Change requires self-discipline

Jul 01, 2009 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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I was surprised to have read that Uncle Freddie was a fan of Michael Jackson and that his favourite selection was The Lady in my Life.
Uncle Freddie has for eons been trying to save Guyana, without the PPP, and he has been failing. Each day he is venting his frustration as to why the PPP is still in power. In the process he is lashing out crazily.
He is not alone. There are many people who want change in Guyana, except that they do not have a clue as to how to bring about social transformation in a democratic manner. They find refuge in brandishing broadsides at the leaders of the opposition parties claiming that these leaders are not militant and are failing the people.
Political or social change requires a mix of factors. It is not just a question of leadership. The Marxists would argue that there needs to be convergence or coincidence of both objective and subjective conditions. Also there are some factors which favor particular outcomes.
For example, the frenzied activity that the Working People’s Alliance generated during the so-called civil rebellion of 1978-79 was not just because of the leadership of Walter Rodney, even though he had a great part to play.
The dynamic had also to do with what Burnham was inflicting on the middle class and the hardships that confronted this class.  Corresponding to this was the severe hardships that we placed on the general population when a number of basic consumer items such as milk became short.
This was also the period when the Cold War seemed to swing to the advantage of the left with the fall of Eric Gairy to Maurice Bishop in Grenada, advances in Angola and Mozambique, the fall of the Shah of Iran and the beginning of the end for Somoza in Nicaragua.  All of these external and internal forces created a historic moment that was seized upon by Rodney.  Perhaps a Rodney today in the age of capitalism would have been hard pressed to do what he did then.
It is easy for the people to lash out at their leaders and to wish for change. But change is only achieved under a set of conditions none of which are sufficiently matured in Guyana.  Firstly change requires that the middle class lead the working class.
The middle class however is not fully inserted into the working class and the historical chasms that have developed because of past betrayals now make it now impossible at this stage for the middle calls leaders to win the trust and confidence of the masses.
Secondly change requires there to be cause. There are many issues that people can identify with and protest over, but an issue is not a cause. Thirdly there is need for a defining ideology to bring about the change and to turn issues into causes.
All the political parties, including the PNCR however have capitulated to capitalism and thus even if there is an organizing idea, it means that all the political parties are in the same camp and what separates them is not  causes but differences of opinions on issues.
This would not make for genuine change but rather only for exchange.
Finally, but more importantly, what is needed to bring about change is self -discipline. Without self-discipline on the part of the people there can be no change.
An indisciplined people will create chaos. This lack of self discipline is one of the reasons why so many today are raising lances against their political leaders rather than addressing the real cause of political impotence.
Take corruption for example. Each day allegations are hurled at the government; people are accusing them of being corrupt. But guess what? There is a great deal of corruption by the people themselves.
People in Guyana on too large scale steal water and electricity; workers steal time from their employers; people skylark on their jobs; they squat on State reserves and purchase pirated movies which deny legitimate artistes copyright royalties. Corruption is not only rife within the government; it is widespread and pervasive outside of the government. And this is an example of the sort of indiscipline that has to be removed before real change can be achieved.
And this is where Michael Jackson comes in. For all of those who wish for better in Guyana, they should not get frustrated by what they see as ineffective leadership. They should try to look at themselves, the man and woman in the mirror and begin this change with themselves rather than first lambasting their political leaders.
Michael Jackson said it better in song:
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

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