The Editor, Sir:

Over the years, we have seen Jamaica's political administrations formed by our two major political parties divest most of Jamaica's businesses and institutions to foreign entities. The experts involved state that the reasons for such actions include the bleeding of the national resources and the organisations' ultimate inability to make profits.

In light of these divestments to foreign entities, there are several questions we need to ask.

If foreign entities can purchase these failing institutions and make profits, then isn't something wrong with the local managers and their management systems or is something wrong with our political system?

In light of the numerous divestments, is it that there is a plan to run these companies into a loss and then sell these companies in an effort to make personal profit?

Is there an even more subversive plan towards 'union busting' in order to bring Jamaica and its workforce into a new culture and set of governing systems through the amendment of the Jamaican labour laws without legislation? Are there plans to embrace, apply and implement the laws of those other nations in Jamaica?

Interestingly, once such systems are implemented, then the nation will no longer acknowledge its national holidays nor follow its own laws and rules. It will instead embrace the laws and systems of governance of the nation to which it has been divested!

If the answer to the question of whether or not Jamaican management has failed is 'yes', then there is need also to divest both political parties, because they are sending the message that leaders in Jamaica at any level are incapable of leading or managing.

Further to this, the institutions of higher learning and the various training facilities, the private sector and the Church all need to evaluate themselves. If the people of Jamaica don't discern, then every nation will impose visa requirements on Jamaica. Then it will be difficult for Jamaicans to hold certain managerial positions both locally and internationally. It means that Jamaica and Jamaicans would not be marketable overseas, there could be financial collapse as it was in Germany and Vienna during the Great Depression, and the nation's currency will be so devalued that it would need to be changed to the currency of another nation

The very Independence we celebrate wouldn't mean anything anymore and there will be major migration and brain drain. Governments would only be 'rubber stamps'. Economic ratings would fall significantly, hence we would pay higher interest rates.

Ultimately, the nation's wealth would not stay at home, but would instead be 'mined' like the bauxite we once had with only the holes left to show.

The Holy Bible says it best: "There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, while the rich sit in a lowly place. I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants."

I am, etc.,

STEVE LYSTON

biblical_economics@yahoo.com