Serving more than two masters

Mar 19, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Kaieteur News – The PPP may rightly think that it is currently mighty in Guyana. Its leadership, however, needs to be reminded that it is not almighty where it counts. I speak not of heaven, but of the international community – the Western tilted one. For the benefit of PPP leaders, meaning the VP, I caution, there are intractable problems with serving two masters and what his party is trying – indeed, struggling – to do is serving several masters simultaneously. I elaborate.
The word from the media is that President Ali has had talks with China relative to its well-publicized global ‘Belt and Road’ vision and scheme. In case His Excellency has forgotten, I respectfully remind him of the snafu with that other China, the one that doesn’t count, and which is well on the way to being folded into the Chinese celestial tent. I humbly caution, as I see in that Belt and Road overture, a Taiwan redux, and look at how embarrassing that snafu (the PPP should familiarize itself with the complete meaning of this acronym) turned out to be. There is no callow Foreign Minister to blame this time. For it is trying to serve two masters at the same time; the Americans are not going to be happy, and when they are unhappy, they unsettle unruly governments. In case anyone is thinking of sovereign prerogatives, my position is unambiguous: cut the crap; has no meaning in our context. Look at bulky, formidable India and the price it paid for its Russian friendship way back, and how closely it is aligned today with the American hymnbook. Like the Indians did after their ill-fated non-aligned venture, my word to President and Vice president is short and sweet: do the same, get some sense. Don’t trifle with the Americans, not when they put in power. That can be easily undermined, as in reversed. Incidentally, it should not have escaped the attention of the wise guys in the PPP that everywhere that the Belt and Road business took hold, ended up regretting it.
The second master, which I have very subtly advised the PPP to be most careful with, is its involvement in certain donations and donors. As Guyana knows by now, the bottom has fallen out and the walls are closing in on that kind of business and money and people; one of the PPP’s own is watched, which it cannot afford. Arrogant PPP leaders did not listen back then, and their protectors got seized in the neighbourhood. Also, the omnipotent American Ambassador came embarrassingly close to people of interest during the riotous celebrations of last year, but she has since had the good sense to distance herself neatly. To the PPP brass, I say: fool’s gold is just that; and dark money is Noriega et al. Proceed with protection rackets at the peril of the party and its hold on power. This is not serving one master (America) or two (American and China), but several. Greater leadership follies I know not.

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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