Glen Lall’s populism wouldn’t deliver the goods

Dear Editor,
I have followed with interest the commentary by Kaieteur News publisher Mr. Glenn Lall. I stated before that Mr. Lall is a talented ‘stage performer’. I am, however, concerned that his ideas have become too Bolivarian to be credible. By this I mean that Glen Lall’s political ideology is a replica of the failed ideology and policies of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez was an economic and political/ideological populist, and Mr. Lall’s performances very much resemble those of Colonel Chavez.
Populism has three primary features. First, populism is based on the politics of mobilization rather than the politics of aggregation. Mobilization is driven by a so-called charismatic leader who tells the masses that the elites cannot represent their interests. This person calls on the masses to believe that he (or she) has special insights and superior knowledge about economics, politics, and everything else in public life. This so-called charismatic leader claims to represent ‘the people’ against the elites in Government and business, and against foreign investors. He often assumes the air of a saviour of biblical proportions.
Secondly, populists usually promise the world to the middle class, and especially to the poor. Hugo Chavez, for instance, promised to double the wages of the working class (which he did upon taking office). I do not know if Glen Lall has promised to double wages, but his populist ideology is totally lined up with doing so. Within years, as in the case of Venezuela, the wages become meaningless due to inflation, mismanagement, and because of even more promises laced with unsustainable Government giveaways.
Thirdly, populists like Chavez engage in aggressive attacks on foreign capital. Mr. Lall is now the most noted anti-foreign investor/ investment advocate, not only in Guyana, but in the entire Global South. The foreign investor is painted as an economic devil bent on carrying the most unspeakable crimes against citizens. Demonic images of immense suffering are conjured up by the populist, who then simultaneously casts himself as the Blessed One who has descended to save the nation.
Here is a quote from an article on Mr. Lall’s position on foreign investors in Guyana: “In his latest commentary, Lall articulated the distressing reality that each passing day sees Guyanese being “raped and robbed” of their natural treasures”. “Raped and robbed”! What could be eviler than that?
Hugo Chavez had chased out the foreign investors both through institutional means (meaning Government policies), and through his hateful rhetoric against foreign investors. Words matter. Between 2000 and 2002, $US15 billion dollars in private capital fled Venezuela. What the Guyanese people should know is that although Venezuela has twenty-seven times more proven oil reserves than Guyana, (and 34 times more the population), it has less foreign direct investment than we do. In fact, in 2021 there was net capital outflow from Venezuela to the tune of RB -761,333,000.
Mr. Lall’s anti-foreign capital position is more extreme than that of President Maduro. The Venezuelans do admit foreign investments from China. Not so for Glen Lall, who is against Chinese economic activity in Guyana. The following was reported in yesterday’s Kaieteur News – “[t]he thought of witnessing hundreds of Chinese individuals shipping out pontoons laden with resources while the nation’s citizens struggle to secure a proper meal stirs a righteous indignation in Lall’s soul.”
Populism is a popular thing with those who do not know better. Who won’t want their wages to be doubled or tripled in a day? Yet, too many of the world’s poor fall for this voodoo economics. Make no mistake that wages should go up. Economic inequality is real, and workers have the right to pursue their economic interests with the greatest intensity and resolve. What is not in their best interest, however, is to listen to promises that sound too good to be true. They usually are.
If you do not trust my interpretation of populism, then please avail yourself of a definition provided in the Washington Post by A.M. Rondón.
“The recipe for populism is universal. Find a wound common to many, find someone to blame for it, and make up a good story to tell. Mix it all together. Tell the wounded you know how they feel. That you found the bad guys. Label them: the minorities, the politicians, the businesspeople. Caricature them. As vermin, evil masterminds, haters and losers, you name it. Then paint yourself as the saviour. Capture the people’s imagination. Forget about policies and plans, just enrapture them with a tale. One that starts with anger and ends with vengeance. A vengeance they can participate in” (A.M. Rondón, Washington Post, 1/27/2017).
In a follow-up article, I will explain how populism as a political strategy works. This is a debate that must be had, and I hope Mr. Glen Lall will engage in it for the betterment of the country. In the meantime, I must say that Glen Lall’s populism won’t deliver the goods.

Sincerely,
Dr Randolph Persaud