Michael Abrahams | Defending politicians, dividing ourselves

One of the ugliest and most intellectually bankrupt phenomena on display in Jamaica, particularly on social media, is political tribalism. Some of us are needlessly caustic towards fellow citizens, people we grew up with, enjoy the same food and music with, and cheer alongside when Jamaican athletes and teams are victorious at sporting events.

Our national motto is ‘Out of Many, One People’. Yet, the moment some of us discover that another Jamaican supports “the other party”, the unity evaporates. We insult, denigrate and dismiss them, even when their opinions and concerns are legitimate.

The irony is that while we fight over political parties and their leaders, many politicians maintain cordial relationships, and even close friendships, with their counterparts across the political divide. Shortly after the last election, I attended a funeral and, as I sat in the congregation awaiting the commencement of the service, two members of parliament from opposite sides of the aisle entered the church together, walking side by side. The gentlemen greeted the grieving family, then took their seats beside each other, smiling and engaging in banter throughout the ceremony.

Not long afterwards, I witnessed a terse exchange on the social media platform X between two other members of parliament, both occupying senior positions on either side of the political divide. The back-and-forth comments were harsh and accusatory. A week or two later, however, one of the gentlemen posted a photograph of the two of them standing together at an event he had hosted, referring to the other politician as his friend.

Too many of us expend an extraordinary amount of energy attacking fellow Jamaicans, many of whom we barely know, in defence of politicians about whom we also have limited knowledge. I occasionally write about politics and have been critical of both major parties, so I have experienced abuse from both camps. I have been referred to as canine excrement, called a feathered flying scavenger and, of course, instructed to use my mouth to exert negative pressure on the person who gave birth to me, a feat that would be technically challenging, since she was cremated, and any attempt to do so would result in ash inhalation and likely lead to an asthma attack.

MORE IN COMMON

But, why the vitriol? If you require a life-saving blood transfusion, the blood could come from a Labourite, a Comrade or someone politically unaffiliated. Your body would not know the difference or care about the donor’s political allegiance. We have more in common than some of us seem willing to acknowledge.

Meanwhile, some of us willingly sacrifice our dignity, principles and common sense to defend politicians who, judging by their actions, appear considerably less invested in our welfare than we are in theirs. While ordinary Jamaicans struggle with rent, mortgages, car payments, utilities, food and healthcare costs, many of the politicians we so ferociously defend live in spacious and comfortable dwellings, travel in luxury vehicles, dine at expensive restaurants and vacation in exotic locations that most of us can only dream about. While some of us were scrambling to find websites streaming World Cup matches that were not broadcast on local stations, some of our leaders were enjoying the spectacle from the stands.

The recent Grand Gala at the National Stadium offered a glaring illustration of the absurdity and ugliness of political tribalism. Both party leaders attended with their spouses, and the ensuing social media reactions demonstrated how profoundly political allegiance can distort perception. On Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) pages, Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ wife, Juliet Holness, was lavishly praised for her elegance and the style of her green dress. On People’s National Party (PNP) pages, she was mocked for her attire, her appearance and, most reprehensibly, some of her physical features.

Likewise, Opposition Leader Mark Golding and his wife, Sandra, who both dressed in the colours of the national flag, were applauded by Comrades and ridiculed by Labourites. At least one Labourite posted a doctored image depicting Mr Golding wearing a cap bearing the pattern of the British flag, accompanied by false assertions that he was not born in Jamaica, and reprehensible, false allegations concerning the circumstances surrounding the conception of their first child.

FUTILE

Attempts to engage these tribalists and trolls in rational discourse are often futile, resulting in exchanges rife with ad hominem attacks, straw-man arguments, red herrings, whataboutism, false equivalence, binary thinking and other logical fallacies, accompanied by denial, deflection and, in some cases, outright fabrication.

No political party or leader is infallible, and Jamaica is nowhere near fulfilling its potential. Decades of corruption, maladministration and incompetence have inflicted profound damage on our country, and individuals on both sides of the political divide have contributed to that damage.

Today, we are facing a crisis of governance. We have a government that, at times, appears to privilege arrogance and disingenuousness over empathy, transparency and accountability. At the same time, we have an Opposition that, after losing three consecutive elections under three different leaders, has failed to persuade a substantial portion of the electorate that it represents a superior, or even sufficiently viable, alternative.

Party loyalists have every right to defend their parties and leaders against unfair or malicious criticism. But they should also be willing to call out their own when missteps are made. The fact that the majority of eligible voters abstained from voting in the last general election should tell Labourites and Comrades that their parties are not that great. For Jamaica to realise its full potential, both sides must be willing to scrutinise their own side with the same fervour with which they scrutinise the other. Our political affiliations may differ, but our national interests should be shared. Tribalism is not merely irritating; it is corrosive. Country must always come before party.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator, and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on X @mikeyabrahams.