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These seem like common sense to me, and I must first say these are my own views and not the views of any entity I'm affiliated with 
. There are several things we could do to untether ourselves from what I can only see as a slave economy.
. There are several things we could do to untether ourselves from what I can only see as a slave economy.
https://caribbeanbusinessreport.com/news/jamaica-among-three-countries-hardest-hit-by-tourism-fallout-says-united-nations-body/
Exhibit A: We're so tied to an industry that relies on the US and UK, two of the hardest hit countries by the coronavirus, that we beg them to come against all logic. But it is logical.
Exhibit A: We're so tied to an industry that relies on the US and UK, two of the hardest hit countries by the coronavirus, that we beg them to come against all logic. But it is logical.
These critiques are also not political and cross over to both floors. If it is that we aspire for meaningful growth, tourism and BPO CANNOT form such an important part of our economy, at least not their current forms.
There isn't enough integration of local production.
There isn't enough integration of local production.
The reliance on these industries highlight a brilliant but simple point made by PB and @DrAndreHaughton about the (lack of) energy given to education/training, and also underemployment in the Jamaican economy, respectively.
These are not overnight issues. It's systemic.
These are not overnight issues. It's systemic.
And I feel bad, because economic thought in Jamaica is stagnant. There are reasons for this I cannot comment on at this time.
However, it has placed this burden on politicians, who should not and cannot lead in this area.
However, it has placed this burden on politicians, who should not and cannot lead in this area.
And there is homogeneity in economic thought, which is also systemic. The neoliberal agenda permeates. Again, a prickly topic. I can only say this is of little benefit to a developing country if the ladder has been kicked away.
But the long and short of it is the system sets us up to fail, the global one that is. To realize what we desire, the mental shackles of slavery must be released. We've so passively ingrained it into our lives from how we consume to how we think that it seems right.
It begins with focusing resources on human capital which prioritizes and incentivizes study of value added industries, and ends with greater self reliance, more equity, and a recognition of the bigger factors at play which trump the bickering in partisan politics.
Right now, we treating symptoms. Work on the cure.
