Westminster’s weakness: personality over principle
DR NIGEL Clarke’s recent election as MP has highlighted many ills inherent in Jamaica’s adopted system of governance.
Calm down. This is only indirectly related to Peter Bunting’s intemperate remarks about Dr Clarke’s education. Yes, Peter Bunting was quoted as saying “... he reminds me of the black Englishman of colonial times who aspired to be sort of black royalty”, which only converted a Jamaica Labour party (JLP_ win into a JLP landslide, so I was bemused by the call from the JLP for Bunting to retract his remarks.
Unlike Peter Bunting, I grew up in colonial times and I can’t recall meeting a “black Englishman”, so I’ve no idea what he was trying to say or what he was trying to accomplish. The entire bizarre affair is best left alone, except as it provides lessons how not to conduct our political affairs.
But the trouble is this isn’t a one-off misspeak by Peter Bunting. Too many of his public statements appear to lack the necessary breadth or appreciation for geopolitics, Jamaica’s standing in the region or world, or his own political party’s history. He appears obsessed with colonisation, yet doesn’t appear to recognise it when it’s staring him in the face.
Just last year, he asserted that the Chinese, with whom his own Government had recent ongoing, beneficial bilateral relations, were colonising sectors of Jamaica’s economy. It seems he doesn’t grasp the essential role China plays in Jamaica’s foreign-policy requirements as a bargaining chip, assisting us to benefit from trade and other interactions with the USA without having to become an American lackey.
So, Bunting’s latest outburst, compounded by his reliance on what’s now known as the ‘11-word defence’ (his were 17 words) to support a dogged refusal to apologise, shouldn’t be given more attention than it deserves. Based on his past public performance, this was expected, and, in my opinion, proves he’s unlikely to be an acceptable candidate for future national leadership.
Rational critique of Dr Clarke’s candidacy is that it once again exposes the irretrievable weakness of trying to operate a Westminster system of governance in Jamaica. It’s obvious to most impartial observers that this by-election, despite Dr Clarke’s valiant assertions to the contrary, had much more to do with ensuring his availability for Cabinet than anything related to constituency representation. Everything about Nigel Clarke’s résumé and record of performance screams his eligibility for membership in any Cabinet.
I was impressed by his efforts to implement a local version of El Systema, a Venezuelan creation that used music classes to uplift underprivileged youth and provide a peaceful route to their lives. I’m firmly of the opinion that no serious long-term crime plan can work unless music is taught as a compulsory course at every high school.
Regrettably, the intent of a very young SputNick (at the time) to contribute to Dr Clarke’s effort by offering free piano lessons at St Andrew Technical High School was thwarted on his very first day when the Old Ball and Chai n was prevented from driving onto the school compound to pick him up after the class because she was wearing a sleeveless dress. SputNick’s father immediately withdrew SputNick’s services. This wasn’t Dr Clarke’s fault. He tried.
So, his qualifications are spotless, his patriotic intentions established, and his ability to manage any Cabinet portfolio incontrovertible. The issue is, why should this eminently qualified individual have to go out on political hustings, make campaign promises upon which he can’t possibly deliver, and, when successful, use much of his time and energy focusing on local issues like potholes and poor water supplies instead of being able to concentrate exclusively on helping develop policy and running a ministry?
Management of a Cabinet ministry, to include the effective use of scarce national resources, requires the type of education that Nigel Clarke was fortunate and deserving to have received and to which every Jamaican youth should aspire.
In order to effectively run a Cabinet ministry, the minister must be able to employ critical thinking. Critical thinking would lead a Cabinet minister to be cautious of spending huge sums, causing massive dislocation, or plugging a diagnosed leak on some Cornwall Regional floors, only to discover that the problem was a leaking roof. The hospital looks to me as if large portions of its external walls are either unpainted or haven’t been painted for years. Concrete absorbs liquid and creates mould, so a combination of proper guttering and painting would’ve cut off the problem at