Looking At The Real Nigel Clarke: “House Negro” or “Field Negro”

September 4, 2024

The late and great multi-talented performing artist, actor, all-American football player, and activist Paul Robeson, said: “The artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice; I have no alternative.” Paul Robeson made a conscious decision to be on the side of the oppressed; he decided to put his intellect and talent unapologetically in the service of his people. Dr. Nigel Clarke, The Minister of Finance and The Public Service has made a conscious decision to put his intellect and talent in the service of the oppressor; in the service of imperialism to further economically oppress and exploit people who looks like him.

The late Pan-Africanist and Liberation leader Malcolm X, spoke about the difference between the “field negro” and the “house negro.” The “field negro” was militant, loved freedom and was constantly looking for and engaged in actions that secured freedom for himself and his people. The “house negro” on the other hand, once he got into Massa’s house, turned his back on his fellow slaves; he identified more with and showed a deference to the Massa more than his own people. Dr. Nigel Clarke’s appointment to the Board of the International Monetary Fund and his acceptance to the position, is empirical proof that he is one of the “house negros.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Context

Ever since the announcement on August 26, 2024 of Clarke’s appointment to the IMF there have been much confusion and misleading information by media people, politicians, and ordinary citizens about what this appointment means and its relevance to and for the Jamaican People. This writing does not afford enough space to give a detailed history of the IMF and its interaction with developing countries, who are the majority of its clients; but a brief summation is necessary to clarify this financial institution and appointment.

 The IMF and the World Bank were both formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, and both have their headquarters in Washington. Although their functions are different, over the years because of their capitalist formation and dominance, their function now are blurred and overlapping. The purpose of the IMF was to provide short-term loans to countries to ease the balance-of-payments problem. The World Bank was more a loan broker for social development projects. The World Bank also in recent years have lent balance-of-payments support. Although the IMF is comprised of member states, control is determined by the size of contributions; it stands to reason that the rich industrialized countries impose their wishes on the “poorer” ones. In this regard the United States, the largest contributor dominates the policies of the institution. There are two significant factors that contribute to the debt trap that these developing countries find themselves in, one is socio-demographic and the other is ideology.

In order to understand the social and political characteristics of the debt crisis, let us first look at the loan requirements of the IMF once a country goes into contract with it. In general, the requirements are:

1. Devaluation of the country’s currency.

2. Dismantling of price controls.

3. Elimination or relaxation of control on imports and Foreign Exchange

 4. Wage increase ceiling.

5.  Abolition of subsidies on basic consumer items.

6.  Cutback on government spending, especially for social programs.

7.  Tax and price increases charged by Government entities.

A cursory look at the above will force one to say that there is nothing wrong with these policies. However, on analysis it would be shown that the prime beneficiaries of such policies are the multinational corporations. Further, despite their hypocritical rhetoric about being apolitical and unbiased, history has countless examples where the IMF and World Bank have been used to destabilize and overthrow governments. Dr. Linus A. Hoskins in a paper presented to the 10th annual Third World Conference remarked: “….recent history has shown that the IMF has been used to destabilize/overthrow foreign leaders and governments. Indeed, several Third World leaders have complained about the draconian ‘conditionality’ measures the IMF imposes on their economies and peoples as prerequisites for loans and debt relief.”  Between 1976 and 1980 the peak period of the Jamaican National Liberation Movement the CIA, the IMF and local reactionaries were primarily responsible for the downfall of the Manley government. Salvadore Allende of Chile met with a worst fate, as he was overthrown and killed in a military coup in 1973.

 It is no secret that the policies cited above as part of the Fund’s “Structural Adjustment Program,” have contributed to social upheaval in the countries where it is introduced.  Increased economic hardships have led to riots, layoffs, the hoarding of vital consumer goods by merchants and mass migration especially by the local professionals and artisans.  The story is the same throughout the Diaspora, many countries who prior to signing with the IMF had large foreign exchange reserves and developing mining and other heavy industry, soon experienced the opposite: A noticeable reduction in foreign exchange reserves, abandonment of social programs, increased dependence on foreign investments and enormous debt servicing problems.

 Dr. Nigel Clarke - Imperialism Represented in Black Face

Finally, based on the above, there is nothing nationally complimentary about Nigel Clarke’s nomination to the IMF Board; the fanfare and hype is just narrow nationalism without an examination of substance. As an imperialist financial institution, Clarke has no say in formulating or influencing IMF Policies; he will just be gladly carrying out the dictates of imperialism, to further “strangle” progressive countries and oppress the working-class further. All of Clarke’s previous job positions were with both capitalist financial institutions, part of the United States’ ruling class, and imperialist organizations that had nothing in common with people of color in particular and the working class in general.

As a Minister of Finance, Clarke’s has had a less than stellar performance; despite all the glowing speeches by the Prime Minister and Clarke himself how wonderful the economy is doing, just ask the average working person if this “growth” has translated into making their everyday living conditions better. Has this “growth” provided affordable rents and housing; affordable transportation costs and efficient service; affordable medical and prescription costs; the supermarket shelves are stocked with products, but how affordable are groceries for even basic food items. The only people who have apparently benefited from this “growth” are big business and the local oligarchy. Further, Dr. Nigel Clarke had presided over a 200% pay increase for parliamentarians but proposed 10%  and 5% increase for teachers, police, and others, respectively.

Dr. Nigel Clarke’s appointment is a testament to his ideological outlook and performance in the interest of international capital; had he been a person with a social outlook that sided and advocated for the oppressed, he would never have been nominated for the position. Any person or organization that finds the nomination complimentary is either oblivious to the reactionary history of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or another apologist for international capital.

 Paul Bogle Action Network (PBAN) is a group of concerned Jamaicans, helping to facilitate the development and nurturing of working-class organizations where absent, and where they exist, strengthen their focus. Questions and information request can be sent to: paulbogleactionnetwork@gmail.com