Who stones a ‘fluxy’ mango?

THE EDITOR, Sir: I SEE members of the People’s National Party running around and trying to diminish the accomplishments of the finance minister, Mr Audley Shaw.

This recalls an old saying that my grandmother would always say, “No one stones a ‘fluxy’ mango.” Why is it that they are so hell-bent on destroying the man?

Is it that he has managed to accomplish what a man with a PhD has failed to do? Wasn’t it Peter Phillips who went to the International Monetary Fund and was given a deal which included a primary surplus balance of 7.5% of GDP, which was the worst deal in IMF history? Wasn’t he the one who accepted this deal, which was worse than that which was given to Greece; whose economy was in a worst position than Jamaica?

Wasn’t it Peter Phillips who only asked how high when the IMF told him to jump? Wasn’t it Peter Phillips who told us to tighten our belts until our bellies met our backs?

Wasn’t it Peter Phillips who found money to give a particular contractor money to build a fence around the dead, while failing to provide basic supplies to the hospitals to aid the living, which resulted in Jamaicans not being able to access ‘care’ at the hospitals and health centres. Wasn’t it during Dr Phillips’ tenure as finance minister that nurses and doctors had to resort to wearing black garbage bags as gowns and opening operating room while performing operations, due to non-functioning air conditioners?

Instead of berating Mr Shaw, Dr Phillips should try to learn a thing or two about how to manage the economy and how to negotiate with multilateral agencies. The problem with the members of the People’s National Party is that they have failed to grasp their essential irrelevance. They think they are special.

Again, my granny told me that bad mind is worse than obeah. And I guess if I were Peter Phillips, I would want to be Audley Shaw, too.

JACK E. BROWN