Nation’s hero
be accomplished…
“Yes, Manley’s quest for social reconstruction and justice did bear many fruits, but this country is yet to be economically self-reliant and independent. Until that is achieved, then we who are wallowing in Manley’s legacy will have betrayed his vision for a better Jamaica.”
Interestingly, even as the novel coronavirus pandemic ravages the Jamaican economy, it is instructive to note that it is the National Housing Trust (NHT), part of his rich legacy, that has come to the rescue in our fiscal affairs.
Even as we reminisce on the life of this great man, if we truly want to do justice to his memory then it is necessary to put people first and invoke the ‘rod of correction’ to fight the high levels of corruption and crime which, like a cancer, is devouring this nation.
In this vein, the current internecine warfare taking place in the PNP is dishing out a great deal of disrespect to the Manley legacy (both Norman and Michael). Those who are the perpetrators of this travesty must repent before it is too late and set about to ensure that the PNP is restored to a respectable, vibrant, and viable political movement.
Even if out of necessity it has to be clothed in a less intimidating attire, the PNP will remain like a decapitated bird running around in circles if it does not embrace democratic socialism. As Michael Manley declared, “The final aim of socialism is the creation of a just society based on the principle of equality, self-reliance, discipline, and participation by all of the people in the process of Government and the running of the economy. Our aim is a just society. The central tactics of socialism is the mobilisation. The heart of socialism is concern for human welfare. The fundamental strategy of socialism is the bringing of people into ownership and control of the means of production and distribution.”
For the record, it must be stated that democratic socialism is not communism, and there are several examples elsewhere in the world where this particular political ideology can interface effectively with capitalism as can be seen, for example, in some Scandinavian states.
In the final analysis, if the PNP is to truly honour Michael Manley’s legacy then it must once and for all come to terms with the tenets of democratic socialism. Nuff said!