The intellectual class should speak truth to power

Dear Editor,

One of the things Guyanese academics and the intellectual class ought to be doing is to speak truth to power; this simply means sharing analyses and observations about the core reasoning, manoeuvering and strategies behind the actions of our political leaders and government.

The new call by the PPP administration to explore a “national alliance” is nothing more than a strategy to increase its chances of obtaining a parliamentary majority come the next general election.

Why our intellectual class is so silent, why many find themselves aligned to political parties amazes me. The power of this group is limitless, and the key to a better future for Guyana rests with this group. This is not to say other groups cannot or do not impact the design and culture of our society; however, given the power of ideas and information to determine reality and perception as well as the apparent incapacity of the majority to use people power to facilitate the needed changes to Guyana’s governance system, culture of politics and production and distribution of wealth, the intellectual class has a tremendous role to play.

In fact a general historical analysis of politics and change in Guyana will reveal that it has always been the intellectual class in Guyana that has shaped and led change, be it pre-Independence, the dictatorial rule of the PNC and now the dictatorial rule of the PPP.

In closing I call for the establishment of an apolitical national think tank and similar groupings that engage communities and persons beyond the elite, diplomatic, intellectual and expat circles.

 

Yours faithfully,
Mike Archer