Orville W. Taylor
After having enlisted in His Majesty's armed forces during World War I, Norman Manley came to the brutal realisation that despite his high colour and superior intellect, he was less than an Englishman or Dutchman. As a result, he could not get a commission in the British army.
He, along with a set of educated Caribbean leaders-in-waiting, became convinced that these pieces of rock that littered the Caribbean Sea were ours. Consequently, he articulated the mission of his generation as the achievement of self-government for his country. This was his driving force as he joined forces and formed the People's National Party (PNP) in 1938. Manley saw Jamaica to universal adult suffrage in 1944. However, as he neared his goal of independence for Jamaica, his street-wise cousin hoodwinked him into calling an early election and his thunder was stolen from him. The fact is, Busta was not a soft drink and was actually tougher than and as hard to get rid of as the sweet that bears his name.
Painfully, Manley watched as foreign companies came into the economy bringing capital but at the same time running the risk of having too much say over local affairs.
The 1970s were hard times and the dollar slid as if it had vaseline on its feet. Bananas became extra-long grain rice and cornmeal became the 'Joe Grine' in the lives of red and gungo peas as they simmered in a bed of coconut cream while rice was no where to be found.
Yet as we struggled to cope, the constant image was an ethos of self-determination underlined by a sense of black pride and deep nationalism. We listened to diatribe and demagoguery as the Jamaica Labour Party blamed communist elements. The place was full of Cubans and ever so often a leader from the non-aligned world arrived - sounding very Russian-like. There was even an overly exuberant (not so youthful) Cuban ambassador, Ulysses Estrada, who crossed the lines of diplomacy and propriety by interfering in our domestic affairs.
SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS
On the other hand, the Labourites were accused of facilitating the penetration of subversive elements through the back door and the American Central Intelligence Agency was believed to be planted in every corner like teenager cockroaches at a public hospital. Some of my poor white teachers lived in paranoia because we students all suspected them.
By the end of the 1970s, we developed a healthy fear of foreigners and as an emerging intellectual, my nationalism became uncompromised. Therefore, I was and still am unrepentant that despite the Rastafarian tautology about back to Africa, I was not going anywhere nor was I willing to give up Jamrock to anyone, especially some European or American capitalist that did not have my nation's interest at heart.
As the era of globalisation came in the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, there was much ado about trafficking of drugs, arms and money laundering. With free trade came the free movement of capital and the increased danger of tainted money finding its way into the stream of hard-earned clean capital that runs a democracy.
For a small open economy like Jamaica, the need to keep our money clean is of primary importance because anyone with enough money can take our political system, fund our main political parties and steal Norman Manley's dream.
GLOBAL CORRUPTION REPORT
That is why I am vilified by the unfurling events of the past week, when Opposition Leader Bruce Golding revealed that $31 million was deposited by Dutch company Trafigura into an account of the PNP for the funding of its political campaign. It so happened that Trafigura is mentioned in the Global Corruption Report in 2001, and pops up often in questionable activities. Indeed, it was the relationship with it that brought about the downfall of the Côte d'Ivoire government recently. Still, they have just managed to avoid criminal charges and may be 'undutchable.' Whatever might be their interest in Jamaica, it appears that they passed the money 'dutchie' on the left because it doesn't look right.
Nevertheless, let me state that Golding obtained information improperly and in doing so might have just done more harm to our democracy and freedoms. As Attorney-General A.J. Nicholson stated with eyes glaring, this is a breach of the fiduciary relationship between a banker and a client. For this, the person who supplied the data should be seriously sanctioned. Did she get a vas' amount of money for this? Nonetheless, the manner in which it was used showed poor judgement on the part of a Prime Minister-hopeful. Why did he not simply ask questions and dare the Government to reply? It would have shifted all the focus to the PNP.
Notwithstanding this, inasmuch as Bruce played false with decency, the real issue is why did the Government choose to trade with Trafigura in the first place? It is unacceptable to argue that they gave the best return on our investment because if money is the only object, then they should have opted for Medellín or the Cali cartels. Better still; why not open a chain of international brothels? After all, it would be appropriate given what is being done to our democracy and national trust.
More curious must be, why should a contractor give money to a political party in power, whose members as ministers pay him? Come on, even the most patriotic of PNP supporters must be embarrassed by this!
I had dialogue with Senator Floyd Morris on air and although he does not directly admit that it is improper, I am sure that he can see what is wrong with it.
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
