Page 2 Portland Observer, March 4, 1982
Jamaica: U.S. Caribbean showplace ____________ _________
(E d ito r ’s note: Last week Presi
dent Reagan announced his new
Caribbean policy. Jamaica is con
sidered a test case for that policy.)
by T. D. Allman
Pacific News Service
K IN G S T O N . J A M A IC A —
“ Watch Jam aica,” President Rea-
gaan advised late last year.
It was good advice. El Salvador
has made more headlines since the
Reagan administration took office.
But this Caribbean island nation of
2.2 million people also has emerged
as a “ test case” o f U .S . policy
toward the poor nations o f the west
ern hemisphere, though with a d if
ference.
From the beginning, the U.S. ob
jective in El Salvador has been es
sentially negative— to stop a revolu
tion Washington claims is supported
by the Communist powers. Here in
Jamaica the U .S . objective is posi
tive— to prove that American-style
free enterprise can prove M arx
wrong in the Caribbean.
As Secretary o f State Alexander
H aig told U .S . investors last year:
" W e feel strongly that the future o f
Jamaica is not only o f vital im port
ance in its own right but also as an
example for the entire Caribbean
basin, a region where so many new
ly-form ed nations and peoples are
facing the alternatives o f authoritan
solutions and economic determ in
ism, or a market economy and dem
ocratic process.”
Adds a U .S . diplom at in Kings
ton: “ The aim is to isolate C uba
with success.”
A year a fte r the R eag an -H aig
commitment to Jamaica began, this
country does indeed w arran t a
closer lo o k — but chiefly as an ex
ample o f the tendency o f politicians,
both American and foreign, to deal
in the manipulation o f symbols, as
opposed to grappling with the real-
life problem s that a fflic t T h ird
W orld nations like Jamaica.
Both President Reagan and Ja
maica’s new American-born prime
minister, Edward Seaga, say that in
the past Jam aica was addicted to
U .S . hand-outs and bail-out loans
from the In te rn a tio n a l M o n e ta ry
Fund. U n der the new p olicy in
W ashington and K ingston, they
add, free enterprise and foreign in
vestment are revitalizing the Jamai
can economy, helping Jamaica to
stand on its own feet.
A n d in both W ashington and
K ingston, o ffic ia ls already are
claim ing m a jo r successes for the
new approach. Jamaica is emerging
as the keystone o f the State Depart
m ent’ s highly-publicized but still
largely u n fo rm u lated C aribbean
Basin In itia tive . Here in Jamaica,
Prime Minister Seaga declares that
“ the economy has been turned
around.”
A hard look at Jamaica, however.
C arter— not Ronald Reagan— who o f U.S. aid and loans is keeping ihe
reveals a vast discrepancy between
D avid R ockefeller and scores o f
amount to less than tw o-thirds o f
the o fficial rhetoric and the reality
first com m itted the U .S . to pre economic w o lf fro m M r. Seaga's
other influential Americans— so far
what the Seaga government has bor
o f this econom ically troubled na
venting a guerrilla victory in El Sal door.
has produced only about $20 million
rowed in its first year in office.
But the risk is that Jamaica may
tion. Over the last year, in fact, Ja
vador, and C arter, too, who first
in new investment in the Jamaican
Jamaica is likely to continue to be
become
an entirely different kind of
maica’s indebtedness has soared and
made dem ocratic Jamaica a “ test
economy, a minuscule sum even by
worth watching— though not for the
“ test case” — o f the perpetual U.S.
its balance o f payments deficit has
Jamaican standards.
case" o f U.S. good intentions in the
reasons Fresident Reagan, Secretary
quest for sim p listic, across-the-
deteriorated further. A n d — in spite
Caribbean.
After more than a year in office. Haig and Prime Minister Seaga have
board solutions. U ltim a te ly this
o f the talk o f achieving a minuscule
In both cases there is little doubt
Prim e M in ister Seaga’ s chief suc suggested.
may turn Jam aica in to a kind o f
one per cent growth in 1981— the
that U .S . policy can succeed in a
As in El Salvador, the Reagan ad
cesses have been in dealing with gov
economic
El S alvador where the
deterioration o f the economy seems
limited sense in the short run. Just
m in is tratio n , far from em barking
ernment and the vast international
only real U .S . alternative is more
to have continued, though perhaps
on a totally new policy, has largely as an in flu x o f U .S . arms and ad
lending agencies. Even his de
and more aid to an indebted econ
at a slower rate than in recent years.
dressed
up an old policy in new visers has kept the guerillas from the
tractors concede the prime minister
omy (hat isn't working.
In spite o f highly publicized visits to
ideological clothes. It was Jimmy gates o f San Salvador, so an influx
has restored the m orale o f Jam ai
the island by David Rockefeller and
ca's middle class, given hope to the
other influential U .S. businessmen,
island’ s poor and— most conspicu
major foreign investment has failed
o u s ly -m a n a g e d to w in fo r this
to materialize.
small nation the kind o f friendly at
The im plication o f the Reagan-
tention in W ashington that coun
Seaga vision has been that here, as
tries a dozen times its size often
in the United States under the Rea
lack.
gan economic recovery program ,
Seaga's central achievem ent, in
the government role will steadily de
fact, is that he has been able to put
cline as the private sector revives the
Jamaica even more deeply into debt,
economy.
something his predecessor, Michael
O u r Street Beat Question this
In fact, the opposite is the case.
Manley, was unable to do, given his
week is, “ H o w do you feel about
This country is more dependent on
socialist, Third World commitment.
A m e ric a ’ s presence in El Salva
U .S . government aid than ever be
Over the last year, Prime Minister
dor?”
fore, and the dependency seems cer
Seaga has dem onstrated how the
tain to grow even stronger during
right rhetoric can win over the bank
the next few years.
ers in New Y ork and Washington.
A few statistics illustrate the gap
Jamaica’s basic economic prospects
between the rhetoric and the reality.
did not change with his election, but
W hen P rim e M in is te r Seaga and
over the last year he has managed to
President Reagan were elected in
commit the IM F to lending his gov
late 1980, Jam aica’ s to ta l foreign
ernment no less than $698 m illion.
indebtedness was about $1.5 billion.
He also has rescheduled Jamaica’s
U.S. aid was running about $30 mil
foreign commercial debt.
lion a year. Jam aica’s annual bal
Foreign consumer goods— though
ance o f payments deficit was about
very expensive— have reappeared in
$200 m illio n , and the national un
Jamaica's shops and super markets,
employment rate was around 30 per
and spare parts once again are avail
QEORQETARVER
VER N A W O R TH AN
cent.
able. But Jamaica is still living on
A year later, Jam aica’ s foreign
George Tarver, mechanic— " I t ’s
borrow ed money and borrowed
Verna H or than, housewife— " I t ’s
debt has soared to some $1.9 billion
lousy.
I lost a brother in Vietnam
time. "A n d time,” one U.S. official
a
mess.
W e ’ re starving over here
and U .S . aid , fa r fro m being re
and I don’t like what I see and hear
here notes, “ is something the world
and we arc helping them o ut. We
placed by foreign investm ent, has
with
this
situation.
Reagan
can
send
isn’ t going to give Jam aica fo r
m ore than trip le d , to about SI 12
money over there and people are need it worse than anybody. There
ever.”
MRS. KEEN
million for the 1981 fiscal year. Ja
starving here. They bring these Viet isn’t enough for people over here so
The th e o ry — both here and in
M rs. Keen, h o rsetrain er— “ I
maica’s trade gap has widened even
namese over here; people we used to why send anything over there?"
Washington— is that the com bina
,n ’t think everything anywhere is
fu rth e r, and unem ploym ent con
fig h t. The U .S . pays them 500 a
tio n o f IM F and U .S . aid money
I right. None o f it is all right. None
tinues at its previous high levels.
m o n th . The w hole thing doesn’ t
and the Reagan-Seaga special re,a
' it is right. Reagan is not making it
N o t even government officials ex
make sense.”
tionship
will
achieve
a
positive
psy
jht. He is not doing anything.”
pect much improvement for a num
chological e ffe c t. The new c o n fi
ber o f years.
dence, in turn, will inspire invest
M eanw hile, many sectors o f the
ment and greater production.
Jamaican economy continue to de
Some Jamaicans are less optimis
teriorate. The sugar and banana in
tic.
“ It w ill take a generation to
dustries are in deep tro u b le . The
solve
Jam aica's problem s, i f they
U .S . recession is reducing demand
can be solved at a ll,” says one o ffi
fo r Jam aica’ s b au xite. T h e black
cial involved in the Jamaican tourist
m arket in Jamaican dollars— once
industry.
one o f the C a rib b e a n ’ s strongest
currencies— continues to grow, with
There is also the sense that Jamai
tacit government approval. And the
ca’s prospects continue to depend
d e te rio ra tio n o f J am aica’ s in fra
on forces beyond its control. “ I f we
structure is adding to the problems.
could have three good years for
Massive power cuts recently have
tourism, bauxite and sugar,” adds
disrupted industry and commercial
Vaughan Lewis, director o f the In
life in Kingston, the national capi
stitute for Social and Economic Re
tal.
search, “ everyone would be talking
M ost im p o rta n t,
Jam aica’ s
about the Jamaican ‘miracle.* But,”
TIM ELLS
R o n a ld W hite, unem ployed—
appeals for massive foreign invest
he concluded, “ even that w o n ’ t
‘ W henever the U .S . intervenes
ment have produced disappointing
Tim Ell. seaman— “ I don’t think
solve the basic structural problems.
overseas i t ’ s an excuse to start a too much o f it. There is a lot I don't
results at best. According to Jamai
Jamaican agriculture is disintegrat
war. W e are building up to a cold understand. One is their domestic
ca National Investment Prom otion
KNAULS
ing, as the young surge into Kings
war. The U.S. on one side and Rus p o litic a l s itu a tio n . W e ’ ll end up
( J N IP ), the last year o f intensive
ton and try to go on to the United
P a u l Knauls, auto sales— “ W e sia on the other. So, one way or an sending troops and will have a war
States.”
I
lobbying for foreign in v e s tm e n t-
are going to wind up like we did in other there will be a war.”
involving the direct commitment not
Even i f all the potential invest
on our hands.”
Vietnam. First advisers, then troops
just o f Prime M inistr Seaga, but o f
ments came th ro u g h — a most un
lik e ly prospect— they still would
| and those troops will be Black and
President Reagan, Secretary H aig,
brown. That money could be spent
here in the Pacific Northwest.”
Street Beat
by Lanlta Duka and Richard Brown
Lesotho charges South Africa slanders
The government o f Lesotho has
denounced the campaign o f slander
and provocation being carried out
against it by South Africa.
In a letter d istribu ted by Leso
tho’s representative at the U .N ., it
said governm ent in stitu tio ns o f
South A frica, especially the espion
age services, have made slanderous
stores about Lesotho which have
been sent fo r p u b licatio n in the
press o f the U.S. and other nations.
The aim o f the campaign is to dis-
courage potential economic aid and
damage the image and reputation o f
the country. Creation o f instability
in the country would be used as a
pretext for South A frican interven
tion.
Lesotho is a small mountainous
country com pletely surrounded by
South A frica. It has an area o f just
over 30,000 square kilometers and a
p o p ulatio n o f 1.5 m illio n . It is a
member o f the U .N ., the Organiza
tion o f A fric a n U n ity , and the
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The governm ent o f Lesotho
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a dissident wing o f the Basutoland
Congress Party (whose leader is in
exile in South Africa) in order to un
dertake sabotage operations along
the border between the two coun
tries.
As part o f its attem pt to o ver
throw the government o f Lesotho
because it opposes apartheid, South
A fric a has accused Lesotho o f
granting m ilitary bases to the A fr i
can N a tio n a l Congress, a charge
Lesotho has denied.
fe w ent curly
yesterday
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284-6017
3516 N.E. 15th
_____287-5618