THE EDITOR, Sir:I SEE the recent statement by a prominent Jamaican businessman that he wonders if we need a "benevolent dictatorship", as something that should alarm us.
Many people now believe that the failure of our financial sector, the high crime wave and the generally struggling economy are just parts of a strategy.
This strategy, they believe, is designed to allow us to be driven like sheep to such a panicked state, that we will beg for a strong leader and give up our rights and freedoms.
In every country, at every stage of history where the ideas of good dictators and the surrender of freedoms have been accepted disaster has followed.
The financial sector appears to be either owned by Government agencies, owned by people of whom the Government approves or owes Government agencies huge sums of money, i.e, largely the financial sector has been tamed. I am also alarmed because the rest of the economy seems to be on its knees; crime is high and people are accepting heavy-handed tickets from the police as the solution. Many have been trying to get us to accept that it is because the family is falling apart and people are more wicked and have no interest in a society that our country is in this state. The Government, they say is virtually helpless and many people believe this story.
It is against this background, that I foresee us voting the power to a leader who will become a dictator with our permission. We will surrender our rights and freedoms and sacrifice our friends because the Government says they are criminals, even without proof.
While it is not too late, we need to act now to prevent this.
I am, etc.,
CLAUDE RUSSELL
Friendship Meadows
Spanish Town
St. Catherine
