…democracy
As the oil money percolates into the wider economy – via governmental spending fuelled by the Natural Resource Fund (NRF), and from the Private Sector via the Local Content Legislation – it’s not only the economy that’s gonna be affected; every other institution of society will be altered. Money talks, baby!! So, what your Eyewitness wants to know is: how do we try to deal with this new world??
Well, first of all, we gotta prioritise. And from where your Eyewitness sits, the political system has been the most critical in influencing our behaviour, and that’s where we oughta start. Up until now, ethnicity’s been the driving force of politics – and we all know where that’s taken us!! So, how will money change this?? As in so many areas of life, we just gotta look at the US and we can see our future. Money has made the world go round for the longest while, and in politics this was largely done through “lobbying”.
“Lobbying”, we’re told, “is any attempt to influence government decision-making.”
Knowing that humans will always seek to have an advantage in furthering their interests, Americans see “lobbying as an integral part of a modern participatory government, and is legally protected.” There, the right to lobby is protected by both the 1st Amendment (free speech) and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 – and additionally, by “the inherent need for participation in our democratic environment”.
Each state has its own definition of lobbying.
For example, in California, “lobbyist” means: “Any individual who receives US$2,000 or more in economic consideration in a calendar month, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, or whose principal duties as an employee are to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any elective state official, agency official, or legislative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.”
Even foreigners are allowed to lobby.
We Guyanese would know from our experience during and after the 2020 elections – which the PNC tried to steal – both the PNC and PPP hired lobbyists to influence US lawmakers. We even heard about the amount of money the lobbyists charged – they didn’t come cheap!! But the point is, we know all of that cause there were laws to regulate an activity that everyone knew would take place – regardless!!
The Americans have two statutes to regulate the disclosure of lobbying activities by foreigners: The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)1 and the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). One analyst estimated that there were close to 100,000 lobbyists who earned $9 billion annually. Wall Street spent a record $2 billion trying to influence the 2016 US Presidential election!!
Isn’t it time we get with the (lobbying) program??
…BRICS?
Remember “BRICS” – the serendipitous acronym standing for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa?? The “emerging economies” that promised a whole new world order – away from the Western-centric model that ruled the roost for the last 500 years?? Well, after making a big splash and launching their own development bank and stuff…they dropped off the radar a bit. But seems to’ve found new energy with the Ukraine War. They’ll be meeting next week in South Africa, but – fuelled by ambition and self-interest – don’t expect anything dramatic. After all, China’s jostling with India over their borders, and blood has even been spilled up in the Himalayas – still rankles!!
While Russia seems to’ve accepted China’s ascendency – after being their senior partner back in the day – Putin’s absence will put a dent to any ambitious agenda.
Ukraine, of course, gonna be on the agenda – with China and India making out like bandits by sopping up Russian oil available through Western sanctions.
But don’t expect any new reserve currency to replace the greenback!!
…the Ukraine gambit?
Now it’s not just a matter of “I told you so”, but now that Russia has acquired the “strategic depth” it desired from the very beginning, the West is gonna have to fight to the last Ukrainian!!
