Dear Editor,
I thank Dr. Randy Persaud for his comments (SN 10.24.09) on my letter titled, `Too many are irrevocably partisan that those who think along national lines are damned as outsiders’ (SN 10.23.09).
It is disturbing that my writing almost wholly dedicated to the need to lift ourselves up as a society (regardless of what pertains elsewhere) was repositioned and spun as a full blown comparison between Guyana and more affluent societies. At best, there could have been some misunderstanding; at less than best, I might be tempted to see the disingenuous, even despicable, at work.
To begin again, there was no comparison with Guyana and elsewhere; at least not North America. Who amongst us would be so naïve or imbecilic? Instead, I wrote that the mere mention of certain embedded ills in Guyana provoke the inevitable response from defenders that these things are “all over.” While true, such a claim is only part of the story. I then proceeded to offer a few examples to complete the story missing from the defenders’ frames of reference; however, I objected to using the existence of “all over” as prop or justification for what is present locally. Now, here comes this gentleman repeating the same mantra of “all over” but in a more refined form, creating a non-existent (or intended) comparison, while ignoring the nuances. While nothing exists in a vacuum, I found the leap into “juxtaposition of developments” to be artful in the worse sense of the word.
The second thrust of my effort was embodied in the analogy of the child, individual, and family. It was that, against overwhelming odds and in the face of unforgiving environments, the indomitable spirit that is human nature triumphs. That extrapolated on a national scale, the same can be true, but only if we dare to hope, believe, and sacrifice accordingly. And that this can only be possible, if all the excuses and distractions and norms are resolutely denied with single minded devotion to forge ahead. There is no comparison to anyone and anyplace. Instead, it is an exhortation to my fellow citizens that our destinies are in our own hands; that there can be a pathway for us out of the self destruction of yesterday; that to find it we must be prepared to relinquish that which has failed us so absolutely. And I did this through an analogy with which I felt all of us could identify. Still, the good doctor saw it fit to ignore totally this core aspect of what I wrote, and focused on interpreting and converting the message into a propaganda opportunity.
Moving along, I will stipulate to the statistics and facts tendered, without ever having compared Guyana (as stated by Dr Persaud) to “the glitter of other societies”. One more time: Who amongst us would be so naïve or imbecilic? I am becoming angry at myself for even engaging in a discussion with someone who can twist words so unashamedly, and who manifests a very limited regard for either accuracy or substance. But I repeat the questions: how many among those downtrodden Marylanders or Washingtonians will seek sanctuary in Liberia? Or Guyana? More pointedly, how many of our own countrymen will forego the same experiences having been fully forewarned that they exist?
Next, I do not consider myself a critic of the government or opposition. Instead, I see myself as a citizen occupied with where Guyana can go in realizing its potential. Further, I have not been hesitant during the past ten years (with occasional absences) to speak out against what I believe is preventing us from doing so. I would be less than honest if I said that the current government has not done any good. However, the positives that it has recorded have been overshadowed-and negated-by certain egregious decisions and acts that have proven to be-and will continue to prove to be-deleterious to the nation’s well being. For the interested, I channel their attention to the main national security issue (as I identified years ago) of narcotics. Unless one is willfully blind, or an absolute simpleton, it is obvious that almost every strata of society has been infiltrated to the detriment of individual, community, and state. I leave it to more objective observers to comment on the origin, timing, and proliferation of this ineradicable menace to Guyana, and all of its concomitant contributions to crime, corruption, further ethnic division, and overall government credibility.
Also, I have no comment on the middle class other than to say that there is no such thing in Guyana. There is a hustling class at the apex (closely attached to that ineradicable menace mentioned earlier) that positions itself to grasp at everything in sight, and a massed class desperately striving for any occasional crumb trickling its way. By and large the former has it so good that they will not relocate elsewhere. Unless it is to shop, take a holiday, or seek medical attention. Or escape the reaching arm of pursuers.
On the issue of bipartisanship, everyone sings a really sweet song including Dr. Persaud, who waxes enthusiastic here. However, I submit that his earlier submissions from a while back versus his current postures will either buttress or dismantle his credibility as an advocate of bipartisanship.
I think I have said enough and it is now time to move along. In closing, I wish to say to the government-and Dr Persaud-that if these are the levels to which distortion and spin have descended, then we are in far worse shape than I had estimated.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
“Who would be so naive or imbecilic to compare Guyana with North America?” Mr. Lall obviously you don’t read the blogs here on SN. Again you haven’t seen “artful” until you start reading these blogs. Ever heard of a chap called Reddy? Nuff said.
What you have to understand GHK is that the PPP sees anyone who does not lick their soup wholesale as de opposition.
Everyone who offers any kind of constructive criticism or suggestion is de opposition.
They are so afraid of seeking external ideas and embracing free thought that they have insulated themselves now in a bubble totally void of the people and reality. Randy boy of course fits perfectly into that little thoughtless crew.
Sam, that is only half! The ’supporters’ (and I do not think that they FAIL to get the jist of the argument put forward) just fly into a blind fury when they get to the first half of a point made and immediately retaliate and fly off on a completely different track. To compound their ‘mis-understanding’ they continue venting their fury flogging a mule when they should be paying attention to the horse, in the end they will grin and pat themselves on the back thinking ‘there that will shut him up’ but poor chaps so blinded are they that they fail to see they missed the point completely.
Be careful Mr. Lall. You just got ‘played’ by the dr (small ‘d’ of course). He said that he wanted to debate, which is really a trap to spread his propaganda in the most widely read newspaper. Don’t get sucked in.
Another great article by GHK Lall. He has again managed to nail down some very important ills that plague Guyana. I share his same view about government and politics. To describe it best, I must borrow a phrase from my investment guru Gerald Celente. “I do not bow or genuflect to any political altars, I say it as I see it.”
America is still considered the beacon of democracy, and rightly so because that is where it all started. To get an idea of how the middle class came about we must look into early American history. Many Europeans came to America to escape the system of surfdom and monarchy and famine in Ireland at the time.
The Irish and Ulster Irish who were of Scotish origin were the first large wave of Europeans that came to America and the Caribbean. The Ulster Irish left us with our creole dialect when we speak of “me wife” and “doone do dat, man” The Bajans speak a creolese nasal form of cockney english.Pretty interesting.
Many Irish men landed on the shores of America and were sent straight off to the civil war battle fronts and died. Many African slaves where sent to a similiar fate. Bob Marley sang about the Buffalo soldier and about the history that has never been told.
At that time 90% of the land and wealth was owned by 4% of the population. There was the elite and the wretched rest of the population. The population became restless and rebellious to this system of surfdom, because that is exactly what they ran away from in the first place. They banded together with pitch fork and torches and ran the governors up the dirt roads and torched their mansions.
The elitist had to do something, they were the minority and the population was the majority, so they decided to create a middle class as a buffer between them and the wretched poor.
Accountants, lawyers,craftsmen,mechanics,tailors etc were then given the right to own land,open businesses,participate in legislature etc. The middle class was born. Here is the catch, free black slaves, American Indians,women of any color and Chinese that were brought in to build the rail roads were not allowed to participate or own property and land.
A farmers horse was held in higher esteem than his wife.The elites also forbade racial intermarriage, social interaction among the races and children out of wedlock. Racism was born and was used as a weapon to divide and conquer and control the masses and is used as such to this day.
When the American constitution was written, it was understood that blacks, chinese and women were not included. Read “A peoples history of the Americas” by Andrew or Peter Zinn (I cant remember the first name, research it on the internet)
During all of this historical development, the Rothchilds banking agents were working in the back ground to steal control of the American money control and supply. They suceeded in 1913 with the creation of the private corporation the Federal Reserve.
Only 10% of the African slaves ever made it to the Americas, the rest died in transit. 90% of the story of the slave trade has been lost forever. When I studied History of the West Indies at school, it said that Columbus found three million Indians in the region. Later historians said it was more like 70 million. Kevin Costner in his documentary 500 nations confirms that fact. The history books said that the Spaniards checked the sharpness of their sword by slicing off the ear of an Indian, they also pinched the bottocks of an indian and sliced off a piece.Yes this sword is now really sharp.
It was open season and genocide of African slaves and American Indians, but that is the history we have never been told,instead we must be constantly reminded of “his story” of the Holocaust.
Today the middle class all over the world is under attack by their very own governments. Look at what we have today my friends, be it democracy, capitalism, socialism, communism etc. there is an elitist ruling class that never has to worry about where food or money comes from, the rest of society must take on the burden of debt for their excesses.
Remember the middle class was just a buffer between the rich controlling elites and the down trodden poor masses. The middle class takes the brunt to the assault. They get burdened with the taxes and the poor masses attack them to get a piece of the pie for themselves. Notice that the ruling elitist class is shielded from all of this.
The worlds money supply is created as principal, now where does the interest come from? The interest comes from putting more and more people into the web of debt. It is a planetary ponzi scheme, so when everyone on the planet is maxed out on credit, what happens? More and more persons in the middle class has got to drop out and fall to the bottom rounds of the poor masses.
The drug trade threatens this monetary balance between the money supply system and the debtors ability to pay because it has the potential to take out massive chunks of money out of the supply chain of “normal business” and not having to pay taxes. That accelarates the debtors day of reckoning and inteferes with their ability to repay the debt, hense the war on drugs.
Your socialists, economists, historians, politicals leaders have all got it wrong. It is not what they think, a different set of rules apply to everything they taught they knew.
Forbes started out with the best interest of the country in mind. After 28 years he ended up as a neo-colonial monarch and dictator. Jagdeo started out the same way, after 17 years he ended up as a neo-colonial monarch and dictator. Why is that? One prominent Wall Street guru who helped create the crisis and continue to reap huge bonuses remarked “people have got to accept inequality” meaning that the money supply cannot go around equally. Therefore instead of all of us having cake, you must get accustomed to the fact that we must eat bread so the we the controlling elitists can afford steaks and the finest of wines.
That’s all there is to it folks, The ruling elitist class who enjoy all the finer things of life at the expense of the sucker class.
Joe.
Joe, I noticed you left out ‘Reaganomics’!! Maybe next time.
Joe,
Well done. I see we are on the same wavelength. You have taken a page straight out of my favorite Scotsman TIM WISE. (One of my favotite speakers on this topic).
Please take a quick look at this video of a talk that Tim Wise gave on White Privilege. It echos a lot of your sentiments. It is a ‘must watch’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xe1kX7Wsc
Running time 10 minutes.
http://www.timwise.org
Thanks Zee I will check out the video right now.
Joe.
GHK Lall writes:
“For the interested, I channel their attention to the main national security issue (as I identified years ago) of narcotics. Unless one is willfully blind, or an absolute simpleton, it is obvious that almost every strata of society has been infiltrated to the detriment of individual, community, and state. I leave it to more objective observers to comment on the origin, timing, and proliferation of this ineradicable menace to Guyana, and all of its concomitant contributions to crime, corruption, further ethnic division, and overall government credibility” Unquote.
Simply put Guyana is overrun by narco-drug traffickers and illegal guns and crime. And, while this had been taking place and the traffickers were consolidating their positions in the state, the govt. did not turn a blind eye – but they were aiding and abetting the drug barons and hustlers. Thank God for the United States – they took out one of the biggest drug lords. And, the people of Guyana had literally to move mountains to get Jagdeo Adm to order an investigation into how this State of Affairs came about.
And, still the investigation by the Police Force, itself a corrupt PF and a non-seeing agent in drug-trafficking lacks credibility
Well, for once, emerging from a so called classless society(where all were actually made classless by looting illegals)you may be right. No middle class exists in Guyana.It is either a gulf existing of a tiny elite on top, a single digit middle to lower follows,and the rest languishing are standing below.The entire Third World is structured in this way.