KINGSTON, Jamaica – The jury is still out about our Jamaican psyche. Yes, we are fun people but are we builders of civilisation, spectators or players, minstrels or masters? Are we in charge of our fate, or zombies? This IMF thing has unleashed a spirit of fear and some desperation. We seem beholden to the IMF, yet it asks no obeisance. We speak in hushed tones as if the Lord is nigh; are our leaders in thrall to a body which has no armies, navies or soldiers? no trinkets to buy us, or prisons to incarcerate us? Do we speak with great respect as men of courage or with fear as creatures born in dependence and bred in subordination; men who cannot make a decision but await a decision of circumstances. Do we have a plan for our own salvation or wait for the IMF to impose one? This not who we are so get up, speak up, work up this country now! The JLP and PNP have strength for each other, so why are both powerless before the IMF? We had great debates about the economy months ago; where are the speakers now? Let them now tout their snake oil touted to the IMF. Is our economics only good for locals? Look how impressive Mr Shaw and Dr Philips were on the solutions to our economic crisis; where has that brilliance gone? Or was it all bulls to get votes? Do they dissimulate and the truth comes to us from outsiders like the IMF? We are bankrupt, living a lie and our only hope is to cut our expenses and work like crazy to increase our income. This is not rocket science. It is what every business and family does to survive, so Peter must set out his stall now. We will not be complicit in our own deception. We have so little self-worth we know we exist because we believe a lie or some foreigner pays us some attention. And so some foreign actor using a Jamaican accent is our new inspiration. What have we come to my Lord? This really sucks!
