An editorial in one daily took the Ministry of Culture and Sport to task for allegedly not spending enough time (and more to their point, MONEY) on culture. Now, this business of Governments getting involved in “culture” is a sore point with your Eyewitness, and this criticism offers him the chance to vent!! First, what business is it of Governments to get involved in culture? Isn’t culture supposed to be the way of life of the PEOPLE?
And in their “way of living”, wouldn’t different people have evolved different ways of living, and formed different ideas as to HOW to live; meaning they’d have DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on what’s the best lifestyle? Lots of things can influence culture – starting with the climate in which people are living, no? For sure, the Eskimo folks in the Arctic would’ve evolved different lifestyles – and cultures – from folks living in our South American tropical forests, even though we’re taught in school that they both came across the Bering Straits thousands of years ago, and are of the same stock!
While both groups would have had to make houses to live in to protect themselves from the elements, they would have used the materials available to build APPROPRIATE houses; and we have huts versus igloos!! They’d therefore create different products. Spears to gather seals for food would be different from arrows to catch fish! And the everyday practices like celebrations, marriages, birth-and-death customs would also be different, because of their different perspectives developed about those life events. Because of the isolation and rigours of their perpetual hunt for food, while being monogamous, male Eskimos were apt to share their wives with each other – unlike, say, our local Arawaks.
So, to return to our “culture” in Guyana, since we, “six peoples”, came from various continents – much less countries – our cultures were quite different from each other. And this when this business of Governments getting involved with culture began!! The European colonials, who dragged us here, didn’t bring us to look at, and enjoy, the scenery, but to work on their plantations and mines!! As such, they decided that whatever culture – ways of living – we had must be changed to suit THEIR ends!!
The Indigenous Amerindians – living harmoniously on Mother Nature’s bounty – were dubbed “lazy”. And for the rest of us – brought as slaves and indentured labourers – the Government enforced practices that led to greater production! The original culture of slaves was literally BEATEN out of them!! Now that we’re independent, shouldn’t the Government leave it to the people to decide on their culture? Even the Europeans have abandoned the “One People, One Nation, One Destiny” we bought lock stock and barrel!!
Government should simply fund cultural expressions that the PEOPLE request!!
…in the economy
With all the nonsense being spewed by the Opposition in the Budget “debate”, your Eyewitness thinks we gotta get back to some basics on what an economy’s all about. He’d hoped the Opposition would’ve been briefed on them, but being “headless and flailing”, maybe it’s understandable! So, your Eyewitness will explain the fiscal equivalent of the economic bees and birds!!
The total size of the economy is called “Gross Domestic Product” (GDP), and is represented by the formula C+I+G+(Ex-Im). Which means you add up all the money we, the people, spend (C- consumption); amount invested – “I” (generally by businesses); the amount the Government spends (G) to the difference between Exports and Imports. Now, the Government will spend most of the budget to build up our infrastructure for our future development!!
The Opposition wants the Government to pass the money to the people to spend.
Which we’ll all consume today, and when the oil runs out, we’re back to square one!! Barefoot and hungry!!
…in security
Now, if folks want to point the Government to spend more wisely, let them focus on the MAIN reason Governments are founded across the world – SECURITY for their citizens.
Professionalise the Police to be INTELLIGENCE-LED!! More snitches?
