…of Leader uber alles
Back in the day, Burnham used to prance around in an army General’s uniform! Yup!! That’s right!! He insisted it wasn’t because of any lingering insecurities precipitated by those beatings he received at the hands of his fellow students first at Central High…and then at Queens!! You didn’t know Burnham went to Central, Dear Reader?? Well, not many do, since Burnham wanted everyone to believe he was a real Queen’s man.
He insisted he wore the uniform because he was “Commander in Chief” of the Disciplined Forces, which he increased exponentially until Guyana had the highest army/civilian ratio in the world!! Another of his sterling achievements – in addition to presiding over the greatest mass suicide in the world at Jonestown!!
Anyhow, your Eyewitness was struck by the picture on the front page of three of the four dailies where President Granger’s briefing the top brass of the Disciplined Forces. It reminded him so much of the days when Burnham would summon the army biggies to PNC Headquarters at Sophia and have them swear an oath of loyalty to him. Granger, as an officer and Burnham loyalist, would’ve taken quite a few of those oaths!! As a genuine Brigadier (technically a “one-star” General – as opposed to the four stars Burnham sported) your Eyewitness wondered if any oaths were sworn in the PNC-green State House meeting.
The Disciplined Forces’ top brass, of course, were – not so incidentally being introduced into surroundings they’ll become quite familiar – since it’s expected they’ll follow the more than two dozen “civilian” top positions in the office of the presidency, filled by be-medalled chests!! They would’ve realised they’ll be quite comfortable with old faces like Colonel Harmon in the role of the faithful adjutant and Captain Archer as aide de camp…
The topic under discussion, we’re told, was the Venezuelan border controversy. Of course that’s the same topic Burnham used to increase the armed forces by a factor of ten!! We even got a “naval wing” to ensure the Venezuelans couldn’t get even one Spring Cuirass, while the swollen army guarded our blades of grass! Never mind they took over our half of Ankoko Island and are still in possession. Are we going to insist they give it back in our case at the ICJ? Your Eyewitness hopes so, since it’s rather tedious to say Guyana has 282,199 square miles!!
Anyhow, the army brass would’ve been informed of the increase in their manpower…but to their relief, they’d heard they aren’t being posted to the western front to repel the Vennies.
Like in the Burnham days, they’ll be dispersed in “PPP areas” to live off the land!!
…of the new Massa
Another bit of nostalgia brought back into the news was Hope Estate. You young whippersnappers don’t know about Hope Estate?? What’s the world coming to?? Hope Estate was Burnham’s personal experiment to experience the days of the Massa. He nationalised the coconut estate from some Guyanese family and used it to send off scores of Civil Servants to clean the canals and perform other manual labour there.
He’d show up on a horse, in full country-squire garb – jodhpurs, whip and all!! Anyone on the paths better jump out of the way when Burnham came trotting by!! Some say it was one way of getting back at some of the “high colour” elite boys who’d have lorded over him at Queen’s and followed their fathers into the Civil Service. Burnham wasn’t one to forget slights!!
Anyhow, in the present, a slew of farmers are being evicted from the estate. It’s just a coincidence, they’re mostly all PPP supporters!
The real reason is to have our present PNC-Leader show who’s boss!!
…and water supply
In the Burnham years, it was a common sight to have kids “fetching water” from one village to the next. The PPP corrected that…but the CEO says “revenue stream low” and wants to raise rates.
He should know his water pressure’s also low!
