Letter of the Day | Jamaica between the great powers

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I have been reading Ezekiel, one of the Old Testament’s most colourful prophets, and Chapter 17 has caused me to reflect on Jamaica’s present geopolitical realities.

Through the imagery of two great eagles, a cedar and a vine, Ezekiel describes Judah, caught between two powerful nations. The first eagle represents Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, and the second, Egypt, to which King Zedekiah turned for security, breaking his covenant with Babylon. The prophet asks: “Will it thrive?” (Ezekiel 17:9).

I wonder whether today’s great global eagles might be the United States and China. The circumstances differ, but the caution remains: The danger for a small nation is the temptation to compromise its principles while seeking security beneath their wings.

Our leaders face the difficult task of navigating these complex relationships. It is rather like trying to dance between the raindrops, knowing that even the most careful steps may not keep us entirely dry.

Consider the Third-Country Nationals arrangement with the US, continuing development cooperation with China, including an agreement signed earlier this year.

Jamaica’s abstention from the UN resolution calling for an end to the American embargo against Cuba is particularly puzzling. Just days before the vote, former prime ministers P. J. Patterson and Bruce Golding joined other Caribbean leaders in appealing for support for the resolution. Jamaica then departed from a position maintained for over three decades.

Our longstanding friendship with Cuba and the suffering of its people must not be lost in diplomatic calculations.

As a church leader and a Jamaican, I sincerely desire and pray for Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and his Government to succeed. Nevertheless, legitimate national concerns must rise above partisan loyalties.

What, then, is Parliament’s role in scrutinising significant foreign-policy decisions? The uproar was unfortunate. Parliamentary rules matter, but their strict application should not stifle legitimate debate. The spirit of parliamentary democracy must matter as much as the letter of its rules.

Returning to Ezekiel, Judah’s vine began leaning towards another eagle in search of security. Its tragedy was not simply a change of alliance, but the abandonment of solemn commitments.

Could there be a warning here for Jamaica? Are our national roots leaning in directions that may eventually compromise our independence or convictions?

Ezekiel reminds us that God brings down the high tree and raises the lowly one (17:24). The great powers do not have the final word.

BISHOP ROY NOTICE