Orville Taylor, Contributor
Gustav must be a Caribbean tropical 'cyclown' because, like so many of our regional leaders, he had no clear sense of where he was going and what he was doing. He was full of wind, rained on our plans and threatened to do much more than he did. Moreover, he went forward and backward, up and down, moving completely away from the predicted course, and so he did at the slowest pace possible, while going around in circles. Indeed, he couldn't even make up his mind whether he was a hurricane or a tropical storm.
The one thing that was certain was that he was bad news and as so many of those who are imposed upon the unsuspecting or trusting by the electorate, he left the country worse than when he arrived. At present, the damage is still being assessed. So far, there were at least 11 fatalities and just fewer than 1,000 persons were in shelters and another 1,000 homeless at the end of his trip. The usual flooding occurred and bridges, streets and fords (not fordings) were undermined. Nevertheless, it could have been much worse because he wreaked havoc in Haiti, with scores missing.
Constant threat
It is hurricane season and with another three full months to go before its end, at least another, and perhaps a more powerful one at that, could make landfall in Jamaica. In a busy Caribbean basin, all CARICOM countries are under constant threat of these mean creatures that follow the same route of the slave ships from the West coast of Africa. Yet the interesting thing is that the legacy of plantation slavery and these tropical maelstroms are possibly the strongest bonds that exist among the various nations that are struggling to create a union similar to that of our former colonial masters.
One might not have noticed because it passed so fast. However, Hurricane Patrick Manning leapfrogged from country to country in a Gustav-like tour, touching at least four countries in two days.
Manning's action seems spurred by a sort of pessimism regarding the prospect of a true Caribbean union. It was in 1973 that the English-speaking Caribbean states came together and signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas, thus creating the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). That is a long time ago, when Prime Minister Bruce Golding was a novice parliamentarian and Leader of the Opposition, Team PNP's Portia Simpson Miller, was also a debutante to politics. Michael Manley, whose influence is evidenced by both, was prime minister.
Great disappointment
Nonetheless, talks regarding a political and economic union began more than three decades earlier. CARICOM evolved from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), formed in 1968. Before that, an ill-fated West Indies Federation, founded in 1958, came to a premature demise in 1961. Despite stiff opposition from the People's National Party (PNP), Jamaica, under Alexander Bustamante, seceded, and an early withdrawal was a great disappointment to its partners.
Still, the seed of unity had been sown in the aftermath of the First World War, and Norman Manley of Jamaica, Grantley Adams of Barbados and Trinidad's Eric Williams, were its intellectual pioneers.
Indeed, the West Indian cricket team, which has received more beatings than a praedial thief and the University of the West Indies, founded in 1948, are the most successful examples of these first endeavours. After more than a half a century it is incredible that we just cannot put it all together.
Backed into a corner by the European Union's draft economic partnership agreement (EPA), nations of this region are struggling against their insularity. Although negotiated on behalf of all of CARICOM, a number of nations are unwilling to sign it. With a deadline of October 31 fast approaching, there is even more divergence than convergence.
Fed up with CARICOM, and the impending Caribbean Single Market and Economy and not expecting much from the EPA, Manning has taken the bull by the horns and initiated a splinter group. This confederation, comprising Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and his own Trinidad and Tobago, "recognises the need for an urgent reorganisation of the political and economic environment to ensure the region is properly integrated into the global economy".
To his chagrin, his trips to Jamaica, Suriname, Belize and The Bahamas resulted in no sign except 'stop'.
Clearly naïve in thinking that his hurricane visits of no more than a few hours each could change the course of history, Manning has run into the harsh reality that a set of ex-slaves, historically socialised into being divisive, are still mental captives. A mere 170 years of freedom have not washed the stains of three centuries of bondage.
More consolidated
Is it not amazing that Europe that speaks Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, German, Greek and several other tongues, and a region with diverse cultures, can coalesce? Even more ironic is that the EU became more consolidated after it stepped up its negotiations with the African Caribbean and Pacific states, led by CARICOM.
Furthermore, even our giant neighbour to the north has more ethnic and linguistic variation from Alaska to Miami than there is from Nassau to Georgetown.
We are so petty that, despite the major countries having almost the identical history and very similar cultures, a licensed Jamaican driver cannot operate a car in Guyana without a local permit. New labour laws were agreed upon 14 years ago but most nations have not implemented them. We constantly fight for turf and over little differences but in the end, our similarities far outweigh our divergences.
Then again, maybe the racist colonials were right. Perhaps these darkies do not have the ability to run countries. We had better learn fast though because the tempest of globalisation is infinitely worse than Gustav.
Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at UWI, Mona. Feedback may be sent to orville.taylor@uwimona.edu.jm or columns@gleanerjm.com.
