Unjust New Tax

The nation was in uproar last week as Finance Minister Dr. Peter Philips made an announcement that would most certainly not have been treated as welcome news by a long shot, effective June 1 all withdrawals from financial institutions will now attract taxes particularly transactions at the ATM, according to the minister this new measure was concocted by the government in order plug what they describe as a gap in the budget and is expected to rake in JMD $6.7 million.

                     

Naturally as one would expect there was a major public outcry at this new tax imposition from all sectors of society given the harsh economic climate and extended depression currently facing the country, everyone from the parliamentary opposition to the private sector and civil society and even the churches have all come out swinging at this most unjust imposition and rightly so.  People everywhere are calling on the government to reconsider its position before it’s too late and given the already negative perception about the government being thieves and their ineptitude in managing resources, it is truly saddening that this government would take such action at a time when unemployment is at an all-time high even and especially among tertiary graduates while economic prosperity is low as is morale. This administration came to power promising improvements in the economy but all they really did is make things worse. People are already suffering enough as it is without this newest measure that only serves to add insult to injury.

            

As many persons have already rightly acknowledged scheme is little more than robbery on the government’s part, persons have placed their money in banks for safekeeping bearing in mind that the bank itself also has it’s own bank charges which in itself as already a sticking point for many and now the government seeks to drive a nail in the coffin of the Jamaican economy because now many people and particularly businesses will try as best as possible to refrain from or limit their dealings with the banks and what’s worst those who can afford to will even place their money in overseas banks and that will most certainly not be good for the local banking sector.During the economic recession of the last decade, banks in many country collapsed, went under and had to eventually be bailed out by their governments. No such thing happened in Jamaica because the then JLP administration put in place mechanisms to ensure that our banks stayed afloat. But then came the general elections of 2011 and the ushering of the PNP into power, since that time our economy worsened more than ever before, our dollar skyrocketed as did unemployment and now comes  the government  who seem relentlessly  intent on destroying our banking system and the livelihood of the local populace with it.

What about “giving to Caesar his due?” an ignorant few may ask, ”doesn't the government need taxes to run the country” , anybody who is thinking clearly will know that what a person places in his or her  bank account is actually their disposable income, what they have left over after the government has already taken their due which includes P.A.Y.E., NHT, Education Tax and the like,  that is where the new taxes is coming from, so in essence this is basically like a man going for a second helping of dinner when he has already has his meal, can you see how unjust this truly is?

                 

This government is once again displaying that it truly does not have a clue as to how to manage the nation’s economy, I have said it before and will repeat, fiscal prudence and conservatism is the only way out if Jamaica’s economy is to improve, this new tax measure is neither conservative nor prudent.  There is discontent everywhere with many of those who voted to put this administration into office now regretting their choice, there is not much more that people can take and already there are talks of strikes, protests and some have even suggested a revolution to overthrow these circus clowns who are really a sorry excuse for a government, this will not end well  if things continue on this path, but all is not lost, seeing as  the date announced for the collection of this latest tax has not yet arrived, the budget debate is not yet over, there is still time to repeal this draconian measure. This government claim to rule based on people power and the “will of the people”, therefore it would be wise for them to listen to the people now and withdraw the tax before it is too late

Religious vs Secular morality

It’s been a while since last I wrote but as of late an issue came to light that I feel I must comment on, as it regards to secular interference into the affairs of the Church, a few weeks ago a newspaper story broke out that students at the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica, in institution owned and operated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church were suspended after performing a cheer-leading ritual that depicted scenes that look to promote homosexual lifestyle, it also subsequently reported that said students were also barred from participation in any further activities during their remaining time at the institution due to their lack of regard for the student code of conduct as set forth by the university which they say are guided by the principles of the Church itself.

                

However I’m not here to take about the action taken by the university but rather the public reaction to the university’s action. I’m amazed to see the amount of public outcry that erupted as liberals wasted no time vilifying both the University and the Church that owns it, some of the more common descriptions are “travesty of justice”,  “ridiculous”, “outrageous” and these were only the nicer terms that they used. Some even went as far as to claim that the university is  imposing it’s values on it’s students and call their actions a violation of the principles of “separation of church and state” while accusing the Adventist Church of not holding up the ideals of religious liberty. I cannot help but wonder how ridiculous people can get with these absurd comments, it is a known fact that the Adventist Church has always been a keen supporter of the principles of religious liberty in whatever country they are situated, and in a country like Jamaica where the influence remains every strong, they are among the loudest voices to raise the alarm whenever the concept of religious liberty seem to be under threat. As for separation of Church and State, that claim is just as unfounded seeing as the University is owned  and funded by the Church and not the State, therefore it’s only natural that Adventist principles and practices should take precedence in a Church-run institution, that principle applies not only for Adventist but also for the Catholics, Anglicans, Baptist or any other religious body that operates a similar institution, the University is run by the Church and is not publicly owned thus separation of Church and State does not apply.

               

I must make note of a newspaper article written by the professor from another university concerning the issue, in her writings this professor (who shall remain nameless)  actually goes as far as to claim that the Church is “suffering from performance anxiety and wrestling with alternate sexuality” . To illustrate her stance, she raises the point where the church held a summit in South Africa in order to address the problem, she was careful to point out that No- Known LGBT Adventist were invited to attend, I wonder if it ever occurred to the professor that no such persons were invited because they are not recognized by the Church? The last time I checked, being affiliated with the LGBT community was enough to warrant excommunication (or disfellowshipping) within the ranks of the Church and seeing as only members in good standing would be invited to attend such a conference, then it’s highly unlikely that any member of the LGBT community would warrant an invitation. She goes to call the Church’s view one-sided and prejudiced, she ended by  thesis by calling on the Church to be more tolerant and open to the idea of allowing LGBT persons to join its ranks.

             

As I read through the responses of persons to the incident at NCU particular that of Professor (Nameless), I cannot help but notice that all the criticisms are coming from outsiders who preted to be enlightened and objective but in truth have a more sinister agenda, it leads me to wonder what right do these people have to go interfering internal business of the Church especially since they themselves most certainly aren't members, not with views like that. What I find awfully odd about secularist is that they love to complain about how churches  likes to impose it’s views on other people, yet  they themselves are guilty of the exact same thing by trying to get involved in the affairs of Churches. I mean seriously? To suggest that the Church should start accepting gay persons into it’s ranks? She might as well suggest that the Church disband altogether. Instruction on marriage and family life as well as guidelines on Christian behaviour are among the core beliefs of this faith, any change whatsoever in such a fundamental teaching will shake the very foundations of the church itself and  most certainly not go over very well with most traditionalist Adventist, if any Adventist at all.  The Seventh Day Adventist Church was founded upon core principles and those who wish to join must either abide by the rules or make their exit, the no outsider has any business telling the Church what rules it can keep and which it should discard, the Church’s principle should by guided solely by Biblical principles as well as rules set out in it’s own canon law, and not by the whims of some liberal who feels that having the title of “Professor” automatically makes her a know it all.

                             

I applaud the church for taking the stand that it took and fully support the decision of the university to stand it’s ground and not be swayed from outside pressure by those who have neither the best interest of the church or the best interest of the university at heart, in a country and a world over run by liberals and cultural Marxist, it’s good to see the Seventh Day Adventist church raise the standard high, standing for good spiritual morals and upholding traditionalist family values.

Sharia Law? Wrong Move

After a long silence a number of my longtime readers must be wondering whatever happened to the Jamaican Tory, to be frank my work has kept me quite busy these days so I cannot say I have much in terms in time to make regular posts like I used to, however something happened this week that has caught my attention and I am afraid I can no longer keep silent. It concerns the decision of the British Judiciary to start using Islamic Style Sharia Law in British courts for the first time ever.

            

This latest turn of events is rather unfortunate and deeply disturbing and I cannot help but wonder, what in the world could possess the Law Society in the UK to take such a  backward step?, I mean seriously what in the world were they thinking?. Whatever happened to good old Common Law?, the same Common Law that has been in use for over thousands of years since the time of the early Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Normans? This same proud legal tradition which has been bequeathed to every corner  of the Former British Empire and has stood the test of time for well over a millennium, why is it that the British judiciary now deems that the law of the land is not good enough for the Muslim migrant population in the UK that they have to resort to this retrograde step drawing on something that is totally alien and foreign to British culture.

               

The decision taken by the British judges is but an outward sign of a deeper problem taking over only Great Britain but indeed the entire Western World, this problem is the rise of Islam, for a number of years western countries particularly European ones have swarmed by a large population of Muslim migrants fleeing from one problem or another and coming to settle in new homes , the problem is that whenever they arrive, they still want to behave as though they are in their homeland and refuse to change their lifestyles to suit the culture of their adopted country, this of course begs the question why even bother to leave at all? Today many communities in the UK and indeed across Europe are so filled with them  to the point where white people are now becoming a minority in their very own homeland, something that would have unthinkable even a generation ago, none expresses this sentiment more than British Actor John Cleese who once claimed that London is really and truly no longer  an English city, of course he was criticized for being racist at the time he made the comments, to be quite frankly his concerns had much merit then as they do now, if things continue on this trajectory the United Kingdom of Great Britain will be transformed into the Islamic Republic of Great Britain (the very thought that that even being a possibility sends cold chills all over me).

This notion of Islamic migrant populations taking over Europe is nothing more than a form of self hate and reverse ethnocentrism pushed by the left, in which children are thought to see every culture as superior to their own, they are thought that being European is evil and that they must learn to hate themselves and all the cultural practices of their ancestors all the name of diversity and multiculturalism, what a load of rubbish. Whilst I will admit that Europeans did do some horrible things to other Non-Europeans in the past, that is no excuse to say that everything that comes from Europe is all bad or that their descendants should hate themselves in perpetuity over the bad things that only some of their ancestors participated in. To demand that European countries roll over and wallow in the notion of white guilt is like telling non-Europeans that they should still see themselves as inferior simply because their ancestors were slaves centuries ago, both notions are completely ridiculous and laws should not be altered to suit the needs of foreign migrants, they should either work with the law as it is or go back to where they come from.

               

Being a big fan of history, I used to like reading about the crusades when Islamic warriors clashed with European Knights over control of the Holy Land, indeed England was one of the leading Christian nations involved in the wars and there were even several Kings that fought and bled beside their men to ensure the survival of their culture and way of life, who would not let alien elements invade their country, all these  brave English Knights must be turning in their graves now to  see what is happening to the country they fought and bled for so many centuries ago.

                   

Some of you may be wondering why is it that a Jamaican is taking interest in these legal developments going on in the UK, the truth of the matter is that  over the last 350 years of Jamaica’s history English culture has left of dominant mark on our own history, sure there are a  many other elements  that influence us as well such as the Indigenous Indians, the Chinese, the Indians, the Jews etc. but for the most part Jamaica’s history and culture has been shaped mainly by British and African elements, British culture is deeply steeped into our own culture after all they too form part of our ancestry and as such it’s erosion is should be seen as deep sign that serious changes are on the horizon for western countries and sad to say this change is not for the better.

                     

This commentary was in no way meant to be Islamophobic regardless of how it may sound, the truth of the matter is that I believe Sharia Law has it’s place and that place is in the  Middle East NOT in Britain (or any other western country for that matter),  It is based on the Koran which is not seen as the rule of faith and practice by non-Muslims after all I don’t recall hearing on any Muslim country voting to adopt British Common Law so why should the UK adopt Sharia, a legal system that has a dubious reputation in many western countries and associated with human rights violations such as "honour" killings, mark my words this most backward step will have disastrous consequences. 

Thoughts on the Venezuela crisis

The Jamaican Tory can no longer keep silent on this issue that has been making headlines around the world recently, which has to do with the crisis going on in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as we all must be aware of by now, the country has been rocked by a series of riots and clashes between the citizens and government forces, for those who may not have been following the story, the whole crisis began early last month with a nationwide student protest over a various number of issues, mainly security, the breakdown of law and order and the poor state of the economy all of which have  been blamed on Venezuela’s current President, Nicholas Maduro.

              

There are many speculations as to what the root cause of the crisis may be as well as reasons as to why it escalated so quickly, but anyone who has followed political and historical happenings in that country would know that this was bound to happen, I don’t mean to sound harsh or judgmental but the truth is that you reap what you sow and that is exactly what is happening here. Ever since the late 1990s Venezuela has been under the spell of a personality cult led by  the late El Caudillo Presidente Hugo Chavez,  a man known for  his eccentrics and twisted charisma that captured people's hearts almost in the same way that Hitler’s Nazism did to Germany in the 1930s . Under his rule he introduced what he called Bolivarian Socialism or Socialism for the 21^st century, both of which were nothing more than code words for saying that he was introducing his own special brand of Communism into the country, his schemed worked brilliantly and from that time up until early in 2013 he was basically untouchable...or so he thought, but alas not even he as mighty as he thought he was could escape from the cold hands of death.  That of course leads us to his successor, the current President Maduro, virtually known for most of his career as Chavez’s main henchman, far less creative or charismatic with hardly an original thought in him; Senor Maduro had big shoes to fill.

            

All throughout Chavez’s years, Venezuela was infested by the host of social and economic problems but Chavez being a master of propaganda gave the impression that things were fast improving for the people in his country, it seems as though however his successor was not nearly as good an expert illusionist as he was hence the reason why many social problems are now coming to the fore and the new administration (which is really a continuation of the Chavez regime) almost a year in power still has no clue as to how solve this country’s problems or at least pretend that they are doing so in a manner that will satisfy the people, hence the open revolt.

            

As I mentioned earlier, I’m not surprised that this is happening; only that it didn’t happen sooner. Socialism no matter how you try to spin it or brand it, never works and the kind of socialism attempted in Venezuela was that of the worst order, now the people of Venezuela are finally beginning to see through their government’s deception, the "Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela" no longer looks like an invincible machine now that Chavez is no longer around to lead them, the big question is how long will this go on? It’s already seen as a major humanitarian crisis (even though now the eyes of the world are fixed on the Ukraine Crisis, which I will deal with in due course), how will the Venezuela’s neighbours in Latin America respond?, what about the Petro-Caribe deal signed between Venezuela and several Caricom states?, what implication will it have for the continuation of this arrangement? All these and more are extremely important questions to ponder in this crisis where the end is not yet in sight. 

Uganda's Dilemma

One must have been living under a rock to not hear about the latest moves made by the government of Uganda against the LGBT people living in their country. Recently the Ugandan Parliament passed a bill making homosexuality a crime punishable by life imprisonment, this bill was later signed into law by President Yoweri Museven. This new basically puts not only every Ugandan LGBT individual but also those who advocate on their behalf at risk because now the state is authorized to adopt the most draconian methods to deal with such persons. This is a rather unique situation indeed even in many countries where gay rights are not recognized this method may seem a bit over the top, in an earlier post I had once stated that due to Putin’s anti-gay  stance, Russia might one day rival Jamaica as the most homophobic country in the world that goes to shows that even the best of us must eat our words at times because clearly Uganda has surpassed Jamaica and Russia to become the new most homophobic nation on earth.

                

Ever since the passage of this bill by Uganda there have been many different views weighing on from different sides of the political spectrum, Ranging from the far right who totally support the measures of the Ugandan government, to the more moderate conservatives, who agree with the idea of a nation standing up for its traditional beliefs and not being influenced by the LGBT agenda pushed by certain liberal western countries but at the same time they also feel that the methods taken to enforce this new law are a bit extreme while at the far end of the spectrum of the leftist who of course are totally flabbergasted by what they describe as a ghastly violation of human rights.

                                  

In all fairness, I think I stand  closer to  the  moderate right on this issue. It is no secret that the Jamaican Tory has never been a fan of the so called “gay rights” movement and anything that will halt the spread of their worldwide influence will certainly have my support. But that still leaves one important question that I’m sure a lot of moderates must be asking themselves right now, “does the ends really justify the means?”, sure the President’s intentions may not be all that bad his methods  can only be described as draconian, how far will this go?, what will be the end result of this? No one knows for sure. To illustrate my meaning earlier this week it came out that a Uganda magazine printed a list of the top 200 gay persons living in the Republic, even some persons who have not previously identified themselves among that group are now on that list,  I cannot help but wonder why this was done. Almost everything else I can understand but this was just plain bizarre as now 200 people will be living with a target on their back every single day that they remain in the country, that was most certainly not a smart move on their part, as mass killings could end of being the result, and I’m not so sure that was the intention of the Ugandan government.

                      

Then of course there is the whole matter of the reaction of the international community, not surprisingly the US and several European countries as well as the liberal media houses and human rights groups that dominate them wasted no time in vilifying the Ugandan government, especially Mr. Museven, several countries have already cut or threatened to cut aid to Uganda. It is no secret that US President Obama is on a mission to spread gay rights all over the world, only a few months ago he found himself in the middle of a row with several African leaders over the very same issue while on a tour of the continent. So naturally this latest development has placed a serious dent in his plan, no wonder he is fuming.  But as I said before regarding Russia and I will repeat the same with regards to Uganda, a sovereign state has every right to enact laws that it thinks are in the best interest of its people and no foreign influence be it governmental or private lobby group has any real authority to dictate to the duly elected government of an independent country what it’s policy should or should not be, that right belongs solely to the citizens of said country.

                        

Before closing  I must say that I find President Museven to be a rather brave man, few would ever dare give assent to such a bill regardless of their personal views for the sheer fact that there are many factors at stake, Uganda is hardly one of the most advanced countries in the world and for its leaders to forego monetary aid in order to stand up for what they truly believe in takes a whole lot of guts.  In a world where it seems as though the LGBT agenda is taking over everywhere it’s refreshing to see that there are those who still refused to be bullied into acceptance but rather choose to follow its own path. For too long now when certain persons (especially celebrities) find it convenient to come out the closet, they are being hailed as being brave and having guts,  in truth however since so many of them are doing it nowadays I would hardly call it brave or unique but rather little more than a publicity stunt to gain more attention. It’s when a person (or in this case a country) chooses to stand up and defy the crowds, defy expectations and freely follow his God-given conscience regardless of the differing opinion that is what truly makes one bold and distinctive, this boldness is exactly what the Government of Uganda displayed with this latest law. 

Let Traditional Throne Speech Remain

As I sat here considering what to write about in this latest post, a friend of mine brought some rather disturbing news and I feel compelled to share. It has to do with a proposal put forward by a certain member of parliament to have the standing orders of parliament amended so instead of opening parliament with the customary  throne speech, it would be replace by his own artificial creation “people’s speech”.  The Member of Parliament in question goes by the name Raymond Pryce, who represents the constituency of North East St Elizabeth. Before I even get into the issue at hand let me first talk about the man himself. Pryce is well known for his radical views which places him squarely left of the political divide, being a first term MP he’s a newcomer to the political scene after being placed to contest what is considered to be a safe seat  for the People’s National Party less than a month before the 2011 general elections. Although he hardly did much to demonstrate why he should be elected given his short notice nomination he was elected solely on the fact he was representing the interest of the PNP, so much  for meritocracy. Since his election Pryce has been a rather controversial man, known for his repeated acts of disrespect towards God (he can’t even quote the Lord’s Prayer correctly) , the Queen, his fellow MPs and even conservative elder statesmen such as former Prime Minister Edward Seaga. He is also known for advocacy on issues of republicanism and legalization of marijuana and other pro-left wing issues, that about sums up who this man really is.

                  

As for his proposal let me categorically say from now that such a notion is unacceptable and unthinkable. It was first proposed by Pryce in 2012 who had asked for it to be done in time for the 2012 speech, fortunately then nobody else in the House took up the debate and the topic soon died, 2012 and 2013 both passed with the Governor-General delivering his traditional Throne Speech and is expected to do the same later down in the year, imagine my absolute shock and dismay to learn after all this time that the issue is still on the agenda, what could the Cabinet even be thinking that they could want to give this suggestion a second thought?, I mean seriously, one would have thought that when the Prime Minister and her colleagues meet at Jamaica House they would actually be considering issues that of most pressing concern to the nation and not that trivial nonsense, which is the only thing a intellectually deprived socialist like Pryce could actually consider as his main contribution to parliament instead of doing what he’s being paid to do by representing the interest of his constituents, the people of North East St Elizabeth deserve better than the likes of him for a MP anyway , and the people of Jamaica certainly don’t waste their time thinking about whether the parliament should be opened with a Throne Speech or a People’s Speech so why the fuss all of a sudden?.

                 

Anti-Monarchism is a key element of leftism in this country and this is just another way for them  to continue their republicanism by stealth  as part of an overall agenda to subvert the constitution of this land and indoctrinate us into believing their propaganda. Pryce claims that the speech should be renamed people’s speech because it shows the primacy of the Jamaican people, however the very fact that Pryce actually proposes the change is enough reason why it should not be done, here's why. If Pryce really did have the interest of the people at heart then he wouldn't be wasting his time making petty propositions but rather he would making proposals that would be of some actual use to the people of Jamaica or at the very least to the people of his constituency, this proposal however is nothing more than an ego booster for him, that’s why most of the other MPs didn’t even bother to debate the issue in Parliament

                     

The Throne speech is so named because it comes from the Throne, it was written by the minsters of Her Majesty’s Government and is read by Her Majesty’s Representative the Governor-General, I don’t see what is so hard about that to comprehend, and while some may be tempted agree with Pryce I will not be so quick to jump on the bandwagon, some people are often fooled by politicians claiming to be on the “side of the people’  nothing demonstrates this more than the last general elections when the PNP used the slogan of "people power" to trick many persons into buying into their publicity stunt, however  former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher warned that when   “Socialists cry "Power to the people", and raise the clenched fist as they say it.  We all know what they really mean - power over people, power to the state." , she was right on the money and  that certainly seems to be the same trend here.

                           

Pryce can argue about symbolism all he wants but the truth of the matter is Jamaica’s constitution makes it plain that we are a constitutional monarchy and as such our ceremonies and symbols should reflect this, the Queen  is the very  personification of the state itself because the Crown is sovereign and as such the use of the term  "people's speech" to open parliament  would be highly unconstitutional  and as  minsters of the Crown sworn to uphold and defend the constitution the Cabinet should not even be considering this treasonous proposal  , instead they should leave well enough alone as this country have far more urgent issues to deal with instead to trying to distract public attention with this ludicrous neo-Marxist  pro-republican rhetoric. 

Compulsory Voting?? Bad Idea

It’s been a while since I last made a post and maybe some of my readers are wondering why is it that the Jamaican Tory seems to have fallen off the grid, well the fact is that I’m back now and ready to issue the first post of 2013, which also happens to be the 50^th post in this Jamaican Tory series . So many things have taken place in my absence, so many incidents I can write on but for now I’ll choose something very close to home.

It concerns some rather controversial comments made by a prominent member of parliament Everald Warmington from South West St Catherine, a rather eccentric character known for his wit and flamboyant style but is who also a true conservative and one of the few members of the present parliament who has spoken up in support of the monarchy and it’s place in our constitution, coming in confrontation with certain members of the political left in order to get his point across. A man some (particularly the left) would consider to be highhanded, obnoxious and even downright rude but whom I  have come to have respect for due to his conservative views and uncompromising stance even if his style of doing so is a bit unorthodox, he seems to have his head on straight, which is why it gives me no great pleasure to have to criticize him now.

                                

In a speech made to a group of party supporters, he was reported to have said that "If you don't vote, you don't count," basically telling his constituents that those who refuse to exercise their constitutional right to vote, should not expect to receive any forms of aid from his constituency office. Naturally these comments sent shock waves across the island, although it is common knowledge that politicians are hardly the most respected people in Jamaica, few would dream that an MP would be brazen enough to make such a statement on national television (in truth a number of politicians have already adopting this practice of having little dealings or contacts with those who are no aligned to them or their party, even though they publicly deny it). Everyone from the media to various civil society groups wasted no time in villanising Warmington for his comments and to be frank I can’t say I’m shocked and I doubt he is either, it’s not the first time he’s been on the receiving end of such angry public backlash for what is considered to be extremely offensive language which some even goes as far as to say displays his contempt for the people that he is sworn to serve as member of parliament.

However when the dust settles and all the trash talk is over, Warmington’s comments does leave room for the nation to debate a very important issue, should compulsory voting be imposed in Jamaica or not?, some countries already have this e.g. Australia, Argentina, Singapore, Peru and a few others, it’s not a whole lot but still there is precedent for it.

                                                    

                                     

This year 2014, will mark the 70^th anniversary that universal adult suffrage was granted in this country and anyone aware of our history will know perfectly well the hard struggles that our ancestors had to go through in order to obtain the right to elect their representatives in free and fair elections, a right which they finally won on October 27, 1944 when His Majesty King George VI gave his royal assent to the new constitution. This Order in Council saw  the hosting of the first democratic elections in on December 12 of that same year where every adult subject of the Crown in Jamaica was entitled to a vote. In his tirade Warmington charged that those who refuse to vote are in fact refusing to take any interest in the affairs of the nation and as such should not be entitled to any form of benefits for their lack of participation, he also called their actions as being disrespectful to those who gave their blood, sweat and tears to earn a right that many people now take for granted .

                                            

While I do sympathize with Warmington’s point of view, I can hardly say that I agree,  the truth  is that, while his comments may have triggered the calls for a discussion on compulsory voting, I seriously doubt it will go past the discussion change. If the history of Jamaica is anything to go by then it’s safe to say, the people will never accept such an imposition from the government but at the same time nor will they stand for any government that seeks to deny them the right of this franchise, Jamaicans love their freedom of choice it's just who we are as a people, in fact the latest Freedom in the world index ranks Jamaica and its Caribbean Commonwealth partners rather highly on the freedom index, far above any other group of nations in the developing world and that’s saying something.  People nowadays are getting rather disillusioned with the whole political process and comments like those uttered by Mr. Warmington only serves to heighten the cynicism among an already disgruntled population, a call for compulsory voting at this time is most certainly not a good idea, The Jamaican People simple will not stand for it.