Guns, gangs and garrison communities in the politics of Jamaica

While traditional political rivalry in Jamaica can be traced back to pre-independence times, modern-day Jamaican politics have been overshadowed by Kingston’s influential ‘garrison communities’. In order to establish and maintain political dominance in key constituencies, the loyalty of impoverished...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Race & class 2016-04, Vol.57 (4), p.54-74
Main Author: Edmonds, Kevin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Castro, Fidel
Cold War
Covert operations
Crime
Democratic socialism
Friendship
Gangs
Ghettos
Housing
Independence
Jamaican foreign relations
Loyalty
Minimum wage
Neoliberalism
Political parties
Political violence
Politics
Public housing
Socialism
Socialist parties
United States foreign relations
War
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Summary:While traditional political rivalry in Jamaica can be traced back to pre-independence times, modern-day Jamaican politics have been overshadowed by Kingston’s influential ‘garrison communities’. In order to establish and maintain political dominance in key constituencies, the loyalty of impoverished but highly influential gangsters in Kingston’s ghettos was secured by the main political parties through the development of large scale, highly politicised and heavily armed public housing schemes – essentially operating as states within a state. This article examines the roots of Jamaica’s current crime epidemic, revealing that it is not just a story of drugs, gangs and guns, but has deeper connections to the CIA, the Cold War, and the efforts to marginalise the 1970s democratic socialist government of Michael Manley and his People’s National Party. Manley’s convincing electoral victory in 1972 deeply troubled the United States, as his open commitment to democratic socialism, implementing moderately progressive policies like the minimum wage and free education, and his close friendship with Fidel Castro placed Jamaica firmly in the crosshairs for American covert operations.
ISSN:0306-3968
1741-3125
DOI:10.1177/0306396815624864