the business of now and our future, only looking internally for solutions, the better off we will ultimately be. As such, the third question we should be asking is, "Which government is most willing to make absolute steps to the "smadification" of all Jamaicans?" I have answered for myself and decided in my mind who would likely make these steps.

Finally, because we have a general election, we can't decide without assessing the sitting government's stewardship. Did they serve us well or not? And I want to be fair to this government. It would be best if you tried to do so too. However, I also hope you have lived long enough to know when you are being sold something. I would want neither you nor me to vote for a government, and then find out in the long term which is paramount for our success as a country that we are on the deal's wrong side. As such, the question to ask is, "whether, in your assessment, the government has led well? Or have the number of multimillion-dollar financial breaches at public agencies and poorly managed divestments deals gone beyond what is reasonable and expected for an honest government?". I have answered that for myself, and I am clear as day in my mind, based on these four questions, which party should form the government and lead Jamaica after the next election......... And it has nothing to do with anyone's apparel.