IT WAS Karl Marx (1818-1883), the political philosopher, who said that "The state is the organ of the ruling class". By this, Marx meant that in any society, the apparatus of government always acts in the interest of those with wealth and status as a way for those persons (as a class) to hold on to and increase their wealth and status and power; not that he wanted it that way, but that inevitably, said Marx, all states behave this way.
This is quite contrary to the philosophy of democracy as expressed, say by his contemporary Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), who said that government must be "of the people, by the people and for the people". President Lincoln was stating an ideal towards which he believed mankind must strive, and he pursued it himself, even as he defined the slaves in his country as people, and he went to war to win their freedom. The present holder of Lincoln's chair seems bent on proving Marx right, as he pursues a war and other policies which suit the business interests of his campaign funders (like Chiquita bananas) and of members of his administration (like vice-president Cheney).
PLANTATION SOCIETY
Here in Jamaica, where between Marx and Lincoln do we fall? Does the Jamaican state take decisions to benefit "the people" of Jamaica or to benefit only those with wealth and status? What does Jamaica's Independence Constitution provide for? In whose interest are the actions of the Jamaican state directed? In the 1970s, the PNP government of Michael Manley was quick to adopt the analysis of Marx, suggesting that previous Jamaican governments acted in support of "the ruling class". And they would have been largely correct. Up to its dissolution in 1866, the Jamaica House of Assembly was made up largely of merchants and planters dedicated to protect plantation society and economy; in other words, they acted in their own interest and in the interest of their peers. The vast majority of Jamaicans - the former slaves - had no vote and were barely acknowledged as 'people'.
The Jamaican colonial state could be said to have been "of the people, by the people and for the people" if by people is meant the merchants and planters, for a whole society was created (including transplanting crops and a slave labour force from elsewhere) and re-created for their benefit, and would not easily fall.
On their watch was created our education system, intended not to develop the full potential of all Jamaicans including the black majority, but to replicate the traditional class and status system inherited from slavery. On their watch was created our system of justice which Paul Bogle decried as unfair. In the aftermath of the Morant Bay Rebellion the police "force" was created to try to ensure that never again would there be such a challenge to the powers that be.
GARVEY, BUSTAMANTE AND MANLEY
The first achievement of Garvey, Bustamante and Manley was to have the Jamaican men and women in the field, in the kitchen and in the laundry acknowledged as "people" (often referred to as 'smaddification') so that universal adult suffrage was won in 1944 (just 60 years ago this year). Here was an opportunity to act "for the people", but from then until now we have the same underachieving education system replicating the traditional class and status system inherited from slavery, the same police "force" and the same justice system.
Isn't 60 years not long enough for the PNP and JLP to act in the name of the Jamaica people and to reform the debilitating social institutions inherited from slavery? We have not approached the ideal of Lincoln, if we were ever trying. What we have is a "Labour" party that supports capital and a "National" party that supports Federation. Jamaica has the 11th biggest gap (in the world) between the rich and the poor, and so the poor are not well served; but Jamaica's ruling class are quite clear that the present Jamaican state does not act in their interest, although as in the USA, campaign contributions can work wonders.
If then, the Jamaican state acts neither in the interest of the rich nor the poor, in whose interest does it operate? I think we are more like the administration of George W. Bush and of the plantocracy than we care to admit. Our politicians both JLP and PNP have operated our Jamaican state in their own interest and in the interest of their party. Lincoln was wrong; government is 'of the party, by the party and for the party and its members'. Here again, "the people" are not "the Jamaica people" but the members of the party, who get the scarce benefits and spoils of the political process. The members of the party have become "the ruling class". How to start off poor and end up rich? How to get construction contracts without knowing how to build? How to get catering contracts without any experience? Easy! Join a Jamaican political party (especially when they are in power).
The constitution we have, concentrates power in the hands of the ruling party, and makes it difficult for politicians to be really accountable to the electorate. All public appointments are directly or indirectly made by the ruling party. When the so-called 'Caribbean Court of Justice' is inaugurated, that process will be complete.
SEPARATION OF POWER
The only true 'separation of powers' we have now will disappear, as all power will have coalesced into a few hands. And so Marx was wrong. The state is really 'the organ of the party' and will never wither away as long as there are persons in the party with their noses in the trough. Ahh! Jamaica! We are re-writing the political science textbooks!
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.
