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We have to invent a new breed of revolutionary intellectual

Dear Editor,
The melody from the theme song for Carifesta 2008 sung by our youthful Lisa Punch – excellent, that was played incessantly and rightly so before and during the festival still lingers in my ears. From a poor opening, “Casa Casa” as we say in colloquial speech, it nevertheless ended on a beautiful note.

No doubt the Carifesta event did provide a well deserving period of respite from various forms of violence and hardships; fatigue, tribulations, pain, stress and loss.Foreigners, along with those Guyanese who came home enjoyed the peaceful and friendly atmosphere of our dear land and her people with their trademark hospitality; which, by the way, I think the time has come to examine in a critical way as against the way we treat each other. If only for the coming together, a sense that we are one while the real fusion remains an illusion, the event was deserving, which leaves many Guyanese very optimistic that they would finally be treated and accepted in like manner by other sister Caricom states. I find many of the “Super Show” performers with few exceptions rather monotomous ad infinitum: ”put up yuh an” (hand), “raise yuh an”, “jump”, “leh meh hear yuh scream,” the disgusting start and stop two lines singing – “reeel”. “suh meh seh”, and every Guyanese artiste and DJ a reborn full-blooded Jamaican was nothing short of self bastardisation – as “Natural Black” was more Jamaican than “Morgan Heritage!”. However the performance of the Anguillina bands were refreshing, very creative and reminded us of cool soul, rhythm and blues – real nice and original. But all of that is behind us now – over, and now we must pick up from where we left off to face our reality. October 5, sixteen years post 1992 has come and gone. Inspite of all the government propaganda and rhetoric from ministers, the small man is taking a beating, caught up in a stranglehold.

The VAT, like a vampire bat continues its relentless pressure, coupled with the rising increase in everything, government officers have become brutal extortionists; ripping off the ordinary working man dreadfully, exorbitant charges way above the regular price for even no-paying services so, bribery is the order of the day. The cost for low income earners to send their children to school is almost prohibitive, not to mention single parents; transportation is a killer, text books are not less than 2,000, lunch/snacks is a headache, light and water bills up the pressure and living becomes a nightmare!

Nepotism seems paramount and well entrenched with astronomical salary. Yet nothing is being done except much mumble and grumble from different corners and quarters, and it appears as people are satisfied, too weary or just contented to hustle – “fight fuh self” which is a lot of what we are seeing, catch what you can.

But I sit and ponder and in reflection see pictures from the dead past; though tough, sometimes dreadful and even woebegone there was never such apathy and resignation as it appears today. All because there were quite a fine set of effervescent and formidable activists of all sorts who courageously were in the vanguard and maintained a militancy that kept the government uneasy and gave a sense of hope to the masses who depended on them for motivation. Then I couldn’t help thinking “where have all the flowers gone?”, why after sixteen years I still feel the same? In my mind’s eye I see the crowd – Indians, Africans and other minorities in protest – across race, no one can doubt the constant and annoying opposition the Burnham/PNC got from the black people. And I am not saying that Indians should do the same just because, no! There must be palpable evidence, justifiable reasons, but they need to match them (blacks) by standing up against the administration on the question of right/wrong, of fairness and (in) justice for the sake of a better Guyana for all. But it is clear to me that there are no more fighters/radicals with any sort of revolutionary zeal left among us.

Those who were somewhat militant in the P.P.P. of yesteryear are no more so inclined and see things from a different perspective; the wrongs of yesterday can be seen as correct today! With the exception of Freddie Kissoon and Tacuma Ogunseye whom, even though on a number of issues are at variance with each other, there are not many from the old school who we can identify in taking radical positions/views whenever there is gross and absurd abuse or miscarriage of justice in one form or another.

I am thankful to Nigel Westmaas for enlightening me in his article “Grounding 40 years on” – SN 5th Sept. 22 about Walter Rodney’s caustic expression in describing most academics of his time as “static parasitic creatures.” It is so glaring and fitting today more than ever; in fact most of today’s academics are more brazen and bombastic in their materialist outlook. Yes, too many things are amiss and it’s clear to me that we will have to invent a new breed of revolutionary intellectuals who are not just content on being mere sycophants and “Static parasitic creatures”, but rather possessing some degree of moral integrity and a fighting passion for challenge and change. The late Paul Newman had a motto they should adopt. “If you do not exploit your success in order to improve things in the world, then you are readily wasting it”.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe

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8 Responses to “We have to invent a new breed of revolutionary intellectual”

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
on October 11th, 2008 8:39 am

“A new breed of revolutionary intellectuals?” Let them first pay off their loans, mortgages and other obligations and damn make sure they have a comfortable and secure alternative source of income.

[Reply to this]
speedy
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 5:06 pm:
Harry !!!!…..Maslow had it right! If we can’t take care of our basic animal needs who cares a hoot about intellectual pursuits. We have to pay the bills first!

[Reply to this]
M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 6:43 pm:
yeah, because when they start them revolutionizing and the thing them revolutionizing against start cutting them pay packets…
Caesar
on October 11th, 2008 3:23 pm

Revolutionary intellectuals?A new breed? Why? To do what for and to whom?Where is the old breed? What were they doing? Who decided on this new breed?On what basis?On whose orders? Information is lacking here. You might be advised to write a ten page report on what you are actualy talking about to get started.First by setting an example of course.

[Reply to this]
speedy
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 5:33 pm:
Historically, members of our intelligensia have been generally conditioned to feel that it is their mandate to pontificate on the vagaries of the human condition, sometimes in a manner which indicate that they do not see themselves as an integral part of that reality.. Unfortunately for us in Guyana, most members of this group are located at the metaphorical “bottom of the economic ladder ” with the majority of their fellow citizens! They themselves are looking for sustenance and answers to the many questions we now ask ourselves about how we have gotten to where we are as a nation !
The issue is not whether the redundant, “revolutionary intellectual” is extinct with the exceptions of the Kissoons and Ogunses of our world. The issue will be better addressed when we ask the question, “Do our people who are gifted in this way have the COURAGE and SENSE OF COMMITMENT needed to use these gifts to do better in a direct, “revolutionary” way for our country?” There are many in Guyana who are trained for intellectual pursuits. However, I am not sure how many of that group possess the courage or the commitment to use their training fearlessly in pursuit of finding solutions to the myriad of problems we face today.

[Reply to this]
coolieman
on October 11th, 2008 6:42 pm

Maybe Mark can help you here Frank

[Reply to this]
Joe Coxall
on October 12th, 2008 7:16 am

Frank,
The entire system needs to be abolished and revamped. The VAT tax is just another manifestation inherent in the global system, of the way money is created, that must be repaid.

All of the worlds money, including the dollar in your pocket, begins life as an instrument of debt. it is owed to someone, who owes it to someone, who owes it to the bank with interest.

But even this system, was not bringing in profits fast enough, to the greedy bankers, so they decided to gamble with the worlds resources and people production, and monetise them based on speculative, false and risky projections of wealth, which they were allowed to cream off as real profits and hide away in their coffers, all tax free.

As M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett, correctly pointed out that the revolutionary intellectuals, are already bogged down by the inherent burdens of the system.

On my recent visit to Guyana, I saw real attempts and effort that are changeing the landscape of Guyana into just another American suburban city and society. This system however, cannot sustain itself since every little capitalist investor, is trying to garner as much of the money floating around in the form of remittances and EU loans for himself.

Someone or some system will be forced into default, because interest has got to be realised. In this present monetary system, the only way interest can be realised is by taking further loans, into perpetuity. Again unsustainable.

Guyana has the unique advantage of breaking out of this system of economic slavery. Guyana has rain, sunshine and land galore. Now what are our basic human needs, it is food water and shelter. I saw many beautiful houses, I do not know if they were all occupied, but everyone of them requires a family of people, that must join the rat race and notch out their share of principle and interest from the existing money pool. Again unsustainable.

The people need a complete change in their present mindset. With government assistance, they need to built villages that are living machines, in that it produces, chickens, cows, sheep, fish, fruits and vegetables all sustainable by the existing land and people resources. Real wealth and development will eventually follow.

Instead our capitalist and entrepuernural mindset, is causing one little lady to request a loan from the IDB, to start a chicken farm all on her own. Bad idea.

Guyana has the ability and potential to set a new standard in peoples productivity and well being, whereby the West will have no other alternative but to come study our system of development, instead of the other way around. Our ancestors did it before, we can do it again, right here right now.

That my friends, should be the thought process of the revolutionary intellectual, no other plan that exist within the present status quo will succeed.

Joe.

[Reply to this]
M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
on October 12th, 2008 6:48 pm

Rememeber the song “Cricket game in the jungle”? What did donkey tell Umpire Parrot at the end?

[Reply to this]