How It Looks

How it Looks is far more important than what it IS

This is why school girls have sex with big men in return for Blackberry phones.

Having that phone means everything. Having sex with any passing stranger means nothing. No more than a bowel movement.

Of course it's not just the chronically pathetic that needs material proof that they exist, even those one might consider having 'status' need this form of proof.

The fanciest most complex and expensive, (emphasis on expensive)phones have become the latest status symbol. Especially those phones which have various flaws or are so complicated one needs a degree in Engineering to implement the 'silent' feature.

It is almost funny to see some pompous punk having to remove the battery to stop it from ringing.

Almost funny, because it is largely nauseating.

As we move to 'celebrating' our 50th year of (pardon the pun) Independence the route has been backwards.

Jamaica was far more advanced in 1962 than it is today.

When it came to education, people who could read, could read. They may never have gone beyond Duncan's All Age School, and left at 16 years of age, but they could pick up a newspaper, (which had been written at University level) and read every word, and understand what they read.

Every Ministry worked. Every person who was employed by the Government was of the highest quality and behaved as if they graduated a finishing school. Taking Pride in their work considering what they were doing was important went from the person who sweep the path, to the one who answered the phone, to the exalted Permanent Secretary.

Today, few people can speak English, being encouraged to resort to slop speak. This is amusing to those who like slapstick, but rather detrimental if one sought a job with a multi- national or tried to enter a real University.

Duckspeak as portrayed in 1984 has been fully implemented in Jamaica. This is to refirm the Class structure that was broken in the 70s.

Branding on the tongue is one of those methods in which people participate in their own disenfranchisement.

Along with this comes the disposable income which is disposed of to maintain the level of poverty required.

It is important that people do not have money for education or health or anything positive. Hence having them throw away money on something of no value to them is good for the economy.

Hence here are people who have never entered the Cyber Highway; people who need someone to print their email, with wi-fi phones they can't put on silent.

Why The JLP Lost....

One of the aspects the Jamaican Labour Party
has never taken into consideration is the effect
of their 'supporters' on the truely neutral voter.

These are not the Green shirted bell ringers,
these are those who have never attended a
conference, are unknown to even the counselor
of their area.

They may claim to be 'neutral' but are so
rabid in their 'support' of the JLP so
castigating of anyone connected to the PNP
they are offensive.

They contort their faces, shriek their
positions, which have nothing to do with the
JLP, yet act as if they are endowed with some
special knowledge.

Anyone being subjected to their insane and
inane diatribes responds by rejection.

Just as Clovis's too nasty cartoons of
Portia Simpson-Miller sent voters racing
to mark their X beside the Head, so to
do these 'supporters' garner votes for
the PNP.

Waking Up From the Fantasy

There are times when political parties, so enamoured
of their own 'hype' isolate themselves from reality.

Talking to themselves and their mindless followers
they create a version of the electorate which does
not correspond to the facts.

The Public's response to the Golding Administration
was far different than what those in the safetly
of Belmont Road perceived, until the summer of 2011
when the lies, the spin, the cheers of their minions
could not drown out that most Jamaicans knew Bruce
Golding and his government were liars.

The quick exaltation of Andrew Holness did not have
much effect.

Firstly, the public found him an arrogant little
prick, who actively tried to fool them. They didn't
like him, although he was totally unaware of it.

As many 'leaders' he believed the persiflage of his
sycophants, and had no more connection to the street
than a tourist at an All Inclusive.

The die hard Labourite is a person who has long since
retreated from reality into a world made up of their
opinions.

Their opinions are not based on 'the street' but their
peristalsis. They believe if they talk loud enough
and long enough what they think becomes true.

In December, Labourites so sure they would
win they took no note of how the public felt.
The expression on their faces as they wandered
into their Headquarters after the mammoth
loss spoke volumes.

This did not in any way shake the arrogance of the
JLP Leadership. They made assumptions and continued
in their belief the rejection of the public had
nothing to do with them or their policies.

They made no attempt to mask their contempt for
the average person. They assumed Jamaicans were
too stupid to comprehend.

As the local government elections came into view they
assumed they would win. This was based on nothing.

Everyone knew they would lose.

Areas which had been die hard JLP for decades
boasted orange flags. People were wearing orange
without the slightest qualm.

Yet, they entered the election with the certainty
they would win. Aand they lost.
Very badly.

It is clear that the JLP as it is constituted
will not win any election. Holness has to go
along with the stalwarts, and the level of arrogance
replaced by a heightened form of humility.

The 'die hard JLP' supporter needs to understand
they speak for no one.