Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

[Dr.Dudd]

Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood
Published: Thursday | December 10, 2009



Seaga
FORMER PRIME minister Edward Seaga has asserted that intellectuals do not always make the best leaders.

"Brains or intellect or the extent to which you can understand the intellectual aspects of the society is not necessarily a factor that works in favour of the overall country," Seaga told a Gleaner Editors' Forum Tuesday.

"You can be the best intellectual or you can go to the finest universities but none of them can run a country," said Seaga, who graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Social Sciences.

Seaga said that having served under the leadership of former prime minister Sir Alexander Bustamante, he is convinced that the government he formed in 1962 had the best mix of leaders. He also said that there were marked similarities between Bustamante and People's National Party president, Portia Simpson Miller.

"Sir Alexander Bustamante is the forerunner of the Portia Simpson model, in the sense that he had a big heart, which is essential in any democratic society, because people are more inclined to elect you on what kind of heart you have and what kind of mind you have," Seaga said.

Cultural underbelly

Of Jamaica's leaders, Bustamante is known as the least educated. Although intelligent, he had little formal education beyond the elementary level. Portia Simpson Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Union Institute.

Meanwhile, Seaga said that one of the issues that many of the country's leaders have not been able to fully address is "the cultural underbelly" of the society.

"The two-Jamaica syndrome. That is what sets the tone for the social conditions and eventually what sets the tone for economic progress or no economic progress," Seaga said.

He argued that many persons in diagnosing problems facing Jamaica fail to realise the cultural dichotomy.

"The two worlds that we live in - one Afrocentric, one Eurocentric - have different standards and different value systems," Seaga said.

Seaga said that it was at the level of representational politics that it is assumed that the people who come from the folk society will understand what their people are like, and work towards helping their conditions.

Pollster Bill Johnson, in echoing Seaga's sentiments, told a story of his experience when interviewing residents in Highgate, St Mary, about whether they think Portia Simpson Miller was fit to be prime minister.

"The unanimous feeling was that 'she is as smart as I am, she is smart enough to be prime minister'," Johnson recalls.

"It was just people looking at things from their own perspective ... there is definitely this Afrocentric and the Eurocentric dichotomy."

[Panajar]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood
Published: Thursday | December 10, 2009


&quot;Sir Alexander Bustamante is the forerunner of the Portia Simpson model, in the sense that he had a big heart, which is essential in any democratic society, because people are more inclined to elect you on what kind of heart you have and what kind of mind you have,&quot; Seaga said.

Cultural underbelly

Of Jamaica's leaders, Bustamante is known as the least educated. Although intelligent, he had little formal education beyond the elementary level. Portia Simpson Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Union Institute.

Meanwhile, Seaga said that one of the issues that many of the country's leaders have not been able to fully address is &quot;the cultural underbelly&quot; of the society.

<span style="font-size: 17pt">&quot;The two-Jamaica syndrome. That is what sets the tone for the social conditions and eventually what sets the tone for economic progress or no economic progress,&quot; Seaga said.
</span>
<span style="font-size: 17pt">He argued that many persons in diagnosing problems facing Jamaica fail to realise the cultural dichotomy.

&quot;The two worlds that we live in - one Afrocentric, one Eurocentric - have different standards and different value systems,&quot; Seaga said.</span>

Seaga said that it was at the level of representational politics that it is assumed that the people who come from the folk society will understand what their people are like, and work towards helping their conditions.

Pollster Bill Johnson, in echoing Seaga's sentiments, told a story of his experience when interviewing residents in Highgate, St Mary, about whether they think Portia Simpson Miller was fit to be prime minister.

&quot;The unanimous feeling was that 'she is as smart as I am, she is smart enough to be prime minister',&quot; Johnson recalls.

<span style="font-size: 17pt">&quot;It was just people looking at things from their own perspective ... there is definitely this Afrocentric and the Eurocentric dichotomy.&quot;
</span>
</div></div>
Wow cant believe i am saying this, but i have to agree with seaga on the quotes i highlight. Out of many one was just a ruse used to pull the wool over black Jamaicans eyes,so they would not complain when the Europeanized Jamaicans amass most of the countries wealth for themselves..Seaga must be having a road to Damascus moment.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Panajar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow cant believe i am saying this, but i have to agree with seaga on the quotes i highlight. Out of many one was just a ruse used to pull the wool over black Jamaicans eyes,so they would not complain when the Europeanized Jamaicans amass most of the countries wealth for themselves..Seaga must be having a road to Damascus moment. </div></div>

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Panty-Jar</span> you are talking nonsense. It has very little to do with white, black or lack of shade. Most of the overseer class is now as black as coal but it does not stop them from pretending that slave and colonialism was just abolished yesterday and it is the source of all our miseries.

[RichD]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

yuh nuh hear sey dem a jus pretenders ...allowed by the real power to sit in the big chair as long as dem nuh pass dem place

[Panajar]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Panajar</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow cant believe i am saying this, but i have to agree with seaga on the quotes i highlight. Out of many one was just a ruse used to pull the wool over black Jamaicans eyes,so they would not complain when the Europeanized Jamaicans amass most of the countries wealth for themselves..Seaga must be having a road to Damascus moment. </div></div>

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Panty-Jar</span> you are talking nonsense. It has very little to do with white, black or lack of shade. Most of the overseer class is now as black as coal but it does not stop them from pretending that slave and colonialism was just abolished yesterday and it is the source of all our miseries. </div></div>

Wow very intellectual and civilized ,to resort to Reductio ad Absurdum to make your point .Btw ever head the term roast breadfruit,a perfect description for the situation you just described.I noticed that you conveniently overlooked the things that your idol had to say in the article.

[RichD]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

Roast bread fruit?

so the black achievers have sold out in order to achieve?

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">yuh nuh hear sey dem a jus pretenders ...allowed by the real power to sit in the big chair as long as dem nuh pass dem place </div></div>

What a long wait?

[Panajar]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Roast bread fruit?

so the black achievers have sold out in order to achieve? </div></div> NOT ALL OF DEM ,BUT I GUY LIKE OMAR IS A GOOD EXAMPLE HIM SELL PEOPLE TINGS TO FOREIGNERS FE PENNIES ON THE DOLLA,SOME A ROASTBREAD FRUIT AND DONT EVEN KNOW IT ,DEM HAVE BEEN PROGRAM THAT ANYTING EUROPEAN IS GOOD AND AFRICAN IS BAD.

[RichD]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Panajar</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Roast bread fruit?

so the black achievers have sold out in order to achieve? </div></div> NOT ALL OF DEM ,BUT I GUY LIKE OMAR IS A GOOD EXAMPLE HIM SELL PEOPLE TINGS TO FOREIGNERS FE PENNIES ON THE DOLLA,SOME A ROASTBREAD FRUIT AND DONT EVEN KNOW IT ,DEM HAVE BEEN PROGRAM THAT ANYTING EUROPEAN IS GOOD AND AFRICAN IS BAD. </div></div> so how fard donw the ladder this mind set go? when yuh hear caller ont he radio a talk bout how &quot;one chiney can do 5 samddy work&quot; sound to me like there is a problem of low self worth

[Panajar]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Most of the overseer class is now as black as coal but it does not stop them from pretending that slave and colonialism was just abolished yesterday and it is the source of all our miseries. </div></div>

You are absolutely correct the <span style="font-size: 17pt">over seer class</span> is mostly black ,the operative word <span style="font-weight: bold">overseer</span> .The real masters always have a tom looking out for their interest .Jamaica is 90% black,yet you have a PSOJ that has never had a black president,you would be hard press to find more than a few blacks in the top 25 wealthiest people in Jamaica. How many black families are included in the legendary <span style="font-size: 17pt">21 families?</span>

[Ja. Jewel]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

Please enlighten me....who are the 21 families?....thanks.

[julie*mango]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

on point Panajar

[julie*mango]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ja. Jewel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Please enlighten me....who are the 21 families?....thanks. </div></div>



&quot;Carl Stone's research coincides with Thomas' argument, emphasising how these families have strengthened their position as the managers of the Jamaican political economy.

In the transition from a plantation-dominated economy in which there was an ascendant White rural planter class to a more diversified urban-centred economy there has emerged a powerful grouping of urban-based wealthy families mainly of Jewish and Arab ethnic origin...They have penetrated and dominated many areas of the Jamaican economy...Included among these are the following 15 families who are perhaps the most powerful, active, and influential families in the economic and political power domains of the country and they represent an important segment of the effective class leadership among the rich capitalists in Jamaica:

Powerful Business Families
Matalon, Ashenheim, Hendrickson, Facey, Mahfood, Issa, Hart, Henriques, Desnoes, Geddes, DeLisser, Clarke, Rousseau, Stewart, Kennedy
(Stone, 1986, 38-39)&quot;

- Blood, Bullets &amp; Bodies by Imani Tafari-Ama

[Ja. Jewel]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

Thanks Skelley...I'm going to look online for more info. because I really would like more info. about this.

[julie*mango]

Re: Two-Jamaica syndrome needs to be understood:Seaga

I went to school with one of the Henriques who at the time was promised to a Matalon...she decided later on in life to marry outside of the family...a non jew at that...

oh an Sean Paul is one a di Henriques dem to