Peter Espeut
Jamaica as an independent nation is now 44 years old, but what does that mean in real terms? Just exactly what did that stroke of a pen mean 44 years ago? Has lowering the Union Jack and raising the Black, Green and Gold made a big difference?
Real independence, of course, is impossible in a globalised world. We have to depend on other countries to buy our exports so we can import; and in some cases we have to depend on them giving us preferred nation status and buying our goods at preferentially high prices; and giving us lines of credit so we can buy their goods; they set the prices at which they sell us their goods, and they set the prices at which we buy their goods. We depend on other countries to allow their nationals to come here as tourists.
Real challenge
Some prefer the concept of interdependence, but that might convey the impression of parity, and nothing could be further from the truth. We need them much more than they need us; it is an unequal relationship. We may be cock of our Caribbean walk, but we are minnows in the shark-infested waters of international relations.
The real challenge of Independence was to be independent in thought.
The Hon. Bob Marley was right: the real dependence is mental, and the real independence and emancipation is mental. The colony of Jamaica was created by Europe as an overseas plantation to grow tropical stuff that couldn't grow in temperate Europe.
Politically, we ceased to be a colony, but socially and economically we have remained a plantation.
The colonial plantation existed for profit for a few, and to that end the forests were to be cleared, the ore mined and the wildlife hunted as inputs; and the self-respect, the self-confidence and the creativity of the underclass was to be stifled, lest they rise up and take over. The only way the rulers could keep order was to divide: by shade of colour and grade of learning and differential privileges, and turn one against the other; in the plantation colony, unity was anathema.
And along came Emancipation - reluctantly for the rulers - and two National Heroes in the process; but the social rules had not been re-written, and less than 30 years later the former slaves rose up in rebellion, which led to two more National Heroes and some political changes; but to be black was still to stand back, and so arose National Hero Marcus Garvey who was vilified and hounded out of the country.
Interestingly, neither Bustamante nor Manley were of the Garvey tradition, and the Independence movement was disconnected from the Emancipation-Morant Bay-Garvey process. Independence should have meant that we would have sought to define development in our own terms instead of adopting the definition of others; instead we continued as Britain's overseas plantations, and now that sugar and bananas are in decline, we are having an identity crisis.
Divisions
Independence should have meant that we worked hard to systematically break down the divisions among us created by the colonial plantation system, but in fact since Independence we have deepened the divisions, creating low-standard secondary schools for the masses while expanding high schools for the elite; and at the same time presiding over a primary school system which turns out more illiterates than literates.
Independence has meant that we have replaced white bureaucrats with brown and black; it has meant that we have replaced principle with expedience; it has meant that we instead of the British are now able to decide who gets the scarce benefits and spoils.
This collusion between politicians and elements in the private sector has led to the continued disadvantage of the descendants of those Nanny and Sam Sharpe and Paul Bogle and George William Gordon and Marcus Garvey fought for. We need to get back on track.
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and executive director of an environment and development NGO.
