Ending Guyana’s Age of Asininity

Jan 23, 2018 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
In its Sunday (Jan 21/18) column the AFC sought to castigate GAWU for its betrayal of Guyana’s sugar workers, going as far back as the period under Burnham’s rule when it was widely documented that strikes in the sugar industry were politically motivated. While there is no doubt that GAWU sold out sugar workers, particularly during the PPP’s 23-year reign, and I remain firmly in support of sugar workers seeking to recoup their union dues, we as a nation need to seriously reconsider those events of political instability involving sugar workers up until 1992, with particular emphasis on the Burnham years.
The entire period of Burnham and the PNC government up until 1992 was characterized by the systematic rigging of elections going back to 1968.
I had conceded prior to 2015 that Guyana could have done better than the PPP, and even deemed removing the PPP a pivotal step in Guyana’s economic progress.
In respect of the PPP and sugar workers involvement in essentially disseminating the sugar industry in political protest, the question we have to seriously consider is, were they wrong?
Our national elections were being systematically rigged, and Guyana’s democracy was being trampled. Were the PPP and sugar workers wrong to protest the PNC’s rigged elections and false rule? Why weren’t we all protesting the rigging of elections? Why didn’t the entire country come out against Burnham and the PNC?
And what were the benefits of having rigged elections? A government that knew little or nothing about managing and building an economy that I propose only implemented its version of socialism because socialism was founded on a power structure which incorporated the oppression of the masses.
The oppression of PPP supporters who fought to maintain Guyana’s democracy was a legitimate form of maintaining power in socialist dogma. The elimination of any and all threats to ‘the power of the people,’ which in actual fact was the preservation of the institution of dictatorship erected under Burnham’s and the PNC’s socialist cooperative government.
Other benefits included nationalizing many foreign-owned corporations, chronic shortages as foreign currency earnings crumbled, and the implementing of price controls which essentially put the economy into a tail-spin. Under rigged elections of the PNC years, Guyana lost its democracy and was sent into poverty.
Why do I write about this? Because I was part and parcel of getting rid of the PPP for all the reasons we know, and I wish to reiterate Guyana has a problem on its hands.
Who would have thought that it could get worse than under the PPP?
This PNC-led coalition administration has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that this is achievable. It considers the power vested in it by the constitution gives it the right to proceed to oppress us again with its grossly stupid economic policies which have checked economic growth and stifled prospects for higher wages and welfare growth. There is also its underhanded dealing in respect of our national resources, as well as its brazen attempt to enforce contracts that pilfer taxpayers’ money, notably the bond deal. It should be noted that such contracts are now on the low because of the bad publicity generated, but rest assured that if Guyana ever lightens up and allows them at the helm, we can expect more of these. It continues to make much ado about oil, but we need not fool ourselves, because we can almost rest assured that our workers will continue to get 5 percent post-2020 under them.
Waiting patiently in the wings are Jagdeo and his clique. The question Guyana has to ask itself is: Do we want to return to government under the PPP? Knowing that rigged elections cedes our democracy, rule of law, and results in gross economic mismanagement, are we prepared to return to government under the PPP? Or the Coalition administration?
Can the coalition win in 2020 with its policy matrix? Do we think for a moment that now Jagdeo has the benefit of additional information, he will not use it, as he has already demonstrated his capacity to so do?
For those of us who continue to preach about the idiotic hope for change in our two parties, and those who engage in the docile stupidity living on false hopes, this is what we force ourselves into accepting. We are much better than both the PPP and Coalition, and our failure to deliver results better than either of these two parties will only produce results we could do well without.
It is time to start cracking and end our Age of Asininity. The time is now. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Not in 2020. Now.
Craig Sylvester

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