Mark Wignall | Jousting at windmills, PM?

It would be safe to assume that Prime Minister (PM) Andrew Holness took expert advice before he decided to combat the spread, er, the scourge, of fake news in Jamaica. But, we need to question his premise. Is Mr Holness really that concerned about what has grown into a global norm of viral fake news or, has he been painfully stung by fake news aimed directly at his administration and many in his governance team?

First, the PM must know that chasing down fake news and hoping to win against it is a futile and mostly foolish endeavour. Like jousting at windmills. Second, dismantling any key political influencer will only increase the number of those wanting to vent without any care about the authenticity of the ‘news’ carried.

My advice to the PM is this. Concentrate on governance. Politics was never, ever a pathway to your personal peace. Deal with it, because the wheat must coexist with the tares.

In politics, if telling an important truth does not immediately earn you a national positive, suppress it. Leave it in a dark forest. To a seasoned politician, ordinary people are much too virtuous to be trusted in handling the pain of important truths.

Let me add a little to that.

The prime minister came up as an important blip on my radar at the time when he was first seeking the job. In 2011, when he spoke about the bitter medicine in Jamaica’s fiscal future.

To me, he spoke about bitter medicine on the campaign trail because he was still wrapped in the blanket of political naivete or he was deliberately trying to throw away a winnable election.

Opting for the latter would be because the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was still breathing the political stink of the Dudus extradition/Manatt matter in 2010/2011 and was seeking the best pest control/ extermination team available. Time.

We know, of course, that the PM made a 180 degree turn between 2011 and 2016 campaigns. In one, he mentioned an absolute truth about bitter medicine. In 2016, he made an impossible promise of our people sleeping with their doors and windows open, because his administration would socially engineer a fix that no post-independent government had ever fixed.

Up until late 2020, it seemed as if the dream was holding. At this time in 2024, the PM is visibly troubled by the presence of People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding. Like me, the JLP leader has not quite figured out where the opposition leader has found his relevance. Look no more, Mr Holness. You took the party to the rarefied air of the big win in September of 2020. And it’s you who has brought about the JLP’s respiratory choke.

Fighting social media fake news is foolish. It’s a battle of laughs, and only the foolish wins.

NO RESPONSE DR TUFTON

It is accepted that Dr Tufton is the heir to the throne, should Mr Holness decide to pack it in after an election loss in 2025. Recently, Gleaner columnist Dr. Michael Abrahams wrote a piece that was condemnatory of Health Minster Dr Tufton in specific areas of his ministry.

The matters raised may be true or untrue but, it cannot be that Dr Tufton has not used his time to either blow away the allegations, address them, or threaten to sue. One can hardly see allegations like these not adding to the mountain of complaints that many people at street level have hurled at Holness and the JLP.

“Dem only look after dem big man fren.” “Dem fool wi up. watch we and de @!xx! dem nex time.”

Another reader who has also expressed astonishment at the Abrahams column spoke about the recent diaspora conference. Her email is as follows.

“Recently as you are aware the Diaspora conference was held in Jamaica. I saw a video posted online as to Mark Golding’s opening welcome remarks to the participants. On the stage were Golding, Holness, Johnson Smith and a gentleman I do not know. When Golding was announced to speak, Johnson Smith and the gentleman applauded politely. The PM did not acknowledge Golding.

“Johnson Smith and the gentleman listened attentively. Meanwhile, the PM was using his mobile phone, whether texting or looking at messages. About halfway through Golding’s remarks, the PM finally looked up and listened a bit. The participants saw this too. Is that the way the PM should have behaved? He gave off such a bad vibe, and the participants could see the PM’s indifference or contempt for Golding. Has the PM become so full of himself that he has no humility left in him. His star has fallen so far.”

COVERED BY CLOAK OF GODLINESS

We are grateful to sections of the media for reminding us that our prime minister has always placed God in the forefront of his life. I am certain that, in recent months as lesser numbers among the electorate are having good things to say about the JLP government, PM Holness has had more reason to cling to the power of his ultimate, divine mentor.

But, I have a problem with our prime minister and his reliance on God at this time. Sure I know that God and politics tend to take parallel paths in Mammon, especially as political leadership stumbles. I saw it when my JLP friend Bobby Montague was minister of national security when he made the loud plea for divine intervention. Not even his obeah man uncle could save him.

I saw it when Peter Bunting of the PNP was security minister. Again, divine intervention. A tear must have fallen.

I say all of that not to mock these politicians’ closeness to their divine master. I say it to acknowledge that many of us know it is mostly done for our consumption. The call to acknowledge God’s guidance is meant to send the message to us that our politicians are on the right side of goodness.

So our PM is figuratively on his knees acknowledging that his weakness can only be shored up by divine guidance. And he wants us to know of his special connection. We get it, PM.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com