Jamaica Arise: The 75 year history of the PNP review
1.- What was the role that the People's National Party (PNP) played in the anti-colonial struggle?
It played a very significant role in that part of Jamaican history. The PNP appeared as a solution to the intentions of black Jamaican folk to stop the racism and bad life conditions. There were organizations that tried to make an impact, like Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA),created in 1914.
When the party is created in 1929, the country was suffering from economic, politic and social issues, and the PNP appeared as the solution for the country to make improvements in the mentioned areas. The PNP remains to be a role model of democratic solutions to colonialist and oppressive governments and people. The party was protagonist in Jamaica's fight against the colonialism and will be remembered for that along Jamaica's history.
2.- What was/is the role of women throughout the 75 years of the PNP?
The role of women inside the party was very important to it. With the creation of PNP Women's Movement in 1973, founded by amongst others Valerie McNeill and Beverly Manley (Michael Manley's wife), the role of women took a protagonist part both inside and outside the party. It was urgent for the Jamaican women to stop the differences between men and women.
As it said, because of the creation of the Women's Movement, there were various milestones to mention, but the most significant ones were the approve of Equal Pay For Men and Women Act in 1975 and the Maternity Leave Act in 1979. Alongside with the mentioned, another significant milestone is the presence of Portia Simpson Miller, who got to be Prime Minister of Jamaica in two opportunities, alongside with being the president of the party.
3.- How did the implementation of democratic socialism affect the Jamaican people?
It affected in a good way and a bad way. Michael Manley established this type of government because he believed that capitalism was bad for the country and the people. During the application of this system, Manley and his government made serious changes in education, giving free secondary and terciary education, alongside with the creation of the National Housing Trust, an entity that had the job to give the working people a place to live in dignity.
In the other hand, because of the cold war and the tense situation the world was living, and also because of the intentions of Manley to have diplomatic bond with socialist and non-aligned countries, is that Manley had a lot of people against him, and most important, he started to lost the investment and suffered a crisis. Because of that, the democratic socialism the PNP promoted fell, along with Manley. People believed they were living in communism, but they were fooled by the media and the international opinion, just because any other ideology apart from capitalism, was considered communism
4.- How does the PNP justify privatization and its role in creating a path of neoliberal reforms in Jamaica?
The country was going under a hard economic time, including a long recession and a high inflation that had the Jamaican economy on the ground
The PNP justified their neoliberal reforms on the fact that Jamaica needed them to get up economically. They had to open the country to the world and implement a high interest plan.
5.- How do you compare the role of PNP in the film "Ghett'a Life" (Lenny Thompson, Derrick's father) versus the documentary?
The documentary shows a totally different image of the PNP, compared to the documentary. The movie shows the party like a corrupt, influenced by the crime and focused on a fight against the Jamaican Labour Party, that was righ-handed.
In the other hand, the documentary shows the party like the protagonist of the political history of the country. PNP is showed as a moral party that will always fight for the good of Jamaica, even if there's obstacles in the way. The also never show the JLP as a rough enemy to beat, and of course the crime associated to the partyis also never showed.
It played a very significant role in that part of Jamaican history. The PNP appeared as a solution to the intentions of black Jamaican folk to stop the racism and bad life conditions. There were organizations that tried to make an impact, like Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA),created in 1914.
When the party is created in 1929, the country was suffering from economic, politic and social issues, and the PNP appeared as the solution for the country to make improvements in the mentioned areas. The PNP remains to be a role model of democratic solutions to colonialist and oppressive governments and people. The party was protagonist in Jamaica's fight against the colonialism and will be remembered for that along Jamaica's history.
2.- What was/is the role of women throughout the 75 years of the PNP?
The role of women inside the party was very important to it. With the creation of PNP Women's Movement in 1973, founded by amongst others Valerie McNeill and Beverly Manley (Michael Manley's wife), the role of women took a protagonist part both inside and outside the party. It was urgent for the Jamaican women to stop the differences between men and women.
As it said, because of the creation of the Women's Movement, there were various milestones to mention, but the most significant ones were the approve of Equal Pay For Men and Women Act in 1975 and the Maternity Leave Act in 1979. Alongside with the mentioned, another significant milestone is the presence of Portia Simpson Miller, who got to be Prime Minister of Jamaica in two opportunities, alongside with being the president of the party.
3.- How did the implementation of democratic socialism affect the Jamaican people?
It affected in a good way and a bad way. Michael Manley established this type of government because he believed that capitalism was bad for the country and the people. During the application of this system, Manley and his government made serious changes in education, giving free secondary and terciary education, alongside with the creation of the National Housing Trust, an entity that had the job to give the working people a place to live in dignity.
In the other hand, because of the cold war and the tense situation the world was living, and also because of the intentions of Manley to have diplomatic bond with socialist and non-aligned countries, is that Manley had a lot of people against him, and most important, he started to lost the investment and suffered a crisis. Because of that, the democratic socialism the PNP promoted fell, along with Manley. People believed they were living in communism, but they were fooled by the media and the international opinion, just because any other ideology apart from capitalism, was considered communism
4.- How does the PNP justify privatization and its role in creating a path of neoliberal reforms in Jamaica?
The country was going under a hard economic time, including a long recession and a high inflation that had the Jamaican economy on the ground
The PNP justified their neoliberal reforms on the fact that Jamaica needed them to get up economically. They had to open the country to the world and implement a high interest plan.
5.- How do you compare the role of PNP in the film "Ghett'a Life" (Lenny Thompson, Derrick's father) versus the documentary?
The documentary shows a totally different image of the PNP, compared to the documentary. The movie shows the party like a corrupt, influenced by the crime and focused on a fight against the Jamaican Labour Party, that was righ-handed.
In the other hand, the documentary shows the party like the protagonist of the political history of the country. PNP is showed as a moral party that will always fight for the good of Jamaica, even if there's obstacles in the way. The also never show the JLP as a rough enemy to beat, and of course the crime associated to the partyis also never showed.
great review, Diego!!!
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