In an Observer Article dated Feb 3rd 2015, retired Jamaica Defense Force Colonel Allan Douglas wrote an Article which could only be construed to be in defense of Garrisons. In his Article Douglas said this.
Regrettably, throughout my military career, I have often heard from civilians the solution of “flattening” areas over and over; ‘Just flatten Rema, Tivoli, etc, and the crime problem would be solved!’ they say. So, I have become very suspicious with proposed solutions like “dismantling political garrisons”. What exactly do people mean when they speak of dismantling garrisons?
Clearly Douglas misses the feeling of exasperation of citizens who make those statements. It appears that despite a carrear in the JDF and having attained the rank of Colonel, Douglas has very little understanding of what obtains on the streets of Jamaica’s Garrisons, or what are often referred to as zones of political exclusions.
It could be either that Douglas did not spend enough time outside Duppy Gate, or that he is once again acting as a de-facto defender of the People’s National Party’s failures.
See Article here. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/We-can-t-just – flatten – garrisons_18340450
Colonel Douglas in what could easily be misinterpreted as a stout defense of the poor, unwittingly showed his Orange colors ‚Quote: I have become very suspicious with proposed solutions like “dismantling political garrisons”. What exactly do people mean when they speak of dismantling garrisons?
Technically only the ruling people’s National Party has true garrisons remaining . Having held state power for most of the time since independence, the PNP is the sole party with scarce resources to dole out. This has allowed the party to increase and consolidate it’s hold on state power because of it’s ability to dish out scarce resources. This means that in actuality each election cycle less and less seats are actually in play.
Incredibly after a carrear in the Nation’s security forces, Allan Douglas could speak on the issue of Garrisons as if in defense of them. If the goodly Colonel had spent some time outside of the Banana Republic type confines of Up-Park Camp, where subordinates cater to his demands, he would certainly have recognized that the problem of Jamaica’s Garrisons was never the function of the young soldiers and police officers who police and die in these garrisons , but are well designed strategies aimed at dividing and conquering so that the architects may hold state power.
Just maybe if Colonel Douglas had a single modicum of real empathy for those condemned to a lifetime of incarceration within the imaginary walls of Jamaica’s garrisons, he would be using his voice and position to trumpet.….….. yes the dismantling process of all garrisons.
They are not garrisons in the strict military dictionary meaning of the word. The communities can’t be “flattened” as if one was striking a military tented camp or shutting down a military stronghold and reducing the buildings to rubble. So just how is this dismantling exercise to be done?I suspect that there are many who would still advocate and have implemented some sort of “ethnic cleansing” type of operation. I also suspect that those advocating dismantling of garrisons haven’t the slightest clue as to how they are going to go about doing so. What are the factors to be considered in this dismantling exercise? If the social, political and economic factors of this dismantling exercise have been thoroughly thought out, it certainly must be one of Jamaica’s best-kept secrets. It is my opinion that, for far too long we have treated these communities and the people who live therein with scorn and derision. We have trampled all over their rights, murdered their innocent youngsters, and so often comforted ourselves with the thought that they are all just a bunch of criminals and are deserving of death by any means. And, if by chance a baby in a crib is slaughtered — and these things do happen — collateral death is acceptable. If the bodies of youngsters shot by our security forces are left to rot on the road for dogs and crows to take their pick, then so be it, because they are all a bunch of horrible criminals and deserve it. Their voices are very rarely listened to when they cry out for justice, and their leaders and defenders of their rights are demonised. Despite all of that, they survive and are real, and out of what we regard as the cesspit of our country, they have produced many who have gone on to bring fame and glory to Jamaica — and, oh, how we love them then!
My point is, if we are anxious, as Jamaicans, to stop the obvious rot from within our society, we must be more caring of each other, regardless of our stations in life. Our laws must be just and administered fairly. If one innocent Jamaican is killed, it must be the business of all Jamaicans. If we “flatten” without a conscience, the back-blast is bound to hurt all Jamaicans in the long run, not just the criminals.
“They are not garrisons in the strict military dictionary meaning of the word so they can’t be flattened” . Well Colonel they can be , but no one, no sane person at least, is suggesting that they be literally flattened. Not because it is a bad idea to flatten them physically, does not mean they should not be dismantled.
The mindset of dependency and entitlement which fertilizes and nurtures the garrison culture, does nothing to advance the prosperity and well being of those who reside within those confines . Voting with unanimity for one party or the other, believing that scarce resources will come flowing is never a sustainable path to true independence and prosperity. The problem is that there is never enough to go around after the principal players have gouged themselves with the slop
Portia Simpson Miller
stolen from the public trough.
On that basis ‚the only true option for the poor and dispossessed is the utter dismantling of all garrisons and a return to the true entrepreneurial spirit of the free and unencumbered..
You see Colonel as you stated, Jamaica’s garrisons are certainly not Garrisons in the military sense. So no ‚flattening them would be ill-advised. However, it is evident that you suffer from the same type of blindness which struck Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. After all she famously stated that her party has no garrisons because she doesn’t not see any walls.
Yes Colonel, the walls are not literal they are mental, so yes, we must begin the slow painstaking process of dismantling the mindset of Garrison dwellers.
Then and only then, will all Jamaicans have an opportunity to live out the full promise of their lives, free and unshackled from the promise of state funded largess. In the end the only true benefactors are those with political power and those who exert muscle on their behalf.