Five hard lessons the PNP must learn- the myth and the
reality.
I just read an article at http://jamaicansfortruth.tumblr.com/post/140308950870/five-hard-lessons-the-pnp-must-learn
and I am really stunned at the misconceptions displayed by the author. The
cultist mindset exposed in this article are sadly shared by many (though not
all) PNP supporters, and I believe that it is a key reason for political
tribalism and Jamaica’s general failure to launch after 54 years of independence.
I freely admit that such mindsets are also present in many JLP supporters, but it
is more prevalent in the PNP and has played a significant role in their 18 and
4 years of mismanagement. I will take a look at these five “lessons” which are
actually myths, and I will present the reality for that point. For reference, I
am an independent voter who generally leans towards the JLP. I wouldn’t
consider myself to be a “Labourite” but most Comrades would brand me as such. I
do consider myself to be a part of the #ArticulateMinority which is NOT
affiliated with any political party.
Myth: Labourites will never support us (the PNP).
Reality: Labourites
will support anyone who is a proven and effective worker, and shows that they
put Jamaica before anything else.
This is the biggest myth of all, and is actually a
reflection of “this is what I would do, so this must be what they would do.” As
a general rule, a JLP supporter will vote for a PNP member of parliament if
that person has shown themselves to be effective, fair and a hard worker in the
constituency. A prime example is Julian Robinson, who won his seat handily in the
2016 election with the votes of many JLP supporters and #ArticulateMinority
members. If I lived in his constituency, I would have voted for him, even
though I wanted the JLP to win the overall elections. Why did Julian pick up
this support? Because he is effective, he has shown that he puts the people and
Jamaica first, and he is a reasonable and hard worker. The JLP supporter will
look past the party and see the individual, and support the individual. Compare
this with the average PNP supporter, who would rather die or starve or cut off
their arm before voting for a JLP MP, even if they agree that the JLP person
deserves the support and the win. The PNP supporter will almost always view
things through the filter of party, and anything that doesn’t support the party
isn’t worth supporting (even if it helps the nation.) Once the PNP supporters
begin to learn that it’s not about party but about Jamaica, and once they begin
to demand more from their MPs than bleeding orange, then we can truly “step up
the progress.”
Myth: The PSOJ will always “nyam you out and vote you out.”
Reality: The PSOJ doesn’t care about party politics. All they care about is a
government that facilitates economic growth.
If the author would just take off their orange glasses for a
while, they would see that governance is much more important than politics.
Politics is just a tool to gain governance, and the best way to keep power in
governance is to govern effectively. The PSOJ doesn’t owe the JLP or the PNP
anything. They are Jamaicans, just as the rest of us are. If the only people
you (the author) care about is your base (other PNPs) then you are setting
yourself up for myth #1. You need to start caring about Jamaica and all
Jamaicans.
Myth: The PAJ is not your friend
Reality: The PAJ is not
your mouthpiece.
An independent press preaches the truth to power. If the
truth is offensive to you, then the problem is with you. If Cliff Hughes is “cussing
the PNP every day”, is there a slight chance that the PNP needs cussing? If the
PNP were doing well and governing properly, why would they need cussing? The
victim mentality needs to stop. Doing a job fairly does not equal letting the
PNP get off the hook with their foolishness. The same media will cuss (and has
cussed) the JLP when cussing is needed. The proverb says if you meet an asshole
in the morning, you met an asshole. If you meet assholes every day, all the
day, YOU are the asshole. Evaluate yourself, comrade.
Myth: The #ArticulateMinority sets the trends.
Reality:...ok, I’ll agree with this one :D
But even if this is becoming a reality, you have to learn
how to interact with us. You must realize that we aren’t idiots. You may think
we’re not very bright (because we don’t see the glorious beauty of the PNP as
you do) and that you have to “flatter us” and make us swallow your
propaganda...but if you come with that tack, you have lost before you even
began. We aren’t interested in becoming Comrades OR Labourites. We the
Articulate Minority may have our preferences and leanings, but those are superseded
by our love for JAMAICA above all, our demands for GOOD GOVERNANCE no matter
which party is in power, and our willingness to VOTE OUT anyone who disrespects
us or the country or who shows their incompetence in governance. We are not
ignorant, we are not idiots, and if you are unwilling to discuss in mutual
respect, to disagree without being disagreeable, and to let go of your entitled
belief that “whatever is good for the PNP is good for Jamaica”, then you will
not have any traction with the Articulate Minority. That’s why your party hacks
on Jamaican Twitter have no influence and are ridiculed to scorn. You need less
hacks, and more independent-minded and intelligent Comrades who support Jamaica
over the party. I pray that such persons become more vocal. That’s the only way you will
get any traction with the PNP. For me, if I thought the PNP could do a good job
of governance and grow the economy, I would have voted for them. I haven’t seen
any evidence of this, and so I haven’t voted for them. The day I see a genuine
effort at bipartisanship and a genuine move or desire to work WITH the JLP on
something that benefits Jamaica EVEN IF it doesn’t directly benefit the PNP is
the day I view the PNP in a more positive light and think that the cultist
mentality has changed.
Myth: When you assume governance, you have to clean house.
Reality: When you assume governance, you have to put in people you can trust;
but more importantly, you have to put in people WHO CAN DO THE BLOODY JOB.
The past PNP government was the epitome of patronage and
scarce benfits divided among loyalists, and Jamaica paid the price. As long as
the PNP looks at “who can I reward” vs “who can do the job right” then they do
not deserve to be in power. Plain and simple. I won’t even go into detail on
this, because Fenton Ferguson and Jennifer Francis still make my blood boil.
The author said “We (The PNP) need some introspection as a
party.” You do indeed, but with the attitude exhibited in that article, that introspection
won’t do any good. I sincerely hope that the few Comrades who haven’t drunk the
coolaid will take their responsibility seriously to put Jamaica first in their
fellow comrade’s minds, and to remove all traits of this cultist attitude that
the Jamaican electorate is beginning to reject. The best way to power is to
govern well and respect all, not to build up a base of “my people” and view
everyone else as the enemy. Will the PNP change? Time alone will tell.
