Dwight L Moody, renowned American evangelist, publisher, and educator, in one of his famous sermons, years ago, told a story of an eagle which was envious of another that could fly better than he could. According to Moody, one day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another, until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird.

The meaning is clear: If you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.

“Red yeye”, jealousy, ‘bad mind’, the green-eyed monster, all have similar meanings — a very debilitating character defect called envy.

Acidic political envy

Whatever its root, social, moral, political, economic, or a combination of all, corrosive envy destroys.

Believe it, there are some among us who hate, with a passion, the honest success of others. Sometimes these individuals are not even known to the haters personally.

Equally acidic are those who hate to see when their country grows and develops simply because their political party is not holding the reins of power. There are those who hate the Andrew Holness-led Administration with every fibre of their being. They hate with a passion the fact that the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) continues to make significant national steps forward which are positively registering in the pockets and on the dinner tables of, especially, ordinary Jamaicans.

I have argued here that the governing JLP needs to double its delivery of benefits which impact all. I maintain that. That is the key to keeping power.

On the matter of power, some have taken the rancid position that they rather see Jamaica sink into an abyss than recognise, let alone celebrate, any objective achievements of the Holness Administration. This is a sickness in politics which has retarded our growth and development for decades.

A Faustian Bargain is a much more palatable alternative to some than seeing the country of their birth increase her quotient of respect on the global stage. When National Hero Norman Manley spoke about “a corruption of consciousness”, I suspect these are the kinds of decaying types he was describing.

These miserabillists rejoice every time a murder is committed on our shores. They salivate at the hope of the most gruesome occurrences. They diligently search the local, regional, and international media for anything which will paint Jamaica in a negative light. They also concoct lies, and cruelly spread them, hoping they will go viral and hurt Jamaica.

In recent weeks especially doomsayers and hatemongers have quadrupled their cacophonous noises. Why? It’s not difficult to figure.

First, this revelation seemed to have caused great irritation to some who hide behind several burner accounts and pseudonyms on social media: “Jamaica and Peru are the first countries being visited by new World Bank President Ajay Banga on a months-long global tour starting this week, which is being described as a new play book for the 78-year-old institution.

“Jamaica’s Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke, in an opinion piece on Page 14 of today’s Sunday Observer, states that Banga will be the first World Bank president to visit Jamaica, and his presence here will be significant as, ‘among other things it speaks volumes about the opportunities for development that Jamaica has earned for herself’.

“Clarke added that this will be a historic moment for another reason, as Kingston will also host, at the same time, the new president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Ilan Goldfajn.” (Jamaica Observer, June 11, 2023)

“After we won’t get any benefit from his visit,” some protested.

“Hmmm, is money the JLP a look fi borrow,” some bellowed.

“Di time dem tek ah have big nyamings with Banga dem fix the crime problem,” others criticised.

I could cite many more of these short-sighted and covetous-type postings, but I don’t think I need to, since my readers are discerning.

Some of those who spew this kind of resentment suffer with convenient amnesia. Less than eight short years ago they were beating the drums of international visitors to our shores. What is the primary motivation for their sordid actions today? Envy! They cannot appreciate and/or accept that their party is not at Jamaica House anymore. They are mightily upset too that the political earth has continued to rotate, albeit that their party was chucked from Jamaica House. I believe people who descend to this kind of political devolution are not fit to manage the affairs of this country.

Fanatical hatred

For reasons which are obvious even to those who have only a passing interest in the political life of this country this news item struck a very raw nerve of those who suffer with a fanatical hatred of the Holness Administration.

Headline: ‘Jamaica outperforms IMF targets’. These, among other details, were presented in the Jamaica Observer story of June 18, 2023:

“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Jamaica has so far ‘overperformed on indicative targets and met structural benchmarks’ that were set for the precautionary and liquidity line (PLL) agreement reached in March, while highlighting that the country is set to have access to US$255 million under the resilience and sustainability facility (RSF) by completing various reforms aimed at improving resilience to climate change.

“The IMF made the note in a release late Friday after reaching a staff-level agreement with the Government on the completion of the first reviews of Jamaica’s PLL and the RSF. The PLL continues to provide valuable insurance against downside risks, while the RSF supports Jamaica’s ambitious agenda to increase resilience to climate change, transition to a zero-carbon economy, and catalyse climate financing.

“The IMF’s executive board is expected to consider these reviews in August.”

How should we assess and/or treat with the concentrated resentment of those who say this good news is of little moment to Jamaicans? Should they be embraced as patriots? No! These are people who are clearly revealing their rotten hand. It is a hand which points in a specific direction — the destruction of Jamaica. These are types who are quite willing to see Jamaica reduced to rubble, providing they are kings of the debris.

I get it, that political parties are in the business of acquiring and retaining State power. But why do some of the basal elements within our political party structures behave as if power by any means necessary is justified?

I believe the answer is two-fold. It’s their nature and they are fanatics.

Last Monday, Nationwide News Network (NNN) carried a news item in which it noted, among other things: “There’s been a 13 per cent decline in murders since the start of the year. The latest statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force show that 597 Jamaicans were murdered up to Friday, June 16.”

This is good news.

Fewer Jamaicans have been murdered since the beginning of the year. Some among us argue that a 13 per cent reduction is of no consequence. I am not talking here about people who dropped out of school at third form. I am talking about well-credentialled individuals. This begs the question: Would they rather hear that murders are up by 13 per cent? I believe, yes.

There are some among us who believe that if murders and major crimes spiral out of control that increases their chances of a return to Jamaica House. They believe that terror is acceptable as the order of the day if it means the enhancement of their personal political stocks. They are dangerous, extremely dangerous.

This headline: ‘No murders for St Elizabeth in May’ triggered snarls and snipes from some whose political umbilical connections are well known.

The news items said, among other things: “Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth — Such is the current perception of high crime in this south central parish, even United States authorities listed it among Do Not Travel areas in their most recent travel advisory about Jamaica.

“However, police records tell a different story — highlighted by nothing in St Elizabeth’s murder column for May, continuing a sharp downward trend since the start of 2023.

” ‘There were no murders committed in the division for the entire month of May,’ an upbeat chief of police in the parish, Superintendent Kenneth Chin, told the recent monthly meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.

“As he did last month, when he reported seven murders up to the end of April compared to 15 for the similar period in 2022, Chin applauded those ‘good citizens’ who chose to resolve their differences peacefully. He also hailed the work of the police.

“Murder numbers are routinely used by Jamaicans as a yardstick for the country’s crime rate.

“Chin said there were 14 fewer serious and violent crimes in May compared to April, including a seven per cent decrease in shootings and a 50 per cent decrease in reports of rape.”

Why did this bit of good news annoy some among us so much? I believe these are bad actors. They are acolytes of a dictum rooted in scorched-earth politics. All well-thinking Jamaicans have a duty to, as we say in the streets, “shub dem out” from their dark corners and into the sanitising heat of sunlight. I frown on those who subscribe to the declaration of PNP Chairman Emeritus Robert “Bobby” Pickersgill, who said publicly: “We believe that it is best for the People’s National Party to form the Government; therefore, anything that will lead or cause us to be in power is best for the PNP and best for the country.” “Anything” excludes nothing.

Convoluted thinking

Fake outrages are not spontaneous. They are carefully planned and executed by individuals whose objective is the creation of chaos, misinformation, and disinformation through a nefarious process of intended mass confusion with the ultimate objective of situating bad choices as premiums, especially among the unsuspecting.

Earlier this month the Government released into circulation some $11.5 billion of new banknotes. Some whose vocation is the creation of economic, social, and psychological disorder have been busy up and down the highways and byways sowing conspiracy theories about the new notes. My reference here to some includes segments of the church. Those who wish to promote that ignorance is bliss, noise it abroad that the notes are made in Canada. They are made in England. Anyways, from that precipitous precipice, they deduce that Jamaica has “sold out to Canada”.

Others claim that because the new notes were released earlier this month, the sixth month of the year, and because LGBT individuals observe June as their special month, and because there are six new notes, and they say only six colours used on those notes, they then conclude that Jamaica has embraced the number of the devil, ‘6’, and the number of his name ‘666’.

From this great leap of Einsteinesque reasoning, they deduce that the Administration’s promotion of technology and constitutional reforms are all part and parcel of a clandestine plot to usher in “the new world order” locally, where humans will be relegated to automatons. You can’t make this stuff up.

All well-thinking citizens have a duty to firmly push back against thinking which is not fit for purpose in any era. Doubtless some are going shout, “Oh, so Higgins, you don’t believe in God and the Bible.” On the contrary, I am an unapologetic believer in God and the Bible. However, I don’t believe God gave us the power of reason for us not to use it. When we don’t we become like the eagle mentioned: He was consumed with envy and intoxicated by ignorance.

Garfield Higgins is an educator, journalist, and a senior advisor to the minister of education and youth. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or higgins160@yahoo.com.