Shakespeare was – if nothing else – an insightful observer of political intrigues. Has there been a better text on the subject than Richard III and Julius Caesar? In the latter, Caesar had risen to become ruler of Rome and stirred strong emotions about political ambitions – from within and without. Act 3 of the play opens with Caesar appearing in public; hears a voice calling his name from the crowd and asks, “Who is it in the press that calls on me?” A Soothsayer responded, “Beware the ides of March.” But Caesar dismisses the warning and tells his companions, “He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass”.
Well, here in Guyana – approaching the ides (middle) of March, the government just had a warning– not by a soothsayer, but by someone long in the tooth! This fella’s been around the block – and then some. He even reminded folks at the public meeting of his most infamous involvement against the government – during the Buxton-centered crime wave starting in 2002. Now THAT was a terrorist operation if there ever was one – innocent civilians massacred by the dozens to oust the government!!
And what did the longtoother say? Just that the army and police – basically all from the ethnic group his party and others in the Opposition insist they have transported over – have the guns to overthrow them at any time!! Right away we can discern one difference between a “soothsayer” and a “longtoother”. The latter doesn’t beat around the bush with all sorts of cryptic sayings that have to be deciphered and interpreted. We don’t even need to infer anything save that – as the folk saying goes – “when blind man tell you he gong pelt you, de done gat brick in ‘e hand!!”. Long toothers tell it like it is!! Could be they don’t have much time left and don’t wanna have their audience waste time figuring out riddles!!
Well, the army chief quickly insisted that his troops follow the Constitution and they aren’t about to overthrow no government!! Famous last words? There’s plenty of examples through the years of armies with constitutions spelling out the neutral role of the army – yet overthrowing their governments, violently or otherwise!! They convince themselves that the constitution’s not being followed! Heck, just in the last year two governments in Africa were ejected by their armies!! And we’re certainly closer to the states of Africa in political development than, say, the old imperialist Britain!!
And right next door in Suriname didn’t Bouterse prove that just a bunch of Sergeants can pull off a coup?? Just as Sergeant Doe had done in Liberia a few years before??
As the saying goes: “A hint to Beneba mek Quashie tek notice”!!
…of financial meltdown
Notwithstanding the rise of China and India, the US remains the linchpin of the world’s economy. So when they catch a (financial) cold we’ll soon be sneezing. We found this out as far back as the Great Depression of the 1930s – which became a world depression – and as recently as their last meltdown of 2008. One indicator of their continuing precariousness is that their Public Debt is US$31.46 while their entire GDP is just US$26.1 trillion.
Meaning that if they were forced to repay their debts like us in 1989 – by say, foreign debt holders like China – they’d have to declare bankruptcy!! What’s saved them up to now is that US Greenbacks have remained the global reserve currency. Folks accept pieces of paper printed by the US to ship them real goods – produced by blood, sweat and tears! Well after being judged by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Banks”, Silicon Valley Bank, with assets of $209 billion, just declared bankruptcy!!
The end is nigh??
…of bollards??
When your Eyewitness saw the headline he thought it was “Beware of Bollocks”!! Turns out, the Opposition’s worried about those embedded short poles – bollards – around GPL’s posts to save them from wild drivers. And that’s not bollocks!!
