Jamaica, is currently in the midst of corruption-driven crisis. The most glaring feature of this crisis is astonishing figure of 1,500 people murdered per annum. I am serialising my view on the history of the causes of this agonizing situation.

Edward Seaga Jamaica PM 1980-89

EDWARD Seaga, who is this man?


Preamble
I should like to point out I have no personal feelings against anybody, Mr Edward Seaga included. As a Jamaican and brought up as one, I cannot readily accept that I have nothing to say or worst still my opinions must be formed by someone else's thought-process. Nor do I have any fear whatsoever of anybody who expresses other opinions which may even be the complete opposite of my own. My sole interest is to look into the main causes of the current extraordinary level crime induced social problems facing Jamaican society today “without fear or favour”.

In today’s party-dominated societies including Jamaica, there is an unjustified overbearing pressure to go along with the views of this or that party even when great wrongs are being committed by those parties. There is an overbearing and unjustified pressure on the "small man" or "woman" to grin and bear it and opt for the party of the "lesser evil" and so on. Who ordained such approaches? Who are these individuals who says a person "must" support this or that party? Or vote for this or that Party? Everyone should think for themselves and reject this obscurantist and feudal approach, especially in this 21 Century where our very home, planet earth itself is facing a possible catastrophic environmental future not to mention man-made social and biological disasters.

Jamaica is a piece of land populated by humans of the same genetic structure as anywhere else. And like human beings everywhere else individually and collectively we are duty bound to fulfill our role as the most advanced biological species. And that role is to do our best as individuals and as a nation, scattered as we are around the world, to fight for the progress of our people as the most important contribution to the massive human pool of people everywhere fighting for general progress of all.

As such, it it very wrong to permit a very small handful of people to decide amongst themselves behind closed doors, every important decision in the life of the country, whether those decisions are bad or good. In ancient times this was inevitable. But not today and especially when decisions are adversely felt by the majority. Humans have the unique quality over other biological organisms to THINK and solve the most complex problems. Like everywhere else Jamaica has its own problems and its up to Jamaicans to think and work out how to solve them.

This writing on former PM Edward Seaga, was prompted by the thought of a friend from Grenada who asked me why did Jamaica send troops to help the Americans invade their country in October 1983? Fair question. Edward Seaga was the PM of Jamaica at the time and has been part of the problem that our country has been facing since Independence. These people calling themselves leaders should not be permitted to do as they please and then stand on a rostrum and expect uncritical acclaim. If we Jamaicans do that then we have learned nothing from the 20th Century. We are not biologically programmed insects, like "worker bees" here to serve the "queen" and that’s it. No we are human beings here to solve problems to improve our individual and collective short lives.

HISTORY
October 25, 1983 was the day of the American armed assault on Grenada. Grenada, is an even smaller and poorer Caribbean country than Jamaica. The invaders killed hundreds claiming they went in to "rescue" American students. The Jamaican Prime Minister at the time, Edward Seaga, a close friend of the US President Ronald Reagan, sent in Jamaican troops "to help" his American compatriot. Only a couple of other Caribbean countries followed Seaga’s example. This shadowy figure still continues to have certain elements in Jamaica under his mythical spell. So, just who is Edward Seaga?

(TO BE CONTINUED)

He thought he was Hitler reincarnate, or a piece of trash, take your pick.

who are you and why the interest in JA ?

I am a Jamaican,thats why everything that happens there interest me. I know you don't think I'm any joker! I live in London, probably like you. This stuff, like I said is giving my opinion on what has created the criminalisation of Jamaican society. I am hoping there are people on this forum who also have a serious interest in this problem.

really which part of JA you live..

no , I live in London! Where do you come from Kunjufu. I come from a small place in St Thomas, even if you came from Jamaica you would not have heard of

Hmmm so let me get this straight you're from St Thomas, but YOU know without having met me, or where i come from that i would NOt know your area...interesting!!

Ok Mr Jamaican, why the interest in Edward Seaga as opposed to Manley? especialy as they are NOT in power i'm curious...?

EDWARD Seaga, who is this man?


Edward Seaga Jamaica PM 1980-89

The Prologue
In the post 2nd World War years,Jamaica administered by the English was the most important of their Caribbean colonies. Its people made up of over 90% people of African origin, followed by Chinese and Indians whose foreparents were indentured servants brought there by the English in the mid 1800's.The remainder made up of Middle-Easterners and sitting pretty on top of this ethnic pyramid are the relative handful of people whose foreparents were slavers from the UK.

This social pyramid was rigidly stratified typically along racial and colour lines. And wealth and poverty also rigidly followed suit. In the post-war years things were about to change -not the pyramid but the outside dominance of the country. Amongst the smattering of Americans who re-located to Jamaica were the Seagas. And as whites,naturally they were wealthy. but they symbolised the change that was about to take place.The UK weakened by the first and especially the 2nd World War was at the mercy of the Americans who always had their hawkish eyes on the main Caribbean prize - Jamaica. So they set to work and the British in no position to "fight" allowed the American take-over with only minimum private complaints.

The Americans at first allowed the British administrative "system" and colonial connections to continue but they wanted to have economic dominance. This could not be done without one of the two main political parties whose establishment was "gently guided" by the British behind the scenes. For whatever reason the US targetted the JLP. By the 50's the Seagas ,still American citizens sent their son Edward Seaga (who was born in the US) to Harvard,that "Ivy League" establishment for "leaders"- from Secret Service to Politicians. It was whilst here that Seaga "became interested" in Jamaican politics. He did not jump in straight away. No. As a privileged white with money and influence, he set himself up as as a record producer of poplar dance music which most interestingly made him shoot to "fame" amongst ordinary Kingston people whose sons and daughters were trying to escape the poverty by using their talents to sing.It was here that Edward Seaga used his "popularity" as a music producer to ingratiate himself with poor Jamaicans.

Whether this was part of a deliberate American plan for a "palace coup" against the British, only top secret archives in Washington and London could reveal the truth of this. But Seaga's history would point in the direction that he was in the service of the United States - the country of his birth. One clear outward sign of this "palace coup" by the Americans against the British is that to this day, while Edward Seaga is celebrated by all kinds of American institutions, the British have kept a stony, almost disdainful silence about him.Why? He was not "their man". And could not be, especially since he had made the public suggestion that Jamaica should become an "associate state" of the USA. Nothing could be clearer.

It was regrettable that in the post-war years Jamaica did not produce any genuine political leaders schooled in the organisation and struggle of the Jamaican people and guided by any philosophical outlook. Alexander Bustamante was a money-lender who being educated, appointed himself spokesman for striking workers and Norman Manley (his cousin) a lawyer was Bustamante's attorney who argued in the law courts for his release after the British had jailed him, some would say deliberately to increase his popularity amongst poor masses, knowing that "Busta" could be of service to them in the future. Which of course is precisely what happened. (TO BE CONTINUED)

Kunjufu, if you notice right at the beginning I said : " Jamaica is currently in the midst of corruption-driven crisis. The most glaring feature of this crisis is astonishing figure of 1,500 people murdered per annum. I am serialising my view on the history of the causes of this agonizing situation."

Seaga, was decisive "player" in today's crisis. I will explain in the course of my post. I come from Golden Valley, St thomas.

Ok I will read your analysis with interest...