One country, two tribes

Dennie Quill, Columnist

The tribes are at it again. The orange-clad brigade of People's National Party supporters has reportedly move into St Ann demanding that they replace the Greens of the Jamaica Labour Party who have been fattening their wallets from the $500-million Fern Gully road programme.

If you live in the St Ann area and you are unemployed and you have the requisite skills but you are politically neutral, or support the National Democratic Movement, you don't ever stand a chance of being employed on a government-run project, based on this current situation.

You see, the Oranges and Greens have essentially decided to lock up the spoils of Jamaican politics and divide it up among themselves. It's the classic example of old-school politics that has become so worn out. It is the politics that embraces concepts such as 'tiday fe me, tomorrow fe you', or 'parson christen him pickney fus', or 'you eider with us or against us'.

As a child growing up in rural Jamaica, I was always puzzled to see roadwork end abruptly at one point, leaving large areas untouched along the same stretch of road. My young mind was extremely confused when it was explained to me that people whose road was not repaired did not support the government in power. In other words, they are seen as the enemy, and do not deserve to have proper amenities.

The explanation shed a revealing light on the nature of our politics. I understood from then that our politics operated on the basis that when your party is in power, you will get looked after, while the other tribe looks on helplessly, just waiting for its redemption. It is understandable that the cycle will be repeated over and over again.

It's such a shame that our 50th year of Independence will find us still riveted in the tribal politics of divide and rule. Over these many years, our political parties speak a language of unity but continue to practise divisive politics.

If we insist on handing out jobs, services and other benefits to party faithful, to the exclusion of others, how are we ever going to achieve a just society? Where is the Jamaican family of which we hear our politicians speak? How will we end this cycle of political victimisation?

Nurturing democracy

In the current culture of political tribalism, I know it is going to be difficult to get a measured discussion on how to achieve an end to this mockery of democracy. Political parties are about winning elections, but there needs to be an understanding that a government is designed to serve all the people. A government should create an environment that nurtures democracy, and there should be no place for extremism and exclusivity, as the tribes would have it.

And so we arrive at this interesting moment in our history. I expect the leadership of the Oranges and Greens to point accusatory fingers at each other and go back in history to prove who has been more tribal over time.

Meanwhile, the victim in all of this is the man or woman who is desperately in search of work to take care of a family and provide them with the necessities of life and who has no political leanings. Is there a place in the Jamaican family for independent thought?

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.