Life is full of contradictions

Apr 28, 2013 Features / Columnists, My Column

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The global scene is a remarkable study of doublespeak and bluff at the same time. It is also an apt learning ground for people who want to better understand the country in which they live.
I live in Guyana and although I have been living in this country for more than six decades, I am still to understand the direction in which it is heading.
This past week, President Donald Ramotar took offence at the human rights report released by the United States State Department.
The State Department was critical about many things in Guyana, things that have been gripping national attention for a long time.
For example, there has been no Ombudsman for so long that present-day reporters who are often too lazy to read or to do research, do not know what an Ombudsman is or what he does. Some of them are in their mid-twenties and they say that they never heard of the Office of the Ombudsman except when the politicians speak.
The politicians also spoke about a National Procurement Commission, especially in the wake of the award of contracts to people deemed as friends of the government. There is legislation, but it is still to take effect. The opposition politicians feel that the delay is due to the fact that the government wants to continue awarding contracts to its chosen few.
The Integrity Commission is another area that has come under focus. All prominent holders of public office should declare their assets. This body is still to be reconstituted and the government is blaming the opposition for failing to name its members to the commission.
The US State Department also commented on these things, much to the annoyance of President Donald Ramotar. He fired right back, telling the Americans that they should be among the last to talk about human rights and decency.
He pointed to the situation at Guantanamo, where the Americans have been holding some prisoners, and also to the torture technique called waterboarding.
There are many things that I find interesting in the exchange. For one, the message is since you are no better, then don’t lecture to me. That may be a good response except that every criticism, from every source offers a chance for introspection.
As a child growing up my parents often told me not to do things that I would see them do. I would get angry and ask myself why if they could do it I can’t.
I later did the same thing to my sons. I smoked but advised them against smoking. The reason was that I knew about the addiction and I wanted to have them avoid it. I failed because they too smoked.
I knew of mothers who tried to have their daughters avoid the pitfalls that they, the mothers, fell into. Many years ago I was at Imbaimadai and I met a woman who was doing what women did best in the interior in those days. She had a daughter back home and she said to me that she would kill any man who messed with her daughter.
There are many like this woman. Some would actually sit with their children and tell them not to take her life as an example because she was doing what she did to support them.
So it must have been when the Americans pronounced on Guyana, but President Ramotar took the high ground and simply said, “Don’t lecture to me. You have no authority.” It was the same when Transparency International reported on corruption in Guyana. Guyana knocked the report as being something concocted by people who did not understand Guyana and who had a political axe to grind.
But one view was that Guyana should have taken note of the report and tried to correct the flaws that appeared rather than knock the entire report.
Indeed, there is duplicity in this world. On the one hand we speak of avoiding interference in the internal affairs of a country and on the other we rush to invade when we think that there are people who share our interests but who appear to be under siege. We invade. That must be interfering in the internal affairs of a country. But then again, it is a case of offering a helping hand to people who are under attack and who would certainly be exterminated.
When Venezuela became bellicose Guyana sought the involvement of the international community. We suggested dialogue and we still hold to the view that dialogue holds the key to so many things. Indeed, if only people could talk then there would be no need for violence. But we don’t heed our own advice.
Our present political situation is a classic example.
There were cuts to aspects of the budget and now we are talking about going to the courts to restore the cuts; we are talking about hindrance to development and above all we are pointing accusing fingers, making the situation about us and them.
The opposition asked to be involved in the budget presentation but the government declined.
A chance for dialogue and cooperation went abegging.
So much for the policy of doing as I say and not as I do.

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