…Police mindset
The fact that the Policemen who tortured that youth-man over on the West Bank haven’t even been named, tells a lot about why nothing’s going to change in that institution. The torturers’ father, you see, is a high-ranking Police Officer and it’s obvious that his “reputation” is being protected. Contrast that kid-glove treatment with that time a fella wounded his sister-in-law and every newspaper in the land blared “Ex-PM Sam Hinds’ son charged for wounding sister-in-law”!!
In Guyana, the Police who’re supposed to uphold the law as they “serve and protect” citizens are a law unto themselves. And it’s been so ever since the Police Force was launched back in 1839. It’s not a coincidence that this was just a year after slavery had been abolished. After hundreds of years of brutalising the slaves, the British were, not surprisingly, a tad apprehensive with their reaction after their chains were removed!! So rather than modelling the Police after the own London baton-wielding Bobbies, the Guyana Police were armed with guns to deal more condignly with the newly-created citizenry!!
The Guyana Police have never really moved away from the mindset created then as to their relationship with the people: “brute force and ignorance” was their watchword. In the beginning, most of the cops were recruited from Bajan immigrants – to ensure they wouldn’t be swayed by any sympathy for folks they might’ve known. Up to independence, they were mostly commanded by white officers brought over from Britain. When it came to their performance, they can be judged by the number of times they were willing to shoot “rioters” over the years.
After independence, Burnham intensified the authoritarian culture of the Police as he used them primarily to quell dissent from those opposed to him. When the British were ruling, at least the Police were following the law – unfairly drafted as they were – when they shot or arrested civilians. Under the PNC, they were guided by the whims of the PNC big sticks and it is during that period that they were irremediably corrupted. How could a wayward officer be disciplined when he was in cahoots with more senior officers all the way up the line, to do the PNC’s dirty work?
There was little the PPP could do when they acceded to office and the out-of-office PNC called on them as “kit and kin” to turn a blind eye to their shenanigans. This undermined the very existence of the Guyanese state – especially when, eventually, para-military drug-related gangs became involved to mete out “vigilante “justice”!
The GPF needs a root and branch makeover!
…three-card (oil) monte
The con in oil continues unabated under the PNC’s caretaker cabal – even though the Opposition Leader has fired a shot across their bow on their barefaced attempt to sell the Guyanese share of first oil without following any proper bidding. To revelations by Bloomberg that spot contracts will be handed out to arbitrarily selected crude oil traders, the Opposition Leader says they won’t recognise those contracts. And rightfully so!!
Imagine Bynoe saying that he just called on the majors – and not the independents – because the former have refining capabilities and would be in a position to assay the quality of the crude so as to get the best price on the market. He just showed how wise Mark Twain was when he advised: “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt”.
If environmentalist Bynoe has asked even the most junior energy flunkey, they would’ve told him there are professional assaying companies like Intertek that perform this role for the spot trade!!
Every day of the week!!!
…hype
How low has the reputation of our country been destroyed by the PNC that an “I love Guyana” sign could create so much excitement!!
Yes, we love Guyana…but that love can best be expressed by removing the rascals!!
