When government eats its young
Published:Sunday | March 7, 2010 | 12:00 AM
The Editor,
Sir:
It is very unfortunate when you hear stories of parents eating their own young. Watching our government sell us out not only to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but also Air Jamaica to foreign interests reminds me of such a phenomenon.
The first two things that come to me when I think of the ineptitude of our 'leaders' are, first, this Government is out of its depth when it comes to leadership and governance. Second, they are willing sell all of us, as well as our cultural identity for the proverbial 30 pieces of silver. Why aren't our own good enough to even be considered to be owners of local institutions?
Still Paying mortgage
It was reported recently that the new owners of the soon-to-be-defunct Air Jamaica, Caribbean Airlines (out of Trinidad), will only fly the most profitable routes that Air J had, apparently to keep tourism alive here, but will not take on the debts that the national carrier owes. In essence, we no longer own the house, but still owe the mortgage. What a deal our Government has made for us! So, who will carry this debt? You, me, our children and eventually their children. What would you rather, a flying Air Jamaica owned and operated by Jamaicans that is trying to keep jobs here, or a foreign (albeit Caribbean) company that is not actually looking after our interests, but that of tourists, as well as their own bottom line?
In the space of one generation we have squandered a railway system as well as an airline. (I have deliberately not mentioned the other entities that were once Jamaican-owned that were either sold or closed down no thanks to successive governments.)
Embarrassing
The prospect of the Trelawny Stadium going to foreign interests - Major League Baseball of all things - is embarrassing, because not only has this Government snubbed one of our major tertiary institutions whose sole purpose is to uplift and build Jamaica by educating Jamaicans, but they would also be selling out to a foreign sport that is not played here.
As long as this Government sells out what little we have left, it robs both the Jamaican entrepreneur, as well as the ordinary Jamaican, of our destiny. As long as we have major foreign ownership, we can no longer claim to be a sovereign, independent nation.
I am, etc.,
JAMES OZERMANN
New Green Road
Mandeville
Manchester