Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Haiti are just three countries that are experiencing dire financial disaster. Even Puerto Rico, part of the mighty United States of America, the richest country in the world, has been battling bankruptcy. I am sick and tired of seeing on TV desperately poor people in countries all over the world. People, mostly black, without enough food, in rags, with shacks for shelter, with many defying nature to remain alive. But, many die too and by horrible death. These pictures haunt me. But even worse, some rich countries will exploit and actually bully some of these countries.
However, even the poorest of these countries have rich people. Even poor Haiti has rich people. So how did they become rich? They went into business. They formed companies to make a profit, to make money and they made money. If people can do that, then the government of countries should do likewise and go into business to make money too. Instead, for some strange reason, countries are restricted from going into business to make a profit. They go into business to serve their people, but without seeking or making a profit. Private business serve the people too, but for a profit, usually a handsome profit. Financial survival is good enough for government business typically. The irony is, if in serving the people, government business make a profit, then that government business is a target for privatization. The Jamaica government needs to go into business to make a profit, an honest profit. And the objective is to compete with other business to become the biggest and best corporation in the country, in other words become the amazon.com of Jamaica. Let me rush to emphasize that this is not socialism. Absolutely no business owner will have to turn over his business to the government. America does not permit socialism. If it was, America would hit them with such repressive sanctions their misery would increase tenfold.
The failure of the existing system is blatantly evident by the vast number of poor countries. They have been poor for many years and will remain poor for the foreseeable future, stuck in their present ways. Taxation as their major source of income will make sure they remain poor. My proposal in my book, “A Jamaica Poor No More”, will not make them rich overnight, but is a goal they will achieve in time. If a country is to shed their alarming poverty, it is essential they adopt my proposal. That is why I term this economic system, essentialism. Actually, in my book, “A Jamaica Poor No More”, I called it Jamaicanism but I consider essentialism more appropriate. The book deals specifically with Jamaica, but is a model for all poor countries.
This new government business corporation will organized along corporation rules and completely different from the civil service. It will include a variety of types of business organisations such as:
Corporation, conglomerate, franchisor, franchisee, partnership, sole proprietorship,
The government corporation will operate all types of profit-making businesses such as:
- Automobiles – importation, new and used car dealerships, repairs (the general public and the government itself would be the biggest customers)
- Real estate – construction, sales, rehab ( most millionaires made their millions from real estate)
- Marijuana – recreational and medicinal. (Instead of throwing hard-working ganja farmers in jail, they will become important business partners). The state of Colorado is making millions from marijuana.
- Agri-business – right now too many Jamaicans toil over farming the land to barely eke out a living but as partners with the government corporation their life will improve
Of course more details about essentialism are in my book, “A Jamaica Poor No More”. But I am not here to sell books. I think this letter has made a strong enough case for poor countries to consider and adopt essentialism. But, I fear it will not be given a chance. The more people who know about essentialism, the better its chances, which is why I have sent you this letter. For God’s sake, countries are suffering. Please help by treating this as a chain letter and forward it to at least ten persons. Better yet, if you have influence with any government, please be an advocate for essentialism. On the other hand, if this letter is an imposition for which you have no interest, please accept my apologies.
Comments