JO - Uncle Sam or son of the soil?

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

Uncle Sam or son of the soil?

HEART TO HEART

With Betty Ann Blaine


Tuesday, March 09, 2010


Dear Reader,


The events of the last few weeks ring ominously for our beloved country. It is not only that the security and social fabric of the country are unravelling at an alarming rate, but the overarching umbrella of governance is crumbling as well.

Read the whole letter here.

Snippet(s):

"The country is in anarchy, but what is even worse is that the institution which is supposed to be providing the solutions, namely our government, has itself become a part of the problem.
Central to the issue of the deepening failure of Jamaican politics and politicians is the current standoff between the Golding administration and the US Government. It is not only that the opinions and conclusions formed by the State Department cast an ugly light on corruption in Jamaican politics, it has typecast an image of Jamaican society that, if not reversed quickly, may place us in a "clique" that has few escape routes and even fewer friends and allies in the West."

"Is the Golding administration undertaking a de facto referendum for us to choose between Uncle Sam or our son of the soil, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke?

As a citizen of Jamaica, I need to know if I have been involuntarily drafted for war with the United States."

"What is extremely disturbing about this public boxing match between our country and the US is the fact that we have allowed the US to expose our underwear most shamefully. What is even more distressing is that all of us who live here have been largely silent about the state of corruption and the links between political parties and criminal elements."

"The US Government's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2010 has painted a damning picture of Jamaica. Addressing the extradition standoff specifically, the report stated that "Jamaica's processing of the extradition request has been subjected to unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law-enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning US compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law"."

"Labelling Jamaica as the Caribbean's largest supplier of marijuana to the United States as well as a trans-shipment point for cocaine entering South America, the US government criticised the Golding administration's handling of crime and corruption."

&

"So the Golding administration has pulled us all into a fight with America over the extradition of someone described as an alleged narcotics and gun trafficker and is essentially asking the people of Jamaica to choose."

_____

With love,

bab2609@yahoo.com