Latest update May 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 14, 2010 Letters
Dear Editor,
Guyanese are caught up in a dangerous self deception that will destroy us all within this decade if dramatic changes aren’t made. We have many national threats. These include the racial divide, economic mendicancy, a security dilemma, drug lords, crime and a political system that is a mockery of democracy.
However, our greatest national threat is illiteracy, a self inflicted wound that begins with the illiteracy of our civil, political and business leaders who are permanently imprisoned by their egos, self righteous racism and lack of common sense.
After 60 years of political dysfunctionality created by the winner-take-all Westminster system and racial entrepreneurs, we are still committed to an electoral system that nurtures, rewards and promotes rampant racism, unfettered ethnic corruption, barefaced discrimination and unrepentant human rights abuses punctuated by government orchestrated extra-judicial murders.
We are a sad people. A frozen nation at war with itself. A nation living in self deception and self pity.
Indeed, we are the “rum and coke” generation: we drink and export lots of rum, and we export tons of cocaine. These are the major products underpinning our money laundering and poverty embracing society. We are politically drunk and nauseatingly stupid, the grand results of our “rum and coke” culture.
Over the last six weeks, we have been warned by Ronald Sanders (“2000-2009: A Decade of Caribbean Decline”), David Jessop (“It is unclear how the Caribbean will tackle its environmental challenges”), Dr. Clive Thomas (“Norway and Guyana’s rainforest: Santa Claus or Old Higue”), Christopher Ram (“ Economy firewall malfunctions”) , Peeping Tom (“A new tag to economic mendicancy”) that a self inflicted tragedy awaits us this new decade because of poor leadership, bad governance and delusional beliefs that the world Bank, the United States, China, Europe or anyone else cares a damn about what happens to us.
We are a region without power, without influence, without courageous leaders who neither understand global realities nor the rapidly changing dynamics of national self-interests in front of global imperatives.
We in Guyana and the Caribbean are truly delusional at best, extremely stupid at worst.
Here in Guyana, our racial divide and party paramountcy have prevented us from the type of visionary leadership we could have provided to the Caribbean.
A year ago, I wrote a letter entitled, “Majoritarian rule is the worst form of democracy for Guyana”. In it I stated: “We in Guyana, like everywhere else on the planet, live by a ‘social contract.
Today, in Guyana, our social contract, our constitution and our democracy have no integrity, no substance, no legal bearing, and no meaning to the lives of ordinary Guyanese.
We have an illusionary contract and a delusionary King. Systematic evasion of constitutional checks and balances has become the new modus operandi; illegality and immorality have become the norm; decency has long been discarded and indecency has become the new currency of daily life”.
In that letter, I quoted Sir Arthur Lewis, one of the region’s two Noble Peace Prize winners, who argued that a consensus view of democracy is especially important in countries like Guyana.
He stated: “especially in plural societies that are sharply divided along religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, ethnic, or racial lines into virtually separate sub societies with their own political parties, interest groups, and media of communication… the flexibility necessary for majoritarian democracy is absent. Under these conditions, majority rule is not only undemocratic but also dangerous, because minorities that are continuously denied access to power will feel excluded and discriminated against and will lose their allegiance to the regime.
In plural societies, therefore, majority rule spells majority dictatorship and civil strife rather than democracy. What these societies need is a democratic regime that emphasizes consensus instead of opposition, that includes rather than excludes, and that tries to maximize the size of the ruling majority instead of being satisfied with a bare majority: consensus democracy.”
We have long ignored the brilliance of Sir Arthur Lewis and have worshipped at the alter of the pernicious Westminster system of governance.
The reason we were naive about Copenhagen was because of our winner-take-all system. President Jagdeo needed a legacy, he worked hard at it, and he raised Guyana’s profile as a potential leadership nation in the Caribbean.
It failed because most of the best brains of all races and political values in Guyana and its Diaspora were left out of the development of our LCDS strategy. It did not achieve maximum benefits because Guyana’s permanent self interests were confused with Norway’s permanent self interests.
Today, through daily newspaper articles and political announcements, we are still gearing up for a Westminster winner-take-all elections.
The depth of our political depravity seems bottomless. We are in love with conflict. We are in love with debilitating poverty and self destruction. We have learned nothing.
One word on the current debate between Ravi Dev and his detractors: this debate is both regressive and divisive. Who cares about Burnham and Jagan.
I don’t. Most Guyanese don’t. We need to be looking forward not backwards. The injustices of today cannot be justified by the injustices of yesterday. Ravi has stated (SN 9 Jan 2010) that elections in Guyana are “free and fair”. This is gross intellectual dishonesty. How can an electoral system in a racially divided nation be ‘free and fair” when only one side can win because of an ethnic census? We intellectualize while Rome burns.
Everyone in and out of Guyana knows what Guyana is about. From Gay McDougall to World Bank country reports, the jury is out. Instead of continuing this meaningless “us versus them” political and racially divisive dialogue, Ravi should offer his services to the PPP to help save GuySuCo.
His intellect and knowledge of the industry are badly needed there. Sugar must not be allowed to fail. This is the problem Guyana is faced with. Regardless of who is in power, their decisions could damn us all. That is why consultation and inclusiveness are so critical.
Guyana needs to get its house in order and to provide leadership in the Caribbean. Real leadership. Visionary leadership. Climate change will eventually place most of the Caribbean islands under severe threat.
Haiti is the most recent example. Guyana is one of the few places Caribbean nationals can migrate to. North America and Europe will not accommodate them.
Lots of land, water and food, the basic necessities of life are all here and we have high ground for a new capital etc. The Caribbean’s self interest should be Guyana’s self interest and vice versa. Period!
In my next letter, I will address why we need to quickly resolve our internal problems given the new global paradigms that will put both Guyana and the Caribbean at significant risk in the near future.
Eric Phillips
GRA catch EXXON trying to hunch GUYANA over 11 BUS dollars in one shot!!!!
May 06, 2024
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