…our continental destiny
The first law of geography states that “Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.” Makes sense, doesn’t it? If places, for instance, are closer to us than other places, we should know the closer places better! But the fella who promulgated that law didn’t take into account the reality and logic of European Empires!! Take, for instance, our neighbours Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil. They’re literally physically joined to us on the east, west and south in our common continent of South America…can’t get closer than that!
But are we more “related” to those countries than, say, Britain (the self-declared “mother” country) which is 4,622 miles north across the Atlantic Ocean? Hell no!! Yet we know the daffodils of England, its Cathedrals, palaces, rivers and towns even more intimately than our own landmarks…and certainly much less that our neighbours’!! Quick now…close your eyes and try to picture the Thames River in London and the Rio Branco that flows through Manaus just south of Lethem. Get the point?!
Well, all of that’s gonna finally change, so we can paraphrase the Americans who opened up their continent to say loud and clear without any irony, “GO SOUTH, YOUNG MAN – AND WOMAN!! After fifty years of planning and dreaming, we’re finally going to connect our Georgetown to Linden Highway to Lethem. From where we can cross over the Takutu Bridge into Boa Vista and on to Manaus or all the highways to the rest of South America or Central America!! The President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is in town, having signed the cheque to start and complete the all-weather Highway from Linden to Mabura. And then on to Lethem!
“Almost one half of Guyana’s potential will be linked one way or the other to just opening that corridor…we are using Linden to Lethem, but I am referring here from the deep-sea port in Georgetown all the way to connectivity to Brazil,” the man announced. He should also have mentioned that the Government plans that new Silicon City on the Highway and – rather than adding more congestion into Port Georgetown – will be linking it to the Deep-Water Harbour over in Berbice. And we know that the Surinamese are busy with their plans to connect their highways with ours via that Bridge across their Corentyne River!!
Ain’t this great? Imagine the freedom we’ll have: to be able to just jump into our cars and drive thousands of miles like the Yanks do just to visit friends. And those we’ll have aplenty – from all over the continent!!
Our oil will be the honey that’ll seal the deal!!
…manufactured rage
South Africa continues to burn – literally. At the latest count, more than TWO HUNDRED MALLS have been looted and stripped bare, and them razed to the ground!! Women have been raped. To date, 72 persons have been killed – most of them from being trampled by fellow looters trying to get first dibs on the choicest merchandise! The perpetrators are Zulus, claiming they’re protesting the imprisonment of ex-President Zuma, who’s also Zulu. He’d been convicted of siphoning off almost US$1BILLION from his struggling country when he was President!
Some have “explained” the vandalism and violence as expressions of extreme resentment by the poor of what those malls represent – the good life. Your Eyewitness finds this ironic. They’re POOR, but defending the theft of US $1billion that could’ve been used to lift them out of poverty??!! He’s reminded of those in Guyana who’re also defending those in the PNC who pilfered state assets ranging from gold bracelets to prime real estate!!
While complaining that they’re still the “poor and the powerless”!
…on sugar workers’ plight
One wise guy suggested that GAWU “motivate” their sugar union members to show up for work, cause there’s a 27% absenteeism in the industry. How would he motivate workers earning $2200 daily?
Maybe they should riot?
