Dear Editor,
I read with great interest Mr F Skinner’s letter ‘Wealth transforms and strengthens one’s position in the political process’ (SN, November 19). I consider this one of the more interesting pieces I have seen in the press for quite some time. Let me explain.
Skinner’s task is not an easy one. The main reason for this is that generations of intellectuals in the Caribbean have been anti-wealth in their world views, and these views have penetrated the broader populations so much that anything related to wealth creation is considered evil.
Intellectuals come in many forms. There are the book types like myself, but beyond that, the society has a plethora of organic intellectuals. They range from the pastors, leaders of political parties, and ‘big-ones’ in civic groups, to the village ‘mouth man’ who has an answer for everything. We should not forget the columnists, letter writers, bloggers, and TV pundits.
I don’t know if Mr Skinner has ever had a chance to go to the Caribbean Studies Association Annual Convention. If he hasn’t, he should. There, he would find more than half the papers dedicated to anti-wealth disquisitions, albeit under various guises. At these meetings the themes that dominate are race, struggle, oppression and exploitation. These themes form the ‘normal science’ of Caribbean scholarship. If you venture too far from them, the senior scholars are likely to engage you in conversations about the direction of your work. The younger scholars are likely to be more upfront and imply that you are a ‘sell-out’ to imperialism and the ruling class.
I had this experience during my last CSA conference in Colombia two years ago after I said some positive things about globalization and markets.
The themes above should indeed be an integral part of Caribbean intellectual discourse. After all, they have been fundamental aspects of our histories. But that history is more complicated than – ‘we suffered.’ Where is that history in the scholarship, and more broadly in our daily common sense? More needs to be written on the emergence of professionals, small business enterprises, and of the Creole and post-independence middle classes. No one walked up to them and put the education in their heads or the money in their pockets. They studied, worked, saved, and invested.
I myself tried recently to write about the middle class in Guyana. I was hollered on by the same folks who can’t go beyond the language of exploitation. These are the organic intellectuals I have in mind. Once you say something about progress, they will gang up against you to ensure that no conversation outside of oppression is allowed. Afterwards, they pat each other on the back for a job well done. Little do they know that they are participating in a kind of cultural regulation of speech. This is exactly what Mr Skinner is facing now.
I ask the critics of Mr. Skinner – what’s wrong with the logic – study-work-save-invest? Don’t forget – the folks who preach most about the evils of money are the ones who already have it. That includes the Mercedes-Benz Marxists who live in North America and Europe. I close by reiterating the words of Bob Rae, the former left leaning leader of the NDP and Premier of Ontario who once said – I like money so much, I want everybody to have it.
Yours faithfully,
Randy Persaud
Randy. Absolutely nothing is wrong with that logic. Sparrow said, “Fools can make money, but the wise man gon spend it.” The Bible states that ” A fool and his money shall soon part.” After reading Evan Thomas’ piece yesterday, about million dollar houses, Mercedes and BMW, I awoke this morn, a sadder, but wiser man, as to one of the reasons why the black race is still at the bottom of the economic ladder. The Jews must be happy, laughing their way to the banks. The Simple, study and work. The Smart, study, work, save and invest. INVESTMENT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
Randy Persaud, say what you want to say and be blunt about it. That’s what book intellectuals like you suppose to do. I have been following the Skinner/Lewis debates with keen interest and delight because I think it is good for Guyana’s body politics.
For starters there was no logic advanced by Skinner to “study-work-save-invest.” Randy, you just made it up. The question is why would you put words in Skinner’s mouth unless you are using him to say something you may be too timid to say.
In academia we let the facts dictate findings. If the fact does not exist then the finding lacks validity and credibility! Professor Randy Persaud you know this too. You are letting politics kill the rigourous demand and respect for the science. Are you making the best decision to be the PPP mouthpiece? You are shocking the hell out of your students and academic colleagues.
Nothing is wrong with the logic Randy; absolutely, nothing! No one is preaching ‘anti-money’. The presumptiousness of some ‘Indo-minded’ with a few dollars need to be called out. We have all agreed that money is necessary for living but it is not the sufficient condition for a successful life. Yet with all the money and wealth, suicides confronts in greater proportion those who have money and presumably the happiness and success it brings. A social awareness and a responsibility to others are the excellent factors; political considerations are not mutually exclusive factors to a social awareness. And wealth buys political favours and not strengthen a political awareness born of a process that confronts the challenges of making ‘everyone have it’, Randy. Come on you are spinning away from the wicket with no slips and gully in place. What Mr. Skinner was alluding to was basic finger pointing, putting down one set of Guyanese at the expense of others. This was no attempt to put views to “penetrated the broader populations so much that anything related to wealth creation is considered evil”. And my response can never be classified as coming from a “Mercedes-Benz Marxists who live in North America…”. The Toyota Prado Marxists of Guyana, and state ‘kleptocrats’ surely have clouded wealth acquisition with ‘considerable ‘evil’.
Mr.Skinner should be credited for bringing out to the fore this ‘psychological handicap’ which is used to elevate one ethic group in the Guyanese society over the other ‘populations’. Anil Nandalall as much as said the same some time ago. This has been a recurring theme by some ’successful’ Indo ‘minded’ Guyanese given the much well regards and deserving success of many in numerous fields of professional life and business.
I am a very proud Guyanese of mixed heritage who have seen my father slaved to educate many Indians at school and afterhours for free at our home for some who couldn’t afford to pay, with many sleeping overnight while preparing for exams. Many have been very thankful. My father’s satisfaction was that of the eternal teacher…pride in his students accomplishments. Many returned from overseas to support us when he died. For Mr. Skinner and his many callous followers to paint a broad brush of all african guyanese as being interseted only in the proverbial ‘wine, women and song’ is rather unfair and dangerous. So no amount if intellectual spinning can explain that or soften its intent. Yes, indeed we have fallen back and we are to be blames for this as much as are others, including yourself by using your intellect to support the PPP regime in its dasterdly subjugation and oppression of the afro-guyanese and other guyanese of a different political views.
Diamond Dog have no need to be ’sadder’ because I have worked hard and have acquires wealth assets from long term investments for keeps. Like I said, in response to Mr. Skinner’s last post yesterday on my observations, this morning (go look at it), I had advantages which I didn’t squander and even if it is me alone who thinks that I did not waste what my foreparents provided for me, he has no RIGHT to be so condescendingly indifferent and callous. I have an Indian uncle who was sent to Miami in the great old days to study to become a pilot but he was caught up with ‘wine, women, song’ and drugs and never did finish university. Basically, I can afford to live in a million dollar house and drive a mercedes because I have and continue to work hard, be prudent and have made a good, well balanced and educated life for my family of 4 kids…I was also lucky with some windfall which I continue to invested wisely. So guys, please state that they are limitations to your framework….Randy, an excellent academic like you should acknowledge this and not compound the fallacy with again broad observations supposedly from intellectual driven deductions and observations.
It good we have entered into this discussion. It tells how little many of us have learnt about he ‘latent’industriousness of ALL Guyanese which many of us unleash with a vengence when we are exposed to an environment more condusive to self determination measures by many other indiactors of ’success’ other than having ‘money’. There are very successful Indo and Afro in many parts of the world; many successful GUYANESE. And they are many also in Guyana, some under the radar.
Just one last bit. Randy you have indicated Bob Rae comments out of context.
I am attaching my response earlier this morning to Mr. Skinner’s comments on my initial posting. Please allow SN.
By no stretch do I claim to be an expert just sharing simplistic observations.
Quibian, your advise is timely. This has always been the focus of the Africans, a knowledge of our history would tell you this…the industriousness which allowed us to own villages and clear the lands, our farming and market activities…but atlast, I have to accept that for the majority of us we have lost our way. And need to recover that so cherished honor. I am not prepared here to delve into an analysis of what happened to afroguyanese along the way but suffice to agree with some other bloggers that the recovery which we had seen in our wealth accumulation efforts in Guyana during Hoyte’s presidency has been totally destroyed by the deliberate, sinister policies of the successive PPP administration lead by Jagdeo. Lincoln Lewis has spoken out on what the PPP did with the largest pool of wealth capital the afroguyanese built up…the bauxite pension funds….and again the government’s response to the crime committed against a majority owned black capital base committed by some rascals (both sides have rascals with illgotten assets)at Globe Trust and prominent black loan defaulters. So I am sure if we are allowed a level playing field, we can again reach glorious hights of wealth creation,…defined by a pool of investment capital and an education to help raise the productivity of that capital.
Now to Mr. Skinner, you never said whether you are mixed. If you are not indo, I apologise. I am mixed but culturally african…my father is Indian and African and my mother is Indian and I am from the Corentyne. I have inherited the industriousness of both set of foreparents and also some of the bad habits. You see I have had some advantages…inherited cash and property, acquired a reasonably good education in Guyana, UK and Canada and a resasonalbe successful Canadian based international consulting business in public policy development and a small investment business. And yes, I do live in a “million dollar” home and drives a Mercedes SUV and enjoyed what I described which you quoted in your response above. But here is the bit on luck, I also won a few million canadian dollars on the lotto 649. Guess you don’t want to know this for who cares….would be the retort.
Here is a free bit of financial advise. Having cash and paying for stuff in full is idiotic in these environment….maybe in guyana. Some time ago a blogger was intimating with jaundice intent on stigmatizing afroguyanese in Brooklyn that some people use credit cards because they do not have cash. You look at the opportunity cost for one thing, in other words, invest the cash where the returns are greater than the cost of borrowing. You should follow me and invest in US government debt bonds, the emerging alternative energy sectors, medical research firms specialized in rehabilitative care and of course in small software development companied doing work in energy and medical research. But I have lost my way some what and now that I am semi retired, I plan to regain that afroguyanese spirit of helping the less fortunate.
What’s wrong with the logic: just enjoying your brief stay on the stage of life and playing as best as you can with the cards nature dealt you?
Mike. No black out. You must be happy. This is a wake up call for some of us. Sometimes you have to reshuffle the deck to get on the stage. The stage is a place that poor people can ill afford.
It is heartening to see Randy Persaud can actually write an objective, intellectual piece… until the penultimate paragraph. Had he written about the middle class in Guyana as he did here, I would not have been one of those who “gang up” against him. Mr Persaud you should return to your previous piece and see why people, like me, “gang up” again you. I also agree with the logic “study-work-save-invest” – that is why I choose to live in England and not Guyana.
ppp_pnc. People can change. Thanks Randy.
Sure study, work, save, invest. All would rise from rags to riches.
The reality is that no matter what, such an approach within the system that we have would not change the fact that the vast majority in especially third world countries would be in poverty.
In the same way the capitalist countries that took the first leap now controls vast capital that is used to exploit more labour to generate even more wealth for them. those that start late have difficulties.
In Guyana lets assess who commenced investing and those who followed and wonder if its possible to catch up.
Regardless, why are we using the categories Blacks and Indians when the majority of both are in poverty.
If all of us were to become PHD’s tomorrow somebody would have to collect the garbage. How would we pay them then. i am sure education can give someone an edge but it would in no way change the structure of things. How many of us would become capitalist and appropriate profits to get rich. It would of structural necessity be a minority.
In his arrogance he refers to himself as an ‘intellectual”.
SKY. In Greek mythology, the saying goes. ” A little learning is a dangerous thing, drink deep, or taste not of the Perrean spring….” Evan is a very thirsty man. Drink deep or taste not my friend.
SKY, Mr. Persaud did not sign his letter like most pseudo- intellectuals do, detailing their qualifications, as if to say I AM AN AUTHORITY. Good for you Randy; bad for you Sky. I guess you will now name yourself “earth” after being responded to by Dr. Persaud. ISNM
Ulric check the response to sky from d man himself…
How ridiculous of Mr. Persaud to believe that individuals of the Western hemisphere are anti wealth. This is nonsense. They accumulate their wealth in various forms. Some invest in their children by giving them the best education through graduate and professional schools. At the same time those kids will enter the working world debt free and a small trust fund which will be utilized for the establishment of their private practice in their particular field or to purchase a home. That is the investment Mr. Persaud. You can rest assured that the second generation will have all the visible trappins of real wealth as their parents pass on the ethic to them.
Dear Sky: I hold a Ph.D in Political Science and international relations; I have more than two dozen refereed publications; I have supervised over 50 M.A. and PhD theses; and I have given lectures in over two dozen countries. I was also the Assistant Director of the Center for International and Security Studies in Canada, and Director of a department with a faculty of 25 – all with PhD’s. What more do you want?
Dear Randy, with all this academic acolades your letter sounds as though it was written by someone else. Or, dear Randy, have you killed scientific/analytical reasonning for a few pieces of political quick-silver?
Randy Persaud foolishly believes that obtaining college degrees automatically transforms someone into an intellectual. That’s hogwash a million times over, Randy. It’s also hogwash a million times over to believe that the transformation occurs because someone was selected for a job at a prestigious university, published papers, or supervised other college graduates.
I have been reading your pieces on these pages, and I’m now shocked to learn that a man of your demonstrated intellectual mediocrity can actually lay claim to achievements that normally elevate others to olympian status in the intellectual realm.
Man, spare us your ineffectual boastings and dedicate yourself to the futile task of trying to convince sane and sensible men and women that your PPP is the best thing since they met their first love.
I think words like “intellectual” are best left for others to use to describe you. In my book humility dictates that I refer to myself as just an individual. I leave others to supply the accolades. But thats me. Everybody is different.
Randy you have yet to commence thinking out of the box. Why do you feel that all intellectuals oy people for that matter are opposed to wealthy people.
History has created the wealthy. but it has also created as the other side of the coin the poverty stricken. History has also created the filthy rich. Its not a question of blame but understanding the way the present economic structure distributes wealth. Its a question of understanding the structural implication of the level of skewed diatribution of wealth.
If America for instance historically developed the capacity and so consumes 25 percent of the world’s resources and only have 6 percent of the world’s population does this have implications for the reamining 94 percent of the world’s population. And If one were to include the other G7 and their consumption levels how much would remain for the remaining 70 percent of the worlds population.
In the USA if 60 percent of the newely created wealth goes to 60 percent of the population and one percent goes to 80 percent of the population and the real wages of the American workers is falling would this have implications.
are these things we should speak about.
You speak of middle class. maybe you need to define your concept of class. Concepts need to be operationalised so that we all refer to the same thing when we utilise an expression.
Are there any other definition of class that might be more meaningful and which may be more useful in the examination of society and social change. Rather that the upper, middle and lower class how about the working and the capitalist class. Do you feel that these are useful categories to consider as we attempt to examine society and social change.
With all the qualifications that you have I am sure you would find no difficulties is educating us with regards these.
Dear Sky,
I may be an ass, but I am an educated ass.
Yours Faithfully
Dr. Griot
I also want readers to know something else. After my Ph.D I applied for three jobs. One was at a famed seven sisters college. I came second from 252 candidates; the other job I got. I beat out 162 applicants. Guess where I did not get a job my freinds – The University of Guyana. Can you please guess why?
Yes, Randy, I can say why. The answer Sir lies in the quality of ‘reasonning’ you put in the Chronicle and the independent press. When it comes to Guyana you kick academia through the door and sneak in divisive and retrogressive politics through the window.
Randy, I do not have to guess, I know why you were not employed by UG. You were adjudged to be intellectually shallow. And you have displayed that shallowness here. No commonsense. I was on your side earlier; now you show yourself to be intellectually impoverished with unparalled disorder and didcord (intellectually diseased) ISNM.
Randy Persaud,
Qualify with the listed degrees dont make one an intellectual if your conceptual and analytical ability is poor. Try again, dont believe you can fore us to accept what you write because you have degrees.You and the person you seek to support are behaving the same way.Dont go to the beach if you dont like sand on your toes.
Dr Persaud,I was not going to comment but this second posting of yours is straddling on the periphery of narcissism and academic exploits. A man of your accomplishments should not be pounding your chest, it drowns the modest beat of your heart.
It seems that the standards at UG are a lot higher than we give them credit for.
Evan. You are missing the bigger picture. It’s not about you or me. It’s about the black race as a whole. The other races do not see you as Evan Thomas, unless you have a card on your shoulders with your credentials.They see you as black. So if you have realised some folly in your ways, good. The corner stone of the christian religion is, we are our brothers’ keepers. To those to whom much is given, much is expected. We should protect the least amongst us. I beg of you not to change your life style, you’ve earned it, but show some modesty. Share the difference between a Camry and a Benz with your less fortunate suffering afro brothers and sisters in the land of your birth. My Third World Cave. It’s better to be late, than never.
what is the situation in countries where most are blacks. Is there any major difference. What is the situation where most are indians. The capitalists whoever they are gets richer at the expence of the workers whoever they are. We are never going to catch up with the white world but we would keep fighting for the crumbs that fall from the masters plate with the strucures that obtains at the present time.
Alas we are too brainwashed by the present system to question it to see beyond it. And we have been conditioned to reject any possible alternatives and that is why even though most of you love and respect Rodney and speak of his miltiracial gathering you completely ignore the thrust of his ideological thinking.
You have to commence thinking out of the box.
Mr Evan Thomas,
I applaud your accomplishment.
If you use your credit card to invest then its good. If you use it to purchase consumer goods then it may be a different matter. Even then I would want to believe that the interest rate would be pretty high. And in any event you and other may earn a good living but it is the financial oligarchies that hog the cake.
Randy quoted “I like money so much, I want everybody to have it.”
randy after the filthy rich gets their 70 percent how much is left for the rest.