A plot written by Marie Antoinette
published: Wednesday | January 8, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I WRITE as the news of fomenting disruption is inking its way onto international tabloids. I see the Government and those who cannot understand that after you get the blood from the rockstone, the next time you squeeze, it will explode. Why do these governing people believe that anyone who cannot afford to live, who has abandoned hope for a future in Jamaica, those who have been abused by the system from they were born, should care if another cruise ship ever docks at the fair isle of "Ochi."
Why should someone who cannot afford to send their children to school, care if tourists cancel their trips to the island. Why should the unemployed, under-employed, and unemployable care if international news says that the taximen have decided to go on strike, causing the entire country to shut down. If they continue under the tax regime and governance of the present system, they will have sacrificed as they were asked to do by successive governments from ever since I was a youth, for no reward on this investment, unless you are a politician or related to one that is. So they have no hope anyway, so why not do what at least presents the semblance of manhood and appear to do something to defend your self-respect, instead of grovelling to the next MP to help to send your child to school, or for a food money.
It is unfortunate that Jamaica now faces the crippling circumstances of local and international debt after an election that offered no real choices, and to add insult to injury, politicians awarding themselves a pay increase and the public a tax increase. Seems to me to be a plot written by Marie Antoinette. To work with the people you have to have their trust. At least it is early enough in the year to see where this is going.
To the people of Jamaica, I suggest the following: Do not riot, stay home; do not quarrel, stay home; do not kill your neighbour, stay home, and if they suggest that that is illegal, tell them it is a well-earned vacation from the government of the day, whoever they may be. I am sorry to be heaping this negative observation onto the coals of much discomfort, but it is beyond me how a group of individuals can be so crass in their insensitivity to the pain of a nation, so much so as to give themselves pay increases and then give the people tax increases, less opportunity to self-improvement, and then turn around again to ask them to consider the nation and don't demonstrate. The government should learn not to be hypocrites, if money is so scarce, how come they get fat pay raises?
