Your Eyewitness has always been intrigued by the name of one of the US’ most distinguished jurists – Justice Learned Hand. He was certainly “learned” – but how’d he get that name?? Turned out he was named after his maternal grandfather, Billings Learned!! Pure serendipity!! Anyhow, the goodly jurist once pointed out something that’s very apropos to our dear land right now: “…a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save…a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save…”
It surely looks like we’ve reached that point. Have you listened to the daily rantings of the PNC and AFC Opposition?? We know that the Opposition gotta “oppose”, but this Opposition have forgotten that’s only half of their job: they also gotta “PROPOSE”!! That is, they’re supposed to propose policies that show how they would develop the nation more than the incumbent’s policies are doing. All in the hope that they’ll persuade a majority of the electorate to vote for them come the next elections – here in 2025!! It’s that simple, stupid!!
But it looks like the PNC–AFC have become just an annoying irrelevance! Have accepted Raphael Trotman’s advice to Desmond Hoyte back in the day before he departed. The Opposition’s goal – said Trotman – was to “oppose, expose and depose” the PPP!! That’s right, folks – DEPOSE!! And Hoyte, of course, promptly segued into his “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” mode that led to four fellas breaking out of Lot 12 Camp Street to lay waste to large swaths of East Coast and sections of the Police Force. This, of course, raises the question as to why Trotman wasn’t considered as a dangerous rabble-rouser – like the present PNC Leader Norton??
Well, dear reader, it just proves that it’s not how you SAY things, but HOW you say it!! Norton still hasn’t mastered the art of crinkling his eyes and smiling like he means it while sticking the (verbal) knife in his opponent’s back!! So, in the meantime, we’re subjected to a weekly harangue by the Opposition Leader at his press conference, where it doesn’t matter what question he’s asked – or what answer he gives – it comes out like he’s declaring WWIII against the PPP!! And imagine the fella was attached to the Foreign Service when the PNC were in office. They never sent him to protocol training!!
Let’s take his adoption of the “emerging apartheid state” mantra, which he picked up from a fringe element of the Opposition. Now, in politics, there are always gonna be fringe elements that would try to push the envelope; that’s the only way they can get noticed!! But did he have to adopt it hook, line and sinker?? Does he really want to declare war?
…on ganja!!
Well, your Eyewitness has been following the heated (smoky) debate as to how we should deal with our favourite herb – brought to these shores by Indian indentureds – who gave it the name “GANJA”. Now, in an interesting twist, it was adopted by African Jamaicans, who made it essential as a sacrament in their Rastafari religion and spread it worldwide — including back in a circle to the other WI territories like our mudland.
Anyhow, it appears like the powers-that-be aren’t persuaded the herb should be legalised in toto; so, right now, we have folks being thrown into the clinker for half an ounce in their possession!! What to do. Well, this Government have based their entire development scheme on a low carbon trajectory. Do they know that marijuana plants of the same mass absorb more than three times the carbon that trees do??
Now, because our sugar lands have become so unprofitable, we can actually earn carbon credits by growing hemp!! Go ganja!!
…sales gimmick
The Thanksgiving Black Friday Sale at Courts, that had folks lining up ten hours before Courts’ doors opened, just proves it’s money that makes the world go round!! So, next year, expect every Guyanese retailer to join the line!!
