Diplomacy highly over-rated
James Moss-Solomon The concept of diplomacy as a means of ending conflicts based on the highly emotive issues such a true tribalism (warring tribes); political; racial; religious; and other socially sensitive …
Oh, just because they can! – The idea of “Might is Right”
There was a time when corporal punishment was part and parcel of our Jamaican school system. It was, perhaps, a holdover from the old British colonial era. It was often abused …
Trauma
History does repeat itself, albeit in seemingly new iterations for those who choose to avoid the study of past events. The circumstances of prior actions are sometimes seemingly tedious in their …
Lest we forget, everyone wants to talk, not act
“Lest we forget” is the phrase most commonly used in remembering those who died in the Two Great Wars; 1914-18 and 1939-45. It has been extended to include that wider memory …
The three big Cs preventing a growth take-off
T The three most-mentioned topics of concern for citizens, diaspora members, and well-wishers in the past few months have the same starting letter. They are crime, corruption, and choices. Both individually …
Minister Tufton beware, the ‘Lootocrats’ are lining up
I was listening to a BBC discussion that centered on Ethiopia’s economic performance and prospects going forward. The participants were really forthright in their comments, both supportive and critical. In …
The transformative effect of incentives
The transformative effect of incentives Over the past two weeks there has been a lively discussion on the value of the Jamaican dollar compared with the US dollar. This was …
Tiger Woods, the NIDS ruling and Notre Dame
The past week had two significant events viz. The Masters Golf Championship at Augusta, Georgia; and the ruling of our Court against the NIDS legislation. The two may seem to …
The irony of Jamaica
The concept of sustainable development has proven to be very difficult for various parts of the economy and the society in general over the centuries. In fact, we have a …
Strong reflections needed on our self-inflicted wounds
Although we live in a small country of less than 5,000 sq. miles, and many onlookers would be tempted to accept a view of homogeneity, to do …
Trump wall, government shutdown, Brexit and dengue
2019 kicks off with the usual vagaries as any other year, and until the 2019/20 Budget is tabled and discussed, all is mere conjecture. So let us look at the current …