Dear Editor,
Over the past few days we have been greeted by strange and unbelievable statements and for brevity I refer to two, one – my disappointment by my friend, Kit Nascimento who sought as he did to defend a restriction on the independent media.
I just wish to register my disappointment.
Second, the criticism of Eusi Kwayana by Dr. Randy Persaud who claimed in his own words that Kwayana is stuck in the rhetoric and that Mr. Kwayana “should resist casting everything in the language of neo-colonialism.”
Dr. Persaud should know, as he is intellectually driven and has followed the course of history in Africa, Latin America, the Americas, Oceana and the Caribbean that we should compliment Kwayana for bringing to our attention the inherent dangers of proceeding along a development path ignoring history and the complexities of the real world of which we are a small part and the machinations of the powerbrokers over centuries.
Others I know will advert to the high sounding phrases and figures presented in Dr. Persaud’s letter. I simply remind Dr. Persaud of two bits of wisdom, one – the leopard never changes its spot, and I hope he has the capacity to translate this truism into his thought process.
Next, as a reminder, the 26th US American President Theodore Rooseveldt who assembled the Great White Fleet, which set sail from Hampton consisting of sixteen battleships, and several support vessels said, “speak softly but carry a big stick, you will go far.”
Dear Dr. Persaud, small nations like ours must know history and understand that unless he, the President and others in his camp can engage the likes of Kwayana in constructive dialogue, we will be swallowed up and those figures he quoted will be meaningless to the folks from the Corentyne coast to the north-west, from the Rupununi to the coast who are burdened by an increased cost of living and further I say not.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
Elder
