Jamaica has sold out to the Chinese in a last ditch effort to salvage something from decades of economic mismanagement and governmental and societal failure. Multilateral lenders of repute will not invest, so the Jamaican government now follows the Chinese funded US$1.5 billion post-Panamax capable Goat Island Container Port, to be built on islands that are ecologically important and protected by international treaty with what is dubbed the “Beijing Highway.” The Jamaican government has traded 1,200 acres of land to a Chinese state-owned company. In return a US$600 million, four-lane highway, lined by luxury hotels, restaurants and bars will be built. Will the Jamaicans get a good deal? It is doubtful. In Trinidad we had our own experience with Chinese construction companies. Many of the Chinese-built projects are still standing empty or are crumbling, just like the political reputations of those who masterminded these projects. Don’t blame China. Blame the government that signed off on those projects. Blame the society that allowed the politicians to act that way. Politics is us, after all. Blame us, the people. Can we change? The Chinese can build this highway for TT$3.8 billion for 67 km of 4-lane motorway. Compare this to the TT$7.5 billion for the Golconda to Point Fortin Highway, which is 47 km. You may not agree with the way in which the highway protest was done. The no-water, no-food hunger strike that went on for hundreds of days harmed the credibility of the environmental movement. However, the underlying criticism that the project was not properly planned or financed is not diminished. The silent bulldozers along the route make that blatantly clear. It looks like the highway will remain unfinished for many years to come. Most environmental concerns can be reduced to good governance vs bad governance. When you practice bad governance the result is going to be that outsiders will come and do your business for you: IMF, the World Bank, the Chinese state.