How much do we know; how much do we care; what can we do?

Jan 13, 2026 Letters

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Dear Editor,

In a world plagued with instability, uncertainties and violence, and with the great powers inching inexorably towards a world war yet for all, despite this precarious situation, many see capital and assets accumulation, self- enrichment and climbing the social ladder as preferred options.

Under these conditions it is hard for the average Guyanese rich and poor to focus on what is going on in the world around them and to think about the implications for their daily lives. Admittedly, it is perhaps unwise at this point in time to under or over-estimate the degree of national consciousness prevailing domestically as regards understanding the hazardous nature of global developments.

I recall many years ago because Cheddi Jagan in or out of the Legislative Council, later, National Assembly, would, in his speeches, situate Guyana in context of international developments, he would be criticized by opponents claiming; “We don’t want to hear about what’s happening overseas Cheddi, tell us about Guyana.!” Jagan would nevertheless persist because he considered educating the Guyanese people his historic mission.

Those were the days when, because of the Cold War, trends in the international situation were easily discernible, given the dominance of the two superpowers, the Warsaw Pact versus the NATO countries, the assertiveness of the nonaligned countries, coups and counter coups and the covert actions of intelligence agencies operating under the cloak of spheres of influence and unilateralism.

With contributions by Jagan, Burnham and many other well-known Guyanese academics and intellectuals of that time, debates about global developments was the order of the day. And with the local press independently reporting and highlighting their own views editorially and otherwise on such matters, Guyanese were much the wiser about global affairs.

Nowadays, save for information gleaned principally from the Western media, a few editorials and syndicated columnists now and then, it must be well-nigh impossible for Guyanese to understand, much less grasp the essence of the global chaos, instability and prospects of a nuclear war.

Under prevailing circumstances, we are left to wonder how much do we know, how much do we care and what can we do to help turn the tide from the breakdown of and trampling on international law; the revivification of spheres-of-influence; violating countries’ sovereignty; decapitation strikes on governing entities; passing laws to annexe huge chunks of countries’ territory and holding ‘elections’ to validate such laws; sending gunboats to intimidate and terrorize states and legitimate offshore investments in oil; kidnapping sitting Heads of State; enforcing control of the world’s largest proven reserves of crude oil and unilaterally assuming distribution of that country’s oil products globally; ‘running’ the internal affairs of another nation; dismantling the so-called ‘Rules-based International Order;’ maintaining illegal economic blockades of countries; extrajudicial killings at sea; abandoning the practice of ‘strategic ambiguity and ‘geo-political flexibility in international relations and diplomatic practice;’ appropriation through coercion of territory belonging to a NATO member; implications of aligning with a world power that gives short shift to international law; authorizing the CIA and MI5 to conduct covert activities in sovereign states; using drones to attack other nations’ energy and military assets; imposing ‘bone-crushing’ trade tariffs and sanctions against nations; seizing ships on the high seas; abandoning the treaty on inter-continental ballistic missiles; asserting the view that ‘might is right;’ attacking oil refineries of sovereignty states; and attacking the official residence of a sitting President. These hostile acts are real not imaginary, and, apart from provoking confrontations, cumulatively, they carrying with them the risk of war by miscalculation.

In the circumstances, there is only one way to reverse and set in motion an irreversible course going forward; dialogue, and diplomacy aimed at the pursuit of people-centered development globally and world peace.

Thanks to social media and the scores of podcasters around the world who carry an anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, anti-racist, progressive, national democratic and in some cases, liberal democratic line in their podcasts, people around the world have access to alternative viewpoints that inspire them to mobilize in an effort to turn the tide to create a better world.

Clement J. Rohee
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs

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• developments, great powers, hazardous nature, information, International, precarious situation

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