Jamaica is gearing up for its next general elections, where potentially a new prime minister could take office in exactly four days, and absolutely no national political debates will take place. Not between the current prime minister and leader of the opposition, nor between candidates vying for the crucial role of minister of finance; no debate will take place. The story behind such a state of affairs is one almost too bizarre to merit a lengthy discussion here - suffice to say that Prime Minister Simpson-Miller never had any talent for political debates and happily found an excuse to avoid this one when Opposition Leader Holness called her a "con artist." This, notwithstanding the fact that the political debates aren't really designed for the candidates to interact with each other, but instead to field questions from a panel of interested members drawn from the corporate sector, civil society, youth leaders, and the general public. Alas, the prime minister has been stricken by a severe case of debate-phobia; much like that which affects the highly religious from time to time.The Yardie Skeptics have encountered our fair share of religiophiles afflicted with debate-phobia, some terminally so. And ironically it is those one would least expect to shy away from a debate; the formally trained theologians, the celebrity Jesus freaks, and the social media spokespersons for heaven. For every one Christian who steps up to dialogue with the Yardie Skeptics, no less than five have turned us down for no other reason than an aversion to honest debate. The excuses generally come in one of three flavours: a) the previously vocal holy roller suddenly realizes they need "expert" training to debate their own views, b) debates are a waste of time and an inefficient medium to challenge ideas, or c) the Yardie Skeptics are irredeemable heathens who should simply repent and stop interfering with the "anointed." In truth, the reason for debate-phobia is much more simple; cowardice. A cowardice which comes from the recognition that, at the core, your talking points would never hold up to serious scrutiny. And this is what debatephobic pastors and politicians tend to have in common.
At the very least, no one should be shocked that such a reality would occur right before the general elections in Jamaica. The two major political parties have both had their turn at ignoring essentials of the democratic process, whether it be free and fair elections or a commitment to accountability. Moreover, Jamaica has never had a tradition of throwing ideas into the arena to allow them to duel to the death and the sound ones emerging the victor. Political allegiance, much like religious devotion, has always been about tradition, emotions and insecurity. Just as how children are indoctrinated into the religion of the household, so too do they become indoctrinated into the political allegiance of said household. And the religion and the political party are passed down between generations, not because they've passed any litmus test for legitimacy but because that is how it has always been.
And because it "feels" right.
Religion has a knack for encapsulating its adherents in a psychological safety blanket. Devout behaviour in the form of church attendance and tithes are rewarded by the psychological reassurance of being beamed up into paradise at the end of days. Politics is no different; both political parties in Jamaica are buoyed along on the backs of zombie like devotees who will surrender their livelihood, and even their lives, for the political spoils whether real or imagined. It's no accident that politics and religion are so intertwined in Jamaica, to the point where political leaders have been given the names of biblical figures like "Moses" or "Joshua." Just recently the prime minister held the election date hostage until she received a divine touch from her "master" and candidates from both parties have often beseeched divine intervention when fresh ideas are short. In essence, Jamaican religious expression prepares one for their political expression later in life - a near complete surrender to a saviour, whether in heaven or in parliament, who will see to the deliverance of the faithful. Why even bother with a debate?
Politicians and pastors are fully aware they have very little to gain from participating in debates. Just recently I saw this statement in a Facebook post on my timeline:
"Mi navel string cut from PNP, nuh matter what nobody can change me." (my emphasis)
This statement comes from a university educated individual, from that tiny sector in Jamaica referred to as the "articulate minority." That group which, presumably, would be most interested in hearing what candidates have to say in the context of a debate. But what we instead see here is a defiant oath to loyalty regardless of what the light of reason might show. In Jamaica, political allegiance, like religious piety, is a deck of cards, surround by a glass house, built on shifting sand - as fragile as it is insecure. Debates only serve to reinforce positions of bias at best, or cause mental meltdowns at worst. You afterall can't use reason to change a stance which wasn't arrived at via reason in the first place. For the vast majority of Jamaicans, it is a seamless transition from the birth canal to the baptismal pool, and the transition into political allegiance tends to be just as seamless. Questioning this paradigm can result in social reprimand, family disavowal, or sadly, even death. Those being called upon to debate need not worry since the content of debates has little to no impact on the "faithful."
It is the small fraction who are undecided, but willing to commit, which will be left out in the cold by the absence of a national debate. For them, they will simply have to flip a coin and cast their ballot or skip the entire process altogether. And who can blame them? If there is no forum for the ventilation and scrutiny of ideas, whether for political or religious issues, then allegiance can only come via blind faith. For the discerning among us, this is untenable. For the legion of sheep, let the church say "Amen!"
-Cool Dude.
