Just in case we thought it was only Guyanese who’re going berserk over elections, let’s not forget that India, South Africa, and Mexico just completed some pretty tumultuous ones, and are trying to settle down – after picking up the pieces of their fractured politics. And today, the day the US – Britain’s former colony – declared their independence, the “Mother Country” is having its own elections, to decide who’ll run its affairs for the next five years!!
The Conservative Party – or Tories as they call themselves – have been in charge for the last fourteen years, and what a run it’s been!! From where your Eyewitness stands, one of the most memorable events was them quitting the European Union – Brexit!! Here it was, they’d insisted that Federation was the way to go in the modern world – and called us “backward” to’ve dumped the WI Federation they’d roped us into back in 1958. So, did they apologize to us for seeing the light on unions so far ahead?? That would be infra dig, wouldn’t it?
Another standout was the rise and fall of the buffoon Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. When the Brits had “tutored” us to rule our own country – as they looted our wealth wholesale – they insisted that political leaders gotta be “stiff-upper-lipped”. So, we had Burnham returning from England – after just 4 years – speaking in the measured, rotund cadences of Winston Churchill – with all his pauses and quips thrown in for good measure. And worse of all, he wore worsted suits with ties – in our tropical heat! Yet, THEY’d picked Boris Johnson – who looked like something the alley cat dragged in, and behaved even worse!!
And lastly, they allowed the grandson of an indentured Indian immigrant from Uganda – “Dishy” Rishy Sunak – to become their Prime Minister!! Mea Culpa?? All right…he tried his darndest to fit in with the Toffs by attending an elite “Grammar School” and then going on to Oxbridge for a “posh accent”!! Policy wise, he took the harshest stance against IMMIGRANTS, legal and illegal!! The latter he would’ve shipped off to Rwanda!!
But try as he did, he’ll certainly be booted out in today’s elections – by Labour’s Keir Starmer. And it’s not because Starmer’s ideologically to the left – as Labour is traditionally? Starmer’s moved so far to the right that his program’s barely distinguishable from the Tories’. Even if no one wants to say it out aloud, he’s a “REAL Brit, innit??
Another fly in the ointment for Sunak is the rise of far-right candidate Nigel Farage, who’s patterned himself after – here it comes – Donald Trump!! He’s projected to take a chunk of votes from the Tories, and become a thorn in their side from tomorrow!!
As the world turns!!
…in the US?
But what about the US – the country we’re all trying to emulate?? There, dear friends, they’re looking to Obama to rescue them from dementia-hit Joe Biden!! But they’re all ignoring the elephant in the room: the US debt!! For years, we’ve been warned to keep ours in line with our GDP. You can’t be spending more than you earn, cause sooner or later the nasty stuff’s gonna hit the fan. Most economists say that the maximum debt-to-GDP ratio should be around 77%. Our ratio’s a comfortable 23%, and yet the doomsayers are foaming at the mouth at the PPP Government’s quite moderate borrowing.
But what about our model – the US? Their 2023 GDP was $26.97 trillion, against debt of $33.17 trillion!! 127%!! That’s right folks, the US debt’s larger than its economy!! Even Obama’s “mumma-maan” can’t do much about that!!
And the entire world – including us – is hooked on the dollar for trading, so if the US sneezes, we’ll catch the cold!! Bad!!
…in Guyana
But our soap opera elections preparation over in the Opposition benches just keeps on giving your Eyewitness grist for his mill!! The latest is what your Eyewitness always predicted: Norton ain’t stepping aside for no one!! He’s waited too long!!
