That New York Times article on Guyana

Jan 23, 2015 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Two things that New York Times article of January 18 pointed to that most Guyanese know – the dwindling popularity of Mr. Ramotar and most importantly, the role of young people. Here is the exact quote on young people; “…younger voters, who may have seen more of the world and want to change things at home.”
That is the mountain that has become insurmountable‘ for the PPP. I will offer two examples. I was having lunch at Excellence Restaurant on Charlotte Street with Leonard Craig and Dennis Atwell of the AFC. This young man came up to our table and asked me if I knew who he was.
He said he was the son of Eugene Gilbert. Eugene was a junior Minister in the Forbes Burnham Government. We were student contemporaries at UG. We got along nicely even though we were opposites politically. Eugene came to know my wife when she worked at GUYMIDA, under the Hoyte presidency.
I told the son I was happy that young people like him were back in Guyana. As the conversation rolled on, the state of development of Guyana came up, and he said, “Mr. Kissoon, look at Suriname compared to Guyana.” One week after those words, I heard them again from another young man.
The place was the Square of the Revolution and the event was the APNU-sponsored rally against the prorogation of Parliament. Rustom Seegopaul was a journalist at Kaieteur News, then he went to China to study. Before the rally, I didn’t see Rustom for years. But there he was filming the protest. We talked and the same thing I said to Eugene Gilbert’s son, I uttered to Rustom – I was glad he was back to develop his country.
As the subject of Guyana’s state of development came up, Rustom said, “But look at Suriname.”
This was totally intriguing for me. In the space of a week, two very young men judged their country on the basis of the modern state of neighbouring Suriname. The New York Times journalist was spot on – once the young Guyanese see a piece of the world they will want Guyana to be like that. They want Guyana to be like other countries, but they are not coming back when they touch down on foreign soil.
Eugene Gilbert’s son and Rustom Seegopaul may have left already. Once they put foot on land on the Suriname side, off the Moleson Creek ferry; once they land at the Piarco airport in Trinidad; once they see a single building at UWI in Jamaica, they are not coming back to Guyana.
Imagine what goes through the head of a twenty-year-old Guyanese who stands on the lawns of UWI in Trinidad, Barbados or Jamaica, and looks at the buildings then walks into the offices. In his eyes, UG is a cow pen. And it may be no exaggeration to say that Bounty Supermarket has cow pens that are in better condition than UG.
Neilson McKenzie of the AFC mentioned a funny thing. He said that a woman told him that the worst road in Botswana is in better shape than the best road in Guyana.
This is the Guyana the Yahoo travel writer saw last year when he visited. This is the Guyana the New York Times journalist saw. This is the Guyana that will cause the downfall of Clement Rohee, Gail Teixeira, Roger Luncheon, Donald Ramotar and the house of troglodytes ironically named Freedom House.
Every day, this house of troglodytes tries to fool the younger generation of this country, and it makes the young people more enraged. Is it not a wiser policy to shut up if you don’t have any idea to contribute to a debate? Donald Ramotar told his audience at the Berbice Expedition in July 2013 that in three years time he would make Guyana a first world country.
If you are not inclined to use a harsh word like ‘asinine’ you are forced to when you hear this comical outpouring. In a world of 200 sovereign states, in terms of GDP and GNP, Guyana would be listed as one of the poorest.
In a territory that in the words of one of our leading entrepreneurs is “piss poor”, Mr. Ramotar will climb over a hundred and fifty states that are above us and make us a developed nation. It doesn’t help the cause of the PPP when you insult young people like this, because they know better. It is best to shut your mouth. This simple, physical act, dictators do not know how to do.

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That New York Times article on Guyana

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