Bruce Golding and the allure of power

- Jay-Z, Lost One

The same might be said of power. Prime Minister Bruce Golding - theoretically, the most powerful man in Jamaica - must have taken a long look in the mirror. Fortunately, for Jamaica, he recognised just who he was, what he had become, and what he needed to do - for his own good, the good of his party, and the good of his country. Say what you will about the arrogance of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), in general, or that of Golding, specifically. But what we are witnessing is, quite possibly, the noblest act of leadership in Jamaica's recent political history. Things could have turned out differently - much differently.

In August 1991, hard-line elements within the Soviet Communist Party (including the director of the KGB - the powerful Soviet intelligence agency) attempted a coup against President Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev had embarked on a series of reforms, arousing nationalist discord within the union. In conciliation, he was poised to sign a pact that would transform the Soviet Union into a federation of independent states - severely weakening the Communist Party. Reluctant to loosen their grip on power, the hardliners attempted to oust Gorbachev and restore Communist supremacy.

Boris Yeltsin - Russia's first democra-tically elected president - himself a critic of Gorbachev, famously climbed atop the turret of an army tank and, in a rousing speech, rallied democratic opposition against the coup attempt. Yeltsin knew that if the coup succeeded, his own pursuit of power and reformist agenda - more ambitious than Gorbachev's - would have been compromised.

Dreadful conditions

Although the coup attempt failed, it substantially dented Gorbachev's influence. Within months, the Soviet Union collapsed. Out of its ashes emerged a new Russian Federation led by Yeltsin, who wasted no time accelerating reforms that quickly hurled the country into social and economic turmoil. Gross domestic product plummeted by more than 50 per cent; vast sectors of the economy were decimated; millions of Russians were thrust into poverty; crime skyrocketed. Inequality and corruption prevailed as state assets were sold to Yeltsin's cronies at cut-rate prices.

The dreadful conditions provoked a constitutional stand-off between Yeltsin and Parliament. Yeltsin emerged victorious after ordering army tanks to shell the parliament building - resulting in 500 deaths and hundreds more injuries. Further economic and political crises took a toll, though, and, on the eve of the year 2000, Yeltsin resigned - installing his hand-picked successor: ex-KGB spy, Vladimir Putin.

Putin went on to serve the maximum two consecutive terms as Russia's president - strengthening the economy, restoring order, and re-establishing political stability. In the process, though, Putin consolidated his power by curtailing civil liberties, restraining media freedoms, and underhandedly crushing key opponents.

In 2008, constitutionally barred from serving a third term, Putin endorsed his prime minister - and political puppet - Dmitry Medvedev, for the presidency. Immediately upon becoming president, Medvedev declared Putin prime minister. Last week, Putin announced that in 2012, he will again seek the presidency - raising fears of a new era of Russian autocracy.

The allure of power

It's not just in Russia that men have been hopelessly hypnotised by the allure of power. Muammar Gaddafi boldly proclaimed that he would rather die than cede control of Libya. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has engaged in a brutal crackdown that has killed more than 2,600. Egypt's Hosni Mubarak literally needed power to function - falling gravely ill after being forced to demit office. Even in America, the Republican Party, with its win-at-any-cost mentality, has brought the nation to the brink of recession.

It is heartening, then, to see a Jamaican politician - whatever forces may or may not be congregating against him - shunning the destructive passion for power for which our leaders have become known. The prime minister could have just as readily dug in and garrisoned his post. Instead, he has done the right thing, while giving his party a battle tank to stand on in the next election. The opposition, in contrast, will ride in on its broken down JEEP.

If only certain politicians would humble themselves and follow Golding's lead, things might really begin to look up for Jamaica. I won't call any names, so please, don't try to "draw mi tongue".

Din Duggan is an attorney working as a consultant with a global legal search firm. Email him at columns@gleanerjm.com, or dinduggan@gmail.com, or view his past columns at facebook.com/dinduggan and twitter.com/YoungDuggan.