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Usain Bolt is not enough – Jamaica


Supermalt

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There's a strange sense of deja vu in Jamaica at the moment. Bunting adorns buildings. Roadside vendors sell the national flag. Patriotic songs are on everyone's lips, and breasts swell with pride. Politicians are enjoying a holiday from scrutiny as citizens tune in to Usain Bolt and the gang chasing Olympic glory in London.

It's 6 August 1962 all over again. Except for the annual murder rate of more than 1,000. And the trillion-dollar debt. Fifty years since Jamaica took charge of its own affairs, it's possible to conclude that the independence experiment has been botched.

Even the former prime minister Edward Seaga has given this damning judgment: "Independence has not failed Jamaica; it is Jamaicans who have failed independence, and it is Jamaicans who must reset the course to return it to its auspicious start."

Of course, being Jamaican is cool. Cliches of coconut trees, Rastafarians and sun-kissed beaches abound. In music and culture there are big names like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh,

and Jimmy Cliff. And in sport, athletic superstars Usain Bolt, Merlene Ottey and Veronica Campbell-Brown have dominated the headlines, along with cricketer Chris Gayle and retired bowlers Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh.

But Jamaica's debt-to-GDP ratio of 140% ranks slightly worse than that of Greece. And annual economic growth has crawled along at less than 1% on average over the past four decades; in the decade after independence, growth was 6%.

The key to Jamaica living up to its potential is retaining its best talent. Studies have shown that up to 80% of university graduates migrate to the greener pastures of the US, the UK, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, where they can earn five times or more than they do in Jamaica. And even though US$2bn was sent back to Jamaica by expats in 2011, much of that money is spent on family budgets buying food, clothes and gadgets imported from the US, China or neighbouring Trinidad.

Instead of taking hard decisions to transform Jamaica by disavowing the decades-old political cronyism, our prime ministers have found it easier to rail at Britain for 300 years of slavery and colonialism. So we want to remove the Queen as head of state. And scrap the UK-based privy council for a Caribbean court of justice.

Rail, we should. But these symbolic moves mask the need for a tectonic shift in socioeconomic indicators. What Jamaica requires is an unravelling of government bureaucracy that stifles business and encourages corruption; tax reform to get hundreds of thousands of freeloaders to pay up and support the state; a bold entrepreneurial class; and a well-trained workforce that will boost chronic low productivity.

Returning with a booty of gold, silver and bronze from the London Games will fuel national euphoria, but Jamaica must excel outside the Olympic Stadium to really fulfil its independence dream.

full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/02/usain-bolt-jamaica-long-distance

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Sweet article.

*ahem*

Bolt is winning, Portia is winning, Jamaica is winning, the Chinese are winning, Skeng Don and Danhai Williams are winning, Dudus lost, Eddy, Bruce and Andrew lost.

50 years and Jamaica has made one big rass mark in the world either way you look at it, and I just wish Michael Manley, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and all those who lost their lives in the post-independence struggle could have lived to see these Games.

Edward CIAga f*cked up the country, he has no right to say anything.

Our problems are small when you consider the population, the corruption issue is a minor really. Ghana and Nigeria have something to worry about though.

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Sweet article.

*ahem*

Bolt is winning, Portia is winning, Jamaica is winning, the Chinese are winning, Skeng Don and Danhai Williams are winning, Dudus lost, Eddy, Bruce and Andrew lost.

50 years and Jamaica has made one big rass mark in the world either way you look at it, and I just wish Michael Manley, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and all those who lost their lives in the post-independence struggle could have lived to see these Games.

Edward CIAga f*cked up the country, he has no right to say anything.

Our problems are small when you consider the population, the corruption issue is a minor really. Ghana and Nigeria have something to worry about though.

lool, what runnigsh is this? so they win a few gold every four years and got the worlds fastest man (who's wifying a whitey like more than half of prominent jamaicans who live outside of jamaica).. the richest people IN jamaica are not jamaicans. the richest jaimaican is really chinese...the richest ghanian is ...ghanain, as is the nigerian. INdustry in jamaica is non existent, and what does exist isnt even run by jamaicans. you can go to all the resorts in jamaica and not EVER smell one piece of jerk chicken or curry goat anywhere near those resorts. Its just a tourist place for white people to come spend money, with the big money they spend going to the spanish, french, chinese, british and indian owned resorts, while they give tips and toiletry change to the small local economy which is all the jamaicans have in their own country.yet you wanna be happy about being told due to slavery you can run like a horse and dance like a fool while never being known for ever doing anything true intelligence worth remembering. well done

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the highest rate of HIV in the UK amongst black women comes from straight jamaican women who get it from their "straight" jamaican boyfriends

some of them will be posting in an L&L forum talking about juicing this and thata Kingston police commissioner was once caught here

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the highest rate of HIV in the UK amongst black women comes from straight jamaican women who get it from their "straight" jamaican boyfriends

some of them will be posting in an L&L forum talking about juicing this and thata Kingston police commissioner was once caught here[media=]

[/media]

Bruv don't make me post the video of Gaddafi getting shot.

You can never par Jamaica. Your country got fully NATO'd.

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the guy actually thinks im libyan lool.

even if i was, libya is far richer than jamaica

and a libyan actually did something good for the country even if for a while by getting rid of daemonz leeching off them

jamaican doesnt need to be natoed, its got jamaicans natoing each other every day

plus is just got cocained by the US. no need for nato

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the guy actually thinks im libyan lool.

even if i was, libya is far richer than jamaica

and a libyan actually did something good for the country even if for a while by getting rid of daemonz leeching off them

jamaican doesnt need to be natoed, its got jamaicans natoing each other every day

plus is just got cocained by the US. no need for nato

Wherever you're from you're clearly not proud.

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Guest PROFIT MARGINS

Venom Libyan??

FUCK OFF!!!

lol @ guy saying u won't find jerk or curry goat in a resort

Clearly never been Jamaica

Yet feel like u can go on like u know everything

Typical faggot shit u do with every topic.

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Sweet article.

*ahem*

Bolt is winning, Portia is winning, Jamaica is winning, the Chinese are winning, Skeng Don and Danhai Williams are winning, Dudus lost, Eddy, Bruce and Andrew lost.

50 years and Jamaica has made one big rass mark in the world either way you look at it, and I just wish Michael Manley, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and all those who lost their lives in the post-independence struggle could have lived to see these Games.

Edward CIAga f*cked up the country, he has no right to say anything.

Our problems are small when you consider the population, the corruption issue is a minor really. Ghana and Nigeria have something to worry about though.

You're deluded

Don't let nationalism get to your head lad

Ghana and Nigeria are doing way better than your island, spesh Ghana,typical Jamo trying to look down on Africa

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Eternal Father, Bless our Land,

Guide us with thy mighty hand,

Keep us free from evil powers,

Be our light through countless hours,

To our leaders, great defender,

Grant true wisdom from above,

Justice, truth be ours forever,

Jamaica, land we love,

Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica, land we love

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