Gordon Robinson | The essence of NATO

Apocrypha, that beloved fantasyland beyond the galaxies where all politicians are friends, was abuzz as general elections drew near.

Governing Just Lazy People (JLP) and Opposition Promises Not Performance (PNP) were giddy with excitement. Each Party did its best to outdo the other in sloganeering; finger-pointing; and promising. Talk, talk, talk was the order of the day. Even formal political debates attracted more talk before than during as Parties tried to manipulate selection of interrogating journalists.

Finally, JLP campaign manager, Criss Tufftimes and PNP General Secretary Daycan Tinsoup approached Oma D’unn for advice to help the Parties focus on policy. Regular readers remember Oma, a former Finance Minister who, after retirement, converted his political advice hobby into a consultancy firm named Oma Unsacked. Oma, like a moon, was bright only in the dark but solved political problems with parables.

Oma advised them to buy a freezer. Both were flummoxed so Oma told them the story of two ladies who died and went to Heaven:

J ane and Erica are talking in heaven.

“How’d you die?” Jane asks Erica.

Erica replies “I froze to death.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!” says Jane.

“It wasn’t too bad. After a while you start to get a sort of peaceful feeling just before you black out. How’d you die?”

Jane: “I suspected my husband was cheating. So one day I came home early to catch him but he was just watching TV. So I turned the entire house upside-down looking for another girl. In the end I suffered a massive heart attack from over-exertion.”

Erica: “Too bad you didn’t look in the freezer. We might both still be alive.”

Baffled, Daycan and Criss looked at each other quizzically. Oma explained that freezers can hide things about which one shouldn’t speak openly. Too much talk tends to reveal more than it hides. Instead of wasting time with idle chatter campaigns should go to the root of national problems. Just like marital infidelity, that core is usually found beneath superficial symptoms. Stop searching for solutions in the same old places.

Less talk; more action!

Since “independence”, Jamaica has been a fully paid up member of NATO persistently pretending pointless political patter was policy proposal.

No, not the NATO that comes to your mind. We’re not allowed in that NATO. Jamaican NATO stands for No Action Talk Only! Whilst our political leaders have been talking ad nauseam about who more t’ief; who born ya; who can’t spell; who married who, when and why; or everything but national policy, Jamaica’s economy hasn’t grown for five decades. What happened?? We’ve certainly had more than enough talking; proposing; and “feasibility studies”. What we haven’t experienced is bold leadership and forward-thinking decision making by any of the motley crews now begging for our vote.

Why hasn’t Jamaica been able to turn the following “ideas” into reality?

1. Casinos: In the mid-1980s, the Dennis Lalor led Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission conducted a thorough feasibility study for Jamaican casinos. Twenty-five years later, in 2010, the Casino Gaming Act was passed; major investments for Jamaica were promised. Fifteen more years passed and a few short weeks ago, with another election looming, an incoming hotel-based casino was grandly announced. How many casinos have actually opened over the four decades since Dennis’ study was delivered to Government? You guessed it: ZERO! Now that land based casinos are essentially obsolete we’re still talking about introducing one to MoBay. Jamaican NATO!

2.Jamaica a world financial centre: In 2011 it was announced that “Jamaica International Financial Services Authority” was established to tap into the US$5-7 trillion offshore financial industry. Studies, committees, papers etc followed. Fourteen years later is this a reality? Negative. Jamaican NATO!

3.Jamaica a logistics hub: Kingston Harbour; Vernamfield; Goat Island all touted as ideal locations. JIS reported (March 28, 2013): “Government’s logistics hub initiative will be a global asset of the scale and significance of the world’s leading hubs in Rotterdam, Singapore and Dubai”. Where are we in 2025? Nowhere. Jamaican NATO!

4.Luana Oil Refinery: My personal favourite grandiosely announced by Michael Manley 50 years ago. On February 21, 2008 JIS reported “ Prime Minister Bruce Golding….announced several major plans that will boost tourism development…. Mr. Golding disclosed that just this week Cabinet had taken a decision to utilize the Luana property in St. Elizabeth for the development of a new tourism resort that will revolutionize that section of Jamaica’s south coast. He said the Cabinet had taken the decision to terminate an agreement made by the previous government that sought to explore the possibility of developing an oil refinery at the property…” Oil Refinery? Revolutionary tourism resort? Nah. Jamaican NATO!

Time for Jamaica to withdraw from NATO and help to start a new Jamaican organisation named ANTO (Action Now Talk Over).

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com