Guyanese are fighting the wrong fights

Jul 27, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Guyanese as long as I have known them, have been fighters, sometimes for good things but mostly for unimportant and useless issues. There were Guyanese in the old days fighting against imperialism like Cuffy and Damon, and there were the Enmore Martyrs, the two PPP activists who followed ballot boxes to protect Guyanese democracy, Dr. Walter Rodney. I apologise for leaving out any other worthy fighters for Guyana. Then we had Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan and we had a never-give-up cricketing star, the best captain in the cricketing world Clive Llyod. We have also ordinary Guyanese fighting sickness and disability trying to better their lives to be independent. Then there are the usual fights, like schoolyard fights, cricket and soccer fights, love triangle fights, election argument fights, wedding house fights, bar and nightclub fights, road rage fights, neighbours fights, family fights etc. Psychologists and social experts will say these are normal in any society, sadly there were tragic deaths and injuries from these fights and my sympathies go out to all affected.

The Guyanese leaders are fighting their own people for, not to get a better deal from their oil and gas resources, not to collect taxes from multinational companies, not to get full coverage insurance for environmental disasters, not to disclose business deals with foreign companies, not for foreign companies to obey Guyana’s tax, insurance, environmental and labour laws. Guyanese, for what’s at stake currently for yourselves and Guyana, you are fighting the wrong fights and the wrong people being yourselves, the leaders are now fighting for the exploiters rather than for you Guyanese.

So it is time you Guyanese to channel your energy for the most important fight of all, which is to get your rightful share of Guyana’s wealth and environmental protection for Guyana. Guyanese wrong fighting, no fighting and Guyanese leaders fighting for the exploiters have emboldened the exploiters to openly show their scorn and disdain for Guyanese while taking Guyana’s wealth.

The New State Lord of Guyana, Alistair Routledge recently said Exxon has the right to pursue the Wales gas to shore project regardless of citizens’ concerns. Mining companies are telling Guyanese they have rights to the lands, rights to the secrecy of their deals, operations and production, and all multinational companies have the right to pay no taxes and non-compliance with Guyana’s environmental, labour and insurance laws. They have the right not to show Guyanese expenses charged to Guyana, so what rights do Guyanese have? The right to beg, steal and slave for a pittance to feed themselves in their own rich country?.The former Mayor of Georgetown recently said Guyana should strike a good deal for its oil and resources so the people should benefit, this from the same man who stayed silent when the exploitive oil contract was signed by the PNC, and also said Granger should be reinstated as president even as he lost the national elections.

Since the Pandit’s heart is in the right place for ordinary Guyanese and he should be a knowledgeable man, I will remind rather than inform him and others, Exxon’s success comes from being a ruthless corporation and their shareholders want an increase on their investments year over year. For them to attain this, someone has to lose year over year, being obviously ordinary Guyanese, as the local facilitators have to also get their piece, the accounting and maths always have to balance since wealth is not unlimited, it is a zero-sum game where someone wins because someone has to lose.

Just ask Ashni Singh, Bharrat Jagdeo, Winston Jordan and Carl Greenidge. So the Pandit should know the deal has already been struck and if he wants more for Guyanese, he has to join the protest for a better deal and use his influence to get others to be involved. With the current brutal exploitation of Guyana, there are some overnight- rich Guyanese being created, building and buying fancy expensive houses, buying expensive jewellery, clothing, electronics, and vehicles, throwing thousand dollar tips at waitresses and becoming overnight businessmen and women. Some are also contributing to and also building temples, mosques and churches hoping for forgiveness from god in the future. These new millionaires didn’t win the lottery, they didn’t get an inheritance, they don’t own profitable companies, so where is this money coming from?, I don’t know and by the way these overnight rich people I mention here are not in Guyana, but in the USA and Canada predominantly, maybe this can explain the foreign attacks from internet trolls on KN Staff, an investigation into these overnight rich Guyanese will probably provide the results to spark a national protest Guyana desperately needs to bring back accountability in government.

Regards,

R. David.

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• Cheddi Jagan, Enmore Martyrs, Forbes Burnham, R. David., unimportant

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