…and the “natives”
Well, now that we have struck oil, it had to happen sooner or later. Confirmation by the Western media that we natives just can’t govern ourselves! And because of our genetically-depraved nature, we’re corrupt to boot!! The Brits, of course, carried their “burden” and tried to save our benighted souls to keep our venal tendencies in check. But that was impossible and the moment they were gone….BOOM!!! all of our wretchedness exploded like a volcano.
Burnham didn’t do much to dispel THAT stereotype, of course! As a matter of fact, he stoked it with gusto as corruption became power and absolute corruption became absolute power!! But since we were dirt poor and went around with a begging bowl, we didn’t cause many blips on the Western media. They already had Haiti as their poster boy in this Hemisphere – and a succession of venal, corrupt and vicious dictators who made Burnham look like a choir boy!!
But hey!! The PPP tried for 23 years to clean up that mess –- led for more than half of that time by Bharrat Jagdeo. He dragged us up from being a Highly Indebted Poor Country into a Medium Income Developing Country. But we were still too small to get international attention. But when the PNC returned for one term in 2015 and then tried to rig the elections in 2020, that got their attention. Nah…it wasn’t because of the RAPE OF DEMOCRACY. Oil had been struck and EXXON was here. Can’t have these natives mess up 13 billion barrels of oil, can we?!!
But hold it!! Even though Guyana got crumbs – courtesy of PNC’s Trotman – it still adds up ‘cause we’re so small. And as we stand on the cusp of some massive development with Jagdeo as VP advising President Ali’s administration, there’s the DANGER of us now moving into DEVELOPED COUNTRY STATUS!! But that would destroy a whole lotta stereotypes about us natives, wouldn’t it?
Enter Vice News Media from stage left, playing the role they’ve honed to a “T”: exposing the VENAL NATIVE – represented by acknowledged world leader Jagdeo!! Just check out their YouTube archives – their exposés are dominated by us Third Worlders!! You’d be looking in vain for such corruption scandals right at home in the good ole USA about say, Hunter Biden – son of President Joe Biden. Didn’t Hunter jet with his dad to China on Air Force 1, hooked up with Chinese investment banker Jonathan Li and 12 days later a private equity fund, BHR Partners, was approved by the Chinese authorities?
Mr Li was chief executive and (coincidentally!!) Hunter was a board member. He held a 10% stake!!
But Vice doesn’t see that as Vice!!
…colonialism returning
Talking about us natives…it’s not just Vice News confirming the deeply-embedded stereotypes about us in the minds of the denizens of Viceland. Have you forgotten those Guyanese workers working on the FPSOs – which Guyana OWNS, not so coincidentally! – who had to eat AFTER the expats finished. Meaning they get what’s left over!! And they had to be thankful that the scraps weren’t thrown at them, probably! So what’s changed from when the same ex-pats were mining our bauxite at Mackenzie and Wismar (before Fat Boy nationalised and had it renamed after himself!)?
The ex-pats had their exclusive housing while we natives lived in comparative hovels; couldn’t enter their exclusive clubs, or even enter their homes through the front door! Servants’ entrance at the back, please!! And when they came to town on the RH Carr, they sat on the exclusive first-class deck above the cattle deck below where we natives milled around!!
Ahh…the more things change…!
…and slavery
And to remind you where and how it all started, news is just out (NOT from Vice) that the Central Bank of Netherlands just acknowledged that the majority of their founding members acquired their wealth from the slave trade!!
So maybe they’ll agree to reparations?
