Recently a thought came to my mind. I asked myself, if I had to choose one organism to eliminate from the planet, to make Earth a better place, which would it be? The first creature I thought of was the cockroach. I rarely use the word hate. It is...
This newspaper notes with satisfaction last week’s disclosure by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) resident representative, Dr Constant Lonkeng Ngouana, that the Fund will maintain its Kingston office for another two years after its US$1.6-...
Born into a very rural community that hardly anyone knew, Little Billy felt that he was destined for much greater things. The other children always seemed to be two steps behind him, and all the elders did was chew their cuds and graze all day....
The House of Representatives continued its slackness last Tuesday. Proceedings started one hour late. Disrespect is shown for the members, staff and a gallery full of invited guests, including the British high commissioner. Waiting on a special...
My plan was to talk about the great news coming out on the economy recently. The idea gestated when I read a tweet by economics professor Damien King (@DamienWKing) that said: “The unemployment rate has now fallen further to 7.8 %. 29,000 more...
There used to be a way people thought about the United States, of which yesterday’s 50th anniversary of the moon landing reminds us. You knew they weren’t perfect; that America sometimes did bad things. It was understood, too, that their union was...
He had a wife and couldn’t keep her. It might sound like a nursery rhyme but the PNP’s problems are about how they misused or simply lost the ability or the focus on the Ps. Perhaps because it believed that the P’s hold on power would have...
Sunday gone, mi go a MoBay fi gi speech fi di PNP woman conference. Same day Peter Bunting im a launch fi im campaign fi turn PNP president. Wa mek im go clash wid di woman dem conference? It look like seh Bunting no want...
The shiprider agreement between Jamaica and the United States has as its principal objective the suppression of illicit maritime drug trafficking. This agreement is a natural consequence of our geographic location, with Jamaica laying as close as...
It could happen here. That’s the warning from businessman Richard Pandohie, who worries that Jamaica may experience a social and economic meltdown like that of Venezuela if something is not done to close the gap between the rich and poor in this...
THE EDITOR, Sir: Taking a taxi in contemporary Jamaica is akin to attempting suicide. A sigh of relief is often audibly excreted by passengers upon arrival at their destinations unscathed. Passengers usually rush to call (or Whats app) their...
For playing the role of Wolverine in the X-Men film series from 2000 to 2018, Hugh Jackman, the Australian actor, holds the Guinness world record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel superhero. So when Jackman said, “I would love to have...
In recent months, the media informed of “the good things” happening in St Thomas. Equally, we hear of the closure of Seprod operations at Serge Island and Duckenfield. The promotion of the good things is illustrated by the public launching of the...
Leadership in Jamaica is like that of the story, The Emperor’s New Clothes. Our view can be so distorted and misaligned to the truth (walking naked while believing they are wearing the finest garment). Our leaders are afraid to speak the truth (...
During the 26-plus years I have been writing this column, the level of government corruption in Jamaica has been a constant public concern, no matter which party has been in power. When some particularly egregious instance (e.g., Outameni, Dudus...
The recent G20 Summit of major industrial countries held in Osaka, Japan, devoted most of its attention to the major issues of challenging the global economy, including trade, energy, and financial flows, as well as security and climate change. A...
THE EDITOR, Sir: I would be hard-pressed to identify a vision more wonderfully captured than those espoused in Jamaica’s Vision 2030. Sadly, I fear it will remain just a beautifully written document. It captures a vision which, as a people, we...
As Central Manchester Member of Parliament Peter Bunting mines his People’s National Party (PNP) relevance by criticising the prime minister and comparing high rates of murder in PNP times with higher numbers of our people slaughtered by fellow...
If one is to go by the old saying that Jamaica is the land of wood and water, then it would be logical to assume that as a nation, we should not have a problem growing food to feed our people or finding water to quench our thirst. Fact is, we...
Last month, when he named Danville Walker as head of the inner-city housing renewal under the HOPE programme, whose primary aim is to provide opportunities for at-risk young people, Prime Minister Andrew Holness didn’t disclose the specifics of the...
It is entirely possible that Donald Trump, the moronic xenophobe who occupies America’s White House, would, at any imagined provocation, advise Colin Powell to take a hike back to the place from which he came. And he’d probably call that place a ‘s...
Performance Appraisal rating My previous article on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) addressed the lackadaisical attitude towards the implementation of decisions which persiss in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In the communique...
We all hear of different misconceptions people have of Jamaicans. Well, here’s a shortened version of my story. It was at the age of 23 when I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and move to a country in which English was neither the first...
There is movement towards peace in Afghanistan – or at least towards an end to the American military ordeal there, which has lasted for almost 18 years. United States officials and representatives of the Taliban insurgents have held seven rounds of...
At first glance, the report of the Integrity Commission, which was tabled in Parliament last week, seems like a fulsome review of its first year as Jamaica’s primary anti-corruption agency. But a closer look suggests that the commission is...
