Moral lowlifes in the political culture

Dr Roderick R. Hewitt, Contributor

South African journalist Marianne Thamm, commenting on the exit of Nelson Mandela and the impending retirement of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu from public life, bemoaned the dwindling number of South Africans who occupy the nebulous space called 'the moral high ground'. I could not help reflecting how poignantly this speaks to the Jamaican society.

The first decade of the 21st century has seen the 'ascendancy of moral lowlifes' as the standard of leadership in many of our institutions that are critical for national development. Forty-eight years of independence and democracy have bequeathed to us some bitter fruits of governance. The erroneous prosperity gospel peddled by those who fused conservative Christianity with the ideology of the neoliberal economic order placed individualism, clothed in greed, as the driving force for economic advancement. This marriage of convenience between religion and economics produced a new breed of young politicians who also became possessed by greed. Their university education, usually in law and economics, equipped them for deception. They took no course in political ethics.

The new breed of elected leaders regard the moral culture of the business world as their model of living. They want to 'step up inna life' at the same pace and with the same financial benefits. Their management of democracy since independence has not advanced the quality of governance.

Democracy and corruption

Again, I wish to use the language of journalist Marianne Thamn to sum up our dilemma as a nation: "Welcome to the cure of modern democracy: corruption!" She argues that there is a direct relationship between the modern capitalist democracy and political corruption. And who can argue with that? The Jamaican independence experience confirms this.The emotional debate over the extension of the state of emergency speaks volumes about the nation's psychological health. My training has cautioned me to be extremely careful when certain powerful voices of influence are clamouring for an extension of the state of emergency. Yes, we need to fight crime and reduce the murdering of poor Jamaicans but the real state of emergency that is needed is the one against corruption. A zero tolerance for corruption in the public and private sectors will reduce crime and violence and make resources available to respond to the urgent needs of the poor in employment, health, education and housing!

So, in this our 48th year of indepen-dence, I call for a state of emergency against corruption with Greg Christie as the proven moral high ground given unimpeded access to hold accountable the unaccountable leaders in the public and private sectors. Mr Christie will need the rainbow coalition of moral forces in civil society (the NGOs, Church and private sector) that demonstrated their united strength in forcing the prime minister to own up to acts of deception against the Jamaican people.

Spineless Parliament

I am not one of those who expect resignation from our leaders in high office. They don't have the capacity to blush because their 'shame tree' died long ago! They will hang on to power even if it results in the death of the nation. They have too much invested in the system and are accountable to other powerful forces that financed them into power. Only national elections carry the slim possibility of getting rid of the corrupt leaders. Our Parliament has lost its backbone. It is the servant of the party in power. The price of good government is eternal vigilance.

It is for that reason that I fully support widening the power given to Mr Christie. He is the one of the few leaders who have demonstrated the character to go after these parasitic forces. Go deh, Mr Christie! Touch the untouchables! Let justice roll! Let the independence of the judiciary rise above foray and clear out the corrupt lawyers who are partnering with the criminal underworld. Send not only the poor unemployed black and uneducated males into our prisons, but the rich brown and white, educated and living in uptown mansions into our prisons.

This Jamaican House in which we all live needs in-depth cleansing. With only two years to go when Jamaica will celebrate 50 years of independence, we need to go into overdrive and fast-track hope-giving measures for our people. The economy, education and our justice system are the three most critical areas of our governance that require priority attention.

Dr Roderick R. Hewitt, former pastor of the Hope United Church, St Andrew, now lectures in ecumenical theology at the School of Religion and Theology, University of KwaZulu Natal. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.