Politicians taking a principled stand

Feb 06, 2021 Editorial

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Kaieteur News – Republican Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has been ousted from two committees. Eleven of her fellow Republicans joined with the Democrats to remove her from those committees. It was for spreading unfounded conspiracy rumours and, worse yet, fanning the flames of division through inflammatory stances.
That only 11 Republicans took the plunge for principle following heavy disagreements with Rep. Greene’s, does not say much of moral or ethical leadership on their comrades in the Republican party for being tone deaf, and engaging in shameless covering-up postures. It is the height of unprincipled political practices, in the face of the evidence and six Americans dead as a direct result of that Capitol rampage. There needs to be more like those 11 Republican Congressmen and women, who voted in favour of Greene being removed. Perhaps, a corner will be turned, and a new standard of decorum and dignity will take hold in the storied halls of the United States Congress, that members will appreciate the vast weight of their responsibilities, and think before they speak, before they vent and enrage willing mobs, before they add more rancor and poisons to what is already undeniably bitter partisanship in the extreme.
We at this paper thought that the unflinching example of those 11 Republican Congresspersons, who rose to a very challenging, and possibly personally damaging situation should be presented to the Guyanese public. It is an effort on our part, to provoke deep reflection on the part of as many Guyanese as could be had, and to lead to this place: if only we could have, not as many as 11 parliamentarians voting against an obviously errant comrade from their party, but a handful of four or three, or as little as one lawmaker searching his or her heart, and saying no! This is too much. This is too way out there and cannot be condoned, but must be condemned in principled and necessary censure.
We know that what is offered will, most likely, be greeted with a smirk and scorn, since such is not done here, because comrades are not disciplined or spoken out against, no matter the terrible and unpardonable nature of their proven misdeeds. This is what we have had here recently, where the trust of the people – supporters and believers, as well as all citizens – was betrayed because of the greed and rapaciousness that have come to grace public service in this society. Dirty public service, as offered and perfected by politicians, who constantly deceive the whole population with one tricky and costly affair after another. Dirty senior members of the professional public service, who use their sensitive and influential offices to drain the nation’s Treasury, and leave it burdened with improperly handled and unfinished business, and with a mountain of debt to boot.
We have heard and seen party leaders in one protective government after another, and in one defensive posture following the other when in opposition, sell their consciences, their credibility, and their souls to defend the indefensible, and to make pathetic excuses, for their wayward brethren. They are the thieving scoundrels, who help themselves and leave our fellow citizens helpless in the face of the expensive prices inflicted, and the projects not completed (or crumbling quickly) to lament their misplaced trust, the ongoing record of dismal failure.
In the American system, as it stands divisively perched today, voting against party and colleague holds the possibility of a steep personal price meted out, through a political kiss of death. In other words, to vote against a glaringly endangering party comrade assumes the high risk of incurring the wrath of voters that could result in some losing their seats in the Congress. After all, the colleague (such as Rep. Greene) speaks a language that is admirable to many voters in the trenches. One’s political life could be in serious jeopardy.
We bring that up, because there is no such risk in Guyana, given our arrangements and practices, where powerful party leaders are the ones who make the decisions as to who is in and who is out, be it in the government benches, or in that of the opposition’s side of the aisle. In sum, and for emphasis, corrupt parliamentarians, corrupt ministers, and corrupt public servants (all usually handpicked and finalized through some degree of mutual understanding and prearrangement with party leaders) are not exposed to the anger and contempt of voters. So, to go against a wrongdoer is almost riskless, yet it is the step just about never taken here. Clearly, the one that is cared about the most, and always, is the fellow musketeer, and not the welfare of Guyanese, be they supporter or citizen. It is just the way it is, which is why we continue to labour futilely against political and public service criminalities.

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