Looking Through the Glass – St. Lucia Voice News

Multiple studies have shown that most people are naturally optimistic, forward-looking, and see the glass as at least half full. A Michigan State University (MSU) study found that, in general, our optimism increases in youth, then seems to plateau and then decline as we age.

Sadly, this finding does not apply to people with mental illness, for whom the cup is often empty. In fact, even those without mental illness can point to a number of reasons — such as exposure to discrimination and violence, chronic poverty, hunger, homelessness, depression, extreme stress, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and loss of a loved one — as reasons for believing the cup is empty. Chronic exposure to negative news can rob a person of their happiness and lead to anxiety and depression; so can living in a crime-ridden neighborhood.

Like many readers, I follow the conventions of the opposing political parties in the United States. The cheerful and optimistic atmosphere at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago last week contrasted sharply with the doomsday predictions at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Wisconsin in mid-July. Clearly, the Democrats see their glass as half full, while the Republicans see theirs as empty. Four years ago, the views of both parties were exactly the opposite. Political commentators believe that this selective optimism or pessimism is “a natural part of the political process” and a natural and necessary part of the strategy of political parties to convince voters that only they can bring about the desired change (whether from bad to good, or from good to better). In the case of the Republican Party, only it has the power to make America great again!

It is highly unlikely that politics will ever reach a stage where the opposition party and/or its supporters would “praise” the incumbent government for even its most successful policies or programmes, as to do so would imply that there is water in the glass. The leadership and supporters of the incumbent government should expect this. However, in the case of Saint Lucia, I lament the dampening effect that this culture of selective optimism or pessimism has on the psyche (mental health) of independent-minded, patriotic Saint Lucians who care more about national progress than politics. The progress we have made as a continuum since the advent of adult suffrage and representative government is remarkable. However, we are unlikely to realise this fact if we insist on compartmentalising national progress based on political motives.

The idea that a country will only progress when its party is in power is difficult to sustain. Certainly, some governments will perform much better than others in the areas that matter most to the people. Complicating matters, however, is that people have different priorities. For example: America’s “religious right” focuses on anti-abortion policies; the unemployed and retired focus primarily on the performance of the economy and the stock market in which their pensions are invested; environmentalists worry about the existential threat posed by climate change; and “fiscal hawks” tend to be more concerned about the national debt when their party is not in power. Saint Lucians are concerned with a much narrower range of issues. They include jobs, the cost of living, and personal and national security.

Often lost in discussions of government performance is a realistic assessment of what the government can and cannot do. Like all law-abiding Saint Lucians, I am frustrated whenever a homicide occurs. However, I have long since accepted that if the police do not know important details beforehand, they cannot prevent a murder before it occurs. Furthermore, I understand that it is difficult for the police to solve a murder if there are no witnesses, or if the witnesses remain silent. Whenever I go to the supermarket, I wonder desperately how the average shopper copes with the high prices of food and household items. However, I understand that it is difficult for the government to effectively control food prices when it cannot control transportation costs and supply chains. This, of course, does not absolve the government from the responsibility of constantly finding creative and practical solutions to these challenges. In a progressive society, these examples of government limitations would prompt a search for other indicators to fairly assess government performance. One would think that all political parties would be keen to join in this quest. Sadly, this has not happened, and as a result our people do not fully appreciate the challenges of achieving meaningful change in a small, open and fragile country like ours.

Despite these two long-standing concerns, I believe that Saint Lucia’s glass is at least half full. I commend the Government for measures that have included: ending Saint Lucia’s ignominious lingering on the steps of the Privy Council by accepting the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as Saint Lucia’s final court of appeal; strengthening the capacity of our police; introducing a modest minimum wage; providing unprecedented support for youth entrepreneurship development; taking targeted steps to commission St. Jude’s Hospital on its original site and returning the George Odren Stadium to its original intended use; creating an enabling environment for increased foreign and local investment; working to transform select secondary schools into technical and vocational training schools; seeding the establishment of a semi-professional football league; and taking concrete steps to protect the World Heritage status of the Pitons.

In keeping with the belief that “patriotism is about always supporting your country and supporting your government when it deserves it,” I will continue to use this column to share constructive criticism of the performance of all governments. I am encouraged that this motivation is appreciated by Prime Minister Pierre and some of his ministers, with whom I often share my concerns and suggestions, both directly and through this medium. I pray for continued health and strength to do this.