Michael Manley, (1924-97) Prime Minister of Jamaica served three terms as prime minister of Jamaica (1972–80 and 1989–92). He was the son of Norman Manley, Jamaican National Hero who was a former Jamaican Prime Minister and a cofounder of the People’s National Party (PNP). Once in office, Michael Manley set about instituting policies for redistributing wealth, an he cultivated close relationships with Cuba and the socialist countries of eastern Europe, a move that did not sit well with the United States and led to a loss in international investment and foreign aid. His policies, however, eventually proved to be financially disastrous. Violence between the left and the right escalated, and he lost the 1980 election to the conservative Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party. By the late 1980s, however, Manley had adopted a more moderate outlook and favoured closer relations with the United States. In 1989 he was again elected prime minister. Still claiming to be a socialist, he nonetheless pursued free-market policies and privatized many state-owned enterprises. In 1992 Manley was forced to resign because of poor health.
Michael Manley, in my opinion, was sincere but misguided. My uncle William Seivright and Michael’s father Norman Manley, and a handful of other now famous Jamaican leaders, fought for genuine “social Justice” in 1938 and they were responsible for setting up universal adult suffrage for the first time in the history of the Island and also set up the two party system with Alexander Bustamante. This was not only true parliamentary democracy but also genuine “social justice”.
Michael did not have the same legacy. His misguided “democratic socialism” did not affect the Jamaican wealthy in a devastating way, it was inconvenient and many relocated, but they were able to cope with it.
On the other hand Michael’s policies left the poor jobless and destitute and destroyed the economy in a way that Jamaica has never recovered from. I am not speaking from theory. As an active lawyer in Jamaica for the Jamaica Industrial Development Corporation (JIDC), and as a lawyer for City Bank, and for many leading businesses, I saw first hand the millions of dollars which had been flowing into Jamaica before Michael Manley suddenly dry up and cease altogether! Companies began to downsize and many small businesses closed their doors. Anyone who knows anything about world history or economics knows that socialism NEVER works. It particularly does NOT work for the poor!
As Winston Churchill so eloquently pointed out:
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
Or, as Margaret Thatcher said: ““The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
Nevertheless, I always respected Michael Manley because of his honesty. How many politicians do you know who actually publicly admitted that they were wrong? I was personally present at the Omni Hotel in Miami when Michael gave his famous speech admitting the failure of his policies, and publicly invited everyone to bring back their money to Jamaica, as Jamaica would be abandoning its socialist policies and returning to the free market.
For a more complete biography see Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Manley
