Dear Editor,
So very often the majority of people simply stick to what they know as if it is absolute truth. If ideas presented to them are in opposition to what they know, to them it is obvious that those ideas are wrong. In most cases instead of proving the opposing ideas wrong they simply regurgitate a little more of what they know. They do not even consider the sources of the information that they possess and whose interest they serve. One of the realities is that the one percent elites owns and control over 85% of the means of disseminating information. So, to a great extent they control our information base. Our free will and independence are thus restricted but most behave and argue as if the information they have are their very own as if they were simply generated by their brains.
Today, it can be seen how the media is controlled. Wholesale lies about the Ukraine war are being peddled. The mainstream media does not tolerate a dissenting voice. This was why Tucker was fired from Fox News. Today the situation is much worse re Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Persons who criticise the level of bombing are being fired. The lone Palestinian woman in the US Congress was recently censored for criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. First Amendment rights was not even respected in Congress. I decided to write about this because the same dogmatic attitude re “what we know is the only and absolute truth” prevails here in Guyana. This unwillingness to question what we know affects our body politics. We simply refuse to listen to, much less consider alternative views. Whatever the leaders of the parties we support tells us we accept. Upon acceptance this becomes the only and absolute truth and we defend this as if questioning what we know is an existential threat to our lives.
Unfortunately, this allows these two parties to do what they feel like as this attitude guarantees unwavering support of the respective parties. And somehow the interest of the leadership of the parties is then placed above the interests of the country and its people. This attitude has created a political division that has caused the body politic to stagnate. Until and unless our people make that break from the information base disseminated by these parties and unless we break away from the control these two parties exercise over our minds, especially the working and unemployed, people of Guyana would face a difficult and uncertain future. There is a dire need for us to commence opening our minds and allow ourselves to listen to opposing views. Our recent history indicates that about 20 of our people were able to break away from the mental stranglehold of these two parties.
I am hoping this trend can continue and so this appeal to fellow Guyanese is for them to open their minds, question what we are fed by our leaders. Listen to opposing views. Just look where we are after being controlled by them for over 6 decades. It is time the workers of this country unite in their interests. Certainly their interests are not being served by the self-serving actions by the leaders of these two parties. Self-aggrandisement is placed on the front burner while the interests of workers are in limbo.
Sincerely,
Rajendra Bisessar
BSc sociology, LLB.
