BRICS challenging status quo

The International Economic Order is seriously shaking up and getting ready for a complete overhaul, the signs of this became apparent this week when the world’s leading emerging markets Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa had what some deem as the audacity to openly challenge the existing status quo by announcing that they were going to form their own versions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which they will call the New Development Bank.

                      

What is the purpose of the NDB? Some might ask, well it’s quite simple the New Development Bank is an institution set up to help these nations and other emerging markets pursue their own economic interests in areas such as regional trade, investment and infrastructure development, domestic job creation and poverty reduction. What makes this institution unique is that it has absolutely no ties to any of the major western powers but is built specifically with the concerns of developing countries in mind (or at least that’s what they claim), the BRICS countries have not been  shy to point out that structural adjustment programmes have not always worked given it’s “one size fits all” approach which is impossible to do because every country is inherently different, it’s problems are different and thus the solutions to fixing this problem should be just as varied, hence the need for the NDB.

        

Anyone who has been following the trend of the world economy lately should not at all be surprised that this has come to pass,  truth be told then writing was already on the wall, the emergence of these news players on the economic stage has been long coming, China is predicted to take over from the US as the world’s most powerful economy, while Russia and India don’t seem very far behind, issues that are of importance to the International Political Economy have moved from discussions at G7/G8  to summits for the G20 which includes all the BRICS countries, the US, Japan and Western Europe who’s economic supremacy once went unchecked and unchallenged are now finding themselves stiffly competing with these new players particularly China who will soon no doubt become (if not already) the new manufacturing capital of the world.

The formation of NDB is far more than just an economic statement, more importantly it is a political statement after years of simply undermining the existing political-economic order as established by the Bretton Woods system, they’ve now decided to openly defy the status quo for all the world to see, knowing full well that there’s not a single thing the West can do to push back against this challenge to its supremacy, this is a war of words, a war of ideas,  a battle for control of the world’s economy which the US and company are sorely loosing.  

                         

Of course all this could simply be my speculating, maybe the US and its allies don’t really see it as a threat  to the continuation of its own institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, maybe they have no ill feelings toward the establishment of this new BRICS owned entity that they cannot control like they have been doing with similar institutions for the last 70 odd years, but one thing is certain though, there was a time when no nation (or alliance of nations) would ever dare to try something like this but times have certainly changed and soon developing countries will be signing up to join, given their disillusion with institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank which they don’t see as acting in their own best interest.

                      

The implications are numerous as far the setting up of the New Development Bank is concerned as is the implications of how it will be received which right now are bordering on cautiously optimistic, very little is certain but one thing that is certain however is that the influence of the traditional powers significantly waning and thus making way for a new world order.  

Special Edition: They Call Me Teacher

This special edition of the Jamaican Tory is written in tribute to one of the most dynamic Jamaican patriots who has ever lived, a man who has truly demonstrated what it means to be a good leader and a good citizen, who’s example every Jamaican can truly take inspiration from, one of the few remaining from an older generation of leaders who saw this country through turbulent times and who passed away last week at the ripe old age of 98, I speak of non-other than The Most Honourable Sir Howard Felix Hanlan Cooke.

                           

The Jamaican Tory was truly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Howard though to be frank was not entirely shocked given the evitability that it must happen one day notwithstanding, it would have been nice to see the former Governor-General hit the 100 mark, but apparently that was not to be. Being a fan of medieval literature both fictional and historical, the term true knight comes to mind when describing a man like Cooke, he really did represent all the values that knighthood was supposed to espouse, traits such as loyalty, honour patriotism, courage, a man who loved the people and was loved by them in turn, defender of tradition, an advocate of monarchism and a faithful Christian, it’s little wonder he was knighted twice.  The likes of him will hardly be seen again.

                          

Sir Howard is best known for his political career which included being a member of the West Indies Parliament, sitting both houses of the Jamaican Parliament on different occasions, his many years of service as Minister of Education and President of the Jamaican Senate which eventually led to him being given  the highest office of the land as the Queen’s representative, the Governor-General of Jamaica.

Sir Howard’s contribution to this country is a most invaluable one, he started out as a lecturer of Mico College helping to train the next generation of educators before moving on to become one of the founding members of the People’s National Party which would see him serving in the House of Assembly and later in the West Indies Parliament, Sir Howard was even part of the bi partisan committee that drafted our present constitution.

What I find really interesting about Sir Howard is that regardless of his membership within the PNP, he was never subscribed to leftism of his colleagues, indeed during his time as Minister of Education during the 1970s, he was positively alarmed by the socialist direction that Prime Minister Manley was taking the country in. Regardless of his misgiving he was no traitor and stayed loyal to his party serving with pride as Minister of Education helping to make several reforms in the educational system of Jamaica, which he was well in a position to do given his intimate knowledge of the system which acquired over the years during his time in the  teaching profession, thus earning him the nickname, Teacher Cooke.

                               

From 1991 to 2006, Sir Howard Cooke had the distinction of serving as Governor-General of Jamaica. A position he excelled in, in fact Sir Howard was the very epitome of what a Governor-General should be. He and Lady Cooke transformed Kings House into a place where every citizen from all walks of life would feel welcome and made it truly a home fit for a head of state. Sir Howard as Governor-General demonstrated in his conduct that the highest position in the country was available to every citizen and as a representative of the Crown was a powerful unifying symbol in his own right. Regardless of his popularity, the GG never sought to usurp the Queen’s position as some politicians certainly would have done if given the chance, in fact Her Majesty has never had a more loyal man in her service, as the old knight was among the first to go on the attack whenever the idea of a Jamaican republic was bandied about and did everything he could to present the Queen as the “Jamaican sovereign who simply lives in Britain” while making it clear that republicanism has no place whatsoever in Jamaica.

Aside from the political and teaching careers, Teacher Cooke also served as a church elder and lay minister for the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman, thus his Christian beliefs was a great influence on his life and the values that he chose to espouse in his life time. He work tirelessly to defend the preservation all parts of this nation’s culture and everything that made it great, from our varying traditional art forms and folklore to our Christian heritage and  monarchist values.

                          

 Sir Howard Cooke without a doubt was the very demonstration of what it means to be a servant of God, Queen and Country and was well beloved by all, he lived his life selflessly, tirelessly serving the good of this country in his many capacities. His passing is truly a great loss to us all and he will be sadly missed but as the old saying goes, walk good Sir Howard, until we meet again. 

Separatist Republicanism

I don’t know about anyone  else but I for one was not truly surprised when the story broke that certain members of the Scottish Independence Movement were planning on taking their treason one step further by not only breaking up the 307 year old union but even further than that,  once they get the yes vote they seek to declare Scotland independent (which I seriously doubt) they’re also going to abolish the Monarchy as well.

                   

This latest one of course clearly contradicts earlier promises made by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond  that independent Scotland would continue to remain a Kingdom, this could mean only one of two things, either Salmond is a  liar or he’s simply not in control of the Scottish National Party as he appears to be, either way it does not reflect very well on him as a leader if his own faction can’t even get their story straight. One cover story used by some who would defend Salmond and his ilk is that when Salmond mentioned keeping the Queen he was only referring to an interim constitution, but the long term plan is to hold a referendum on the issue and eventually remove the monarchy so that they would be no more Queen of Scots. I for one find it amazing that they could come up with such an explanation even after Salmond made it clear that was not in the cards, I’m yet to find out what the real plan is and who to believe.

                           

Due to the nature of many of my earlier articles, some might even been inclined to think that I (and other monarchists) would see no problem with the breakup so long as the Queen remains as Head of State but they couldn't be more wrong, for one simple reason, many monarchist are also unionist as well who totally support the continuity of the United Kingdom as a strong united entity, this is not to say that unionism and monarchism are synonymous but one cause will certainly help to strengthen the other.What I find rather hypocritical about those who push this separatist republican movement is that they claim that they want to have their own head of state (echoing the same dribble stated by republican movements in other parts of the Commonwealth) instead of being ruled by an “English” monarch.  However anyone who has ever been exposed to a basic inkling of British history will know perfectly well that the royal family is every bit as Scottish as it is English, seeing as the current royal family is actually descended from James VI, the Scottish Monarch from the House of Stuart who also came to rule England when the House of Tudor died out, since then every monarch to occupy the Throne has had the blood of all the old English and Scottish Kings flowing through their veins, thus their claim to rule the United Kingdom is every bit as valid

                             

I mean seriously what could Salmond possible have to gain from independence anyway?, sure the story of “Braveheart” is great entertainment but let’s be practical we’re not in the days of Robert the Bruce and Edward Longshanks anymore and Scotland has a lot to lose from this rather short sighted move which for Salmond and his cronies is little more than a chance for bragging rights, that could only end in long term disaster and damage Scotland’s economy. The fact of the matter is, in this particular scenario the con’s far outweigh the pro’s even the European Union and the United States have warned the transition to independence might not go as smoothly as the political elite wish for it to be.

                      

As I’ve said before in previous article, becoming a republic simply for the sake of being a republic is pointless and even if republicanism is not the goal as Salmond claim independence for the sake of it is just as pointless, and no matter which way you spin it any attempt by the sinister political  to dissolve the monarchy of the United Kingdom, whether it’s by turning all of Britain into a single republic or by breaking up the union into varying constituent republics or even just dissolving the union itself forming disunited kingdoms in its wake, it all adds up to the same thing: TREASON 

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.