Common strategy, not 'divide and rule'
published: Monday | September 29, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
AS I listen to fellow Jamaicans from day to day, I often think that William Lynch - the white slave owner who has been credited with "the divide and rule" strategy - must be smiling wherever he is to see that his speech of 1712 continues to have its effects in this beautiful island as he guaranteed it would. We have even added to the areas of differences that can be used to keep us apart.
Although the existence of William Lynch has been disputed, the effect of the strategy cannot be disputed. In essence, the strategy is to focus on our differences and make them bigger, to use fear, distrust and envy for control purposes. Some of the differences are: age, colour or shade, intelligence, size, sex, size of plantation, status on plantation, height, type of hair, and place of residence. Mr. Lynch is reputed to have said that this method of control is foolproof and that the black slave after receiving this indoctrination shall carry on and will become self-refuelling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.
The differences between the young and old are so heavily accentuated that some young people, instead of seeking the counsel of their elders and treating them with the respect they deserve, are rude and dismissive and older people yield to the folly of youth and relinquish their responsibility to guide. Their excuse is that it is time for them to sit by and allow young, fresh minds to take control, rather than balancing the zeal and exuberance of youth with the wisdom of experience so that together both young and old can work together for the common good.
STIGMATISED
We have towns, cities, inner cities and rural and deep rural Jamaica. Some places are stigmatised to be from "country" is to be scorned and ridiculed. To be from the inner city is to be feared and avoided at all cost. We have added to the areas of differences used to divide us: religion, church, denomination, political affiliation, computer literacy, telephone, motor vehicle and the list goes on.
I write this letter with the hope that we will be able to reprogramme ourselves to focus on the things that we have in common instead of perpetuating the "divide and rule" strategy. Finding common ground is essential for the unity, peace and prosperity that we long for in this our island home.
