76-16-A6
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Jamaica[edit]
Transcript[edit]The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley, has been told by a spokesman for the White House and our State Department that the people of America admire his democratic achievements; that we want to help in his striving for social and economic justice and that what he is doing has great significance for all the developing world. Before "we the people" endorse such statements, we should learn more about Prime Minister Manley's concept of social and economic justice. And, "we the people" might find ourselves more than a little upset with the spokesman who described us as filled with admiration. Shortly after his election in 1973, Manley began his leftward tilt by flying to the conference of non-aligned nations in Algiers, along with Fidel Castro in Fidel's private plane. Returning from the trip, he dubbed Castro the greatest leader he'd ever met. After a follow-up visit to Cuba, he said, "I walk hand in hand with Fidel Castro to lead our people to a common destiny." And, do you know, he's doing just that. Like Cuba, Jamaica is on the edge of economic disaster. Tourism, once the Number One business there, has fallen from $400 million a year to one fourth of that. Inflation is high and unemployment runs about 30%. Many of the beach front homes and hotels that sheltered sun-seeking spenders are boarded up relics of a bygone way of life. Manley has organized youth brigades which are sent to Cuba for training as are detachments of Jamaica police. Cuban "technicians" have come to Jamaica. The government admits to less than 1000, but Jamaicans put the figure at 5000 and more arriving every day. Other happenings typical of countries going communist or, if you prefer, just plain totalitarian, have become the new way of life. But they are hardly the kind of thing one should say arouses the admiration of Americans. Organized terrorism by gangs of young goons sees beatings of innocent citizens and arson and murder are an everyday occurrence. Usually, this treatment is directed toward Manley's political opponents. And, again typical of the totalitarian world, the Prime Minister used the violence as an excuse to declare a state of emergency (a year ago June). Under emergency regulations, arrests have been made, people are held without court order and hundreds -- mostly political opponents -- are put in detention camps. Last December, with the state of emergency still in effect, the Prime Minister demonstrated his devotion to democracy by calling an election. No public meetings or motorcades were allowed, no candidate could travel with more than five people, and roving bands of thugs were a constant threat in the neighborhoods where political opposition was strong. At vote-counting time, they moved into a number of places where the counting was going on and took over. Manley's government owns the only TV station, one of the two radio stations and threatens to take over the only independent newspaper left on the island. And, shades of Hitler and Allende of Chile, he has his own army. It is called the "Home Guard", 9000 armed, uniformed men which supposedly patrols with the army and the police but which is completely independent of both. He has nationalized the utilities including the phone system and is turning his attention now to banking and essential industries. Rigid controls have been imposed on imports, exports and currency. Yes, he walks hand in hand with Fidel Castro but let no one say he has "roused the admiration of the people of our country." This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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