David de Caires, Glenn Lall, and Guyana’s ongoing tragedy

Jun 09, 2010 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

When I was in short pants, I read about the duo of David de Caires and Miles Fitzpatrick. At that time, I hadn’t the analytical skills to dissect the philosophical personalities of people. De Caires and Fitzpatrick came across as young radical men that I wanted to be like when I grew up. I grew up and got to know de Caires (I never got to know Fitzpatrick the same way). The David de Caires I got to know from 1988 until I stopped writing for Stabroek News in 1994 was not the person I envisaged when I was fourteen years old.
Though a very nice, decent and excellent citizen of Guyana, de Caires came across to me as a conservative fellow, far from the radical image I had of him. The fault was not in de Caires or the stars but as Cassius would put it to Brutus, “in ourselves.” Maybe de Caires was always a nice, conservative human being, only an immature mind as I was back then in Wortmanville read something different in this man.
De Caires was very pro-capitalist and pro-business. Let me say before I go further, I see nothing wrong philosophically with people who are pro-capitalist and pro-business. He wanted the Stabroek News to be a paper that would push the cause of entrepreneurship, not that I believe he put the paper in the service of that cause exclusively.
To this end, he started a Friday business supplement in the main paper, free of cost. This was indeed a superb service to the business community. De Caires’s intimate friends came from the entrepreneurial class. I am not sure how much of the nature of business people de Caires understood.
When the Jagdeo presidency decided it would weaken Stabroek News by withdrawing state advertisement, David de Caires had come face to face with one aspect of brutal Guyanese reality. Only one of the three major business organizations in Guyana (they are – Guyana Manufacturing Association, Private Sector Commission, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce) came out against the assault on de Caires’s superb newspaper, the Stabroek News. I will hold tenaciously to my belief that such a huge disappointment, along with what the PPP had degenerated into, took its toll on de Caires’ heart.
Now to Glenn Lall. I was there from the beginning when Kaieteur News started. One day, many moons ago, Glenn told me he was not in agreement with one of my columns that was harsh on the business community. Glenn’s position was that the private sector was the key to Guyana’s future. He went into an exaggerated mode by asserting that the private sector kept Guyana alive. Since that long time ago, Glenn and I have had vexed quarrels over some of my fulminations against the private sector.
Of course my bottom line was no section in Guyana is beyond reproach.
For over a year now, the Kaieteur News has been the recipient of relentless hostility from Mr. Jagdeo. The President at a business dinner with Guyana’s capitalist class urged them not to place advertisements with KN. State placements with KN have been substantially reduced. Thirdly, Mr. Jagdeo has criticized a vendor who sells KN (in Region 3) and the lady is facing denial of a vendor’s licence. Add to my attack on May 24, the withdrawal of firearm licences from some holders in KN and you have an all-out assault of one of the crucial avenues of freedom in Guyana – the Kaieteur News.
Where is the voice of one of Guyana’s paramount stakeholders – the business community? It is silent! Here is why. The business people in this country, with the exception of de Caires who just died, Stanley Ming, Peter Ramsaroop and Glenn Lall, are not going to jeopardize their investments by speaking out against the fascism of Mr. Jagdeo’s government when changes are going to come anyway through the endeavours of the opposition parties and other stakeholders like ACDA, GHRA, Red Thread, TUC, WPA, Mark Benschop etc.
This logic is so simple that an unborn baby could understand it. The capitalist class has it under control. They know the Jagdeo presidency is out of control, they know the PPP has degenerated into an abomination of evil, they know that the institutional structure of Guyana has broken down, they know the public realm has gone to shambles, they know anti-African racism by the ruling cabal threatens instability. But why get involved when the opposition will soon bring changes. Such opportunism is downright evil!

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David de Caires, Glenn Lall, and Guyana’s ongoing tragedy

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