Gordon Robinson | A pre-emptive strike?
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On Saturday March 7, at 8.23a.m., I received an e-mail from a US-based lawyer and retired lobbyist who had become a regular reader/correspondent:
“Dear Gordon,
Well, the results are now certified. After over four decades of Cuba supplying doctors and much needed medical care to Jamaicans, the Holness government is giving them the boot, because Trump and Rubio ordered it, and what “Big Daddy’ wants, ‘Big Daddy’ gets. And why did they acquiesce? Because they know two important facts:
1.Jamaica is short at least US $2.5 billion in the post-Melissa rebuild and the U.S. will be the most likely source of funding, and
2. Jamaica knows, from COVID experience, that the U.S. can turn off the tourism dollar spigot on a moment’s notice.
At least we don’t have any further pretense over whose role is what in this dysfunctional relationship. Cheers”
“You’ll be happy to hear that next Tuesday’s column (submitted yesterday) is on this topic. Tomorrow I deal with Iran.
Btw it has been Fifty years not 40
Best”
So my correspondent knew I’d already written and submitted on Friday.
At 9:22 a.m, the correspondent forwarded the original e-mail (but not my reply) to Christopher Tufton and three other JLP bigwigs (blind copy to me). The cover note:
“Dear All,
Please see my email below to my Jamaica friend and fellow lawyer, Gordon Robinson. Out of deference to him, I will leave out his response other than to say that he addresses this matter in his Gleaner column next Tuesday.”
But, maybe in haste to appear “in” or prescient, my correspondent inadvertently gave Tufftimes and JLP colleagues a narrow window to try to get ahead of whatever I’d written. Or maybe I’m being paranoid.
On Saturday night a Foreign Affairs Ministry statement alleged a review last year (chortle) revealed issues with the FIFTY-YEAR-OLD programme presenting labour and legal concerns. It asserted proposed changes failed to receive “adequate” response from Cuba. It included “Government ultimately concluded that continuation on the existing terms was untenable.”
Wunnu neva notice before? An over-stuffed Cabinet; an Attorney-General’s department with nuff lawyer; a Health Ministry jam-packed with bureaucrats and a fully staffed legal department and, for ten years, nuhbaddy nuh see nutten?
Is ongle w’en Marco seh so wunnu onnastan?
Tufftimes hurriedly called a press conference for Monday March 9. It was an unmitigated disaster.
Gleaner’s report, written by multiple award winning journalist, Corey Robinson (no relation), began:
“[Health and Wellness] Ministry is making a plea for the public’s patience and cooperation as it assesses the islandwide impact and implements contingencies to mitigate disruptions caused by the impending severance of ties with Cuban health professionals….”
Why only now “assessing”? According to Government’s line this agreement expired three years ago and its termination had nothing to do with US demands but with negotiating difficulties. For three years you didn’t contemplate the prospect of negotiation failure?
WHY should we be patient with you when you’re so obviously disingenuous with us? Just as Daryl announced he already has contingencies in place in case new JPS licence talks break down you should’ve done the same LONG AGO. That is if Government had any reason to suspect or detect any problem with the program.
But the overwhelming circumstantial evidence points to Government being blindsided by Marco Rubio two weeks ago and, instead of POLITELY standing up to US, we crawled back from St. Kitts on hands and knees and rushed to implement Massa’s instruction.
We could easily have said “Look here, Marco, we’ve no problem with US or Cuba. If you want to bomb the crap out of Cuba, so long as you don’t use our airports as launch pads, no problem mon. But Jamaicans need the Cuban medical program so, regrettably, Jamaica can’t terminate it. What we can do is ensure the program doesn’t infringe international law but we won’t endanger Jamaicans’ healthcare because you don’t like Cuba.”
Easie Peasie. Don’t let any cowardly, visa-addicted politician tell you otherwise. What would US do to such a Jamaica/CARICOM response? Declare war? Bomb Jamaica House? Create overt hostility in a friendly region so close to home that it would destabilise US more than us? If US acted to destabilize the region outside of Cuba what would our other friends do? What would Europe, China or Latin America do?
This asinine administration in Washington is gradually ensuring America’s isolation. It thinks Russia is suddenly its friend but Russia has too many long-standing friends, including Iran. Right now, Russia is helping Iran against US. Russia is no friend. It’s a master manipulator of the enfant terrible currently in the White Maralago.
Meanwhile US is unfriending allies lickety split. As US stretches its military/diplomatic resources further than Reed Richards could safely, does it need Caribbean conflict also? C’Mon, man, think clearly. Don’t allow unreasoned fear to dictate choice.
So you allow a indeterminate dimwit like Marco Trump to bamboozle you into doing their bidding then you come to citizens and PRETEND this change was a long time coming? Yet you weren’t prepared?
Malcolm X would say you’ve been had; took; hoodwinked; bamboozled!
Then you spin desperate drivel about offering Cuban healthcare workers “individual” contracts? Good grief, Charlie Brown, you’d have a better chance to kick that football held for you by Lucy. When the Cuban Government flips you the middle finger and withdraws its doctors you come now to tell us you’re “assessing”?
Somebody must be HIGH!
Spin Doctor Tufftimes told the presser “We don’t see the termination as a decision to discontinue the relationship. It is really around the format of the relationship (my emphasis). In the days and weeks to come, while we determine what level of take-up may come from that offer, we’ve started to put alternative arrangements in place to deal with the gaps that exist.”
This is more absurd than an alligator at a petting zoo. Gobbledygook! Since when does “terminate” not mean “discontinue” a continuing program? Why are we being treated like illiterate fools? Tuffy, YOUR Government said the program was “terminated” then announced, on Saturday night, “Government ultimately concluded that continuation on the existing terms was untenable”. So how do you adjust the format of a terminated AND discontinued “relationship”?
Why are we waiting “days and weeks” while you see how much take-up of individual contracts offer occurs? Why’ve we only now “started” to put alternative arrangements in place? What arrangements? Recruitment? Only now?
This MUST be the Guy Lombardo Show!
Obviously, Government’s head is still spinning from its giddy haste to obey slave master’s instruction and endanger Jamaicans’ healthcare without a mitigation plan.
Gleaner reports: “The plans have been grouped into short-, medium- and long-term strategies should all Cuban health professionals decide to leave Jamaica, [Tufton] explained.”
Should? Cuban Government is taking back every single one!
“Measures include extending overtime and work hours, revising duty rosters and triage arrangements, and redeploying staff from low-demand to high-demand areas.”
Kmt! On your best story, you’ve had a year to develop and implement contingent plans. Now your brilliant scheme is to extend working hours for Jamaican doctors/nurses already working backbreaking hours in neglected conditions while unfinished contracts were handed out at Cornwall Regional like confetti?
Cubans were especially invaluable in Ophthalmology. Tufftimes says he’ll try to get private practitioners to take some of the spillover. Gleaner reported:
“Outsourcing services to the private sector is another short-term strategy approved by the Cabinet, Tufton said…..particularly those linked to the Cuban eye-care programme at St Joseph’s Hospital.”
At whose expense? The budget is already so tight that $30 billion new taxes must be imposed. When will these private doctors be paid? How? Do you believe successful private Ophthalmologists will use expensive resources to take on public patients then wait the standard eternity for Government to pay?
Folks, this is a s*itshow! Tufftimes should stop using marketing as a governance tool and start fighting for us instead of for whichever nation wants to malice our friends at our expense.
Peace and Love.
Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com