UWI
Foun1101
CARIBBEAN CIVILISATION
Student Name: Brittney Ramdeen
ID Number: 812001208
Faculty: Social Sciences
Degree Prog.: Psychology
Date: 22/09/12
The Gleaner- Beyond The Euphoria
I certify that this is my own work and by attaching this cover sheet certify further that there are no instances of plagiarism contained herein. I submit to any penalty that the Faculty deems appropriate for any instance of plagiarism discovered in this work howsoever caused…
Signed: Brittney Ramdeen
The article “Beyond the Euphoria” talks about Jamaica’s financial state and where the economy currently stands, as well as how it affects the nation in terms of social development. The article shows that the nation, though celebrating fifty years of independence and gaining success in the twenty twelve London Olympics, is economically and socially stagnant and needs to take measures to improve its situation before their democracy is challenged. It talks about how the government needs to take steps to make this situation better and in doing so, engage the people of Jamaica to help in the process. The article does reflect the state of Jamaica with respect to its financial situation and dysfunctional political culture, leading to its the high levels of crime, poor educational outcome and high unemployment, as well as the need to involve the nation’s help in fixing this.
The Essay on Jamaica Nation With The Island
Tropical Paradise In a quaint little village tucked away on a beautiful Caribbean island, lays the seaside town of Runaway bay. A town filled with deep rooted culture on an island filled with welcoming natives. The pleasant vibes of reggae music and Rastafarian culture flow from the hills to the sandy shores. This island rich with tropical fruits and spices is located in the heart of the Greater ...
Jamaica’s economy faces many challenges to growth due to high crime and corruption, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 120%. The article shows how most of Jamaica’s problems stem from its economy being stagnant for the past forty years. Nearly 50% of the government spending is allocated debt servicing and only limited resources are available for infrastructure and social development. Also, the way Jamaica’s wealth is distributed; it only leaves space for either extremely wealthy or extremely poor. There is no middle class. The wealthy reside in suburbs such as Cherry Gardens and Arcadia Gardens, whereas the poor resides in slums such as Trench Town and Jones Town. The rich can afford to send their children to schools abroad, unlike the poor who have to create their own means of earning a living which usually leads to crime.
Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica, in a show of strength and pride for her country, declared 2012 as not only as the Jubilee Year of Jamaica’s 50 years of independence, but would also mark the movement toward true independence from Britain. Most of the population in Jamaica seems to think that they would have been better off under the rule of the British. An islandwide survey among one thousand and eight people found that sixty percent of Jamaicans think that the nation would be better off under the rule of the Queen. Seventeen percent said the nation would be worse off and twenty three percent did not know what would be best. This just goes to show that even the nation wants someone from the outside to come in and help fix their problems.
The depressed economic conditions have led to civil unrest and worsening of the crime scenario with gang violence being a common feature. Due to the economic stagnancy, the poor are suffering in terms of making a living. They turn to other activities which can ensure they get money. Namely, the drug trade. Jamaica has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. There are a lot of youths involved in this trade as well as gang violence. This affects their school life, accounting for the negative educational outcomes seen in Jamaica.
The Essay on Do Credit Problems Lead to Bankruptcy
Do Credit Problems Lead to Bankruptcy? The reasons we as Americans buy on credit varies, but without it most of us would probably never be able to purchase necessities such as a home or automobile. The nation's economy depends on credit; the promise to pay later for goods and services used today. But along with consumer credit comes consumer debt. With the rise in telemarketing and ...
Jamaica’s financial state, as well as the crime rate and educational outcomes lead to a number of negative effects for the country. With the youth violence occurring, there are less chances of educated people being produced within the nation, leading to a lot of school dropouts. Another effect is the brain drain. Skilled persons are leaving the country to find better jobs abroad and make a better life. Recent studies show that over eighty percent of Jamaicans, who have studied at tertiary level in Jamaica, are now living abroad. While it is difficult to estimate the exact economic cost of this “brain drain”, it has been noted that the loss of skills has serious implications for the country’s productive sector and its education policy. The nation cannot provide these students with the jobs that they are qualified for, leaving them no choice but to leave the country. This along with the dropouts of school, leads to high underemployment as well as high unemployment rates.
The Gleaner talks about the Jamaican government missing a great opportunity during the jubilation of the Olympic success. The article does not say however, that there should be no celebrations, but instead, this would have been the perfect time to involve the nation in assisting in the problems that Jamaica faces. The people would have been more receptive at this time and this would have let them understand fully what the government would have said. The government clearly missed out on the perfect opportunity to engage the minds and the skills of the nation in helping to create solutions that would lead to a better life for Jamaica.
It is true that Jamaica is facing problems that can be potentially detrimental for the nation. The stagnant economy leaves way for many problems to creep up on the nation. If this is not dealt with, the country faces the potential problem of assessors. The Organization of American States (OAS) sent an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to observe Jamaica’s General Parliamentary Elections held on December 29, 2011. The democracy is being challenged by assessors who think that they know what is best for Jamaica. The government needs to improve the country’s state along with the help of the nation, if they are to ensure that Jamaica can peacefully enjoy many more years of a democracy.
The Essay on American Heritage Nation Government Citizen
"Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It " Our Country was founded on sound principles. These principles were constructed to preserve our natural rights. These rights include free speech, free press and the ability to think for one's self. America was established as a proud nation, who's destiny to become great was undeniable. In today's society, many are questioning the ...
Bibliography
Give Us the Queen. The Gleaner. June 28th 2011. September 25th 2012 http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110628/lead/lead1.html
Jamaica Economy Profile 2012. Index Mundi. CIA Factbook. Juy 19th 2012. September 22nd 2012 http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html
Jamaica Economy. Economy Watch. March 18th 2010. September 22nd 2012 http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/jamaica/
Jamaica PM Declares Farewell to the Queen. The Final Call. January 23rd 2012. September 25th 2012 http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/World_News_3/article_8545.shtml
International Organization for Migration. May 2012. September 25th 2012
Government and Politics 2011. Jamaica Primetime. January 2012. September 26th 2012 http://www.jamaicans.com/articles/primearticles/governmentyearreview2011.shtml#ixzz27jzgufXt
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[ 2 ]. Jamaica Economy Profile 2012. Index Mundi. CIA Factbook. Juy 19th 2012. September 22nd 2012 http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html
[ 3 ]. Jamaica Economy. Economy Watch. March 18th 2010. September 22nd 2012 http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/jamaica/
[ 4 ]. Jamaica PM Declares Farewell to the Queen. The Final Call. January 23rd 2012. September 25th 2012 http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/World_News_3/article_8545.shtml
[ 5 ]. Jamaica Economy. Economy Watch. March 18th 2010. September 22nd 2012 http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/jamaica/
[ 6 ]. International Organization for Migration. May 2012. September 25th 2012
[ 7 ]. Government and Politics 2011- Year in Review 2011. Jamaica Primetime. January 2012. September 26th 2012 http://www.jamaicans.com/articles/primearticles/governmentyearreview2011.shtml#ixzz27jzgufXt
