Dear Editor
The political DNA of Guyana began from the days of slavery and indentured labour. Guyanese have always seen their struggles as either descendants of slaves or indentured labourers. Instead of moving forward in a spirit of forgiveness, there is entrenchment of the desire of entitlement or reparation. These two states of mind have led to how the masses are governed. As such, the ruling party governs by “rice or sugar” or to some extent “mining” manifestos.
The lengths at which the political parties would go to support their chosen manifesto oftentimes take on the appearance of racism and nepotism. Yet, the intended actions are always to support the agrarian DNA of the people, which has become diluted over the centuries.
Nevertheless, it is kept alive time and time again during elections and need for distractions. Recently, audits have revealed the extent to which government would go to shift monies to the rice and sugar sectors (people).
Before it was the mining sector and soon to be the oil sector.
The ancestral struggles are constant reminders so that the mindset of entitlement or reparation remains front and centre.
Both rice and sugar are on a declining trend as reflected by estate closings and land allocation. Yet, the stories of the two industries are always in the news. Some dream about the day when tourism, business or oil would supplant them. However, what is supplanting them is the illegal drug trafficking and rampant crimes that have become part of the DNA or is eroding the agrarian DNA.
Politicians will continue the politics of “rice and sugar” for the foreseeable future because it is in the DNA and not statistics or central or market planning.
There is something similar for oil, just look at those oil-producing countries. As well as tourism, just look at the island mentality.
Or America’s “guns and butter” model. I prefer the model if you don’t work you don’t eat.
Sincerely,
Keith Bernard
