Andrew Holness: A Potential Monarchist?

In last week’s post I wrote about what it was like being at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Conference and the speeches given by some of the party executives, this time I would like to zero in on something that was said by party leader Andrew Holness which really caught my attention , he made his position on the proposed constitutional reforms currently on the table by the government with this following quote

“ Republic and CCJ will not make us more independent, the only way Jamaica can truly achieve true political independence and stand with the other nations of the world is when we achieve economic independence” , it was second time this year  that I heard him utter such sentiments having done so during the budget debate in May, at the time  Holness chastised the government for the burdensome tax package they had released the week earlier and urged them to do something to fix our economic problems and not waste time trying to distract the population with talk of a republic or a new final court.

I must say I admire the bold stance taken by the Leader of the Opposition, for a number of years now  various Prime Ministers from Manley to Patterson and Now Simpson Miller have tried  to use anti-monarchism as a political football to  gain popular support when in truth and in fact majority of Jamaicans do not go to bed wondering whether we have a Governor-General in King’s House or some guy who calls himself President. There are many who  seem not to care either way  whether we are a Constitutional Monarchy or a Presidential Republic however I do and as a staunch royalist I make no apologies for openly declaring my loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen of Jamaica and any counter revolutionary move to halt creeping republicanism and to preserve that part of our heritage and our constitution will certainly have my support therefore I must applaud Holness as it is quite clear that he has no intention of cooperating with the government on any discussion regarding the future of the monarchy.

I really don’t want to jump the gun here but I cannot help but wonder if his stance of a true monarchist or does he have an ulterior motive only time will tell where his loyalty lies, while I will not be naive and simply assume that he is a royalist because of what he said I would not want to rule out the possibility either, he did not seem to have a  problem supporting the plans of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) to alter the rules of succession which they claim promotes gender bias and religious discrimination (personally I prefer the Act of Settlement remaining exactly as it is now) nor was he heard criticizing the government on the 3 million dollars spent for Prince Harry’s visit even when others were doing so.

Historically speaking the JLP has always been less enthused by the idea of a republic than the People’s National Party, Sir Alexander Bustamante the father of independent Jamaica and our first Prime Minister was quite happy to be knighted and be the first Jamaican ever to serve as Privy Councilor to Her Majesty , in the late 1970s while then Prime Minister Michael Manley started a propaganda campaign to turn Jamaica into a socialist republic  based on the Cuban model it was Edward Seaga who led the charge to preserve our constitution from being subverted or altered, early in the 2000’s when P.J. Patterson wanted to have the Queen’s name removed from the oath of allegiance it was Seaga again along with other members of the JLP who bitterly opposed him. While former Prime Minister Bruce Golding did in fact flirt with the idea of a republic he dropped those plans soon after seeing a Bill Johnson poll published in the Gleaner  on June 28 last year in which the result stated that many Jamaicans prefer the constitution the way it is, some even went as far as to call to for us to return to being ruled from London (I’m not so sure I can support that ), I even once heard  several rumors that he had considered becoming Governor-General after Sir Kenneth Hall had retired in 2009

The standpoint taken by Mr. Holness seems to be following in that great tradition of the Jamaica Labour Party which promotes patriotism, loyalty to the Crown and service to the people of this country, establishing real independence for Jamaica not by idle talk of a republic (which would probably make us worse off anyway), but by forging a future for our people, fostering industry and providingng the means for our people to create their own wealth and prosperity , this is the reason why I am proud to call myself a monarchist, a labourite and real Jamaican patriot

Labour Party Conference 2012

I had originally planned to write on a completely different topic today, a recent event has captured my attention which I feel I must share today, yesterday the Jamaica Labour Party celebrated its 69^th anniversary with the hosting of its annual National Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. This 69^th anniversary was seen more as being more reflective than celebratory, this is quite understandable given their two recent defeats at the general elections last December and again at the local government polls last March, The JLP wanted a chance to reexamine itself and see what went wrong, how could it have lost two elections in a row?, they needed a chance to be revived and come back fresh and be ready to take on the ruling People’s National Party the next time that elections roll around, it was more or less a delegates conference so therefore I felt rather privileged that I was still invited and was glad I got a chance to attend.

The conference took on a much different format this year than before, this is of course it was mainly hosted for the delegates of the Jamaica Labour Party (although a small number of visitors showed up as well), this reduction in crowds meant several things, first of all less crowds meant a smaller and less impressive venue, conferences for both major parties are normally held at the National Arena which is a grand and electrifying venue filled with Jamaicans from all over coming to hear their leaders address them over a massive sound system, this year that was scaled down, also different this year was reduced level of excitement, everyone in Jamaica knows perfectly well that political rallies (Conference being the largest and most popular rally of all) are filled not only with orange clad comrades or green clad labourites  but with all sorts of tradesmen and vendors on the outskirts plying their wares, different persons  particular those from inner city garrison communities wearing the weirdest and funniest styles, amateur comedians and  drunkards making  fools of themselves giving the crowd a good laugh and of course who could forget the music that is designed to get the masses railed up and work them into a frenzy, none of that was seen at the JLP Conference this year instead it was more of a sombre mood where the delegates were gathered into caucus groups to discuss major issues affecting both the party and the country ranging from agriculture, the economy, youth affairs, local government and internal housekeeping matters to name a few.

If there was one thing that did not change however it was the speeches given by the senior officers of the Party inclusive of the Chairman, the Treasurer, the General Secretary and the Deputy Leaders for the four island area councils. As is traditional in both political parties, the highlight of the conference was the main address by the Party Leader and in this case The Right Honourable Andrew Holness did not disappoint in fact he surpassed even my expectation, he certainly caught my attention with his exhilarating speech and showed that Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is alive and well in this country. His speech touched on some of the most important issues affecting Jamaica today, and showed everyone the government’s true colours and how they mismanaged the country and particularly the economy and why his party would have done a better job had they been given the chance, his speech was one that reached out and touched persons of all classes while connecting the working class and the most vulnerable in society, he was careful not to ostracize the middle class or the professional groups, this balancing act was in my view a stroke of genius.

The speech by the Opposition Leader sounded more like a statesman than a politician and I must say I admire his patriotism, appealing to the concept of “Jamaica First” and full independence for Jamaica not like the ridiculous anti-monarchist propaganda put out by the Prime Minister and her cronies but rather something that was more concrete and spoke to the spirit of the Jamaican people and the values we hold so dear in this country. Although he did not say so explicitly he implied his abhorrence for the idea of a Jamaican republic similar to his budget debate speech  last May, this is what really grabbed me however (I paraphrase) “ Republic and CCJ will not make us more independent, the only way Jamaica can truly achieve true political independence and stand with the other nations of the world is when we achieve economic independence” , a brilliant speech from a brilliant man, I think it was his best one yet.

 All in all the conference was had its ups and downs with a few hiccups at the start which caused some of the JLP delegates to become angry (and I mean very angry) probably that was the Gen-Sec’s fault, but it ended on a very high note with exhilarating speeches  from the likes of Desmond Mackenzie, Audley “Man-a-Yard” Shaw and of course Party leader Andrew Holness among others, I’m glad I went and look forward to going back in 2013. 

I Vow To Thee My Country: Remembrance Day 2012

Yesterday, The World observed one of the most solemn days of the year, November 11 is a day known by many different names across many different countries, some call it Armistice Day, others say Poppy Day, some like the Americans know it at Veterans Day while here in Jamaica and in other parts of the British Commonwealth it is known as Remembrance Day. Regardless of the name given to it, they all basically mean the same thing, celebrating our brave servicemen and servicewomen who serve (or have served) in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force especially those who died to protect the liberties that we all prize today.  The Tradition of having this special day dedicated to our war heroes was  started early in the 20^th century and was originally meant for those who died during World Wars One and Two, November 11 was chosen because it was exactly on 11:00 that day that the Armistice was signed bringing an end to World War 1 in 1918.

                                                      

Preparations for Remembrance Day in Jamaica begin as early as mid September, with the launching of Annual Wings Appeal by the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica Branch 580 following which is the Launch of the Annual Poppy Appeal by the Royal Jamaica Legion about two to three week later, both of which are done at Kings House under the Patronage of our Governor-General, the Legion and the RAFAJ are actually Jamaican Branches of Commonwealth-wide organisations, the Legion being part of the  British Commonwealth Ex-Servicemen’s League (of which His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh is President and Grand Patron) while the RAFAJ is part of the Royal Air Forces Associations so basically you could say both traditions are not unique to Jamaica but rather are part of a shared traditions practiced my many of our sister nations in other parts of the Commonwealth. The Appeals themselves are actually a means of raising money as a means to support our brave and dear veterans many of whom are now very old, some of which have very little for themselves regardless of that fact that they have given of themselves so selflessly in the service of their Queen and Country.

                                            

Remembrance Day itself is usually celebrated on the Second Sunday in November rather than on the actually November 11 (though thankfully this year the 11^th was a Sunday), the day begins with parades in parish capitals and the laying of wreaths at central locations, the main service itself is normally held at National Heroes Park where the Cenotaph and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are Located (most countries has thier own cenotaph and a tomb of the unknown soldier), this ceremony is normally attended by many dignitaries including the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, Ministers of Government, Diplomats and members of the Royal Family when present, this is where the grandest parades are held and the biggest wreaths are laid. The highlight of the service however is the two minute silence which happens at exactly 11:00AM without fail, this is most solemn moment of the entire day where everyone pauses to reflect on those servicemen and servicewomen who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Following the end of the service the honoured veterans usually get to meet and greet the dignitaries at the service and to catch up with each other most times to reminisce on the glory days of serving in the armed forces

                                   

To be frank, Remembrance Day in Jamaica is no longer as popular as it used to be, gone are the days when the Legion would enlist the help of Primary Schools and High Schools in Poppy Appeals, when every schoolchild would get involved in helping the cause and get as much poppies sold as possible, gone are the days when remembrance services and parades used to broadcasted live on National Television so those who could not attend could still get to see the proceedings, there are persons in our society who don’t even know what a poppy represents and mock those  of us who still wear them some people don’t even bother to pause for 2 minutes at 11:00 anymore and it all be blamed on one thing: creeping republicanism, even the very concept of honouring our heroes is now being trivialised, it’s heart-breaking.

Hope is not lost, there are many who still remember the sacrifice of those who served in all the branches of our armed forces whether in peacetime or wartime, the Royal Jamaica Legion and the RAFAJ are still very much committed to ensuring that no matter what, their sacrifices will never be forgotten. These men and women gave all in service to Queen and Country and this is why they can proudly sing:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above, Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;                                                                                                                                                                                    The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;                                                                                                                                                                                The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

                                      

“And We Will Remember them: Lest we forget”

The Big Race 2012: who will it be?

It has now come down to the wire, with only one day to go there’s only one Question on everybody’s lips, who will occupy the big seat for 2013-2017?, who will win the election up north, will incumbent Barack Obama be given a second chance? Or will he be upstaged by Mitt Romney?, having caught bits and pieces of the Campaign from  the Republican primaries all the way up the debates, I must say this is still anyone’s game according to the latest polls. Of course a recent experience here in Jamaica has taught me that the polls cannot always be trusted. Some may not know this but the people of the U.S. do not elect their president directly but rather indirectly and it may very well be possible however unlikely for a candidate to win the popular vote but still lose the election since votes are counted according to state not the individual and no state is more crucial than the swing states, since they are the ones that almost always determine the results.                       

Two things I must make special note of are the nature of campaigning and the cost, preparations for an election campaign begin as soon is the previous one is over, in other words it is a never ending cycle that in itself seems quite ridiculous candidates launch propaganda campaigns trying to make their opponents look bad oftentimes spinning the truth  in order to accomplish this goal, this leaves the nation heavily divided and may cause persons to become bitter if the candidate of their choice loses. Unlike a constitutional monarchy or even but to a lesser extent a parliamentary republic, in the United States and presidential systems, there is no separation between Head of State and Head of Government what this means that there is no living symbol of loyalty for the entire nation to rally around. “What about the post campaign healing process?”  “What about having the elected president trying to galvanize the whole nation to support him after he has been elected?”, some might ask, here’s my answer, this is unlikely seeing that is I said before Campaigning gets off the ground as soon as the last one ends that is precisely why Americans pledge allegiance to their flag, unlike us in the Commonwealth Realms who pledge our loyalty to a living being, our monarch, former Canadian Prime Minister Sir John MacDonald best sums it up this way “By adhering to the monarchical principle we avoid one defect inherent in the  American Constitution. By the election of the president by a majority and for a short period, he never is the sovereign and chief of the nation. He is never looked up to by the whole people as the head and front of the nation. He is at best but the successful leader of a party. This defect is all the greater on account of the practice of reelection.”

As everyone knows campaigning cost are massive, and many of the times donation to a candidate or a party are funded by private enterprises with billions of dollars being spent every election for endorsements and campaign ads which often times end with the words “I’m (name of candidate) and I approve this message", an election which should have been about the people is taken over by corporate mongols, U.S. based multinational corporations and  the wealthy business upper-class who have the most to gain from their candidate being declared as victor. 

In terms of who has the better policies I had originally been in full support of Mitt Romney obviously because he was more conservative , but after listening to the three debates I have come to different conclusion, Romney in fact has only excellent domestic policies but as far as foreign affairs is concerned the President still has the edge. Romney is a total disaster when it comes to foreign policy I mean seriously, "Russia is America’s number one geopolitical foe"? Where the hell did he get that from?, the last straw for me was insulting the British at the Olympics, in my book that is almost unforgivable as I consider myself a true anglophile. On the other hand I like the stance that he takes on domestic issues such as civil rights, health care, education taxation and how to get the American economy growing at a faster rate. The President is completely the opposite his domestic policies have been the downfall for the U.S. over the 4 years of his presidency leading to the reduction their once proud AAA credit rating, and the fact that the U.S. is now the largest debtor in the world, especially to China, one could not talk about Obama’s domestic policy without mentioning Obama-Care, the highlight of the President’s policy bitterly opposed by republicans, the very first thing that Romney plans on repealing if elected. His foreign policy however includes more inclusion and more idealism rather than typical Romney Style realism, whose only aim is for the U.S. domination of all other nations, that kind of politics is impractical in this day and age given the nature of the international system which Romney has continuously demonstrated that he doesn’t fully  understand.

Like I said before this election is still anybody’s game, the United States and the world watches with bated breath to see what the outcome will be on Tuesday night and who will get the chance to lead America for the next four years until 2016 when the process is done all over again