…Government?
For a country in which politicians were called “precocious” during colonial days — spouting communist rhetoric that spanned the spectrum from communism to cooperative socialism — it’s weird that nowadays we don’t get a peep out of the players on ideology. And it’s not that the choice was between those two extremes: there were all the gradations from the Black Nationalist Socialism of Kwayana; the Black Nationalist Marxism of Rodney; the Revolutionary Maoism of Brindley Benn; the Christian Democracy of Tennessee – not to mention the overt identity politics of the League of Coloured Peoples and the BGEIA. If Guyana’s the “Land of Six Peoples”, a thousand ideological flowers bloomed even before Mao thought of the phrase!!
So, what’s with our political parties now?? Suffering from mental laziness – as one Opposition leader accused followers of the PPP – or have we reached the “end of ideology”, as predicted some time ago?? Now, your Eyewitness ain’t talking about any full-blown, Bible-thumping ideology…but shouldn’t our politicians have some sorta ideas on how our politics and society ought to function?? Maybe if they articulated such an overarching idea, folks wouldn’t be choosing between who’s uglier or more pugnacious than whom!!
Ok…Ok…so you, dear reader, wanna know a bit more what your Eyewitness is going on about, don’t you?? Well, let’s talk about services provided by the Government. In the US – the home of capitalism and “the brave” – they lob rockets from caves in the Rockies to targets 10,000 miles away!! – they don’t believe in free medical care for all!! That’s – gasp!! – “socialism”. Even the Affordable Care Act – dubbed “Obamacare” in echo of “Medicare” that sets earning limits – was derided.
Well, we got free medical care, and also free education – up to and including University by 2025, if the PPP’s to be believed. This would make us stark raving communists to Americans!! So, is this why we stay mum?? One wing of the Opposition – in direct echo of Burnham’s socialist “declarations” – has the “Declaration of Buxton”, which promises $1,000,000 to every family in Guyana!! Whether you’re a billionaire or you’re a street sleeper!!
Now, how about politics?? America sez ‘free and fair’ elections are the very essence of “democracy” – which it promotes across the world even at the point of a gun, as in Afghanistan or Iraq. Our Opposition’s playing a “hold me-loose me” game on this one!! Even though they won under those rules in 2015, suddenly they’re very skittish on the entire question. A government in waiting ain’t enough for them – they’re looking for a GUARANTEED seat at the Governmental table – even by rigging!!
Whether folks want that or not!! It’s unclear which part of “government by the people” they don’t understand!!
…wooing for Guyana?
Imagine you were the wall flower at the dance on the international scene for decades – cause you were considered drab and nondescript. Now suddenly – because a fairy godmother named Janet waved her wand and invited Exxon to dig for and find oil under our Atlantic coast – we’re the belle of the ball!! So many suitors are lining up, we gotta decide to tell them our dance card’s full, innit?? After all, there are only so many times one can pirouette around the dance floor when we got things to do and places to see!!
Right off the bat, we gotta realize we ain’t getting the full-court press because our suitors suddenly discovered we’re the salt of the earth!! It’s the oil – and its attendant money – that they wanna get their hands on!! And some of those hands are pretty grubby – cause once they get what they want, they’ll ravish our fair land and leave it barefoot and pregnant!!
Let’s play hard-to-get!!
…risk for the Democrats??
With the Republicans unable to agree on a House Speaker – which their control of the House can deliver – if their whip doesn’t ensure all members are there to cast their vote this weekend, Democrat Hakeem can slip in!!
