President Ali’s tough love

Nov 22, 2024 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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…Hard Truths 

By GHK Lall 

kaieteur news- I agree and disagree with Vice President Bhar-rat Jagdeo on Excellency Ali’s presidential tornado of Tuesday, November 12, 2024.  Take note of that date, fellow citizens, for it has extraordinary significance.

It will identify Excellency Ali as a cardboard leader dressed up for the occasion, and propped up to look strong and formidable, as if he were some real life El Cid riding strapped on horseback.  Or as a president of substance, who could be trusted to deliver on his hard attitudes, sharp words, veiled threats, and ferocious postures.  Guyanese would welcome some genuine action.

Or, then again, if the national leader is nothing but an empty barrel running downhill at full speed, while creating a tidal wave of sound as it collides with obstacles slowing its way.  They were almost all human: bowled over with a hard jam, or brushed aside from sheer bulk, or given a glancing blow that still sent tumbling.  Dr. Jagdeo had a nice parental touch to add to the young president’s, ahem, fulminations.  Translation: a feral blast.  May the departed rest.  May living Guyanese get some peace from all this excitement.  It was an expression of ‘tough love’ by the current president, according to the former president.

When Dr. Jagdeo uses words like ‘tough love’ what does he mean?  What’s love got to do with it, in shades of the late, great Tina Turner?  Especially considering the president’s gathering of some persons of special character, all Guyanese stars.  When a man, leader, political operator, and swinger like Jagdeo makes statements involving things like tough love, I go on high alert.  It is when thick, heavy suspiciousness surrounds.

Somebody help please, when was it that Bhar-rat Jagdeo was ever about love?  In any capacity, and manifesting anything that had anything to do with love.  Does this human being, this brother, know what love is?  I’m not trying to be Tina Turner.  I am trying to get the hang of Jagdeo regarding ‘tough love.’  This is a man that is like a stone quarry, a blacksmith’s steel anvil, and he is talking about love.  What is the world coming to?  Specifically what strange, soothing, spirit has taken over brother Jagdeo that he now waxes smartly about love?

Politically speaking, (PPP speak), he is onto something, though.  There was presidential love for his cast of characters ordered to turn up in their pajamas and nightgowns before him.  Yeah, it was a rather bedraggled and disoriented gang that appeared in his early morning kangaroo chamber.  Everybody should have been hopping from the heat, except that they were so sleep frozen that only President Ali was verbally hopping and skipping about.

The man is a showman, I will say it again.  He knows how to milk the moment and the mike for maximum entertainment effect.  How to set up the whole shebang also.  Lots of state money, state hours, state workers, and other state hours would have been necessary to get that Star Chamber of his going.  I agree with Mr. Jagdeo with the ‘love’ part of his statement, since everyone walked out of the president’s charade and masquerade in one piece.  Some of the supposedly slapped around couldn’t conceal their sly smiles, because they were in on the president’s joke.  Their prearranged roles were to pretend to be alarmed, fake some concerns, and show contrition, for certain events must take place so that there’s a record.  The president called, the president castigated, and the president carried on.  Mission accomplished.  Politics has its delightful intervals.

Is there anything ‘tough’ in any of that, Dr. Jagdeo?  I speak to the former president without pulling punches.  Tough love leaves strong men crying like children.  Tough love is when others have to scrape the victims from the floor with a spade, Mr. Jagdeo.  Who was the senior public servant fired on the spot?  Which blacklisted or ineligible contractor was identified, sent packing, banned from receiving future public works projects?  Which minister was put out to pasture to end their misery, their conspicuous lack of competence, credibility?  Guyanese have a saying: famlee cut-lish duz ben but he nah bruk.

For the benefit of Americans, cut-lish is the local counterpart of machete.  What Excellency Ali held was a PPP family affair, with some of blood notables present.  As they say, wha is a li’l cussin’ up an blowin’up between faam-lee?  It was love alright, but with the tough sucked out and thrown overboard.  More and more Guyanese have come to appreciate Excellency Ali as a noisemaker and merrymaker.  Calling a meeting at that ungodly hour was his idea of leadership fun and frolic.  Ungodly, it was, indeed.  Simply check the ID cards of the galaxy of heroes and heroines who were there. Next time, Mr. Jagdeo, try something more believable.  What President Ali engaged in was some ruff jokes.  Or some pre-Thanksgiving turkey talk.  He is learning from Master Communicator Alistair Routledge well.  A little too well for my liking.  I continue to wait for results from this presidential shove down.  Produce or perish.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

(President Ali’s tough love)

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• Ali’s presidential tornado, entertainment effect, Excellency, feral blast, hard truths

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